The Broken Spoke – August 2024
The Broken Spoke
(Digital)
August 2024
Hello everyone and happy summer!
It’s been a hot one so far and, on top of that, if you’re in Calgary, you know we’ve been
experiencing lengthy water restrictions due to a watermain break. That means we’re seeing a lot
of vehicles around town with forest fire ash and pollen firmly glued to the paint. We’re handling
it, of course. And some of us embrace mud, anyway. Case in point: please enjoy this photo of
long-time club member, Shawn Bishop, driving his Mazda 323 GTX at a Race City rallycross in
2007 (photographer unknown, possibly Keith Morison).
Read on for more news and info! On the following pages, you’ll find:
CLUB REUNION AND 70-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
MEMORIAM: ART SUDERMAN
KANANASKIS RALLY AND TEST DAY INFO
LOOP RALLY INFO
AUTOX INFO
THE ARCA AND NASCC NEED YOUR HELP!
CALGARY AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION
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 currently have an official Broken
Spoke editor. Instead, in the interest of getting club news out somehow, someway, it’s me. I don’t
mind this task, if I have not a lot else to do … but I DO have a lot else to do. So, if being the
editor of the Broken Spoke sounds interesting to you, why not give it a try! E-mail me:
jamie.gray@cscc.ab.ca.
CLUB REUNION AND 70-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
It’s coming up in just a few weeks! PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD! 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 as we celebrate
all of our event-filled 70 years. See you there!
MEMORIAM: ART SUDERMAN (November 29, 1939 – March 20, 2023)
Last year, I spent some months cataloguing documents and artefacts found at the clubhouse.
Among the thousands of pieces were many articles written by Art Suderman, cut out of the
Calgary Herald. Art was a journalist who had a love of motorsports and he avidly followed it in
and around Calgary. I learned just today that Art passed away in March of last year. We thank
him for his service to this community of information delivered with enthusiasm. Drive like the
wind, Art.
The following is the Calgary Herald obituary, found online:
Arthur ‘Art’ Suderman was born in Regina, Saskatchewan on November 29, 1939. He moved
with his family to Calgary in 1948. Art graduated from St. Mary’s Boys School in 1957 with a
94% grade point average and immediately joined his dad (Abe) at the Calgary Herald to begin
his five-year printing apprenticeship. Art had a lifelong love affair with the car. He took
journalism at night at the University of Calgary to refine his skills as a freelance automotive
writer. When newspaper technology changed in 1982, Art went to the Newsroom as the
automotive journalist. He was involved in motorsports and writing for magazines and was
named Canada’s Automotive Journalist of the Year in 1987. Art retired in 1996. Art is survived
by his wife of 61 years Donna; his daughter Cathy Godfrey (Sean); his grandson Brandon; and
his granddaughter Emily. He was predeceased by his parents Abe and Kay Suderman; his
brother Ken Suderman (Jan); and his son Allan Suderman.
(source: https://calgaryherald.remembering.ca/obituary/arthur-suderman-1087329903/)
CSCC member, Shawn Bishop, was able to find one of Art’s articles in his own stash of memorabilia; shared with us, here (typed out, following):
Calgary Herald, Wheels Section, Friday, December 20, 1985
Calgarians Top Winners in National Rally Series
Art Suderman
Christmas came early this year for three Calgary auto enthusiasts.
Tim Bendle, Shawn Bishop and Suzanne Stewart stand up and take a bow.
Thanks to their individual efforts in the demanding sport of professional car rallying, the three
have earned major motorsport awards in the Canadian National Rally Series.
For Bendle, overall honors and the title, 1985 Canadian National Rally Champion.
To Bishop, top Canuck driver in Production B (over 1,600 cc engine displacement).
Stewart is Canada’s Production B co-driving champ and also wins the title National Ladies Rally
Champion.
Being a major player in the Canadian National Rally Series is not an easy task at the best of
times. But competing successfully from a Western Canadian location is like Santa Claus trying
to cash in on a frequent flyer program – darn difficult.
Of the eight tough events in the series, only Calgary’s Rocky Mountain Rally is held west of
Ontario. For local rally teams, this means travel and lots of it – with race car and spare parts in
tow, of course.
In our neck of the woods, staying competitive necessitates planning one’s life from February to
November around junkets to places like New Richmond, Que., for the Rallye Baie de Chaleurs
or Moncton, N.B. for the Lobster Rally – and the list goes on and on.
But the sport of performance rallying, or rally racing as it is sometimes called, is addictive. This
form of competition is motorsport’s wildest ride, run on special stages of back-country roads
closed to public traffic.
Take it from me, you haven’t lived until you’ve driven full-bore down a dirt trail in a highly
modified rally machine. The faster the trees go by, the bigger the thrill – engine in full-song,
suspension and tires pounding out the beat, a percussion section of gravel peppering the fender
wells and undercarriage like hailstones on a tin roof.
Bendle, a 24-year-old electrician, earned his title in two cars, both registered as Open Class: a
1972 Datsun 510 and a 1977 Toyota Corolla SR5.
His sponsors are Formula Motors, Apollo Muffler, Yokohama Tires, Parkland Welding,
Spruceland Radiator and Auto Spot Body Shop.
Bishop is a 29-year-old project manager for a city electronics firm. His rally car is a Production
B Class 1980 Mazda RX-7, so perfectly prepared it wins show trophies on beauty alone.
The RX-7 carries sponsorship from Kita Courier and Express, Blair’s Tire Warehouse, Hella
Lights, Carrera Paint and Auto Ltd.
Stewart, a psychologist and teacher, labored for many years in the so-called “trenches” of
motorsport. She organized ice racing and rally events, served as a press relations officer and
executed various administrative functions for the Calgary Sports Car Club.
In the spring of 1974, she pushed the mountain of paper work aside and tucked her blonde hair
into a crash helmet. The rest, as they say, is history.
Competing initially as a driver and a navigator – not both at the same time, I trust – she teamed
up with Bishop late in the 1981 season handling the co-driving chores.
In 1982, Bishop won the novice championship while Stewart latched on to second overall codriver honors. During the next two years, she captured several local, regional and national rally
awards.
Is it tough to drive a rally racer?
Not at all. Just practice high speed car control on twisty, mountain roads covered with loose
gravel by dipping the clutch, rowing through the gears, mashing the throttle, squeezing the brake
pedal and spinning the steering wheel – all in one fluid motion.
Hairpin curves are negotiated by breaking the tail loose and powering around in a four wheel
drift while the right foot heels and toes the brake pedal and accelerator.
Right. Piece of cake. Nothing to it.
But surely co-driving must be relatively easy?
You bet.
First, make sure all documents, pace notes, time charges, maps, etc. are in order and fully
understood.
Take along an ample supply of motion sickness pills.
Hey, don’t be embarrassed, lots of co-drivers do it.
Being thrown around on the passenger side of a slewing race car for up to 12 hours while
monitoring water/oil temperature gauges, reading intricate instructions to the driver and keeping
tabs on two electronic odometers, has given more than one stout soul a case of the barfies.
Oh yes, one more thing. Flats are not uncommon in performance rallying. Guess whose job it is
to change tires?
Practise quickly disconnecting the helmet intercom system, removing oneself from the grip of
the seat-belt harness, jacking up the car in the mud and changing a tire in less than two minutes.
Are we having fun yet?
In Canada, the main attraction of professional auto rallying is the excitement of competition and
the satisfaction of a job well done. There is little prize money to be won and sponsorship is hard
to come by.
It beats me why the car companies are so reluctant to throw a little sponsorship money at
Canadian pro rallyists.
In Europe, marques that regularly win rally titles are advertised and promoted to the hilt. To a
lesser degree, the same is true in the U.S. Why not here?
Except for machines running in Open Class, very few modifications are allowed on a rally car.
Most extra equipment is installed for safety reasons: fire extinguisher, full roll cage, upgraded
seat belts, auxiliary driving lamps, extra odometers, etc.
So it follows, if a certain make of automobile can do consistently well on the rally racing circuit,
it is probably a pretty decent piece.
The term “car rally” is generic and can mean anything from rally racing to the more genteel
pursuits of navigational events.
Navex rallies, challenging but fun, are still very popular and combine the variables of time, speed
and distance.
The Snowball Rally is one of the best navex affairs held locally. The event, put on by the
Calgary Sports Car Club, is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 9, 1986. But time flies, it’s not too early
to make plans to enter.
Snowball will be running out of High River. Entry fee for non-club members will be around $20.
For further information, call the Rallymaster, Ren Carroll at 238-4535.
* * *
Only five more sleeps until that big guy in the red suit makes the scene.
To all my readers, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Likewise, season’s greetings to all the PR types, auto company execs and local car dealer
personnel who make writing about the wonderful world of cars a distinct pleasure.
KANANASKIS RALLY AND TEST DAY INFO
The date for the Kananaskis Rally has been set for Saturday, November 9 (recce) and Sunday,
November 10 (race). If possible, a test day will be set up in late September. Please watch the
socials for more info on this as it progresses. You can find full information on the Kananaskis
Rally, here (to be updated soon): https://www.cscc.ab.ca/kananaskis/. If you are interested in
volunteering (THE best seat in the house, with lots of perks), let us know and we’ll connect you!
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’s Loop Rally 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.
• Saturday, September 7: 8am, first car starts in High River. 8pm rally finishes at the High
River Boston Pizza.
REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Find info here: http://cscc.ab.ca/Loop_Rally/
If you require further info, please contact Pete at pete.chadwick@cscc.ab.ca. Thanks, Pete!
*I googled it. ????
AUTOX INFO
The Calgary Sports Car Club is not currently organizing any autoX events outside of Ice Dice in
the winter, and the reason for this is nothing short of excellent. There are three other clubs in
southern Alberta that do a fantastic job organizing stellar autoX events: the Red Deer Sports Car
Club, the Southern Alberta Solosport Club, and the Lethbridge Sports Car Club. We encourage
you to join us at their events. They’re well-organized, accessible, and affordable. All of them are
listed on the race events schedule on pages 8-10 of this newsletter. Check it out! We’ll see you
there.
Red Deer Sports Car Club (https://rdscc.ca/Schedule.aspx)
Southern Alberta Solosport Club
(https://www.motorsportreg.com/calendar/?country=CA&q=sasc&radius=300&lat=51.02&lng=-
114.07&loc=Calgary%2C+AB)
Lethbridge Sports Car Club
(https://www.facebook.com/lethbridgesportscarclub/posts/pfbid0nZRKmAJACNBu1hFRjTYWj
dWfWsCnisL9xW88dkz1c9tj7X616eoGquyDKrNF3GJ1l)
THE ARCA AND NASCC NEED YOUR HELP!
The best and cheapest way to attend race events (pretty much FREE!) and get involved is to
volunteer! Two of our sister clubs, the Alberta Race Association (ARCA) and the Northern
Alberta Sports Car Club (NASCC), host a number of events each year at Rocky Mountain
Motorsports (Carstairs) and 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. Folks are needed for a
number of positions and lunch is provided. If you’re new, you are paired with an experienced
person so you can learn the ropes. Please contact Sue Wilson (sue@somedaysoon.ca) or Linda
Sakaluk (lindasakaluk@gmail.com) to offer assistance for the next upcoming events on August
24-25, September 7, and September 21. It’s a guaranteed best-seat-in-the-house.
CALGARY AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION
Are you aware that the Calgary Amateur Radio Association is a group of ham radio operators
who, among many other things (including charitable work of all sorts), assist the Calgary Sports
Car Club at our rallies by heading up radio operations? You may have noticed many of their
towers in the yard of the club. They keep us safe, working hard behind the scenes to keep
everyone connected. We value the strong relationship we’ve had with the CARA group for many
years. If you come out to the reunion (September 5), you’ll have an opportunity to visit their
comms trailer in the yard and/or their station found in the lower level of the clubhouse. These
guys love to demonstrate the equipment, answer questions, and are delighted to help folks know
how to get involved in radio.
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 newsletter. 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
This is going to be a regular feature in the Broken Spoke (see last month’s article, from a 1964
Broken Spoke newsletter, about the Shell 4000), but I’m putting it aside this month in favour of
the Art Suderman article (above, and also historical) for the sake of keeping the newsletter
compact. We’ll have another historic article next month!
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
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.
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
Because the agenda was light and the clubhouse was HOT (no air conditioning, and outside
temps were in the 30s), we cancelled our August board meeting, knowing that our September
meeting is going to be a doozy! You’ll recall that we’re holding a reunion. Please join us on
Thursday, September 5, 7:30pm for a short board meeting, followed by all the socializing anyone
could wish for. The beers and pop will be cold and we always have chips. We’re thinking cake,
too, for this celebration. See you at the clubhouse (4215 – 80 Ave NE) – all are welcome,
including the kiddo’s! Please spread the word!
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 what’s happening that we’re aware of from now
until the end of December, including events happening from Fort Saskatchewan south to the
border. If you have any questions, fire ‘em our way: info@cscc.ab.ca.
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
Monday, September 2 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, Public Track Day
Monday, September 2 Track Junkies
Wednesday, Sept. 4 Calgary Sports Car Club, Loop Rally (novice school)
Thursday, September 5 Calgary Sports Car Club, Monthly Meeting, 6:30/7:30pm
Thursday, September 5 Stratotec, StratoCross #6
Friday, September 6 Calgary Sports Car Club, Loop Rally (registration in High
River)
September 7-8 Calgary Sports Car Club, Loop Rally (based in High River)
Saturday, September 7 Edmonton International Raceway, NASCAR Racing
Saturday, September 7 Northern Alberta Sports Car Club, Sprints
Saturday, September 7 Southern Alberta Solosport Club, YYC Parking Lot, Event
#10
Sunday, September 8 Stratotec, Open Lapping
Sunday, September 8 Red Deer Sports Car Club, Event #12
Monday, September 9 Calgary Exotic Auto Guild, Track Day
Thursday, September 12 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, Beginner Track Experience
Friday, September 13 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, Members’ Race Series
Saturday, September 14 Edmonton International Raceway, NASCAR Racing
Saturday, September 14 Stratotec, StratoCup
Saturday, September 14 Southern Alberta Solosport Club, Fort Macleod, Event #11
Sunday, September 15 Edmonton Rally Club, Rallycross Championship #10
Sunday, September 15 Lethbridge Sports Car Club, Autocross #7
Friday, September 20 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, Public Track Day
Friday, September 20 Track Junkies
Saturday, September 21 Edmonton International Raceway, NASCAR Racing
Saturday, September 21 Northern Alberta Sports Car Club, LA1K Enduro
Saturday, September 21 Red Deer Sports Car Club, Event #13
Sunday, September 22 Red Deer Sports Car Club, Event #14
Friday, September 27 Calgary Exotic Auto Guild, LeMans Night
Saturday, September 28 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, New Drivers Skills Clinic
Saturday, September 28 Calgary Exotic Auto Guild, Strawberry Creek backwards
Sunday, September 29 Calgary Sports Car Club, POSSIBLE Rally Test Day (please
stay tuned for updates)
Sunday, September 29 Red Deer Sports Car Club, Event #15
Sunday, September 29 Track Junkies
Sunday, September 29 Southern Alberta Solosport Club, YYC Parking Lot, Event
#12
Thursday, October 3 Calgary Sports Car Club, Monthly Meeting, 6:30/7:30pm
Friday, October 4 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, Public Track Day
Saturday, October 5 Lethbridge Sports Car Club, Autocross #8
Saturday, October 5 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, Members Race Series
Sunday, October 6 Southern Alberta Solosport Club, Fort Macleod, Event #13
Friday, October 11 Rocky Mountain Motorsports, High Performance Driving
School
Saturday, October 12 Red Deer Sports Car Club, Event #16
Sunday, October 13 Red Deer Sports Car Club, Event #17
Sunday, October 13 Edmonton Rally Club, Rallycross Championship #11
Saturday, October 26 Red Deer Sports Car Club, Event #18
Thursday, November 7 Calgary Sports Car Club, Monthly Meeting, 6:30/7:30pm
November 9-10 RallyWest/Calgary Sports Car Club, Kananaskis Rally
(recce on the 9th, race on the 10th)
Sunday, November 10 Edmonton Rally Club, Rallycross Championship #12
Thursday, December 5 Calgary Sports Car Club, Monthly Meeting, 6:30/7:30pm
December 6-8 RallyBC/WCRA, Big White Winter Rally
December 7-8 Edmonton Rally Club, Year End Double Header Rallycross
Championship
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.c
