The Detroit Region Season Opener RallyCross

[Team Illuminata]

The Detroit Region Season Opener:- the "Mini SnoDrift RallyCross" on Feb 16th is now open for registration at
http://www.myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmEve...986688001661758 (http://www.myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmEventDetail.Show?psevent_id=8379&psrnd=.66904669060622483402009986688001661758)

http://www.teamilluminata.com/Racing/Photos/rallyx/DSC_4017vi.jpg
Picture by Nate Vanderveen


This event is the first in the Detroit Region RallyCross Championship sponsored by Team Illuminata Motorsport so it is perhaps appropriate that we chair the event too. We are hoping for a great turn out as per last year with plenty of snow to make things fun. The event is at Bob's Family Raceway again, in Clarksville, Michigan about half way between Lansing and Grand Rapids.

Last year was a blast, a winter blast! See you there.

[I Like It Sideways]

I'd love to make it to this, last year's was a blast!!
We'll see if the suby is up for the 5+ hour drive

[Team Illuminata]

http://www.teamilluminata.com./signature.JPG

Just a quick update on this event with just over a week to go:

So far we have 22 entries so it looks like it is going to be a full fieled again this year.

Right now we have only one guy each in M2 and SF so those classes could use some more entries.

We also have prizes down to 2nd place for each class from our friends at Team Dynamics, Rally Armor and Moosejaw.

The Team Dynamics Challenge contingency is again in effect for the entire season so this is your first opportunity to earn entries into that for a free set of wheels.

A new series contingency this year is from RCMvinyl.com for a cone free day. They are awarding a cone decal for any driver who manages to avoid hitting cones in each event. Most accumulated decals by the end of the series wins a "mystery prize".

So just a week and a half left to enter at www.MyAutoEvents.com (http://www.myautoevents.com/).

[Team Illuminata]

Mini SnoDrift RallyCross a Huge Success

It was our honor to once again host the Detroit Region SCCA season opening RallyCross this year called Mini SnoDrift in deference to the Sno*Drift Performance Rally which took place in Atlanta, Michigan just a few weeks ago. Indeed, all signs were that it would be a mini version of this years arduous snow rally but when our site owner plowed the course a few days before the event he was amazed to find patches of unfrozen ground. In fact, the whole sand drag area was not frozen which is a shame as we use that to extend our course beyond the main track. Bob's Family Race way defies the laws of physics! Undaunted, we pressed on regardless in true rally tradition and had a great event anyway. This was the first event in the Region's season long championship presented by Team Illuminata Motorsport.
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With a record turn out of 48 entries and a slightly compressed course we were a bit concerned about running the event as smoothly as we have become known for. In fact, we were even worried that there might not be enough paddock area for all the cars and the line of parked cars waiting to register sometimes threatened to spill out onto Mick Road. No worries though. With Mary Shiloff (actual Sno*Drift registrar) in charge and Family Bob frantically expanding the paddock area with his plow we managed to squeeze everybody in with room to spare.
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The morning runs were on a mostly snow covered course with the back straight being a little muddy. This soon turned to ice as it remained below freezing during the entire day, which made for a very interesting braking zone into turn 2. If you watch the videos you will see one or two cars overshoot this tricky corner and end up in the snow bank on the outside of the turn. Still no damage was done, except to their times as we did place the few cones we used on the outside of this turn to deter heroics. As the day warmed a little much more of the course became icy mud with even a few potholes forming in heavily trafficked areas but the fun did not diminish even though finding a fast line became a challenge. When it was all done a surprising number of class wins went to the newbies of which there were numerous.

This year's awards were kindly provided by some of our suppliers and ran two deep for most classes. Team Dynamics (http://www.teamdynamicsracing.com/competition_wheels.htm)and Moosejaw (http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/)donated tee shirts and Rally Armor (http://www.rallyarmor.com/)kindly gave us some of their hats, scarves and sweat shirts too. Race Rochester gave away free sessions at their karting facility. A new sponsor for the Fastest Time of the Day award was Drakes Fine Coffee (http://www.drakescoffee.com/)who gave away a pound of their High Octane Roast beans to Bob Martin who trounced the field with his first lap time of 31.464 seconds.
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As for Team Illuminata Motorsport, event chair Paul Eddleston took advantage of his ability to delegate himself out of a job by running not only his M4 Outback (http://www.chrisamosphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/4361415_Var3Y#256009483_VsH2w-A-LB)but is daily driven Jeep Cherokee (http://www.chrisamosphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/4361415_Var3Y#256001434_92zRf-A-LB)in SA class. It's all terrain (except apparently, snow) tires proved no match for the conditions but it was fun to see what the thing could do and seat time is seat time, though jjudging by the number of RallyCross newbies that took class wins, maybe experience is counter productive. The wagon performed better in M4 being pipped for first place by Bob Martin's Mazda 323 (http://www.chrisamosphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/4361415_Var3Y#256009391_sct9r-A-LB)by less than half a second after eight runs, though pundits were quick to point out that if Scott Harvey had been able to attend the Outback would more than likely have finished in it's customary third place spot.
We were also delighted to host some of the staff from Mitsubishi R&D who came out to see what all the fuss was about. They also provided the bags fro the driver's packets which helped to constrain the fliers and coupons donated by T.I.M., Batteries Plus (http://www.batteriesplus.com/store_details/377.aspx)and Moosejaw (http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/).
The Team Dynamics Challenge (http://www.teamilluminata.com./Shop/TeamDynamics/TDchallenge.htm)was once again in effect (see last years winner below) and had a record take up of participants though I still think some people don't yet understand how it works and miss out on their opportunity to win a free set of wheels. A new competition this season is the Cone Free Competition (http://detroit-scca.org/e107/request.php?289)presented by RCM Vinyl (http://www.rcmvinyl.com/)who are giving away small crossed out cone decals to any competitor who avoids hitting a cone all day. A full third of the filed managed that distinction mostly due to the lack of cones used to delineate the course this time round. Recipients of these decals are encouraged to display them on their vehicles a la fighter pilots, the one with the most at the end of hostilities wins a "mystery" prize. Rumors that this will be a fully stage prepped 2004 WRX were neither confirmed nor denied.
As usual, various photos and videos are beginning to pop up on line. Here are few for your viewing pleasure: From Chris Lanctot four videos: Classes SR and PR (http://blip.tv/file/675177/)SF and PF (http://blip.tv/file/678059)SA and PA (http://blip.tv/file/679001/)& M2 and M4 (http://blip.tv/file/681166/)

Chris Amos, besides being an ace photographer (http://chrisamosphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/4361415_Var3Y#255999505)appears to be a videographer as well with PA & SA runs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36Ffopk8v_o)and his own in car runs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTco7MDEU_k)on offer. Visit Chris's site (http://chrisamosphotography.smugmug.com/Cars)for even more fantastic photographs.

For those of you who are interested, the event results can be found here (http://)and details of the next event at Fowlerville Fairgrounds on March 15th here (http://detroit-scca.org/e107/e107_plugins/calendar_menu/event.php?1205564400.event.191)and on MyAutoEvents.com (http://myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmEventDetail.Show?psevent_id=8569&psrnd=.76939526640469066099340736031366368505).

Hope to see you all there.