The Prez Sez

SottoVeloce 5Road America 2008workers. We congratulate all drivers for their constraint andconsideration of other drivers at speed.We were also inundated with people showing up to do touringsessions both days. We had 25 - 30 cars out for Italiantouring on Saturday, and 20 - 25 on Sunday. This was ourlargest participation in Italian touring to date, so we werevery pleased to see and hear the Italian contingent on trackduring the lunch break. We would hope to see even moreparticipants in 2009. HINT! HINT!Despite our 30-year participation at Road America, theyhave pushed our date back another week later to October17/18 this year. Please let us know as soon as possible if youhave it in your plans to join us again this year. Although wewill not be accepting applications until August, we will becontacting past participants early to help in our planning forthis year’s event. Although track rental price has increasedfor this year, we hope to be able to hold our price the samethis year as last year in deference to the loyalty we havereceived from our participants. If we have the participationlevel as in 2008, we think we can hold the cost. Thanks toall who participated, we made a very nice profit this year.Additionally, if you have particular suggestions to help usimprove the event, please let us hear from you. We haveincorporated some attainable past suggestions into our proceduresattempting to enhance the experience for our participants,so you know that we do listen. We cannot alwaysuse those ideas suggested, but we do discuss them in ourorganizing group and give them serious consideration, albeitsometimes with vigorous discussion.Each year we need corner workers. Helping the club as acorner worker allows us to run a safe event while at thesame time providing you with the opportunity to see thecars “up close and personal” at speed. Watching, hearingand experiencing cars drop over the hill and go into Turn5 is a thrill as it is for most of the corners. Corner workersperform a vital and apprecitated function, and get a viewof the track and participants not available to most people.Some workers have noted that watching the “line” takenby participants through corners has improved their ownenjoyment when they had a chance to drive the track. Youare encouraged to volunteer. As an added incentive, cornerworkers who stay the whole day are allowed to participatein the lunch-time touring session free and are eligible for anumber of prizes awarded Sunday afternoon to those whostay until the end.Finally, sincerely, and once again, thank you to all participantsand workers for their help in making the 2008CAROC Fall Challenge a success. I personally enjoy seeingthe diversity of cars and seeing people who return yearafter year to participate. We have some very dedicated participantsbecause this is such a good event. I would like tospecifically mention Mike Pranka who drives his GTV (thathas no side windows) all the way from St. Louis each yearto participate and then drives it back to St. Louis Sundayafter the event finishes. What a testament to his and thecar’s fortitude. We would enjoy seeing even more of ourfellow Alfa enthusiasts join us for the weekend. We seeWisconsin and Illinois members who we do not get to seeat any other time. If you have not joined us, you are reallymissing a superb event. My son Isaac has been attendingsince he was 12 – he is now almost 25. It has been an eventwe both anticipate each year, as we have shared some greatexperiences together at Road America. Come experience itwith us this year.Our core group that plans and oversees the event is experiencedand derives real satisfaction seeing everyone have asuperb Road America experience. May it be a good year forall of us, and may we have another fun weekend in October2009, together.Please contact Wayne Seely (815) 331-00404 or Don Brubaker(847) 550-8915 for more information.330 Campus Drive, Arlington Heights, IL 60004Tel: 630.542.9559 LSKarchitects.com