TOP GUN

It’s not that far away, you know.  August 28 and 29 will be the weekend for Top Gun fun.  Mark your calendar, but also know:

· The cost will be $30 for members (of any region, of course) and $50 for non-members for the event.  Sorry, no discount for one-day drivers.

· Double points for local members.

· We will run cars in run groups by classes so that timers can have a final score available early on Sunday.

· Winners (1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd) will get the option of cash ($20/$10/$5) or a trophy for their finish over the two days.  Cash is instant (well, OK, it’s a check!) but trophies will have to be ordered and sent.

· There will be one fast time overall trophy for the quickest two day total time.

· Sponsors will include Champion Auto, Big Sky Tire-Rama, and Ike and Susan’s Lounge and Casino.

Real cool t-shirts will be $10 this year.

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

· Folks in the pits MUST have a wristband.  This means all of your friends and hangers-on.  Also, please tell folks who are NOT competing to get their vehicles out of the pits.  They are just a congestive mess and have no place in the pits, anyway.

· When you leave the event area for any reason, you MUST remove your competition number from your vehicle.  The numbers are a dead give-away that you are an SCCA competitor, and any stupid, aggressive, or just plain asinine behavior comes right back to the club as a complaint.  This club has a zero-tolerance policy.  Any complaints about your driving with a number still on your car will cost you at least a one-event suspension; maybe even a full season invitation not to play.  Drive smart, and TAKE THE NUMBER OFF BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE EVENT SITE!

· The club is in excellent fiscal health.  There is money in the savings and checking accounts, we have sufficient pylons, we have back-up timing lights, we have a new quiet generator, and you can thank the Heppners and R.E. Ed Austin for the good report!  And not to forget, the Double Nationals that Tom Masterson got us involved in many years ago continues to replenish our coffers.  Thanks to all!

Ed Austin and Paul Heppner are talking with MAFB about their facilities, again, and some co-op work that we might do together with base personnel.  Keep your fingers crossed; we will let you know the news as soon as things work out.  This could be huge, so think positive thoughts. 

AUGUST 14 WEATHER REPORT = MUDDY!

One of the Top Gun sponsors, Big Sky Tire-Rama, is having a mud bog event on August 14 at the fairgrounds here in Great Falls.  $20 to enter (Saturday registration 8-11 AM); $6.00 to spectate.  Full food and beverage concessions available.  AND a big two-day tire sale in front of the grandstand both Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM to 6 PM each day.  Go buy some real cheap tires, you skinflint!

BIG THANKS TO:

Everyone who worked the Demo Derby.  What a great event!

Champion Auto, Big Sky Tire-Rama, Ike and Susan’s Lounge and Casino.  They support us, so if you need tires, car parts, food, beverages, or a quick try of your luck, go see these folks.  There are none better!

JULY 11 RESULTS (as printed in the Great Falls Tribune)

An absolutely beautiful day saw some of the closest finishes of the season; competitors from Great Falls and from across the region went home feeling like they had really worked hard to earn their finishing positions.  John Weinzettel’s Fast Time of Day of 49.706 in his Honda CRX was a spectacular run as he set the pace for over 4 dozen drivers.  The club’s next event will be Top Gun, a two-day statewide event on August 28^th and 29^th.

The Montana Region’s 80 members are part of the nationwide SCCA (Sports Car Club of America), and autocrossing is a timed event that pits one car at a time against a driving course outlined with orange traffic pylons; the object being to be quick and precise.  It’s the best and cheapest automotive fun around; there are classes for nearly every type of vehicle and it sharpens driving skills.

Place #     Class Driver            Car               Time

45    199   AS    Donna Potter      Ford Mustang      01:00.563

53    455   AS    Nicholas Norus    Buick Electra     01:08.394

22    149   BS    Zach Gilmor       Ford Contour      00:55.211

49    68    BS    Helen Morin       Ford Mustang      01:02.431

27    31    CS    Greg Madson       VW GTI            00:56.343

35    62    CS    Couri Childs      Honda Civic       00:58.366

37    210   CS    Cory Guesser      Toyota Corolla    00:58.513

39    311   CS    Drew Lovel        Nissan 240SX      00:58.648

42    375   CS    Barry Armbrister  Honda Civic       00:59.407

46    999   CS    Shelby Iverson    Eagle Talon       01:01.374

26    69    APRO  Darrell Schamp    Ford Mustang      00:56.325

32    202   APRO  Ben Olmstead      Ford Mustang      00:57.200

38    387   APRO  Jess Bandel       Ford Mustang      00:58.631

40    56    APRO  Rick Edwards      Ford Mustang      00:59.364

41    350   APRO  Chris Swift       Firebird          00:59.388

10    2     BPRO  Tim Helms         Pontiac Fiero     00:52.435

25    83    BPRO  Jim Wilson        Nissan 280ZX      00:56.004

36    26    BPRO  Tom Masterson     Porsche 911       00:58.380

43    55    BPRO  Ed Austin         Mazda RX-7        00:59.870

52    26X   BPRO  Sherri Masterson  Porsche 911       01:05.514

23    38    CPRO  Doug Herold       Ford Focus        00:55.754

24    205   CPRO  John Mann         Honda Civic       00:55.980

31    444   CPRO  Chris Mayer       Ford Focus        00:57.142

50    32    CPRO  Jan Lovec         MG                01:03.732

51    201   CPRO  Joshua Eli        Dodge             01:04.921

30    14    PRE1  Jim Davis         Dodge Viper       00:56.815

19    976   PRE2  Kyle Houge        Mazda             00:54.767

1     7     PRE3  John Weinzettel   Honda CRX         00:49.706

2     3     PRE3  James Rowan       Honda CRX         00:49.903

13    213   PRE3  Jeremy Howard     Mitsubishi        00:53.403

14    111   PRE3  James Campbell    Honda CRX         00:53.527

16    15    PRE3  Alex Chung        Subaru            00:53.685

28    96    PRE3  David Thurston    Plymouth Conquest 00:56.445

3     37    GT-1  Jerry Rukavina    Chevy Camaro      00:51.433

4     8     GT-1  Adam Johnson      Ford Cobra        00:51.661

7     6     GT-1  Bob Stevenson     Ford Mustang      00:52.235

11    86    GT-1  Dennis Figarelle  Chevy Camaro      00:53.253

12    40    GT-1  Steve Nutter      Ford Maverick     00:53.305

21    72    GT-1  Kent Yoder        Chevy Camaro      00:55.077

47    79    GT-1  Kelly Rolfe       Pontiac Trans AM   01:01.685

48    72X   GT-1  Deb Yoder         Chevy Camaro      01:01.959

5     165   GT-2  Dean Mikes        Mazda RX7         00:52.113

9     80    GT-2  Clint Houge       Mazda RX3         00:52.325

20    23    GT-2  R. Cummings       Mercury Capri     00:54.821

33    23x   GT-2  Travis Cummings   Mercury Capri     00:57.686

34    165   GT-2  Tracy Mikes       Mazda RX7         00:57.854

6     5     GT-3  Jim Messick       VW Scirroco       00:52.151

8     1     GT-3  Gary Wolf         Saab 9000         00:52.285

15    12    GT-3  Bob Morin         Toyota Celica     00:53.650

17    47X   GT-3  Russ Wilson       Toyota Celica     00:54.000

18    47    GT-3  Greg Rice         Toyota            00:54.545

29    67    GT-3  Victor Hodge      Austin Mini       00:56.502

44    380   GT-3  Isaac Baumgartner Toyota Celica     01:00.071