It was perhaps a hasty bit of planning… What started in November '98 as an idea about a GGLC Lotus track day turned into the first WCLM since 1996 (hosted by Club Lotus Northwest in Portland OR).
Finding a track in Northern California has become a challenge. Laguna Seca is virtually unobtainable. Sears Point can be had, but has become extremely expensive. The GGLC had never been to Thunderhill in Willows California and certainly Willows did not have the cache of Monterey or the world famous wine country of California.
So, the GGLC track day team found the SCCA San Francisco Region quite cooperative about getting a date for a track day in mid-May. By June we knew that the upper Sacramento Valley could easily get to 90 to 100° F. We also realized that it was a 3 hour drive from the Bay Area and that if there were an 8 AM driver's meeting we would have to be up and on the road by 4 AM! It was a simple decision to open tech inspection the day before. And, then tech grew into a dinner… and then a tour… and then a 12 Noon registration… and then a driver's seminar… and then we had the 1999 WCLM!!!
My weekend began by loading the Elan on my trailer and finding that it was much taller than the Lotus 41. So, what was a fully enclosed trailer had to be dismantled into an open flatbed. By 8:30 AM Laura and I were on the road headed to Willows with Elan in tow. We stopped to get gas in Vacaville and while refueling up drives John Zender with the flaming Europa in tow. We wait for John and continue our trek to Willows.
We arrive around 11:45 and theirs Lotus folks waiting… "Where's registration?" "In my car!" I yell. Bob Wells (of Seattle) has set up his Easy-Up canopy, so I find my Easy-Up redundant and leave it in the car. With the help of Lynn Greene registration is open for business by 12:05 - on time by GGLC standards!
I off load the Elan and then Gary Marquis arrives in this Seven with a Plus2 in procession. Gary has kindly put together a tour of the area and arranged for a private tour of the famous Sierra Nevada micro brewery in Chico. Laura & I dash off for a quick bite of lunch and fill-up the Elan with gas. We return about 1:20 to a line of Lotus cars prepared to go on Gary's tour. I didn't get an exact count, but it appeared to be about 20+ cars! Gary had brought 20 copies of directions, but with the response he's run out, so Laura and I get in line without directions - "We'll just follow 'em."
So, with Gary leading the group we head out of Willows heading east on Hwy 162. Gary has Jon Rosner in the passenger seat and Jon is snapping photos as we buzz down the road. Now, in a Esprit 80 mph is really not an issue. But, when trying to follow one of these Turbo jobs in a S2 Elan means that I'm buzzing the engine at 5000 rpm. Except I don't know it because my tach is on the fritz, it's not showing anything! There's a big crow in the middle of the road, I honk my horn and the tach begins to work. It stops again… I tap the horn… It works again!?! So, while I'm entertaining myself with the horn-tach thing the group is pulling away from me. Fortunately a couple of the leading cars are yellow and we can see them a mile away (literally!).
Gary's route puts us through the old volcanic buttes on a gently undulating and twisting fast stretch of roadway. Then he somehow gets us into the town of Paradise. There we get properly "greeted" by a chap in a silver Ford F150 PU. It's a four lane stretch of road. I'm in the left lane and this silver F150 pulls out of a parking area on the left, crosses the opposing lane and is not hesitating to come into my path. I swerve to the right lane just in time to avoid a collision and smack my horn. Of course, I'm looking way up at this full size PU and properly salute the chap. There's a slower car in the right lane and I execute a lane change back to the left lane. A couple of blocks later I'm stopped at a signal and the silver F150 pulls up to my right, the driver leans halfway out the driver's window and screams, "F*** YOU!!!" Okay?!?! Welcome to Paradise!!!
We continue on… Gary puts onto this marvelous tight little road that drops down through a delightful canyon. It's a bit bumpy and my tach finally bites it. No amount of horn blowing is getting running again.
We get to Chico and find the Sierra Nevada Brewery. They have two large tables waiting for us. Some of us are hungry and eat, others are thirsty and drink. We learn that Jerry Rude's Europa has popped a freeze plug up the road a bit. We worry. A few minutes later someone arrives and announces that they've found the freeze plug and have pounded it back in place, but the engine doesn't want to run. Jerry joins us a bit later. They'll go back to Willows grab a trailer and pick up the car.
The tour of the Sierra Nevada brewery is fascinating. I knew the basics of brewing beer, but the Sierra Nevada folks are doing it in a way that creates a superior beer.
We head back to Willows and arrive around 5:30. Things are winding down at tech inspection and cocktail hour is scheduled to start around 6-6:30. Laura and I head to our room to clean up. I head back to the banquet room around 6:30. All is ready, the hotel folks have been excellent!
Jerry Rude is not back from Chico with his Europa. There's little chance of damage… Here's Bob Wells' version of what happened… "Sitting at a stoplight just behind Jerry Rude's Europa and watching something fall from the engine area followed by an impressive spray of liquid was a new experience.
Arm waving, horn tooting, and general shouting broke through the "we're almost at the brewery" focus and the group pulled over quickly. Our first thought had been oil but it indeed turned out to be coolant and the errant freeze plug had conveniently rolled to the gutter uncrushed by following cars."
By 7:35 the room was full and folks were sitting and we started the meal. Food was tasty and the conversations were good. About 8:45 the GGLC prez and WCLM Chair, Scott Hogben stood and greeted the throng. Scott was followed by a series of announcements from John Zender, Mike Schlicht and myself.
We broke up around 9:00 and the Track Day Driver's seminar was to start in 30 minutes. The Track Day committee and coaches retired to the bar to iron out the last minute details. Mike Schlicht presented the Driver's Seminar answering questions and handing out tips for the best way around Thunderhill's 15 turns.
After the seminar I found Jerry with about 6 other folks celebrating. Jerry's Europa was up and running. Seems the Lucas rev-limiting distributor rotor had started acting up. Replacing it with a standard Lucas RA1 rotor fixed everything! It was a two beer job according to Jerry's helpers!
Up bright and early, joined by Tom Carney, Scott Hogben, Bob Wells and Mike Schlicht at breakfast we headed out to the track around 6:45AM. It had all the signs of a perfect valley day, still cool, a cloudless sky and just a slight breeze.
With most of the cars teched there was little to do until the 8:15 Driver's meeting. More words of caution, a description of the format, roll call and driver/coach assignments. The drivers were broken up by experience and car preparation. The Advanced Group was strictly for drivers with competition licenses and race prepared cars. The sessions were the simplest… Green flag, pass anywhere, have fun, checkered! The Intermediate group was for drivers with substantial on-track experience in cars that were no race prepared. This was the largest group with nearly 25 cars. And then the first group was the Novice group comprised of drivers with little or no on track experience. The Novice group was coached by Joel Farber, Joel Lipkin and myself. The Intermediate group was coached by Pierre DeMartines, Victor Holtorf and Mike Schlicht.
The first sessions for both the Novice and Intermediate groups were follow the leader format. Each driver had the opportunity to follow immediately behind the coach to learn the driving line and braking points. The second session for the Novices allowed the drivers to lead the coach and then have a brief critique post session. From then on the drivers were allowed on the track with the only restriction being that passing was allowed only on the straights.
In all drivers had the opportunity to be on the track over 100 minutes. By the late afternoon there were fewer cars on the track. Many of the drivers were tired and decided to shorten their day. The 5th session was combined with a mixture of drivers from all the groups. And the final checkered flag flew at 4:45PM.
Only 2 or 3 off road excursions, a safe day, a boring uneventful day for the course workers… a good thing! But, lots and lots of smiles! Bob Wells got his Europa running. I took the Explod(r)er for about 15 laps during the lunch break tour. Folks were warned that not to follow me if I went off the track! Rich Hairston brought his Elise S190, which was a total treat to see that marvelous car zipping around at speed. Gunther Hansele brought his Lotus 41… Which has inspired me to get off my fat *ss and get my car repaired! FUN! Let's do it again!!!
Thanks also goes to Dave Bean Engineering who kindly supported the WCLM
with mugs and flyers!
And, thank you to all the Lotus owners and enthusiasts that
attended! In the words of a track day guest who is a member of
the Alfa club, "You guys are great! You're so laid back!
I'm going to join your club!!!" Chairman: Scott Hogben
Track Day Chairman: Victor Holtorf
Hotel & Dinner Chairman: John Zender
Tech Inspection Chairman: Mike Schlicht
WCLM Tour Host: Gary Marquis
Registration Chairman: Kiyoshi Hamai
WCLM Staff & Coaches: Lynn Greene, Tom Carney, Joel Lipkin,
Joel Farber, Pierre DeMartines