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The Wishbone Alley Gazette
August, 1997 Rainier Auto Sports Club
***Rally News
x. Roy Ward is about ready to finalize the route for the NOR'WESTER revival
rally. Jerry says he has entries. It's going to happen!
x. The Pemberton night rally in B.C. drew 10 cars. VIGOR had 4 or 5. Vedder
Bench and "Coast to Coast" have been canceled.
x. The ORV Rallysprint had something like 23 entrants. A bunch of new teams
tried their cars on a remodeled course. Good time had by all except one of
our club members, who needs a fuel pump.
x. Ed Millman navigated for Ted Atkins, in the Mini Cooper, on the Oregon
"Mountains to the Sea" rally. It was well done, often brisk. To make the
navigators work, sometimes mileage's were left out of the RI's. About 40-45
cars ran the rally.
The finish matched the rest of the rally- barbecue hamburgers on the beach
will do it every time! A bad instruction (protected road) got a checkpoint
or two tossed. Ben Bradley was rallymaster, and picked out a good, no-trap
route.
x. Ron and Michelle Clyborne finished the Panama -Alaska Rally in their Audi
5000 Quattro. It was quite a trip. The "touring" class wasn't advertised as
the equivalent of the "competitive" class, yet they ran the same roads until
the organizers changed the rules a bit to allow the "street" cars to bypass
the rough rally stages. Even then, the transits weren't kind and Ron badly
needs at least 4 wheels (call him at 425-771-1303 if you can get the Turbo
fixed up). He now knows much more about straightening alloy wheels than he
ever wanted to know!
Ron thought he'd be competitive, but maxed out on the first night on
a horrid transit. The section adopted the local name for the road: "Mountain
of Death." Think of strings of "pig-sized" potholes on a bad, rainy night.
This wasn't the only rough section. He recognized one track of the Baja stage
from his off-road racing days!
The organizers did a superb job, and the route book was first class.
They planned an "off day" in Las Vegas, and the Quattro needed it badly. Ron
called the dealer with a list as soon as he got across the border; as he
promised to do when he made an appointment a month earlier. They were going
to be closed! Didn't realize he'd made a Saturday appointment! Ron sort of
went ballistic.
He had the number of an independent mechanic, and called the guy. The
work could be done, but the shop wouldn't be open for as long as it would
take. Ron drove as fast as he could in a car with "0" struts, no rear window,
and a bent tie rod.
Wolfgang Blum, who runs Wolf Performance in Las Vegas did a wonderful
job. Found rear glass, rebuilt the front struts, replaced the "gone" brakes,
and then arranged for a friend's shop to take care of Ron's car the next day.
The rear glass fell out in the Baja- the glue jes' gave up!
After the road hazards (bad drivers, indifferent maintenance) of
Central America, Ron says everyone was bored with the US to Alaska part.
The slick way to go was a buy-back deal with Jeep (Cherokees) and
Ford (F-150's). You "buy" the rig at the start for say $24K, and they buy it
back for abt. $17. If freighting your car to Panama cost $3000, then the buy
back deal was pretty good. Ron would have gotten into that deal if he'd known
he was going to thrash the Audi.
Since the same group is putting together the similar "Shield of
Africa "rally next year, Ron wants to go. He says they put on the best rally,
of this caliber, that he's seen.
****Trivia
*Horton Performance, in Kent, has closed it's doors. We'll have to get our
$86 fog lights somewhere else.
Amateur Radio Supply, the Georgetown HAM radio purveyor, is closed. The store
was sold to a Bremerton HAM supply outlet, which closed the store.
*I was packing my overnight bag the other day, and checked to make sure my
supply of instant coffee and Tang was sufficient. It dawned on me that at a
NOR'WESTER breakfast many years ago, I was seated across from Jean Calvin,
the writer who died earlier this year. She was a well-traveled scribe, and I
asked her how she coped with it. She said she traveled prepared- always bring
your own coffee and Tang. The advice has proven useful. Thanks, Jean. - MN
* Vince headed to North Carolina in July to visit Donna's family. He also
took in the sights- even a lap of Charlotte Speedway. The place is a hotbed
of race shops. He wants to go back. Right now, his ailing father is taking up
his time.
* A few years ago, Ed Millman's camera was stolen from the house. A pawnshop
bought it, then noticed some SCCA bannerguard in the camera bag. After a few
phone calls, Ed was able to get his "kit" back.
This sort of thing comes around. Ed watched a pawnshop owner turn down an
accordion, then followed the guy out and bought the squeezebox for what he
had in his pocket- $20.
Ed has his own accordion, and recognized this as a valuable one. He called
the local accordion shop with the serial numbers, and was able to reach the
owner.
The accordion had been stolen out of an open garage. The thief saw a fancy
case and walked off with it. Didn't know it was worth much more than $2000.
Needless to say, Ed has found a grateful friend.
***For Sale
*Engine: 1989 Charger 2.5 Turbo with auto trans. Cost $850 (in a moment of
delirium) asking $500 $350 Or....? Roy Ward (206)869-3836
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Calender
NWRC Hotline: (425) 277-4351
August 9 Saturday Nighter, Eastgate Park & Ride, by ORCA
Aug. 16/17 Road Not Taken, Oregon All Night TSD, minimal pavem't FCO
6:30, McMinnville, fin at 5:30 am.$60 (503)642-4578
Aug 23 Hare & Hounds Rally, Portland
Sept. 13 Saturday Nighter, by RASC
Sept. 13/15 POR, Michigan
Sept. 20/22 "NOR'WESTER" by RASC (Monday?, yes, Monday)
Sept. . 27/28 "Totem" TSD, Canada
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Rainier Auto Sports Club will meet this coming Monday, August 11 at 7:30 PM
at CoCo's in Bellevue,
(520 112th Ave., between the "NE 8" and "NE 4th" Exits of 405 on the west
side of the Hwy.)
We have a meeting room set aside in the back. Monthly meetings are the
second Monday of each month. Past Members, visitors, and spectators are
welcomed.
_______________________
1997 Board Members:
President: Mike Jones 823-8329, Vice-President: Joel Wright, 244-6253 ,
Secretary: Terry Simons, 854-0382, Treasurer: Cristy Breazeale, 935-8312.
Board Members:Kirk Simons, 854-0382 & Jerry Hines, 823-6343
_____________________________
The Wishbone Alley Gazette is published for the members and friends of
Rainier Auto Sports Club.
The editor is Mark Nolte, ph. 425-226-3155. Contributions and paid/unpaid
ads eagerly received at
2108 NE 12Th. St., Renton, Wa 98056
WAG FAX Line: 425-226-1469. E-Mail: rallymastr@a...
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