The Broken Spoke – July 15, 2024
The Broken Spoke
(Digital)
Monday, July 15, 2024
Hello everyone and happy summer!
Except that it’s been a bit … um …. TOO DINGDANG HOT. Hang in there. Winter will arrive soon enough. We call that Ice Dice season around here. Meantime, we’ve got the news and all the latest info you could want.
Read on! In the following pages, you’ll find:
CUDOS! (Membership)
CLUB REUNION AND 70-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
ICE DICE 2024 AWARDS
RALLY TEST DAY INFO
LOOP RALLY INFO
THE NASCC NEEDS YOUR HELP!
PLEASE HELP: LEGENDS (Old Racers in Review)
FROM THE ARCHIVES
WHAT’S ON YOUR WISH LIST? QUESTIONS FOR YOU!
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?
CSCC MONTHLY BOARD MEETING AND INFO
UPCOMING EVENTS THAT MAY INTEREST YOU
ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES
Disclaimer: Hey there! The Calgary Sports Car Club does not have an official Broken Spoke
editor. So, in the absence of one, I put together and send them out when I have time and energy
and, frankly, when I want to. ???? It’s ok … I do want to. But that means it can be a bit loose and
fancy (sometimes saucy). Sometimes I don’t have everything at one time and have to send out
separate bulletins with corrections or additional info. I do what I can, so take it or leave it
(ENJOY IT, I hope!), because until we have an official editor, I’m what you’ve got. If this is a
task you’d like to take on, get on in here. You’d be most welcome. (jamie.gray@cscc.ab.ca).
Meantime, no complaints!
CUDOS! (Membership)
We were glad to learn at the last board meeting that club membership is currently over 100
people. This is very heartening as we continue to climb out of the Covid years. THANK YOU to
everyone who is renewing their membership or picking up a new one. It means more folks are
getting out to events and/or supporting the CSCC. You rock!
CLUB REUNION AND 70-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
It’s coming up soon! PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD! And join us at our September board meeting (Thursday, September 5) at 7:30pm for a very brief board meeting followed by all the visiting and eating of cake (or consuming of beer) that anyone could wish for. Keep an eye on Broken Spoke newsletters and our Facebook page between now and then for updated
information.
ICE DICE 2024 AWARDS
At our July board meeting, we celebrated the winners of Ice Dice 2024, and there are photos to
prove it! Thank you, Debbie, for sending along some pics.
Patrick Clifford won First Place for All Wheel Drive Johannes Sols won First Place for Rear Wheel Drive Studded
David Gray won First Place Overall …. as well as First Place for All Wheel Drive Studded
Not present at the ceremony were Cole Maynard (First Place for Front Wheel Drive Studded and
Second Place Overall), Michael Dolling (Third Place Overall), and Robin Dymond (First Place
for Rear Wheel Drive). Congratulations, everyone! See you again after Christmas.
RALLY TEST DAY INFO
At our monthly board meeting, the CSCC executive decided it would be best for all aspects and people involved if the next rally test day, scheduled for July 14, be postponed to the next scheduled one on September 29. This will allow more time for better preparation, which will help improve the chances of greater public participation/spectatorship and org niz tion of supporting funds to be spent most wisely. July 14 occurs over the last weekend of Stampede plus
the rally test roads have potential to be busy with holiday traffic at that time, making tem more dificult to marshal. Please stay tuned for more info as it becomes available.
LOOP RALLY INFO
The long-running Loop Rally is a TSD (time/speed/distance) event; fun for drivers of all skills
levels. It is a “precision-based competition where a driver and navigator must stay on a specific
route over many miles and go through checkpoints at specific times. It is not about going as fast
as you can, it’s about arriving to a precise location as accurately as possible.”* It’s more of a
game than a race, which means that the navigator does not need to be a driver (kids can do it).
You don’t need a fancy or caged car – your grocery-getter works just fine. No helmets needed
either. Just some basic safety equipment (come and learn more at the novice school). Info for this
year is as follows:
• Wednesday, September 4: novice school at 7pm at the CSCC clubhouse.
• Friday, September 6: 6-8pm registration and vehicle tech at the Super 8 Hotel in High
River. Discounted rooms are available ($139).
• Saturday, September 7: 8am, first car starts in High River. 8pm rally finishes at the High
River Boston Pizza.
If you require further info, please contact Pete at pete.chadwick@cscc.ab.ca. Thanks, Pete!
*I googled it. ????
THE NASCC NEEDS YOUR HELP!
The best and cheapest way to attend race events (pretty much FREE!) and get involved is to
volunteer!
One of our sister clubs, the Northern Alberta Sports Car Club, hosts a number of events each
year at Rad Torque Raceway (Nisku) and without the help of volunteers of all sorts, it simply
can’t happen. If you enjoy motorsports (watching or participating), please consider giving back
by coming out to an event and lending a hand. The NASCC need folks for a number of positions
and lunch is provided. Please contact Sue Wilson (sue@somedaysoon.ca) to offer assistance for
sprint races on July 27-28, August 24-25, and September 7. It’s a guaranteed best-seat-in-thehouse.
PLEASE HELP: LEGENDS (Old Racers in Review)
I’d also like to request some help for a project I have in mind. Thinking about our club’s 70-year
celebration and upcoming reunion has got me wondering about the stories that could be told by
folks who raced/rallied/volunteered back in the day. If you are or know someone who once raced
and is now retired or participates once in a while, we’d love to hear from you. I’d like to make
your stories a regular feature of the Broken Spoke. Some of the questions we’d be interested in
learning the answer to would include:
• When did you first know you were interested in motorsports?
• What steps did you have to take to get started?
• What was/is your favourite way to go fast?
• What, in your opinion, was your finest moment?
• Ford or Ferrari? (Just kidding! But what have you driven over the years?)
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Last year, I spent some months sorting, cleaning, and scanning old copies of the Broken Spoke
newsletter that I found in various places in the clubhouse. These are now completed and included
in the on-line catalogue of the Canadian Motorsport Historical Society
(https://www.motorsporthistory.ca/) for anyone to enjoy. Go check it out! I’m here to tell you that
scanning a couple hundred dusty old newsletters wouldn’t ordinarily be much fun, BUT …. it
was a slow enough job that I read a bunch of them, which meant that I learned that there’s some
good reading in them. Occasionally, I was even highly entertained. So, I’ve decided to do a
“From the Archives” segment in our digital Broken Spokes. Enjoy some news about the Shell
4000 from the June, 1964 Broken Spoke Newsletter (pages 4-5).
And, by the way, this includes
our ladies!
Please send me contact info, if
you have it, or conduct an
interview yourself (or OF
yourself!) and send it to me
(jamie.gray@cscc.ab.ca) with a
photo or two. We can’t wait to be
inspired by and celebrate stories
of racing past.
I’ve transcribed it (spelling and grammar corrected … not sorry), in case it’s easier to read, as
follows:
1964 “Shell 4000”
Picture a room crowded with men and women, all watching the small raised stage at the front.
There is a murmur through the crowd as a heavy-set man with a billiard ball haircut mounts the
stage. Pencils are quickly produced as he explains that he wishes to clarify a few of the rally
rules. There will be no controls in the first 35 miles of each day’s run, to give crews lots of time
to get out of built-up areas. This is greeted with a murmur of approval. He then shows the control
signs, and explains that there will be one at one hundred yards and one at five hundred yards.
The first will read, “CONTROL – 100 yards.” As an afterthought, he mentions that cars can stop
between the two signs! There is a slight murmur and then deadly shocked silence. Navigators
smile gratefully, drivers grin fiendishly, officials cringe. This was the introduction to probably
the fastest, toughest rally ever held in Canada.
There has been a lot written about the special sections in this year’s rally. This, however, was notthe toughest part of the rally. Here you simply went as fast as you could and hoped other cars in
your class would not be faster. Far tougher were the road sections in Ontario and Quebec. Here
the speeds you had to maintain were frightening, and the fear of meeting oncoming traffic was
always present. This meant you went around corners and over hillcrests prepared to suddenly
find a car in the middle of the road. After two days of this, the drivers’ nerves would be shouting
for relief. There was also the constant fear of road conditions, which in one mile could ruin a
4000-mile rally for a crew.
The greatest single feature of this rally is the people you meet. With the rule about stopping
within sight of a check-point, you could arrive early and talk to other drivers. Anyone who enters
this event is an experienced rallyist and it was wonderful to talk to other competitors who were
as enthusiastic as you. There was never any complaining heard from anyone about the rally and
everyone seemed to really be enjoying themselves. Some people left a wonderful impression.
Claus Ross, driver for the winning Volvo, seemed to bounce the whole time, he was so happy.
The whole Volvo team had terrific team spirit, giving the impression that they really wanted to do
well as a group.
Anne Hall from England, is a wonderful personality and the club would be wise to look into the
possibility of making her an honorary member.
By contrast, the Ford teams seem to lack this spirit.
John Bird is as intense a rallyist as you will ever meet. He never stops working, writing furiously
on pieces of paper, checking and rechecking his work.
The finish of the rally, in Montreal, leaves quite an impression. Place Ville Marie was crowded
with people. Most of them, as we found out later, were souvenir hunters. There was a reception at
the hotel, with little food and free drinks. After six dry, sleepless days, this was quite a welcome!
Next year? Perhaps. One Calgary competitor said he had been on two Shell 4000’s – his first
and his last. It is a tough rally for a private entry. However, it is a real experience and nothing
but five Loop Rallies run on consecutive days could ever give a person the idea of what it is like.
John Proctor
Shell 4000” Rallyist
WHAT’S ON YOUR WISH LIST? QUESTIONS FOR YOU!
We continue our quest to draw members back to the clubhouse for fun, get-togethers, and
education. But we need your input! So, please let us know what YOU’d like to see happening at
the clubhouse. It’s a great space. We already do monthly meetings and the occasional in-house
event. Would you like to see more movies? Ladies’ events? Televised international race
viewings? Educational stuff? Wine tastings? (I don’t know … maybe wine is what gets people
coming out to stuff …) Please let us know!
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?
The Broken Spoke is currently just me yakking away. Blah blah blah. I’m sure you’d be
interested in hearing from others. Such as your own good self! Send some of your own
wordcrafts! Write an article. Debrief an event. Send photos. Have you taken an interesting road
trip? Purchased a new car? Would you like to review a car? How about getting a debate going:
manual vs. automatic? electric vs. not? any other incendiary topic? Bring it! Your submissions
are welcome and they don’t have to be grammar- or word-perfect. I’ll fix everything right up.
CSCC MONTHLY BOARD MEETING AND INFO
Please note that our August board meeting will be held on Thursday, August 1 at 7:30pm. We’ll
be open at 6:30pm, showing the beginning of a racing film, break for the meeting, and conclude
the movie afterwards. The beers and pop are cold and we always have chips. See you at the
clubhouse (4215 – 80 Ave NE) – all are welcome, including the kiddo’s!
UPCOMING EVENTS THAT MAY INTEREST YOU
If you are a racer, you know that we are now in the very thick of race season. There’s a LOT to
choose from over the summer. The following is just a selection of what’s happening from now
until the end of August. Attached to the e-mail via which this newsletter has been sent, is a
document for your info, that lists everything running from Fort Saskatchewan south up to the end
of this year. Because there are some stellar autoX events happening with other clubs, the CSCC
is not planning to host any, but rather we point you in the direction of all the good stuff already
going on, and we’ll see you there! If you have any questions, fire ‘em our way: info@cscc.ab.ca.
Friday, July 19 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, High Performance Driving
School
Saturday, July 20 Edmonton International Raceway, NASCAR Racing
Saturday, July 20 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, New Drivers Skills Clinic
Saturday, July 20 Southern Alberta Solosport Club, Fort Macleod, Event #5
Sunday, July 21 Lethbridge Sports Car Club, Autocross #5
Sunday, July 21 Edmonton Rally Club, Rallycross Championship #8
Monday, July 22 Stratotec, Open Lapping
Tuesday, July 23 Track Techniques, Rocky Mountain Motorsports
Wednesday, July 24 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, Beginner Track Experience
Thursday, July 25 Stratotec, StratoCross #4
Friday, July 26 Track Junkies
July 26-27 Edmonton International Raceway, NASCAR Canada NAPA
300
July 27-28 Northern Alberta Sports Car Club, Sprints
Saturday, July 27 Calgary Exotic Auto Guild, Track Day
Sunday, July 28 Southern Alberta Solosport Club, YYC Parking Lot, Event #6
Sunday, July 28 Red Deer Sports Car Club, Event #8
Thursday, August 1 Calgary Sports Car Club, Monthly Meeting, 6:30/7:30pm
Sunday, August 4 Calgary Exotic Auto Guild, Track Day
Monday, August 5 Track Junkies
Thursday, August 8 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, Beginner Track Experience
Thursday, August 8 Stratotec, StratoAttack #2
Friday, August 9 Calgary Exotic Auto Guild, Track Day
Saturday, August 10 Lethbridge Sports Car Club, Autocross #6
Saturday, August 10 Red Deer Sports Car Club, Event #9
Saturday, August 10 Edmonton International Raceway, NASCAR Racing
Sunday, August 11 Edmonton Rally Club, Rallycross Championship #9
Sunday, August 11 Southern Alberta Solosport Club, Fort Macleod, Event #7
Monday, August 12 Stratotec, Open Lapping
Thursday, August 15 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, High Performance Driving
School
Saturday, August 17 Edmonton International Raceway, NASCAR Racing
Saturday, August 17 Southern Alberta Solosport Club, YYC Parking Lot, Event #8
Sunday, August 18 Calgary Exotic Auto Guild, BFF
Thursday, August 22 Track Techniques, Rocky Mountain Motorsports
Thursday, August 22 Stratotec, Stratocross #5
Friday, August 23 Track Junkies
Saturday, August 24 Edmonton International Raceway, NASCAR Racing
August 24-25 Northern Alberta Sports Car Club, Sprints
Saturday, August 24 Red Deer Sports Car Club, Event #10
Saturday, August 24 Southern Alberta Solosport Club, Airdrie Air Park, Event #9
Sunday, August 25 Red Deer Sports Car Club, Event #11
Monday, August 26 Stratotec, Open Lapping
Friday, August 30 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, Public Track Day
Saturday, August 31 Edmonton International Raceway, NASCAR Racing
ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES
Would you like to see your product or service featured in The Broken Spoke? Selling ad space used to be the done thing when we were trying to cover the cost of paper, printing, and postage. These days, we use funds to cover events. You can help out the club by advertising, and we can help you by promoting your business (the digital version of the Broken Spoke goes out to almost 700 people). A full-page layout will run $50/issue. Contact us anytime.
That’s all for now! Enjoy this great weather and you know the drill: sign up for something and
get out and drive. See you there!
Jamie
President, Calgary Sports Car Club
Fill-In/Part-Time Editor, The Broken Spoke
jamie.gray@cscc.ab.ca
