[s-cars] Audi Club Nationals Report (Long)

[Tom Vandervoort]

With apologies for stealing the format from Scott J, here's my report on the
Audi Club Nationals at Infineon Raceway/Sears Point.  Overall, the Nationals
were a big, great, safe, fast, learning event.  Here goes:

Best Pre-Event Rescue:  One of two.  Chuck Price's S4 being transported from
Ohio being moved offf the transporter and driven a 300-mile round trip in a
snow storm Out West for truck parts.  At least the guy had enough sense to
choose a quattro!  Or, 2Bennett rescuing my S2 after our trip sliding in
from Minnesota with no boost.  Two hoses and a bypass valve replaced in
Davis the night before the Nationals while those guys were incredibly busy
(parts in stock, too -- shows why they're the 20vt gang).  Thanks Andrew and
Ken.

Best Turn Award:  The entire track.  The track surprised me with its short
straights and amazing variety of terrain changes combined with on and off
camber blind turns.  After trips to a total of nine major tracks, Sears
Point is vying for one of the top 3 with me.

Top Students Award:  Virtually all of them.  I had great students.  Matt
Rooke a strong intermediate driver ready to move up in his stealth 20vt 3B
S2 (no hood, badges) and Aundra Urban in her 90 90 20v advancing every run
to end up in Dad's neu S4 for the last run.

Top Hot Rod Award:  Has to be Bill Perkins' new RS urQ built by Stasis.
Whew, what a cool machine.  We hope to see it at Thunderhills, Laguna Seca
and the new Phoenix event in March.

Top new Hot Rods (Plural) Award: Three, count 'em, THREE RS6's (one with the
"enhanced sound" exhaust).  Nice experience to stand at the start and listen
to those twin turbo V8's wind out up that hill: BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR -- blown
big block V8 power!

Top older Hot Rods Award:  Had to be the (I'm biased 'cause I've got one)
big group of 20v turbo coupes: 2-3 S2's. Dean's RS2, Matt's stealth S2,
Dean's Euro model 20vt urQ, Perky's RS urQ.  What'd I miss?

Toughest Break Award:  Orin's engine blow-up.  Sounded like mine at Mid-Ohio
in June with the white smoke and metal pieces.  Your initial report says it
should be OK in terms of avoiding a major rebuild.  Hope so.

Best IC Award: Once again, it had to be Javad's monster intercooler.  You
ARE pushing air through that baby.  Sorry we didn't get a chance to talk
Javad, but I got a wave and a look at the IC in the hot pits.

Best Exercise Move:  The Master Keith Anderson on the lights for the lane
change trying, but not succeeding at getting the Sacramento television
reporter to miss the green light chute in Parker's big S6 Avant.  The
reporter's an old TSD rally guy.

Best Smoke Award:  The (nameless) A4 at the top of blind Turn 2 with the
trunk open and yellow-green smoke pouring out.  "What was THAT?!  Turns out
someone's fire extinguisher started rolling (bouncing?) around back there
(surprise!) and went off.  Now what was that about emptying out our cars?

The Family Who Drives Together Stays Together Award:  Definitely the Urbans
with three (four?) Audis and a Porsche (Mom's) at the school (so many I
couldn't keep track of 'em).  Mom asking the son's question at the driver's
meeting.  Thanks, Mom!

Best Event Management Innovation: Dividing each run group into flagged
colors with their own shelters to park at LeMans style and get to know each
other a bit.  Recording comments on students in the 3-Ring binders after
each run was also a big plus in terms of building a data base for the club.

Best Club Reputation Builder:  The television interviews with Sacramento
Channel 10 about the safe driving/driving skills building aspects of our
schools by Dr. Bruce Parker, Craig Liechty, Michael Galati and assorted
instructors while critiquing during exercises.  We'll see what runs and try
to get the tape up on the ACNA web site.

Best Rides:  We had a lot of instructors giving a lot of rides this event:
Thanks everyone!  The best rides had to be those with Audi Champions Michael
Galati on Thursday and Randy Pobst on Friday.  Hooo-Boy!!!!  Thanks Rod
Bymaster and AOA!

Best Food:  Without a doubt the ribs on Friday.  Where did you find those
guys, Dean?  Hope we see 'em again.

Best Class Act: Had to be Randy Pobst at noon on Friday when he came up to
student Dana Parker and apologized for the "Kamikaze Pass" he did M3 to M3.
Dana took full advantage of the situation by getting an autographed pic and
a FAST ride from Randy (who pulled the gear shift knob off in the M3).

Best Member:  Eventmaster and Golden Gate Chapter Prez Dean Treadway who
truly deserved his ACNA Member of the Year Award.  A close second was
co-eventmaster Helmar Sowick.

The...the...that's all folks!

Tom
S2 (happily resident in CA for the winter)