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Kat
"Kelly, Katie" wrote:
>
> Hey everybody,
>
> My friend Holly who works for the Union Tribune in San Diego just forwarded
> me this great story about autocross in San Diego. Don't have the exact URL
> for the story, but I'm sure if you click around, you'll find it.
>
> http://www.uniontrib.com/news/uniontrib/thu/index.html
>
> There's some commentary in there from Gary Thomason, and Gary Middlebrook
> gets his due, as well. After reading this, I immediately wrote back to
> Holly, "Hey, Gary Thomason, I KNOW THAT GUY!" I told some stories and
> exaggerated bit. I don't think she'll ever actually go to an autocross, so
> he'll never find out that I actually taught him nearly everything he knows.
>
> Fortunately, Holly is such a good friend, she knows better than to believe
> things I tell her.
>
> The story appears below my signature.
>
> Katie Kelly
>
> A LOT OF ENERGY
> ON MANY WEEKENDS, THE PARKING LOT AREA AROUND QUALCOMM STADIUM IS FILLED
> WITH REVVED-UP DRIVERS
>
> Bill Center
> STAFF WRITER
>
> December 7, 2000
>
> During a long break between runs at the busiest motorsports facility in San
> Diego County, national champion Gary Thomason paused to reflect on how he
> was spending a sunny December afternoon.
>
> "You' re surrounded by car people out here at these events, which is a
> perfect place for a car person," said Thomason. "And I' m a car person."
>
> Thomason spoke not from the pits of Cajon Speedway or Carlsbad Raceway. He
> was standing in the west parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium.
>
> And for as far as he could see in all four directions last Saturday, there
> were cars and drivers going through various disciplines.
>
> In the west lot, more than 150 drivers from the the local chapter of the
> Sports Car Club of America were competing in a Solo II slalom -- a series of
> timed runs through a road course marked off by orange cones.
>
> The south access road had been converted into an eighth-mile drag strip by
> the Racelegal.com organization. Formerly the National High School Drag
> Racing Association, the group has expanded its program to include drivers up
> to the age of 25.
>
> In the northeast parking lot, the Porsche Club of San Diego was hosting its
> own timed runs through a slalom course.
>
> Usually, the stadium parking lot is only noticed when it fills for Chargers
> or Padres games.
>
> But last year, the lot hosted 133 different motorsports competitions in more
> than 40 race dates. And there are two racing events -- the annual Supercross
> and monster truck competitions -- inside the facility.
>
> And this total doesn' t include the training and testing done in the parking
> lots by such diverse groups as car manufacturers, driving schools, the San
> Diego Police Department and the California Highway Patrol. Nor does it
> include car swap meets or car and RV shows.
>
> "We' ve got more car-related activities at the stadium than anything," said
> stadium manager Bill Wilson. "We' ve held up to four different competitions
> on a day, although the total is usually three."
>
> In addition to the SCCA and Porsche Club, the stadium parking lot is also
> used by local Corvette and BMW clubs and the Team Possibilities junior drag
> racing program. The annual regionals for the Soap Box Derby of America are
> also held at the stadium each spring on the hill at the west entrance.
>
> Last Saturday, the SCCA drivers were competing on a 1.4-mile course,
> although most of their events are run on courses between three-fourths of a
> mile and a mile. The official name of the competition is autocross.
>
> "This isn' t racing per se," said Thomason. "There' s only one car on the
> course at a time and no passing. It is precision driving. But it' s still
> pretty demanding."
>
> In some ways, the scoring is more personal than a race. In a race, you can
> hide in traffic and lose a spot or two when no one notices. In timed
> slaloms, everyone is watching. And the times are posted for all
>
> to see.
>
> Lemon Grove' s Steve Coe, 47, has been road racing and oval racing. He is
> the 2000 champion of the NASA Mazda Charity Challenge.
>
> "I' ve been autocrossing since 1974 and I still find this the toughest
> challenge," said Coe. "This is the one form of competition where I' ve yet
> to get a major championship."
>
> Last Saturday' s SCCA course had a bit of everything, from a moderate
> high-speed straight to off-camber turns to a chicane. The fastest time was
> 80.97 seconds set by Gary Middlebrook in a Mazda-powered Swift.
>
> Thomason, who is a test driver by profession, was in the mid-80s.
>
> "What' s great about this program is that it' s a grassroots level that
> doesn' t cease to be enjoyable," said Thomason. "There' s always a new twist
> to the courses."
>
> Each driver is assured three runs a day. In between runs, drivers are
> required to assist as event workers. Those duties could include being a
> flagman at a turn or assisting novices.
>
> "If someone shows up with a car and a desire, we' ll help them get started,"
> said Thomason. The help goes all the way down to loaner helmets to fulfill
> one of the safety requirements.
>
> "The beauty of autocross is you can come out just to have fun for the
> weekend or go for national championships," said Thomason, who claimed his
> fifth national championship this season in the A Stock class.
>
> For more information on autocross, call (619) 441-1333.
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