Sept-Oct - Evergreen Lotus Car Club
Sept-Oct - Evergreen Lotus Car Club
Sept-Oct - Evergreen Lotus Car Club
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EVENTS<br />
<strong>Oct</strong>ober 25th<br />
Slotcars and Calendar<br />
Selection<br />
details inside<br />
December 6th<br />
ElCC Holiday Party<br />
details inside<br />
<strong>Lotus</strong> Lines<br />
Newsletter for the <strong>Evergreen</strong> <strong>Lotus</strong> <strong>Car</strong> <strong>Club</strong> - <strong>Sept</strong>/<strong>Oct</strong> 2008<br />
Phil Hill’s LeMans victories and his Formula<br />
1 championship with Ferrari happened a<br />
little before my time. Auto racing media<br />
coverage was in its infancy, with grainy<br />
black and white images, seemingly focused<br />
on death and tragedy in the “blood sport”.<br />
When American Phil Hill survived, and<br />
actually won the 1961 Grand Prix World<br />
Championship, I don’t think they quite<br />
knew what to do with it. Television<br />
reporting and ABC’s Wide World<br />
of Sports didn’t really come on the<br />
scene until about 1964, and most of<br />
us would get to know Phil Hill from<br />
his guest commentator roles with<br />
Keith Jackson and Jim McKay, as<br />
opposed to his driving skills.<br />
While I had always been interested<br />
in cars since childhood, my interest<br />
in auto racing had not yet become<br />
a passion in the early sixties. But I<br />
soon discovered ROAD & TRACK,<br />
SPORTS CAR GRAPHIC<br />
magazine, and my wonderful<br />
COMPETITION PRESS<br />
newspaper. These pages were the<br />
focus of my teenage-world. From<br />
about 1964-1972, there seemed<br />
to be so much information about<br />
racecar design and development that<br />
there just wasn’t time to look back.<br />
Exciting times! It wasn’t until many<br />
years later, when car racing started<br />
to become mostly spec-racing series,<br />
that I would go back and appreciate<br />
the vintage years of Nuvolari, Fangio,<br />
Collins, Moss, Behra, Bira, Hill and others.<br />
One evening, when I was supposed to be<br />
studying for a math test, I heard my dad<br />
coming down the hall. I quickly hid my<br />
latest car mag issue under my PeeChee,<br />
and prepared myself for another lecture<br />
on the virtues of school and knowledge.<br />
He dropped an issue of the latest TIME<br />
magazine on my desk, as he had done many<br />
times before, usually with an article about<br />
something that would help me eventually<br />
achieve the Nobel Peace prize or whatever.<br />
But this time was different. He walked in<br />
and then out, muttering, “Here, I guess<br />
you’ll probably be interested in this.” On<br />
the over of his cherished and respected<br />
TIME magazine, was a full-color picture<br />
of Jim Hall driving his revolutionary, and<br />
exotic looking, white Chaparral2. I felt,<br />
at that moment, that my father’s negative<br />
feelings about auto racing were somewhat,<br />
reluctantly, modified. The Chaparrals had<br />
entered my dad’s world of importance, and<br />
I soon could not get enough of the “Texas<br />
Roadrunners”.<br />
At last, I had ammunition to use in the<br />
parent/child relationship game. I could<br />
express interest in becoming an automotive<br />
WHERE WERE YOU?<br />
<strong>Evergreen</strong> <strong>Lotus</strong> <strong>Car</strong> <strong>Club</strong><br />
P.O. Box 40481<br />
Bellevue, WA 98015-4481<br />
RAMBLINGS FROM THE CHAIR:<br />
continued inside
What Was it?<br />
Last time around we featured a picture of a three wheeled 1936 Morgan<br />
Super Sport. In jolly ole England at the time tricycles enjoyed cheaper road<br />
taxes than four wheeled cars. After having acquired a garage in Malvern<br />
Link, Morgan wasn’t satisfied with just selling cars, so he designed a<br />
motorcycle and then the three-wheeler. Soon after establishing the factory<br />
in 1910, he was building 1,000 motor cycle trikes a year. This example has<br />
a 1100cc, water-cooled, JAP twin with a car type clutch and a three speed<br />
transmission behind the driver’s seat. A chain provided the final drive and<br />
whole thing weighed 317kgs. Originally the trikes weren’t the least bit<br />
sporting. But they were raced – as it should be – and the company built performance models. Most strikingly is that<br />
the sporting models like this one included aero-dynamic features, the tapered tail and aer screens –never mind the<br />
cylinders out in front. Actually, by the 1930’s it was fairly well understood that the trailing surfaces of the automobile<br />
had a huge impact in the overall drag of then vehicle.<br />
<strong>Lotus</strong> Lines is the official newsletter of the evergreen lotus<br />
car club. opinions expressed in <strong>Lotus</strong> Lines are those of the<br />
author and do not necessarily represent those of the elcc or<br />
its officers. Use all techni-cal information at your own risk.<br />
Please submit all articles, art work, and photographs to the<br />
Editor. All other official business should be directed to the<br />
chairman. Other <strong>Lotus</strong> clubs are welcome to use the material<br />
printed in <strong>Lotus</strong> Lines, provided that the ELCC, <strong>Lotus</strong><br />
Lines and the author are duly credited. The ELCC is not affiliated<br />
with and does not represent <strong>Lotus</strong> <strong>Car</strong>s Ltd., Group<br />
<strong>Lotus</strong>, Team <strong>Lotus</strong>, or any <strong>Lotus</strong> related organization.<br />
Membership in the ELCC is $20/year, with the membership<br />
year starting in January, and is prorated in three month<br />
increments. Membership includes a club roster and a<br />
subscription to <strong>Lotus</strong> Lines.<br />
Contact the Editor for business ads rates in <strong>Lotus</strong> Lines.<br />
Contact ELCC at:<br />
<strong>Evergreen</strong> <strong>Lotus</strong> <strong>Car</strong> <strong>Club</strong><br />
P.O. Box 40481<br />
Bellevue, WA 98015-4481<br />
http://www.elcc.org<br />
The ELCC Officers are elected bi-annually and currently<br />
those officers are:<br />
Chairman: Mark Sterner (206)870-0359<br />
chair@elcc.org<br />
Membership: Alan Perry (206)855-9464<br />
alanp@snowmoose.com<br />
Treasurer: Andy Keck (206)390-3870<br />
andykeck@mac.com<br />
Editor: Robert Vets (206)669-8444<br />
editor@elcc.org<br />
Advertising: Sean Lane (206)686-7326<br />
classifieds@elcc.org<br />
Printed By K&H Printers<br />
Layout by Jessica Vets Design - jvets15@mac.com<br />
Classified Advertisements<br />
Classified advertisements are free for ELCC members, and<br />
pricing for non-members is available on request. For adding<br />
or removing advertisements, please send them via email<br />
to classifieds@elcc.org or by calling (206) 686-7326 by the<br />
10th of each month.<br />
1985 <strong>Lotus</strong> Turbo Esprit. 45K miles. Used as a regular<br />
driver, <strong>Lotus</strong> maintained, BRG/Gold, BBS wheels, CD,<br />
A/C, $14,800. Robert Ewens (509)447-3344 (home) or<br />
(509)280-2478 (cell).<br />
--<br />
1970 Titan Mk6 Formula Ford. Available in the spring. I<br />
am almost done restoring it, but have no desire to race it.<br />
Offering for sale now to allow buyer to select paint color, etc.<br />
while it can be easily changed. Ground up restoration. Low<br />
hours on engine. Lots of documentation. Spares package.<br />
$17,000 obo. Alan Perry, alanp@snowmoose.com.<br />
--<br />
Looking for a <strong>Lotus</strong> car or parts? The below ads have been<br />
spotted in various sources. Note: The below ads have no<br />
known affiliation with, nor are endorsed by, the ELCC.<br />
This info is being provided to assist members in their search<br />
for cars and parts.<br />
2003 <strong>Lotus</strong> Esprit - Twin Turbo V8 - $52,000. 12,000 miles,<br />
Silver. contact kevin@connells.net or (206) 661-8745<br />
--<br />
2005 Elise, BRG with black. Sport pkg. 13,000 miles.<br />
$32,995. M <strong>Car</strong>s Seattle (dealer) (206) 579-2662<br />
--<br />
1991 <strong>Lotus</strong> Elan, Red. Turbo, new custom wheels<br />
and tires and factory wheels. 97K miles, $9,000. Call<br />
Rich (425) 771-3007 [Ed: Price lowered $1500!]<br />
--<br />
1976 <strong>Lotus</strong> Elite, Red [Ed: This car took first in category<br />
at ABFM 3 years ago, VERY clean] $12,500, Burnaby<br />
Canada. 778-888-8605 or kpmoroney@shaw.ca.<br />
Racing <strong>Club</strong>s<br />
BSCC: Bremerton Sports <strong>Car</strong> <strong>Club</strong><br />
360-697-1761 http://www.bscc.net<br />
CSCC: Cascade Sports <strong>Car</strong> <strong>Club</strong>, Portland, OR<br />
503-543-8161 http://www.cascadesportscarclub.org<br />
IRDC: International Race Drivers <strong>Club</strong>, Seattle, WA<br />
206-781-8199 http://www.irdc-racing.com<br />
ICSCC: International Conference of Sports <strong>Car</strong> <strong>Club</strong>s<br />
425-226-1338 http://www.icscc.com<br />
SCCA: Sports <strong>Car</strong> <strong>Club</strong> of America, NW Region<br />
206-292-0500 http://www.nwr-scca.org<br />
SCCBC: Sports <strong>Car</strong> <strong>Club</strong> of British Columbia<br />
604-824-7277 http://www.sccbc.net<br />
SOVREN: Society of Vintage Racing Enthusiasts<br />
206-232-4644 http://www.sovren.org<br />
TC: Team Continental, Portland, OR<br />
503-645-9058 http://www.teamcontinental.com<br />
EVENT DETAIL<br />
ELCC Holiday Party<br />
When: Saturday, December 6th, 6pm<br />
Where: James Ochs’ house, 23917<br />
94th Ave. S., Kent, WA, 98031<br />
It’s nearing time once again for the ELCC Holiday<br />
Party! James Ochs has very graciously offered to be<br />
our host this year. He’ll provide the main dish, soft<br />
drinks, and sparkling water. The rest is up to us -<br />
potluck style. Let’s all us the evite to coordinate<br />
what we bring and take some of the “luck” out. And,<br />
don’t forget a $20-30 <strong>Lotus</strong> related gift for the gift<br />
exchange with a system that involves good cheer and<br />
a helping of deviousness.<br />
ELCC TRIVIA<br />
Who founded the ELCC and when ?<br />
Last Months Trivia Question: Does that guy listed in the<br />
ELCC roster really have that many Elites and Sevens ?<br />
Answer: Yes. Although Mike Ostrov has been witling down<br />
his collection in recent years, it’s still an impressive sight. And<br />
he really will let you drive them if you visit his Emeryville,<br />
CA shop. Remember to invite him across the street for a<br />
Chinese food lunch as a ‘thank you’.<br />
<strong>Car</strong> <strong>Club</strong>s<br />
ACNW: Audi <strong>Club</strong> Northwest<br />
http://www.audiclubnw.org<br />
BMWCCA: BMW <strong>Car</strong> <strong>Club</strong> - Puget Sound Region<br />
425-481-9571 http://www.bmwpugetsound.com<br />
CMCS: Corvette Marque <strong>Club</strong> of Seattle<br />
425-486-2309 http://www.corvettemarqueclub.com<br />
NWARC: Northwest Alfa Romeo <strong>Club</strong><br />
360-766-4405 http://www.nwalfaclub.com<br />
WWSCC: Western Washington Sports <strong>Car</strong> Council<br />
206-255-0658 http://www.wwscc.org
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR<br />
This month we’ve combined the <strong>Sept</strong>ember and <strong>Oct</strong>ober<br />
ELCC Newsletters into one issue. It would be nice to claim<br />
that this is part of a grand plan for a consolidated, end of<br />
the driving season, issue. But honestly, Jess and I moved and<br />
we just came up for air. The season of club events is starting<br />
to slow down and there are really only a few to really get<br />
out there. This issue probably won’t get out in time for the<br />
<strong>Oct</strong>ober 2 meeting at <strong>Club</strong> STL, so we’ll get to see<br />
how effective the Socializer invites get the word out.<br />
There have been a number of great events this<br />
summer, a couple that worked out well and few that<br />
were disappointing due to somewhat poor turn out.<br />
Small groups can be nice, but really there needs to be a critical<br />
mass and mix of old and new members. I missed a couple of<br />
events that I really wanted to attend as I travel allot for work,<br />
usually with short notice, and just couldn’t get there – as this<br />
gets complete, I’m back to Colorado. The Alfa <strong>Club</strong> lapping<br />
day was my big disappointment. On what was probably the<br />
hottest day of the summer, we packed up the Elise and head<br />
out to Snohomish for the Mountain Loop drive. It was a<br />
nice ride; with a great picnic in the summer sun with a nice<br />
turn out, only a tad of drama, and the chairman broke out his<br />
stainless Irish <strong>Lotus</strong>.<br />
Though this is a time of transition, it is an exciting time<br />
for <strong>Lotus</strong>. The press has been positive for this new concept<br />
of lightness for more energy friendly motoring. The new<br />
Evora is potentially a turning concept in automotive product<br />
development with the versatile vehicle architecture. It is also<br />
reported to be the first <strong>Lotus</strong> with forged aluminum control<br />
arms – anyone dispute that? One thing the folks at Hethel<br />
are good at is keeping us guessing, the new Esprit, the next<br />
Elise, supercharger kits for the current Elise – the folks at<br />
Ron Tonkin said that they were told that <strong>Lotus</strong> would release<br />
250, world wide, bolt on non-intercooler<br />
supercharger kits for the 2005 Elise,<br />
or…..maybe not.<br />
RAMBLINGS FROM THE CHAIR: continued from first page<br />
designer or engineer, and justify my interest in racing! Naturally,<br />
when I learned that the Chaparrals were coming to race in the<br />
almost every viewpoint in the infield at Pacific, expecting to<br />
see some magic driving style from this World Champion. He<br />
was smooth, precise, and fast; but that day he was beaten.<br />
Not necessarily by driving skill, but by technology, and the<br />
managing of something called downforce. He knew it and<br />
Jim Hall and Hap Sharp knew it.<br />
The Chaparrals would never return to Pacific Raceways.<br />
The following year at the 1966 USRRC race, a fellow<br />
named Chuck Parsons, wearing a similar white vintagestyle<br />
half helmet, would win the race in a Ferrari-red<br />
McLaren. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Phil Hill’s<br />
1965 NW Grand Prix at Pacific Raceways, I had to be there.<br />
I managed to talk my dad into taking me. Of course, this<br />
would further my education. Yeah, right! That sounds good!<br />
Suddenly I was “King of the World”; going to the races.<br />
However, there was a slight flaw. My Chaparral parade was<br />
being threatened by someone named Phil Hill. He was<br />
driving a Ferrari-red McLaren and wearing a white vintagestyle<br />
half helmet. The package looked antiquated compared<br />
to the Texas cars even though mechanically it was state of<br />
the art. But, in studying the program and previous newspaper<br />
articles, I had become aware of Hill’s multiple LeMans<br />
victories and his Formula 1 championship. I found myself<br />
fearing his abilities, and he became the villain threatening<br />
to beat my favorites. I watched him closely that day from<br />
efforts the year before. But my villain had become my hero.<br />
Hill had joined the Texas Chaparral team to help with both<br />
a Can-Am effort and a world-beating Endurance Sports<br />
<strong>Car</strong> effort. Jim Hall hoped that Hill’s<br />
LeMans experience would be helpful to<br />
the program. Unfortunately, the dream<br />
of winning LeMans again would not<br />
happen. But, Hill would win a Can-Am<br />
race in the monster flipper-winged 2E.<br />
He would also team with Jo Bonnier in<br />
the 2D to win at the Nürburgring and<br />
finalize his career with a win in 1967<br />
at Brands Hatch in the Chaparral 2F,<br />
teaming with Mike Spence; still wearing<br />
that white vintage helmet, but driving<br />
the latest technology before retiring.<br />
Thanks Phil, for the memories, and<br />
for being a part of my introduction to<br />
the sport. And thanks dad, for trying<br />
to steer me in the right direction. I do<br />
hope that there is a racetrack in heaven<br />
for Phil, and all other departed racers…<br />
and a library full of medical journals for<br />
my dad.
CIRCA 1977: LOTUS NEARLY NIPS MCCLAREN…<br />
AND HOOKS ME FOR LIFE<br />
By Chris Phillips<br />
During a slate gray <strong>Oct</strong>ober 1977 in upstate New York, I was<br />
a restless college sophomore<br />
who heard that the world’s<br />
finest racing drivers were<br />
coming to Watkins Glen. Back<br />
in the day, before carbon fiber<br />
aero-sculpture and telemetric<br />
feedback from all four corners,<br />
the Formula One racing<br />
environment was simpler,<br />
less glamorous and far more<br />
accessible. So were the racing<br />
teams, and the drivers.<br />
I had bottomed out in my<br />
Calculus II class so my aspiration<br />
for an engineering career was fading quicker than the front<br />
brakes on my 1962 Austin Healey triple-carb. I switched<br />
majors to the English Department, bought a pair of white Sears<br />
coveralls and drove 40 minutes<br />
south to The Glen, where I<br />
volunteered as a turn station<br />
worker for what they called<br />
United States Grand Prix East.<br />
(USGP West was held on the<br />
streets of Long Beach, CA.)<br />
The coveralls cost less than a<br />
three-day weekend ticket, and<br />
with a fire extinguisher and a<br />
few hours of track training, we were given a paddock pass and<br />
the closest possible vantage point to witness the fastest, best<br />
handling cars in the world.<br />
Among these cars were my favorites, the <strong>Lotus</strong>-Ford John Player<br />
Specials driven by Mario Andretti and Swedish teammate<br />
Gunnar Nilsson. They were arguably the most handsome<br />
racing cars of the modern era, with striking black and gold color<br />
schemes, dual air intakes on either side of the driver and a classy<br />
badge of the British Union Jack. When you think of GP racing<br />
in the 70s, Colin Chapman’s JPS <strong>Lotus</strong> cars and the blazing red<br />
Ferraris were the icons of the day.<br />
From my track station behind the barrier in turn 3, I watched<br />
as James Hunt, a charismatic Brit with a fast McLaren --<br />
think Lewis Hamilton with blonde hair and pale skin -- set<br />
a track record after a very rainy start. I watched Andretti and<br />
his <strong>Lotus</strong> close a gap in dramatic fashion during the final<br />
2-3 laps of the race. Andretti was trailing Hunt by nearly 7<br />
seconds, but deftly moved up to within a 2-second gap with<br />
just a couple laps remaining. Back then, the teams were still<br />
communicating from the pits with hand signals and reader<br />
boards, and the<br />
McLaren team was<br />
waving everything<br />
they could find once<br />
they realized that<br />
Hunt was being<br />
hunted down by<br />
the stealthy Italian-<br />
American with the jet black <strong>Lotus</strong>.<br />
I also watched in awe as the stoic Austrian, Niki Lauda, one<br />
of the most courageous drivers of all time, finished in fourth<br />
place for Ferrari, clinching the World Championship title.<br />
It was his fourth championship in three years, but more<br />
importantly, it celebrated his brave comeback from a nearly<br />
fatal crash at the Nürburgring just one year earlier.<br />
These days, I have traded the coveralls and fire extinguisher for<br />
the comfort of a recliner chair, a DVR and a remote control.<br />
I still watch in awe as Hamilton’s McLaren battles Felipe<br />
Massa’s Ferrari. But I do miss the simplicity and accessibility<br />
that was once part of Formula One racing. I miss the<br />
trackside cordial atmosphere that you can still find<br />
at American LeMans or Mazda Star Series races. In<br />
F-1, it seems to have been replaced by some degree<br />
of elitism and<br />
far too much<br />
choreography<br />
as the cost of<br />
this premier<br />
racing reaches<br />
the stratospheric edge.<br />
My son recently turned<br />
18, and this month<br />
he drove his first solo<br />
lapping session in our<br />
home-built, British<br />
racing green Caterham<br />
7. When he pulled into<br />
the pits and tugged off<br />
his helmet, I could see<br />
the look in his eyes --<br />
adrenaline mixed with<br />
concentration. I could<br />
tell he was hooked. It<br />
was the same look I used<br />
to get when I watched<br />
Colin Chapman’s <strong>Lotus</strong><br />
team unload those<br />
brilliant black JPS cars<br />
back at The Glen.<br />
ELCC Members score<br />
in Friday Harbor!<br />
Concours d’Elegance of<br />
the San Juan Islands on<br />
SEPTEMBER 14<br />
Larry Eppenback tied for second<br />
in the “Foreign Sports <strong>Car</strong>s” class<br />
with his 1964 Elan and the author<br />
tied for first in the same class<br />
with a 2005 SY Elise. If you are<br />
wondering how an Elise could out<br />
point an Elan, I don’t have a clue.<br />
More important is the question of<br />
how Larry’s 1984 Donkervoort S8<br />
was ignored. That is an interesting<br />
car, much more than a normal<br />
<strong>Lotus</strong> 7 replica.<br />
This wasn’t Kirkland, but a lot of nice<br />
cars showed up. Results are posted<br />
on http://www.sanjuanconcours.<br />
org and photos will be available in<br />
a week or so.<br />
EVENT DETAILS<br />
Slotcars and Calendar Selection<br />
When: Saturday, <strong>Oct</strong>ober 25th, 5PM-11PM<br />
Where: Mark Sterner’s house, 2606 S.<br />
244th St., Des Moines, WA 98198<br />
Hosts: Mark Sterner & Karyn Scott, (206)<br />
321-1337, chair@elcc.org<br />
Another year is almost gone, and it’s time to select photos for<br />
the 2009 ELCC calendar. Come and escape for an evening<br />
of fun and relaxation at the Chairman’s house to check out<br />
his habitat filled with cars, car toys, memorabilia, artwork,<br />
and photos of virtually every form of motor racing known to<br />
man! Not just one room, we are talking the whole house and<br />
garage here gang!<br />
I also hope to have two computerized virtual driving<br />
simulators going. Downstairs, drive everything from F1,<br />
Nascar or FIA GT. Also drive a vintage <strong>Lotus</strong> Cortina, Elan<br />
26R, or early Elite, with your choice of sequential or paddle<br />
shifting with my Logitech pedal and wheel combo. And<br />
drive on almost any course in the world. Upstairs, I hope<br />
that Don Christopher will bring his setup again to drive a<br />
beautiful virtual <strong>Lotus</strong> 49 on a scenic and incredibly realistic<br />
virtual Pacific Raceways!<br />
Also, taking up half the recroom, will be a Scalextric 1/32<br />
scale slot car track bearing a slim resemblance to the old<br />
Riverside, California road course. I have a variety of about<br />
20 different slot cars, with a few Loti, to experiment with, as<br />
well. All informal and just for fun. Race ya!<br />
Non-stop historic <strong>Lotus</strong> and other racing DVDs will be<br />
playing on my TVs upstairs and down. My daughter, Karyn,<br />
will be hosting a buffet dinner of pasta and pizza upstairs.<br />
We will have some light beverages available, but please bring<br />
your own wine or favorite six-pack. In addition, please bring<br />
any contributing food item to add to the buffet choice. Any<br />
contribution would be appreciated!<br />
The other half of the recroom will be devoted to displaying<br />
print-outs of member photos for the group to vote on for<br />
selection in the upcoming calendar. Please submit CLEAR<br />
HQ or SHQ digital photos to me at chair@elcc.org or Andy at<br />
treasurer@elcc.org if you wish to contribute. If you can attend<br />
the party, please bring a printout of your photo(s) to display, so<br />
let me know when you submit whether you are coming or not<br />
. Remember that your photo will be blown up to calendar size,<br />
so fuzzy or low resolution pics can’t be used. Those members<br />
who attend will decide for the rest of the club, so please come<br />
if you can to be a part of the selection process.<br />
Directions to the house are fairly simple using Google maps.<br />
PLEASE don’t park in the area on the street above my driveway,<br />
where there are no sidewalks. It is OK to park directly in front<br />
of the house, across the street on S. 244th, or down closer to<br />
the park and streetlight in areas where there are sidewalks.<br />
Hope you all can come for a fun fall evening, and a chance to<br />
get your car in next year’s calendar!