Joe DeLuca and Linda Gronlund Freedom Races - May 10-12

[dtanthon]

May 10-12, 2013 at the much improved Pocono International Raceway. Photos will be available shortly of the new surface, curbs, run off areas, buildings, etc... No cones!

Pro IT | Supps | Information | Registration List | NNJR Website

We lost many people on that day, this event is a way to celebrate the love for motorsports that Joe and Linda have. Come out and enjoy!

Joe DeLuca and Linda Gronlund
September 11, 2001

Northern New Jersey Region mourns the loss of two of our most active members in the tragic terrorist actions on September 11th. Linda Gronlund and Joseph DeLuca were traveling to San Francisco on United Airlines flight 93 when it was hijacked and subsequently crashed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all on board.

Linda was our region's Flag Marshal. She had joined the Sports Car Club of America in June of 1980 while living in Sag Harbor, New York. She quickly became active in SCCA activities at the Bridgehampton Road Race Circuit near her hometown and at other tracks all over the northeast. Linda earned a law degree and worked for several automotive companies over the years. She was on a business trip to the west coast for her employer, BMW North America, when she was killed. Linda and Joe planned to travel and sightsee in northern California after Linda's business purpose had been accomplished.

Joe DeLuca joined our club in January, 1980. He was most recently our region's Board Secretary. Previously, and at various times over the years, Joe had been a Trustee, Assistant Regional Executive, Regional Executive, and newsletter editor. Initially a rallyist, Joe later was also an active participant in Solo II and road racing. He enjoyed driving his Morgan and was the current president of the local Morgan club in New Jersey. Joe was the creator of "The Adventures of Raymond the Cat," a monthly cartoon feature in the Northern New Jersey Region's newsletter, "Pole Position." The cartoon is syndicated in many regional publications across the nation. Joe's cartooning was a spotlighted article in the July 2001 issue of SCCA's national publication, "SportsCar." Joe was on vacation from Pfizer Corporation where he was a systems analyst.

Active members in SCCA know what these two wonderful individuals knew: SCCA membership brings a friendship, a camaraderie, which borders on being family. The Northern New Jersey Region has lost two very special members of our family. The entire SCCA organization feels this loss.

Never forget!

[dtanthon]

Saw several videos from the groups that ran at Pocono over the weekend using the smaller course. Track looks real smooth.

Expect photos and video of the 2.26 mile National Course we will use by Tuesday night. The paving looks amazing.

[preparedcivic]

And we now have video of the new track!

http://youtu.be/IogCGVCDF84

[dtanthon]

Also check the NNJR website for photos of the track.

[benspeed]

Finally registered car should be fast :-)

[Greg Amy]

Finally registered car should be fast :-)

Just picked my bogey... - GA

[lawtonglenn]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Terry Roberts
Subject: Pocono Entry
To: "Glenn Lawton"
Date: Monday, May 6, 2013, 4:08 PM

You have been assigned Garage 23 A & B
Terry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

do the garages have air, or do we need to bring a compressor?
Glenn

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I haven’t a clue. Try calling the track or Darrell Anthony.
Terry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

anyone?

[dtanthon]

Pocono has a big compressor down by the tech area at the end of the ARCA garages.
Also, Smarty will be there for tire support.

[Tkczecheredflag]

And we now have video of the new track!

http://youtu.be/IogCGVCDF84

WOW! That looks really FAST. Sorry to miss this one - graduating my youngest, Andrew, this W/E. Free at last.

[Greg Amy]

I *LIKE* the New Pocono. Fun to drive, and actually a lot more challenging than it looks on paper. No more goofy chicane and the new South Course is a hoot!

Had a blast.

- GA

[StephenB]

I have heard nothing but GREAT things about it from others as well!

[dtanthon]

A big thanks from me the Race Chair and the team to all those volunteers and teams that made it to Pocono. It was fun and I need a week to recover....

Thanks again!

[benspeed]

Thanks to all the workers who put on a great event this weekend at Pocono! The new track is Waaaay better than before. Plus a whole new attitude from the track about really wanting to work with the road racing clubs to make the facility the best.

Butch, DA, Peter, Terry, Linda, everybody - can't give all the names but great job this weekend!

Bummer for Matt, Tom and John who all suffered breakage or on track damage and couldn't race on Sunday.

ITR track record is yours truly at 1:43.3 and should stand until the next event :-) I think we'll see it under a 1:40 possibly. That's my goal.

Great ITS battles - hoping for a Glenn Lawton video! Will post some in car later.

[ner88]

I *LIKE* the New Pocono. Fun to drive, and actually a lot more challenging than it looks on paper. No more goofy chicane and the new South Course is a hoot!

Had a blast.

- GA

Yah, because you won!

[tdw6974]

A big thanks from me the Race Chair and the team to all those volunteers and teams that made it to Pocono. It was fun and I need a week to recover....

Thanks again!

Great Event!! Thanks to all that made it possible.

[benspeed]

Here's a quick story about why SCCA is so awesome. I'm driving home from Pocono which is only 75 miles from my house. With about 20 miles to go a nice guy in a truck motions to me that something is up with my trailer. I look back and see I've got smoke coming of the front left wheel. "Oh crap," I think, waive to the guy and pull over on the highway. Jump out and take a look - sure enough the bearing is toast - I mean roasting. As I'm figuring out what I'm going to do fellow NNJR SCCA member Brandon Fetch high beams me and pull over. He's got an empty car trailer having just dropped off his Miata for some bodyword (bummer).

We drive over to a gas station off the highway, the bearing is smoking HUGE. Worried I wrecked the axle stub. We do a car swap from my trailer to Brandon's that would have made a NASCAR pit crew proud, put the wheel off the offending hub and roll to my house, unload and put the car in the garage.

Brandon - you are the man!!! Thanks so much - not sure where I would have left my car but I sure know I'd be running around today trying to get it if you hadn't helped out! May good Karma follow Brandon!

SCCA rules :-)

[benspeed]

Here's the in-car of the race until the camera snaps off the mount a dies...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX4hSk4Ry28&feature=youtube_gdata[/ame]

[lawtonglenn]

We had an (almost) perfect time this weekend, many thanks to the volunteers and workers that made it
all come together. The condition of the track is tremendously improved, the chicane onto the front straight
is a hoot!, and the flexibility of the NNJR team to respond to ideas on the fly is terrific. (eg, changing the
starting procedure to incorporate NASCAR 3 instead of the infield to make the start more fair to all)

Working in close with others in the garage is always great, as we meet new people, help where we can,
borrow and lend tools, gripes, laughs, and stories.

The (almost) I noted above is due to an on track incident that was totally my responsibility, and I am still
extremely saddened that it ended the weekend for Bruce Perry. Although I immediately sought him out,
explained what had contributed, apologized, and took full responsibility, nothing can change that a broken rear
control arm ended his weekend prematurely. His resulting spin collected John Hainsworth, putting him back so
far as to take a certain podium spot from him. I hope someday I can make it up to both Bruce and John, or at
least pay it forward. When conditions change from qualifying in the rain to a dry race, please remember
to reset your brake bias adjuster. Locking up the front wheels in braking, combined with my ill advised
too-agressive pass attempt on the first lap, yielded more than just my embarassment.

Bob Blake and Tim Estes had a tremendous friendly battle in both of Sunday's races, the lead changing
several times, safely racing in VERY close quarters, with Bob narrowly taking both wins. The margin
was so small in Race 3, that Tim overtook Bob in the tight right hander leading onto the front straight
on the last lap, and Bob drag raced him to a win by a nose! Tim is safe, skilled, predictable, and a formidable
opponent (not to mention a really great guy), and I look forward to racing with him again and again.

It was too bad about Tom Smith and Darrel Stein taking each other out, as well as Matt Rooke's transmission issues.

We don't often get to race with ITA cars, and the speed and tenacity of Wendell and Mickey were pleasantly
surprising. Both were extremely difficult to race against, with unbelievable power and ability.

Another friend showed his horsepower advantage, and in this video of Race 3 you can see Joe Stadelmann walking
me on every straight!... now if he could only find his swaybar parts perhaps he could prevent his Porsche from
tipping like a sloop, which probably slowed him a bit in the corners. After a while I decided I wouldn't be able
to get by him, and so dropped back to give myself room for a (successful) attempt at the track record.

https://vimeo.com/66099479

If the video is choppy, cycle the HD off

[StephenB]

Ben... you need some people to race with!

Glen... Joes car does look real fast!!

Thanks for posing the videos!

Stephen

[rsx858]

Great Event! Thanks Darrell Anthony and everyone else who made it happen. Track was a blast to drive. I was thrilled when officials announced at the drivers meeting that they wanted our notes on the track so that they could make improvements - great attitude.