1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

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FV80
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1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by FV80 »

Hey guys. While searching for something else, I ran across these pix and thought a lot of you would be interested in seeing them. It took me a couple of minutes to start to recognize the track. Pix are at T5. MAN - hard to believe that *I* was racing vees back then too (back in the F440 days). I do know a few of the drivers, but most I do not (presume they are 'northern yanquees' 8) ) . I think the first year I went there was 1988 for the FV 25th anniversary, but I sure don't remember that LOW guard rail inside going up the hill - maybe it was changed between '84 and '88.
http://www.comicozzie.com/gallery2/v/19 ... 0.jpg.html
Steve, FV80
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smsazzy
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by smsazzy »

I was under the impression we had color film by 1984......
Stephen Saslow
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by BLS »

Steve, nice find.

There is a pic of Scott Rubenzer and his Citation 84V in there which I found interesting.

I like the B&W 8)
Barry
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Speedsport
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by Speedsport »

Very cool Steve. I was hoping in some of the other galleries there would be more 'Sprints pictures but I couldn't find any.

What caught my attention is all the spectators along the fence. Where has everyone gone?????
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by FV80 »

smsazzy wrote:I was under the impression we had color film by 1984......
I'm also pretty sure we did.. however, color is not MANDATED anywhere. It does make the place look a LOT older though. I would have guessed early 70's if I hadn't had the captions to go by. I would never argue if someone came forward and ASSURED me that it was a typo and the date was really 1974 :lol: .
Steve, FV80
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by FV80 »

Speedsport wrote:....spectators .... Where has everyone gone?????
I think they're sitting at home playing on the internet ... like US :roll:
SD80
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Campbell Motorsport
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by Campbell Motorsport »

The 1984 June Sprints was my 2nd Sprints. There were 55 cars entered in race 2 (combined FV & F440), 51 FV and 4- F-440. Practice and qualifying Friday was in the rain- not a very nice day.

Qualifying:

1- a 440 if you can believe it
2- Scott Rubenzer – Citation- (the first of the new style that Scott drove to the Runoffs win) 3:08:402
3- Jon Adams- Caracal C
4- Steve Knapp- Farley CF 01 (Curtis Farley chassis & Elite body work?)
5- Dave Smith- Predator (his cars were always fast, & immaculate)
6- Steve Kalka- Lynx B
7- John Hogdal- Napmobile (why we have the fan shroud rule in FV)
8- Dave Kazmierczak- D-13
9- Jerry Knapp Lynx B (Steve’s father)
10- Jeff Salcedo- Zink C4

The race was dry and the track was in good condition- final results

1. Dave Smith
2. Chris Shultz- Zink Z-18
3. John Hogdal- fast lap a 2:50:01
4. Scott Rubenzer
5. Steve Knapp
6. Jerry Knapp
7. Dave Bennett- d-13
8. Steve Kalka
9. Dave Kazmierczak
10. Brian Jennerjahn- Lynx B (current Vortec constructor)
11. Steve Thompson- Elite (one of the early Elite bodied Lynx B cars)
12. John Adams
13. Jeff Salcedo

Other notable finishers

21. John Maurus Z-18 (father of Nick Maurus- current Cen div FV driver)
22. Ron Whitson- Lynx B (2011 Sprints winner)
39. Steve Driscoll- Sting

Notable DNF
Eric Tremayne
Andres Serrano
H. David harris
Butch Deer
Bob Giesen

I started 44th and finished 29th in my Lynx B and I had a ball. I was living “the dream” driving on a race track I had seen almost 20 years earlier as a wide eyed teenager. Those I raced with and I, did not have the equipment, tires, talent, nor money to run at the front, but it didn’t seem to matter. We raced as hard as we could with what we had. When the race was over, we congratulated those that beat us, and accepted the congratulations from those we beat, and we all had a beer and talked and laughed about it. Yes there were problems with FV back then, but we were living the dream and were part of something bigger. At the end of the day, I finished ahead of 20 of my competitors, but I finished ahead of all those standing at the fence wishing they were driving- not watching. Everyone wants to be competitive and yes win- but there is a lot more to the club and the class, and if you only judge your weekend’s success by your finish position- you are missing a lot. You are living the dream- enjoy the ride.

Larry
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by problemchild »

In the days before cheap vinyl graphics .... cool cars, but ugly numbers. Do they still make "MacTac"?
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by Rolling Stone »

Campbell Motorsport wrote:The 1984 June Sprints was my 2nd Sprints. There were 55 cars entered in race 2 (combined FV & F440), 51 FV and 4- F-440. Practice and qualifying Friday was in the rain- not a very nice day.

Qualifying:

1- a 440 if you can believe it
2- Scott Rubenzer – Citation- (the first of the new style that Scott drove to the Runoffs win) 3:08:402
3- Jon Adams- Caracal C
4- Steve Knapp- Farley CF 01 (Curtis Farley chassis & Elite body work?)
5- Dave Smith- Predator (his cars were always fast, & immaculate)
6- Steve Kalka- Lynx B
7- John Hogdal- Napmobile (why we have the fan shroud rule in FV)
8- Dave Kazmierczak- D-13
9- Jerry Knapp Lynx B (Steve’s father)
10- Jeff Salcedo- Zink C4

The race was dry and the track was in good condition- final results

1. Dave Smith
2. Chris Shultz- Zink Z-18
3. John Hogdal- fast lap a 2:50:01
4. Scott Rubenzer
5. Steve Knapp
6. Jerry Knapp
7. Dave Bennett- d-13
8. Steve Kalka
9. Dave Kazmierczak
10. Brian Jennerjahn- Lynx B (current Vortec constructor)
11. Steve Thompson- Elite (one of the early Elite bodied Lynx B cars)
12. John Adams
13. Jeff Salcedo

Other notable finishers

21. John Maurus Z-18 (father of Nick Maurus- current Cen div FV driver)
22. Ron Whitson- Lynx B (2011 Sprints winner)
39. Steve Driscoll- Sting

Notable DNF
Eric Tremayne
Andres Serrano
H. David harris
Butch Deer
Bob Giesen

I started 44th and finished 29th in my Lynx B and I had a ball. I was living “the dream” driving on a race track I had seen almost 20 years earlier as a wide eyed teenager. Those I raced with and I, did not have the equipment, tires, talent, nor money to run at the front, but it didn’t seem to matter. We raced as hard as we could with what we had. When the race was over, we congratulated those that beat us, and accepted the congratulations from those we beat, and we all had a beer and talked and laughed about it. Yes there were problems with FV back then, but we were living the dream and were part of something bigger. At the end of the day, I finished ahead of 20 of my competitors, but I finished ahead of all those standing at the fence wishing they were driving- not watching. Everyone wants to be competitive and yes win- but there is a lot more to the club and the class, and if you only judge your weekend’s success by your finish position- you are missing a lot. You are living the dream- enjoy the ride.

Larry
Well said Larry!!!!!thats exactly what its ALL about,your one post makes hundreds in here irrelevant :lol: you hit the nail right on the head,trouble is most just dont get it anymore,the old days of everyone chatting at the track,campfires,pats on the back etc,etc.thats FV/F1200 to me...regular joes when behind the wheel racing at the front or back you feel like you are in F1 :mrgreen: :shock:
Speedsport
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by Speedsport »

I knew if I looked at those photos long enough I might catch a glimpse of my dad - sure enough, pic #4 of turn 5 at the start...that's his Caldwell on the indside - #65. The number I still use today and the black helmet he is wearing is still sitting in the shop.

That means I must be along the fence as a spectator. Anyone spot a 9 year old kid watching his dad?

That Caldwell of my dads is the first race car he let me touch a wrench to - he used to let me unbolt the exaust when he needed to take the engine out. I remember taking to body to have the #65 painted on it.
FV80
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by FV80 »

Campbell Motorsport wrote:The 1984 June Sprints ...
3. John Hogdal- fast lap a 2:50:01
...Larry
I was just looking through those results again and noticed John's TIME above... Anyone else catch that?
Have they changed the track since then? or is the surface just not as grippy? I have no idea when it was last resurfaced.. Anyone?

Amazing to see just how far we've progressed in the last 28 years + a couple of tire wars, new aero bodywork everywhere ... and now were *SLOWER*! :mrgreen:

And ... I don't think John was the first 'basket handle car - I'm pretty sure that belongs to Don Courtney's Vista Bushwacker - debuted I think in 1981 or 82 - I think he won 2 championships in that car. I'll have to go look it up. Wayne Moore won in '79 and '80... I think it rained in '81, the year the Caracal D showed up with Bill Noble... and he couldn't see and had to pit. Don might have won that year and the next - I missed both of those years. Someone correct me...

John was still racing a couple of years ago, though not in a Vee for the last 20+ years. I think he moved on after endo'ing his car at Atlanta Bridge turn - can't remember the year.
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by BLS »

I think the first year for the car was 77 but I'm not sure. He did win in a Vista in 78. Of course, I only saw the back of the car...
Barry
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'87 Citation
Rickydel
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by Rickydel »

Stevan,

I think your memory is off by 10 seconds. Nuby turned a 2:41 and change in the race last fall. :P

Ricky del
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by cendiv37 »

Steve,

You are thinking 2:50 = 2:40. Not so...

Fast lap at the 2011 Runoff's:
Robert Neumeister: 2:41.435

As far as the low guard rail at 5: It was pretty much the standard 2 rail high guardrail used all around the track at that time. It looks especially low in those photos because there was a bit of downward slope from the track to the guardrail. I'm guessing the new concrete barrier is up the slope, closer to the track as well as higher. Probably safer even with less apparent runoff room. The grass and the slope sucked in cars into the old guard rail there pretty well...

I was probably there as a spectator and/or crewing for my buddy Chris Beebe who was then driving a black Tiga S2 since SCCA had eliminated DP (DP was 7 cars/race participation at the time vs. CP at 2+ cars/race - go figure...) in order to make room for Spec Renault and to keep the Runoff's race count at 24. Running the Lotus Super-7 in GT-3 was his other option. One of the S2 pictures shows the nose of his Tiga. My FP Lotus 7 was at the time (and still is) as Peter Egan describes most of them: "bent like a banana stored behind the Weber and bicycles in the garage". :oops:

I also noted the M&H sticker on Scott Rubenzer's car. I'm told those tires had 20+ genuinely competitive heat cycles in them. They were later outperformed by Goodyear and Hoosiers offerings and the rest as they say is history...

PS: I see Ricky has beaten me to it...
Bruce
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by FV80 »

Yeah - I guess ~9 seconds of improvement is more reasonable over that time frame ...

I also ran M&H tires in my very early career. I quit using them because they quit the FV business- not because they were outperformed. Of course they may have quit *BECAUSE* they were out performed. At that point in my racing career, I was in no position to judge how any tire PERFORMED .. just how much it cost and how long it lasted :mrgreen:

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tiagosantos
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by tiagosantos »

This is great, thanks for posting :) I was 2 months old at the time hehe.

I love posts like these though!
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Re: 1984 June Sprints @ Road America - history

Post by Bob Posner »

M+H had a big market share until a quality control issue in about 1985 when the a big batch of tires were horrible and people scrambled to find alternatives in a hurry. I remember calling Marvin(the M) who said a window had been left open and a raw batch was affected - anyhow,they never really recovered and quit fv after Hoosier filled the void.
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