Membership Magazine of Oregon Region Sports Car Club of ...

I first met the man in a Hooter’s in
Atlanta during the 93 Runoffs and
for those of you who were lucky
enough to have met him the irony
here is inescapable. His advice
that night was not to be nice, and
to push my empty glass across the
table for a refill but to leave it in
front of me.
16 Oregon Region SCCA
with Jim
don’t know, is “t
for us and does a
DUCKSPEAK by Howard “Duck” Allen see April’s troph
Murray
May’s the third N
The Class clown - on steroids! we’ll be running
as we said. But we did use, I
...would you
has to run a diffe
hear, 45 bags of kitty litter. I
than the July do
like Ahhh, Regional didn’t know we OWNED 45
the view was unforgettable again one-of-a-kind. Godspeed why it’s “no chic
and that was totally Norton at bags his of kitty Nort, litter… you will always be
your
missed
feedback o
points best. I do with not know if I have ever and never will your kind be seen
met someone with the mastery of April was again. the R.I.P. first of our
that? sarcasm or such a dry or wry wit. As this is being typed #71 is May on his is a Reg
“new format” way weekends, home to Spokane with for nal three race weeken
Norton Gaston was already a He was the class clown on steroids Regional races weeks both and Satur- then a follow up trip
We
legend when I arrived here in and are then grateful some. for Once the
nal” idea is new;
I was trackday and Sunday, back to preceded City of Hope. by Sure was
the late eighties. NOBODY knew April side showers, with which him and finally Brian Richards GREAT to see Bud Mansur about back it in for this s
slightly lengthened qualifying
how to set up a car like him and he let up
was
enough
having
to allow
trouble
for
entering the the weekend. Like the old Regional booth cars an
could do it without sitting in the festival so Norton sized up the sessions. situ- Our at the mantra: ALMS “more race more than a few
reasonable,
driver’s seat.
ation as if instead cold, weather
year, will be able
of grabbing the racing; en- more years bang ago, for “This the will be Mr. Man-
on the tire April thing, race just weekend. go for the tip of it. Fisur’s only Portland appearance. races on the May
buck.” The initial feedback
Brian Richards and Stu Hayner won Frequent nesse readers described are ask- in many words but
unlike earlier Re
Rose Cup with him as crew chief in Norton got the point across and from you this format Watching has Joel been Black very move the RV he
ing “When, oh when, will
tional weekends
the early nineties. It was so bad that could hear Brian laughing over good; the really, drove we’ve out heard here no from Ohio with his
Gordon Scott over the P.A. referred
we STOP radio talking and he about got the the point and went wife to watch his son John
will
race
encourage
here
m
negative comments. But you,
to “The Richards team as being weather?” faster OK; because so we’re of it. not If you were go- and then help John hook-up enter; his you racget
tw
and you, if you have negative
ramrodded by Norton Gaston.” So ing around the paddock and heard ing trailer tell me that is what club
anymore.
bang for the buc
I turned to see Norton responding laughter you knew Norton was comments, the racing let’s hear is all them. about.
It’s still essential
to this with the appropriate gestures cause of it. Laughter was his It’s friend parallel to the “chicane/no
involving hip movement.
That and April he used race it as weekend a teaching tool. Finally a HUGE tip-of-the-helmet program, and w
chicane” question. Some like
saw our best car count in
goes out to Jeff, Laura, Janet works; & but it add
If you saw someone pulling away A true comic through & through. it this way, Reece some like for making it that the trip out from
several
from the field in the rain at our So
months;
now I know
since
Mindy
maybe
the appeal of the
and Bernice way; we try Topeka to cut the to enjoy baby in the State of Or-
favorite city park you knew they August for last sure year. are getting The dry those neck half & and please egon everyone. during the But Super Tour event. The new dea
had spent the day being tutored by track back made rubs for good they have racing, been missing Next stop the Run-Offs tune is that, in next for drive
Norton. For many years Dane had a because he was first in class in
I digress.
that month.
and if you missed the rain,
the National por
picture of Norton working with the department for sure.
well, you shoulda been there
Rational race, w
Porsche indycar crew on the wall in
Speaking Yours of the in Speed, “no
the ProDrive offices.
for the Norton Friday Gaston test day. a legend, But… an origi- Duck-Out
(for $100) the ch
chicane” course, welcome to
enough
nal
about
and never
the weather,
will his kind be seen
Regional points
our May race weekend, which
Norton also had more than a few
stints working with Rousch racing
and he was crew chief for Beaux
Barfield’s indy lights team and Arrive and Drive Here and Away
today Beaux is director for competi- Are you ready for a different Pacific Raceways, Thunderhill, Infineon,
tion for Indycar.
Laguna Seca, Buttonwillow, Phoenix
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Authorized Dealer For:
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Cell: 503-970-9871
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