Rafael. Stan was a 48-year member of the San Francisco Region. He and
his wife Pauline Laskin were very active
members in the Club. Prior to
becoming a steward, Stan drove a
variety of racecars including a Saab 96
two-stroke sedan, a Triumph Spitfire, a
Big Block 1963 Corvette and, finally, a
Tiga S2000. Stan was a longtime
National Chief Steward, a gentleman
steward and a gentleman racer. He was
proud of his membership with the
SCCA and the San Francisco Region
was proud to have Stan as a member of
their family. Thank you Jim Rogaski for
providing this information.
The checkered flag also flew
for Oregon Region member
William Lee Carr Sr. on Jan. 24.
Bill was a longtime Flagging and
Communications official, Club
Racing Steward and a good friend to
everyone at the track, whether you
were an official, driver or spectator.
As a female, I can say he was the most
charming man I have ever had the
pleasure of meeting – he remembered
everyone, and was a man of incredible
knowledge and experience. His
smile was one to warm your heart
each time you saw it, and it came
with a sense of calming. He will be
missed terribly by all who had the
pleasure of his acquaintance. As
Howard “Duck” Allen said, “So now the
‘corner-in-the-sky’ has yet another
member, and we stay down here to
start another season without ‘our’ Bill,
but he lives forever in our hearts and
memories – and, oh, what memories.”
A checkered flag also fell for past
member Curt Gnagy. As a past member
of Northwest Region, Craig spent his
time as a Scrutineer. He took his job
seriously as chief and might have
portrayed a gruff exterior but was a
great and fun person. He loved catered
food and once brought a huge spread
PMP REPAVING DELAYED
As reported in the Feb. 2012 Pony
Express column, the track-repaving
proposal for Pueblo Motorsports Park
(PMP) successfully passed through
the Pueblo city council. But despite
plans to complete all repaving and
allow the 2.2-mile circuit to cure over
the winter, things went awry.
Creighton Wright, the director of
Pueblo Parks and Recreation (who
now oversees the PMP complex),
explained the situation in a statement:
“It is with great frustration that I write
this. Construction at Pueblo
Motorsports Park, while progressing,
has been a victim of the cool fall and
early winter weather conditions.
Unfortunately, the impact is that the
construction completion schedule is
sliding until the end of April, which
will result in the cancellation of some
planned races and the need to extend
our agreement regarding funding
assistance for resurfacing.
“The concrete paving of the
dragstrip launch pad was completed
on schedule, but the repaving of the
remainder of the dragstrip and road
course will have to be delayed until
the spring due to cold temperatures.
“Because we are putting down a thin
[1.5-inch] overlay of asphalt, the cold
temperatures [both air and ground]
cause the asphalt to cool too quickly to
be properly applied. If the material is
not at the proper temperature when
applied, it could result in raveling and
lifting. If we were to proceed now
under these conditions, it would be
costly and inefficient due to the high
probability of asphalt failure. For this
reason, the contractor has strongly
encouraged delaying the paving until
the end of April.
“Delaying the paving will affect
racing at PMP and, as mentioned
previously, this is a very frustrating
situation. We have done everything in
our power to try to avoid canceling
races, but have come to the realization
that there are no more options to
consider if we want the project
completed correctly and ensure
warranty by the contractor. I apologize
for the inconvenience this will cause
our race fans and funding sponsors.”
cancel the event, but instead move it to Pikes Peak Int’l Raceway on the same dates. CDR will provide another opportunity for racers to sample the fresh pavement at High Plains when the RMDiv circus travels to the southern Colorado city in mid June. The first RMDiv Double National Invitational- Majors event will be a good test of the new pavement after its properly cured. Circle June 16-17 on your calendars.
CONTACT DAVID MURAMOTO
(303) 752-9777
nissan7gt3@comcast.net
BLOWING SMOKE
NORTHERN PACIFIC DIVISION
B Y SHERRI MAS TERSON
THE RACING GETS
EVER CLOSER
This is a promising season for the racing community. At the time of this writing, the first race at The
Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton,
Wash., was slated for April 14-15, with
the inspection just around the
corner – looks like things are getting
closer to us racing there.
Northwest and Oregon Regions
have been hard at work working on a
couple co-sanction events and a new
Pacific Northwest Challenge open to
all drivers in those two regions. The
rules and included events are listed on
both region Websites but, in short, it’s
like a region championship but
includes two regions and four
preselected events (two from each
region). You must be a member of
Oregon or Northwest Regions (or dual
member) to have points counted.
Drivers must attend six of the eight
races to qualify, and winners will be
recognized at their region of record
awards banquet. Contact the region
registrar for more information or to
answer questions. There will also be
two co-sanctioned events between the
two regions. Schedules are on the
respective Websites.
The first race at The
Ridge Motorsports
Park in Shelton,
Wash., is scheduled
for April 14-15,
pending SCCA track
certification. Keep an
eye on the Web for
more information.
CHECKERED FLAGS
It’s never easy to say goodbye, but this
month I have three reports to pass on
to you. The checked flag has flown for
longtime San Francisco Region
member Stan Laskin, who passed away
on Tuesday, Jan. 10, after a long battle
with cancer. Memorial services for Stan
were held Sunday, Feb. 12, at the
Congregation Rodef Sholom in San
