FF40th Bumps & Adds

In the very long Honda engine thread, I saw a few comments expressing dissatisfaction on how entries for the oversubscribed restricted regional were managed. Mike Rand and I got a lot of things at the FF40th right, but this particular issue is not one of them.

Over the last few days leading up the race, there was a small blizzard of e-mails as the waiting list grew. I think we succeeded at the stated objective in the supps of getting everyone into at least one race group. What we did not set up was a robust process to pull cars from the waiting list as cars fell out of the restricted regional for whatever reason. To those who suffered because of this, my apologies.

If we do this again, you can be sure a bump and add process will be outlined in the supps.

Steve Beeler, de facto EWC commissioner + FF40th co-chairman
Lola T-540 HU44
home: (734)416-8865 sbeeler@wowway.com
office: (313)441-4460 x1141 sbeeler@pmcorp.com

So how long are we going to wait? Will it be 42nd Anniversary? (Every year might be overkill?) Or are you guys going to make us wait until the 45th?

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Originally Posted by Steve B

In the very long Honda engine thread, I saw a few comments expressing dissatisfaction on how entries for the oversubscribed restricted regional were managed. Mike Rand and I got a lot of things at the FF40th right, but this particular issue is not one of them.

Over the last few days leading up the race, there was a small blizzard of e-mails as the waiting list grew. I think we succeeded at the stated objective in the supps of getting everyone into at least one race group. What we did not set up was a robust process to pull cars from the waiting list as cars fell out of the restricted regional for whatever reason. To those who suffered because of this, my apologies.

If we do this again, you can be sure a bump and add process will be outlined in the supps.

Steve Beeler, de facto EWC commissioner + FF40th co-chairman
Lola T-540 HU44
home: (734)416-8865 sbeeler@wowway.com
office: (313)441-4460 x1141 sbeeler@pmcorp.com

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If Mike and Steve do this again I will volunteer to help them organize the event if they want.

I recently returned from the surreal experience of the 40th anniversary of Formula Ford in the United States. Milwaukee Region and Road America sponsored three days of reunions, reliving past experiences and renewing friendships in the company of pretty much everyone who was ever anyone in the class. On Friday an estimated 110 cars (all but one with Kent engines) took to the track for Restricted Regional practice – a record setting number of open wheeled cars on the track. Possibly the only thing more spectacular than watching the melee was driving in the middle of it but there were remarkably few incidents.

Friday afternoon all hands assembled for the mass photo shoot with acres of cars stretching from start/finish to far down the hill toward turn 14. Sitting in my car well toward the back of the pack I witnessed the poignant scene of Dave Weitzenhof scanning the mob looking for an empty yellow Zink with his number 67. It was sad to see him miss the FF event.

One of the most amazing parts of my 35 year involvement in FF is the fact that you can miss seeing someone for a couple of decades, then walk up and pick up a conversation right where you left it all those years ago. Great to see and talk to all the drivers and wrenches from those years: Gibson, Kester, Eide, Dave W., Sievenpiper, Bergeron, Lindstrand, Drake, Roberts, Stefanelli, Horgas, Davidson, Blanc, Rubenzer, Lyddon, Knapp, Kolthoff, Krausch, Nash etc. etc. while meeting new friends along the way. Also great to spend time with both my former partners in FF: Craig Taylor (who taught me all the basics of the class) and Jim Render, both former June Sprints winners. All of us missed the people who couldn’t make it – May, Valine and the funniest driver ever in the sport: Al Lewis.

It’s been said that you can pinpoint a person’s character well by playing 18 holes of golf together. I’d say a better test is running a couple laps at speed only a few inches apart. Thanks so much to Steve Beeler and Michael Rand for putting the show together; John Luxon for program/shirts/posters; and the hundreds of participants who made the tow from everywhere to be the show. I can’t wait to see the Purple Frog photo gallery. Perhaps all you need to know about racing can be learned in a FF. I’d submit almost all you need to know about life can be discovered with the FF community.

Tony Foster, Fubar DB-1