Slipstream - February 2010

My Autocross Journey
By Tannia Dobbins
Seven years ago (gads, yes, seven!) if anyone
would have told me that I would become the
2010 Autocross Chair, I would have stared at
them in bewilderment. For starters, way back then, I had
never heard of an “autocross” and secondly, couldn’t have
fathomed managing the event for an awesome PCA club!
However, in 2003 my autocross journey did begin … and
what a wild ride it has been.
My first exposure to autocrossing came through the
man I was dating. Some of you now know him as my
husband, Jeff in the “blackish” car number 81. Jeff told me
he had a Porsche but it was in the shop in St. Louis getting
some body enhancements done (we both lived in Missouri).
Uh huh. Sure. I had been over to his house and I saw no
evidence of a Porsche. In fact, he had a truck and that was
all. After several months, while I didn’t really think he had
a Porsche, I did realize that he was going crazy since he
wasn’t able to “autocross” for a year now – and then he did
what he had to do … bought a car while the other one was
in the shop. His
“other” car turned
out to be a Subaru
STi. Within a week
or two of bringing
the car home my
first car date with
him was to an
autocross hosted
by the Ozark
Mountain Region
SCCA club. While
I really don’t
I am in the passenger seat while my instructor
(Jeff Herrmann) teaches me not to run over the
pylons!
remember much
about the day, I do
remember that I
did well enough to take home a driving trophy. It was the
‘newbie’ class but I was ecstatic! Thus began the slippery
slope :-)
That next year we moved to Texas. Yes, Jeff did really
have a Porsche that was finally brought home from the
shop and it made the trip with us to Kempner. After our
arrival one of the first things we did was scope out all the
driving clubs for a habit had to be fed. Ultimately we found
the Maverick Club. That is when my next problem started.
It seemed that I really needed my own Porsche. Not long
after I was sporting a 1987 911 slant nose (turbo look).
What a great looking car! The problem was that it wasn’t
such a great autocross or time trial car. I was just learning
how to do time trial events but spent more time spinning
Photos by Charlie Davis
then completing the course with a respectable time. But
it was Wendy Shoffit who captured the problem when she
said “there seems
to be something not
right with the back
end.” See, it really
wasn’t just my
driving. LOL.
What a very nice looking car. Too bad it was
a mess to drive especially for a beginning
autocrosser.
My next Porsche
was a 2001 Boxster
S. As I gained skills
driving autocrosses
and time trials, I
was becoming a
very decent driver indeed. Over the last few years I found
myself at the top or near the top of my class every year.
Of course I have had lots of help along the way. True, the
Maverick club is about the cars – but it is much more about
the people. Some particular Maverick members who
have helped me learn how to drive include two wonderful
ladies Wendy Shoffit and Jan Mayo. From each I learned
something new every time they got in the car with me.
And I wouldn’t be the driver I am today without the help of
Mike Lockas. Mike’s instruction in the car is great and he
has let me jump in his car numerous times. Sometimes it
really does finally come together when you see it from the
passenger view. And I can’t forget Rocky Johnson, who sat
in as my ‘advanced instructor’ for time trials. Parting of
their collective wisdom enables new folks like me to enjoy
the sport more.
So, it is now with sadness that I move on from my
Boxster S. Just today it now passes from my hands to
another. (Todd, I hope it brings you as much excitement
and good times as
it did me; it is an
awesome car.)
With the 2010
season around the
corner I will start
all over again and
have to learn to
drive yet another
Porsche -- this
time a 1987 944
Turbo (951).
My favorite autocrossing car. I will really miss
my 2001 Boxster S, but all good things must
come to an end ... now to conquer the 951!
Yikes! I keep
hearing they do
not make good autocross cars ... but they make great track
cars. We shall see about that!
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