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The Rod Knock North Suburban Sports Car Club’s Official Newsletter July 2016
Page 1
Rod Knock Club & Racing News July 2016
ization more critical, or are
peoples’ needs and interests
and sustainability the ulti-
mate goal? So many priori-
ties, so many
choices. It’s the
culture of the or-
ganization that
determines its
mantras.
How did GM
behave when a
possible ignition design detail
seemed to have a link with fatalities?
How did Tylenol behave back in the
70’s when people were put at risk due
to tampered product packaging?
How should any
food producer react
to a discovery of
dangerous contami-
nation or suspected
product compro-
mise?
Our Technical Inspection pro-
cess supports it, the GCR preaches
it, Corner Workers watch and en-
force it, Crews in red trucks and
ambulances are idling off track
ready to do it: SAFETY.
We live in a capitalist system
where, according to the textbooks,
profit is the mantra. We even have
corporations treated as “people” in
some legal settings. That’s a bit con-
fusing. So, in a capitalist setting, are
people more important than profits?
Is the growth and vitality of the organ-
A Conundrum: Buy the best, most expensive?..or..
Buy the minimum safety margin?
We have chosen an exciting lifestyle. Often, we’re the
envy of our neighbors and friends. Also, often, racing
generates a precautionary response from Moms and
Dads and other family members. Most folks recognize
the tradeoff of fun and danger, and not only behind the
wheel of a race car. Rock climbing, parasailing, downhill
skiing, boating, field sports and skydiving all pose their
own danger/joy balance.
And all have their own versions of safety regulations
and equipment. There are supplier companies that
manufacture gloves, padding, shoes, goggles, jersies,
tools and rigging - all of which need to meet standards of
safety & reliability that an industry association have set.
There are brand names and lessor known brands.
There are even knockoffs that have entered and confused
the picture. People who want to participate in the activi-
ty may be surprised and put off by the cost of entry into
the chosen sport. The cost of Snell rated auto racing hel-
mets can range from $300 to $2000, so, how much is enough?
If we use the model that quality parallels price, then this could
get expensive if only the best will do. My habit is to buy mid-
range priced items provided full functionality is offered and good
ratings prove value. Consider the protection offered: fire? Crash-
worthiness? Reliability? Structural Integrity?
Less expensive options may protect equally well. The rules
state what not how much. Aircraft quality bolts, triangulated
frames, extra roll cage braces, factory-only parts, Kevlar vs. fiber-
glass all add a measure of safety. Choose a parts supplier that is
respected and whose advice gets high marks. Often folks within
NSSCC and MCSCC can be that source. Ask around the paddock.
Official statements are
prepared and made to the
press that conform to a
safety first mantra. Watch
as the events proceed to
confirm the reality of the focus of the
research, fix, and permanent going
forward outputs.
Then watch racing clubs—all over the
country–as they form and create their
corporate and operational entities
built on the premise that all who come
to their events hope to have fun safely
and go home intact. These corpora-
tions promote and enforce safe prac-
tices which ultimately result in suc-
cess. We all want it that way…..Ed
Safety, They say
Is the First Priority……..
"NO JOB IS SO IMPORTANT AND NO SER-
VICE IS SO URGENT-THAT WE CANNOT
TAKE TIME TO PERFORM OUR WORK
SAFELY." BELL SYSTEM 1946
“We want the public to be assured that in this time of
crisis, the safety of our employees and customers is our
highest priority”, said every corporation every time
when caught in a tainted food or leaded paint or oil
spill or poisoned ground water or sharp exploding pro-
jectile or suddenly flammable product, etc. etc. etc. etc.
The Rod Knock North Suburban Sports Car Club’s Official Newsletter July 2016
Page 2
July 2016—In This Issue:
Pg1 Best, Most Expensive, or Minimums?
Pg1 Safety the First Priority?
Pg2 Our President Speaks
Pg2 MCSSC 2016 Season Schedule
Pg2 Our Sports Terminology Explained
Pg3 Event Results, Member Winners
Pg3 Gramma, Jay Leno and Next Issue
Pg3 Rod Knock’s Mid-Year exam. I dare you.
Pg4 ATGATT Perspective
Pg4 Risky Assumptions Perspective
Pg5 “3 Questions” Profile: Mitch Lelito, B/P
Pg6 Rod Knock Tech Tip: Shaving Soap
Pg6 Bonus Tech Tip….Lexus CPU Hiccup
Pg6 Mentor Support Available
Pg7 Safe Behavior On Track
Pg7 Safety Recall: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Pg7 Club Officers and e-mails
Pg7 Sponsor Logos
Pg8 For Sale “Rod’s List” - Driver Training
Pg8 Ray Kollock & MCSSC Safety Suit Raffle
Pg8 4 Sale: Craig Inanen’s Club Formula Indy
Pg9 July 2,3,4 Old Glory NSSCC flyer
MCSSC 2016 Season Schedule
March 19 NSSCC Indoor Racing School BHF
April 16-17 DS & W2W Blackhawk (NSSCC)
May 14-15 HPDE/HSAX/Enduro/W2W Milw.Mile
May 28,29,30 HPDE/W2W/Enduro/HSAX BHF
June 11-12 HPDE/HSAX/Enduro & W2W Milw.Mile
June 17,18,19 Staff VSCDA Blackhawk
July 2,3,4 DS&W2W&HPDE/HSAX BHF (NSSCC)
July 30,31 HPDE/HSAX & W2W Blackhawk
Aug 13,14 W2W & W2W/Enduro Road America
Sept 17,18 W2W & W2W/Enduro GingerMan
Oct 1,2 HPDE/HSAX & W2W Blackhawk
Oct 22,23 W2W & W2W Blackhawk
Dec 3rd NSSCC 2016 Awards Banquet Ye Olde Town Inn, Crystal Lake, Illinois
Jan 14, 2017 MCSCC Banquet, NSSCC hosting Location being arranged as we speak
First, I would like to wish everyone a "Happy July 4th!" and I hope it will be a good one, since this is going to print on July 1. Our July 4th event, the "Old Glory Grand Prix II" is coming up on July 2-4, 2016, and with this race we have gained a new sponsor/marketing part-ner with www.rockauto.com. Per the Constant Contact PR release, www.rockauto.com has agreed to pro-vide us with materials for registration
and in return showcase their online catalog of products. I encourage all of our members if they are in need of any auto parts to check www.rockauto.com first. They can easily enter their web-site by using our own website www.nsscc.org and clicking the link on the left hand side of the menu column. I would like to personally thank
www.rockauto.com for coming on board and partnering with us in our current and future racing and event endeavors. In addition to the above, I would
like to thank everyone that shows up and helps this club out on a day-to-day basis when it comes to all sorts of activities. I would first like to thank our me-dia contributors: Larry Noble of the Rod Knock, Eric Lattas for our website content and updates, and Mark Atkinson our Artist. Without
these three, most of the commu-nications and look of the club would be lost and not updated. These three have been very in-strumental in getting our mes-sage across to old and new mem-bers. I would also like to thank everyone who helps us organize, run, and contribute at our race weekends: from our executive
board (Scott Durbin, John Saccameno, and Mitch Lelito) to our race chairs and members that show up to most if not all of our meetings: Rob Roderick, Eric Barnes, John Churchill, Nancy Mizura, Jason Ostrowski, Dave Bralich, Bob Dudeck. Without all of them and their support, this would be one very difficult and lonely position. And let none of us forget NSSCC’s own Lynn
Serra who is skillfully guiding Mid-western Council while contributing to our own success. Lastly, I would like to thank all of
our mem-bers and competi-tors. With-out you, there is no club and no fun. Without you this would not
be worth it. I want to say "Thank You" for all that you do in helping out this club as well as spreading the word about what we do. I feel that we are the "best positioned” club within the Midwestern Council of Sports Car Club organization. Thank you all. Let's have a great race weekend, and a great Fourth of July holiday.
Till next month, Michael Palmer, President
NSSCC Monthly Meetings held on 3rd
Thursday of the month, 7:30 pm in
the private room, Sweet Baby Ray’s
BBQ, Higgins Rd (Rte 72), Elk Grove
Village (Board meeting = 7:00pm)
Our Sport’s Language:
vo-’kab-yu-,ler-ee \ n
We’ll try to make the unfamiliar familiar with this feature. Often newbies of any endeavor are buried in the terminology of the new thing they’re trying to conquer. That can only offer barriers to progress. So, in an effort to encourage faster and deeper understanding of the way we “seasoned veterans” talk, each issue will offer explanations of a couple of terms you may hear us throw around.
HANS Device: Is actually a brand name acronym meaning Head And Neck Support, worn over the shoulders, se-cured in place by the safety harness’ shoulder belts, and secured to the hel-met’s temples. It is intended to mediate driver injury from neck-snapping for-ward motion in the event of a collision.
Balaclava: An important article of fire proof safety clothing worn under the helmet, also called a head sock. Re-quired in W2W racing and often sug-gested with other full safety equipment in higher speed track days & AX classes .
The President Speaks
Dear NSSCC Members
ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED
The Rod Knock North Suburban Sports Car Club’s Official Newsletter July 2016
Page 3
EVENT RESULTS:
NSSCC members finish in top 3 spots on June 11 & 12th:
NSSCC Podium Winners Milwaukee Mile Race Challenge II
1st Place Finishers: Martin Zimmerman ITGT
2nd Place Finishers: James Fogerty EP; Walt Kelley SP
3rd Place Finishers: Gary Cooke EP
HSAX 1st Place Finisher: John Tennant [YS]
HSAX 2nd Place Finishers: Greg Nemec [BS] , Rob Roderick [AM] , John Qualich [AS]
(h)1. Never
(c)2. Always
(f)3. Sometimes
(b)4. Usually
(g)5. If Raining
(a)6. When Passing
(e)7. In the Pits
(d)8. During Lunch
a. Watch your mirror at the same time to be aware of faster cars coming up
on you, too.
b. Hurried before-track prep may overlook a critical checklist item.
c. Pay close attention to P.A. announcements for calls to grid.
d. Review the optimum path thru a least-favorite corner and mentally im-
print corner set-up, entry, apex, speed for when back on track .
e. Scan the area you plan to park/drive over to remove objects that may
ruin your day with a flat tire.
f. Give in to the safest track behavior vs. the chanciest track behavior.
g. Get overshoes to slip over your in-car footwear as you walk around,
keeping the soles dry and prevent slipping off pedals while driving.
h. Disregard a safety flag on the bridge, or at a corner.
___ 1. Never ….
___ 2. Always ….
___ 3. Sometimes ….
___ 4. Usually ….
___ 5. If Raining ….
___ 6. When Passing ….
___ 7. In the Pits ….
___ 8. During Lunch ….
Rod Knock’s Mid-Year Exam:
“No One Said There’d be a Test!”
Safety and racing gurus from major venues pooled their knowledge to offer a mid-season
status and behavioral assessment for our NSSCC members. Are there correct answers
to this quiz, answers that will form the desti-ny of our sport in the Midwest and tracks all
over the Eastern Seaboard? Uh, sure…..Ed
Next Rod Knock Issue: Worst mistakes
you can make on Track.
This is an issue with a safety theme.
Question: Did you
see the barrel roll in the Hemi Under Glass
that developed when Jay Leno was taping
his “Jay Leno’s Garage” show? This may be one of the best media event scenarios to show off safety cell design and race car compo-
nentry to the general public. Safety is Cool.
Gramma you did a great job
of fixing your seatbelt!
The Rod Knock North Suburban Sports Car Club’s Official Newsletter July 2016
Page 4
Emotional Health: Don’t overlook
the mental health of the moment.
Rested? Overstressed? Angry? Atti-
tude often impedes or sharpens skill.
Connection to the Car: Don’t
slide around in your seat. A firm grip
with your butt & hands
assures control.
Support Crew: Extra
pair of hands find surpris-
es—2 heads are better than
1. A smile, a helmet pat
and shared work go a long
way.
The Question: Which of the areas
above is the riskiest to ignore?
CHECKLISTS Really, Really Help:
Car, Clothing, Helmet, Pit Area, Crew,
Track, and Me. Let’s not get all the
way to the track and forget or overlook
an item that may prevent a safe return.
This is a motorcycle safety acronym
referring to a commitment by street
riders to personal safety. Motorcycles
are inherently dangerous, and riders
and their passengers are mercilessly
exposed to the elements, hard pave-
ment, sharp objects and big motorized
other vehicles. So, caution beckons.
Arguments for personal freedoms and
individual choice aside, it is the smart
rider that assumes an incident has their
name on it somewhere, sometime,
maybe even today.
Therefore, why, to-
day, should I choose
to ride with sandals
and shorts, no shirt?
Oh, yeah, and may-
be I should clue in
my honey who
showed up in a bikini
top and short shorts as she’s climbing
up onto the high seat on the back. But,
I don’t want to spoil her fun as we leave
the house after a cool couple of beers.
That’s actually a bit of an unfair com-
parison for a sports car club’s newslet-
ter. After
all, we’re
told by the
rules that in
all-out
track war-
fare we’re gonna do our own version
of ATGATT. It’s in the GCR. We
have to show our fireproof under-
wear to tech inspection personnel.
The Club has decreed our level of
safety, to a certain extent.
Personal safety decisions enter in
as equipment purchases are consid-
ered as discussed on page one.
There are additional con-
siderations that overlay
safety purchases, even be-
yond the need to just buy
stuff because I have to.
Last month we featured a
follow-up column from
John Haydon about how to
determine the “health” of
the fasteners holding critical
parts together. We also rely
on testing agencies to decree
the reliability and standards
satisfaction of safety equip-
ment such as helmets and
firesuits. Even tires and
seatbelts have recommenda-
tions for “age limits” due
to material composition
deterioration.
Vigilance is the watch-
word. No one should be
more aware of the totality
of the layered safety enve-
lope in which he/she
rides than the driver. After all, he/she
has the most on the line. So ATGATT
in the 4-wheeled world of autosport
still commands a personal commit-
ment and follow-through by the peo-
ple involved in the effort to field a race
car on race day.
So, it seems, there is still some
room for choice within the man-
dated safety formulas of our
sport. Remember, sins of omis-
sion are just as damning as sins
of commission…..Ed
ATGATT: All The Gear All The Time
It’s easy to think of safety in terms
of what’s seen—uniforms, fire bot-
tles, harnesses, roll cages. But those
items are not the whole story.
Structural Safety: The racecar
platform, steel, welds. Stressors can
take their toll and render materials
and joints vulnerable.
Mechanical Systems: Brakes,
steering, suspension, fuel. Wear and
time affect all systems, and prudent
attention is key.
Motive Power:
Motor, transmission,
shafts, gears. Start-
ing out, one expects
to finish. Safety in
this instance means
not breaking down on track.
Personal Armor, Protective
Clothing: Perhaps the first things
focused on in a safety discussion.
How much is “enough”?
Physical Condition: Are you in
good shape? Weight managed?
Heart Healthy? Strength and endur-
ance training is vital.
Assumptions Which One is Riskiest?
Yawning, getting into the car in the
garage early in the morning, key in,
twist, and off to work. Pull out into the
flow of the tollway with a stab of the
pedal, same-o, same-o. Assumptions
aplenty. Good for you that your
maintenance schedule allows that.
Racing is on a different plane.
Assumptions are not a good idea.
Shortcuts usually aren’t, either.
The day you make an assumption
about your lug nuts’ torque is the
day it’ll bite you. I once had a
loose suspension nut pointed out to me
by a fellow FV driver. Not because I
was assuming, but because I was igno-
rant of the need to
check this particular
fastener. Knowledge
is power. Follow-
through is just smart.
Bumper sticker:
Bad Spellers of the World, Untie!
The Rod Knock North Suburban Sports Car Club’s Official Newsletter July 2016
Page 5
NSSCC Members can answer some questions that help describe their racing passion and histo-ry and offer commentary about their cars and experiences. Mitch Lelito, Orange Dodge Challenger RT HSAX and Pace Car shares reflections on his storied past this month.
I bought my Dodge Challenger in June 1975… and I started pylon auto-crossing it that same month (wow!… how time flies when you’re having
fun… 41+ years … and all with the same car!)… AND, in fact, my 2nd ever event was at Blackhawk Farms in July 1975!... it was an HSAX, hosted by MCSCC… I started with the pylon-autocross events with local Chicago-area clubs… Chicago Region SCCA, and also the Tri-State Sports Car Council (TSSCC) – typical pylon autocross racing events, including season-long championship “series” of those events. I primarily stayed with these pylon autocross events, and became involved with club leadership roles… becoming the Presi-dent/Director of the TSSCC for 10 years between 1980-1990…
I’ve had growing interest in road course events, primarily HSAX, and on a rare occasion I’d participate in a MCSCC race commonly held at BHF. With growing family and work responsibilities, I took a temporary hia-tus (break) from the racing scene in early 2000…. Lasting until year 2010 when NSSCC fellow member and long-time friend Brian Garcia twisted my arm and got me involved with the
“3 Questions” Member
Profile: Mitch Lelito
NSSCC/MCSCC .. to be the “Honorary Pace Car” at the NSSCC “Return To Road America” weekend event in the summer of 2010. Most muscle-car enthusiasts think my car is a drag racer… NOT! T/A stands for TRANS AM… of the SCCA Trans Am racing series… my all-time favorite.. especially the historic 1970-era series!... power-thumpin’ pony cars battling it out against each other for what they were intended and meant to be doing!!! As my Challenger has primarily been pre-setup to compete with the SCCA autocross classification of E/Street Prepared, I’ve squeezed into the MCSCC HSAX classification of B/Prepared. Current GCR has “points per modifica-tion” which heavily determines which category/class you’re positioned in. I can compete fairly successfully within B/P, however, I may be switching to either B/Modified, or else Super/Street in the future. Since summer of 2015 I’ve been rebuilding/restifying my
Challenger… hoping to be back-on-track for the 2017 MCSCC HSAX cham-pionship se-ries.
Oh… by the way… My Challenger is not a factory original
1970 Challenger T/A model car… I
cloned into that model by ~1978…..
strictly for past SCCA Solo II rules/
classification purposes… and that
drives the “purists” of the Mopar car
collectors crazy… its been detailed
into a T/A model very specifically. Fellow life-long NSSCC Friends & Mopar Addicts
Brian Garcia John Sandberg
I meet lots of people who want to get involved with racing (W2W, AX/HSAX,
HPDE, etc), especially via the internet’s different forums and e-chats, even
developing more friendships via the internet! I observe so many car enthusi-
asts eager to spend lots of money and buy as many different products, make
extensive car modifications, etc… and most all these people do it without a
targeted goal. That may end with the car not prepared/modified enough, or
else, it can easily be over-modified, placing your car in a class that you’ll need
to make/spend even more modifications to become competitive. A commit-
ment to a Club will offer the mod guidance, and new friends await!
Is it a “show car”???... My “show” is on the track! When asked “..Why do you race the car when it’s so beauti-ful, etc…” My answer is that “I’m keeping the purist’s reputation up for their heritage of the cars…”
I always encourage newcomers to seek and find a sanctioned racing group/club that has established rules to follow, then, build/modify your car to a chosen set of that club’s rules.
W2W is better. No, HSAX is better.
Waiting for TLC in the garage…..
The Rod Knock North Suburban Sports Car Club’s Official Newsletter July 2016
Page 6
that crud in your en-
gine? Of course you do
–you're on this forum!
Fortunately, there's a quick and easy way to do things, and it won't result in a ruined en-gine. It's called...
SHAVING CREAM! Buy some super normal shaving cream, then fill every nook and cranny with it. Like so:
Then, scrape whatever
needs to be scraped, and
let all of the crud fall onto
the cream. Once you're done,
vacuum every thing out with a
shop vac, and the cream (and
the crud) will magically be re-
moved.
It's probably a good idea to
still do an oil change a few
miles after using this trick, but
Once again my friends at Grassroots Motorsports.com have raised the bar on simple solutions to a simple prob-lem. I received an e-mail singing the magazine’s praises, including a pre-view of an interesting suggestion for messy engine repair found on their
online version, in the project blogs. We’ve all been there—how to clean off an old gasket without nasty bits of waste falling into oil gallies, water jackets and cylinders. Here’s what they say: “Have a nasty gasket you need
to scrape off, but don't want all
it does eliminate hours and
hours of disassembly and
cleaning on a job like this.
I’m sure most of us have had the
pleasure of stuffing holes in a block
with paper towel bits, only to see
small fragments disappear into the
block and escape your careful retriev-
al operation anyway.
Most of us have also snapped on
protective rubber gloves to preserve
our tender baby bottom smooth
hands from chemical burns and per-
manently grease-blackened finger-
prints.
So, a great non-toxic solution with a
low cost softening agent that’s re-
moved with a wet/dry vac - potential-
ly an almost total removal of waste
material. Kinda makes me wish I had
a valve job waiting to test it…...Ed
1. cap: a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus’ son Telema-
chus 2. a: a trusted counselor or guide b: TUTOR, COACH—men-tor-ship \-,ship\
n 3. a: colloquial v NSSCC usage—i.e., [to mentor] of or pertaining to darn valuable
insight and assistance of mind, body, and vehicle to promote safe, fast, fun racing b: a strong breath mint n
Mentor@nsscc.org can connect you with an experienced club member that can answer, obfuscate, and open horizons.
NSSCC Mentor available: \’men-to(e)r, ‘ment-er \ n [L,fr.Gk Mentor]
Bonus Rod Knock Tech Tip:
Lexus CPU Hiccup?
Rod Knock Tech Tip:
Gasket Removal
This is a step out of the box because the tech tip is focused on a street car issue, not a race car issue. Contact Lexus, Bloomberg
reports June 10, but first, in order to heighten the suspense…..
1943, London, England: Joe Kennedy Jr. strapped
himself into the pilot’s seat of a converted U.S.Navy bomber,
now designed as a flying drone bomb packed with thousands
of pounds of explosives, intended to destroy a Nazi “super
gun” bunker in northern France. The plan was to have him
& his co-pilot get the plane in the air, then parachute out,
allowing a “mother ship” to remotely guide the plane to its
mission finale. Before he left, a lower level self-taught elec-
tronics officer pointed out a design flaw that he felt
risked setting off events that would cause the plane to
explode. No one believed him. Commander Kennedy
proceeded, bravely citing the importance of the mission.
What was the design flaw? Stray radio signals might
compromise a failsafe device designed to prevent acci-
dental detonation. Unfortunately, the officer was right.
What about Lexus? 2014-2016 navigation, audio,
climate control computers can be disabled by data broad-
cast via high-definition radio by a weather and traffic
service provider in Chicago, southern U.S. and Califor-
nia. 2016 Toyota Land Cruisers are also included. A
YouTube posting showed the Nav system start-up screen
on RX350 SUV going purple and restarting. Some have
dashboards screens stop & restart repeatedly. Forced
reset by the dealer or disconnect battery, wait 30 seconds
before reconnect may set things right again…..Ed
The Rod Knock North Suburban Sports Car Club’s Official Newsletter July 2016
Page 7
President, Michael Palmer President@nsscc.org
Vice President, John Saccameno
VicePresident@nsscc.org Treasurer, Scott Durbin
Treasurer@nsscc.org
Secretary, Mitch Lelito Secretary@nsscc.org
Competition Dir./Club Steward, John Saccameno W2WSteward@nsscc.org
HSAX Competition Director, Eric Barnes Autocross@nsscc.org
V/H Competition Director, Jason Ostrowski Vintage@nsscc.org
Membership Chairperson Jim Kane Membership@nsscc.org
Rod Knock Editor Larry Noble RodKnock@nsscc.org
Letter to the Editor: Rolling Meadows and its money-grubbing red light cam-era: 2 times is 2 much. An 80+ yr-old senior com-plained to the Daily Herald and anyone else that would listen that she was fined for a simple left hand turn, along with other cars...twice. Her simple life support-ed by Social Security cannot afford this red light camera designed to catch unsuspecting motorists. Boy-cott the businesses is the war cry. Just because drivers with you on
the street (or on track) vio-late the rules doesn’t ab-solve you of the responsi-bility you bear for your own actions. We live in a socie-ty that presumes the rules
are good for the majority, and that things operate smoother when everybody follows those rules. If there is doubt about the validity of the benefit of a rule, then there are mechanisms established to challenge and
advocate change. Blatant disregard is not a strategy. It is cause for penalty. Did you now that in Kentucky you need a license to walk around nude in your own house? Hmmm. Good thing I live in Rolling Meadows…..Ed
2016 NSSCC Board
“The Rod Knock” is the official news publication of The North Suburban Sports Car Club. The publication is provided to North Suburban Sports Car Club members as part of
the annual membership deliverable and commitment from the Club. material published herein may be reprinted provided that usage is credited to the author, and North
Suburban Sports Car Club. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Board of Directors of North
Suburban Sports Car Club, the Midwestern Council of Sports Car Clubs, or it’s Bod.
Article submission is encouraged and accepted in MS Word format via email. When submitting photos or artwork, please request the material to be returned if that is de-
sired. Electronic copies of photos should be sent as attachments. Questions and comments should be directed to the Rod Knock Editor: RodKnock@nsscc.org.
but I also confirm by looking that I’ve done what I thought I did. Safety First. The problem with the “new tech-nology” is there is only a 1-space
push forward or a 1-space pull back be-fore the shifter spring-returns to a mid-dle, neutral position, like joy stick. The results of your transmission mode selec-tion are illuminated on top of the shifter and on the dashboard. If you were in D,
you have to remember to do 3 pushes forward to get to P. No clicks. Not everybody is confirming their moves. The investigation is pretty busy with interviewing folks that have been run over by their own cars. The cars are at fault, of course. The NHTSA is cau-tioning manufacturers to do extra due diligence as they introduce exciting new technologies to the general public to confirm proper, repeatable, safe opera-tion. This has now become a recall. BMW and Mercedes Benz also have “similar” shifters. Folks who have had close calls but no injuries expressed fear of driving their own cars. Safety sources call it a “user interface design issue.”…...Ed
The death of young “Star Trek” actor Anton Yelchin early Sunday morning June 19th has returned attention to an active investigation first reported in February of user-unfriendly console shifter operation in cars from the Fiat-Chrysler Group. The National Highway Safety Administration’s ongoing probe centers around 2015 Jeep Grand Chero-kee SUVs, but 856,000 corporate com-panion vehicles sharing similar power-trains are included. The details of the young actor’s death have not been released, only that he was pinned against the driveway’s gate/mailbox structure. It is unclear why the vehicle began rolling toward him after he exited. At this point, it can only be assumed that the issue can be traced to the active investigation. What seems to be the issue is a new design which is visually and ergonomi-cally very different than the look and feel of a “usual” console shifter. Nor-mal experience feels the detent clicks of PRNDL as the user rows the shifter for-ward to confidently lock the vehicle in park before shutting off the key and stepping out. I don’t know about you,
Everybody’s Doin’ It…….?
Safe Behavior OnTrack
Recycled Wisdom: Success
always occurs in private.
Failure happens in full view.
And for Safety’s Sake: Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Rod Knock North Suburban Sports Car Club’s Official Newsletter July 2016
Page 8
Our Thanks to NSSCC member Ray Kollock for donating
his racing gear to benefit the MCSCC. If you haven’t yet
heard of this real bargain of an opportunity for a shoul-
der-to-toe (helmet not included) safety covering, read
along and join in the fun. Good Luck!
Rod Knock Classifieds
“Rod’s List”
All the following items are offered by your Rod Knock editor Larry Noble, Rolling Meadows. 847-253-7381. larrynoble@att.net — a competition driv-er education theme this issue!
An opportunity to own history. These 3 books go back to the genesis of our
sport in the modern era. The 1977 Turner & Miles autocrossing book (signed by
Dick Turner) was the first of its kind to legitimize parking lot event skills. Bondu-
rant’s 1982 high performance classic on how-to drive the track precedes his
videos and schools. He includes photos of Paul Newman & Robert Wagner from
“Winning” and James Garner & the gang from “Grand Prix”. Alan Johnson’s
1976 3rd edition best seller is the road racer’s trackside handbook. Hairstyles &
bellbottoms come & go but successful driving tips remain. Price: $15.00 each
Here’s where you come in. Have any items you’d like to list in our Club’s newsletter? Just e-mail description, price, (photo?) and contact info to RodKnock@nsscc.org at your convenience.
2001 “Club Formula Indy” Car Craig Inanen CRIfarm@cs.com or 815/332-8222 eve’s
2001 CLUB FORMULA INDY car – $3100.00 - current MC annual inspection and log book. 600cc Polaris, rings and seals 2015. CVT, CDI ignition, Aaen tuned exhaust, Mikuni TM40’s w/ PJM velocity stacks, metallic filters, fuel cell. Wil-wood, Hawk pads and Master cylinders 2015. Carrera/QA1 coil
over shocks 2 new 2015-16. Rack & pinion, quick disconnect steering wheel, Kirkey seat, G-Force Pro 5 point belts and Simp-son arm re-straints new 2015. Running, tail and brake lights for rain.
Adjustable front wings, fixed rear wing = 1320 sq.in. surface. Addition-al downforce from 20 degree angle nose. 2 radiators, honeycomb protec-tor plus 18” heat exchanger. 760 lbs ew.
Spares include tires (6)(no rains), wheels (4), brake lines/pads, chains (5 sprockets= ratios 5.14-4.00 to 1), links, CVT belt, many add’l mechanical parts, and Polaris shop manual. Former CFI winning car returned to racing in 2015 capable of competitive times with a skilled driver. Can be inexpen-sive entry into open wheel large Formula racing for a novice/rookie. Can be changed from road racing to oval config w/simple steering, chassis adjustments, tire stagger.
Ask about available and “priced to sell” 2008 Ford E150 van with shelving, pull out storage & 2015 Quality Steel single axle trailer.
The Rod Knock North Suburban Sports Car Club’s Official Newsletter July 2016
Page 9
Midwestern Council Of Sports Car Clubs Presents North Suburban Sports Car Club Holiday ThreeDayPalooza Saturday July 2nd MCSCC Drivers School #2, Sunday July 3rd MCSCC W2W
Race #4, Monday July 4th High Performance Driver Experience & MCSCC High Speed Auto-cross #4. Details and Registration at motorsportreg.com. Ooooo, bring a Corvette like this:
Don’t forget to help out during the weekend—a fitting way to celebrate the Holi-day with fellow Car Dudes and Dudettes. Call Mike Palmer or Scott Durbin
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