Tentative Photo Opportunity schedule
Here it is, the tentative, subject to change, incomplete and constantly evolving Photo Op Schedule.
The very first variable is the location of most of these, and the track needs to decide and let us know where we can do these, but the majority will be on the Helipad, or a few hundred yards west in front of the Road America Center.
While there are many opportunities for interesting groups of people and cars over the course of the weekend the following is a first shot at trying to organize a few of them.
Much like the proverbial herding the cats saying, these all require everyones participation and patience.
The very first group shot is to be Friday afternnon, at the end of all on track activity.
This is everyone, all Formula Fords of all ages, whether Group 4, or 6, or 9.
The location is tentatively going to be the East side of the Start/Finish Building, accessible either via the tunnel [? Really ?] or by driving/towing/pushing across track near Pit Out. The photographers will be located on the roof of the Start/Finish Building pointing East with the assembled cars and drivers spread out below.
All cars, all drivers, one chance to be part of a 200 plus photo of Formula Fords.
This is to happen as soon as the track is cold at the end of the day Friday, approximately 5:30, with marshalling cars to begin around 5:15.
To avoid fights about who's up front, we have taken that decision away from the entrant base and dictated the Steve Beeler, John Luxon and Mike Rand, the three individuals really responsible for the whole show, will be up front. Self serving ? You bet. We haven't dedicated the time, effort, and in the case of John Luxon and Luxon Printing, dollars for the last 2 years to not reap at least a small benefit.
Wait until you see the program John and son Bill at Luxon Printing have created, a copy of which every entrant of the Cat National, including every worker, will get a copy of with complete entry list included.
Huge thanks to editorial contributors Gordon Kirby, Jeremy Shae, Steve Nickless, Robin Miller, Rob Howden and Al Craighead as well as all the support we received from the advertisers.
Moving on, the rest of the giant photo group shot is purely on a first come-first served basis.
However, anyone crashing on the way to the photo might need to be excluded !
OK, that's Friday afternoon/evening.
Saturday presents an entirely different set of circumstances.
That being, multiple photo ops and on track sessions.
After many many revisions we believe we have a schedule that won't disenfranchise anyone and encourage everyone to be punctual. Time is, as is said, of the essence.
That said, the days photo ops start with all Crossle cars, regardless of age, to assemble at 8:15 for an 8:30 group photo with current Crossle Cars owner Arnie Black and past Crossle Cars designer Leslie Drysdale. We also expect Dennis Firestone, 1976 SCCA FF National Champion in a 30F to be there for this photo op.
The VFF/FF70 session begins at 9:25 so those participants should be able to do both the photo and the session.
Next, at 9:00AM, is all Van Diemens with Van Diemen creator Ralph Firman. Maybe Van Diemen drivers and SCCA Natioanl Champions Anthony Lazzaro [1993], Chris Winkler [2000] and Kyle Krisiloff [2001] will be there as well.
Then at 9:30 Steve Maxwell will be shepherding all the Piper owners for their group shot with designer and creator Don Sievenper as well as Piper drivers National Champions Justin Pritchard [2002/3] and Tom Schweitz [2006].
At 10:00AM Jeff Jagusch, sorry if mispelled, will be bringing all the Lolas on grounds for their group photo. Sadly Carl Haas, the eternal Lola importer, will be otherwise busy at the IRL event in Edmonton,Alberta. Along with 1986 FF Champ Jimmy Vasser, grad Chip Ganassi, engineer's par excellance Mike Hull and Michael Cannon. They send their regrets.
Now a photgraphers break as both Group 4 and 6 have their Qualifying 2 sessions.
At 2:00PM we need examples of all North American built Formula Fords to assemble, including the very first SCCA National Championship car the Caldwell D-9, with driver Skip Barber, the ADF, the Eagle along with builder and champion David Loring, the evergreen Zink Z-10 with the equally evergreen David Weitzenhof, the very first Swift DB-1 with Champion R. K. Smith, the Viking with championship driver Bob Lobenberg, the Citation , the Piper and champion drivers Pritchard and Schweitz, the Vestal, the Sauce, the Gemini, the Stohr and the rare and interesting Canadian built Ferret with creators and drivers Alec Purdy and John Scratch.
Immediately as that photo op finishers we will need all those cars to remain while the following join them for a group shot of one of every make on grounds, a rare opportunity indeed.
This means we will bring in examples of Bowman, Crossle, Dulon, Euroswift, Hawke, Hayashi, Lola, Lotus, Merlyn, Reynard, Royale, Tatuus, Tiga, Titan, Van Diemen and Winkleman cars.
That will be an interesting assembly of over 30 different makes of FF's spanning 1969 to 2008.
As that winds down we will keep all early English built cars for a quick shot followed by a small group of interesting one-offs, oddballs and oddities, like the only surving Japanese built FF, the Hayashi, the converted 2 liter Bowman and Tatuus, the Vestal, and whatever else strikes our fancy.
Finally, at 4:00PM, all Swifts will have center stage with the aforementioned ex-RK Smith DB-1, the very first DB-1 and multiple championship winner wth the late Bruce Mays back to back wins along with RK's initial win making it perhaps the car with more National Championships than any other.
All this leads us to the inevitable Party.
According to the latest conversation with Road America the Anniversary Party is to be held in the central paddock area in a structure, interestingly enough, built for Ford Motor Company for the vintage/historic weekend immediately preceding the 40th and Cat National. Perhaps a bit ironic, don't you think ?
At the Anniversary Party there is to be plenty of food, drink, entertainment thanks to Jim Gustafson, a short though likely memorable program of off the cuff presentations, entirely in keeping with the essential being of Formual Ford.
As well as more photo ops, groups of all present past National Champions, from 1969/70's Skip Barber to 2008's Chris Keller, all the attending great engine builders of FF's past, present and future, the various loonies from years gone by, the list is endless.
Sunday, with racing taking the center stage, will be realtively easy.
A big thanks to Social Chairs Mike and Janice Eakin, aka Mr & Mrs Purple Frog.
If they come asking you to be somewhere somtime, its for your own good, with all of our thanks.
Certainly there will be missing cars due to repair or maintenance, we simply want to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime to document as much as possible.
I can see the stage master saying wrap it up, ok, I am out of words and fingers at this point. It's gonna be great, thanks for being there and being a part of it.
From Steve Beeler, Mike Rand and all the organizers.
Originally Posted by Steve Maxwell
