<VV> Autocross report, windy as usual...

[Rick Norris]

Ya'll,

Well, I finally got to attend a local autocross this past Saturday. Actually 
about an hours drive away. It was held by our local SCCA (I am a member) 
region at an airport using a defunct runway end. It was a perfect site with 
a private entrance and the local high school band boosters manned the food 
booth. The weather was foggy early on but cleared to a nice cool sunny day.
Needless to say the Sunoco Corvair was very popular! Also the ONLY Corvair 
there. I had lots of comments and more than one person said if there was a 
vote for the coolest car I would have won.
I worked the cones during the first run group and rested the second one. I 
was in run group three. We got three timed runs but I don't know how I did 
as I didn't get my time slips. I was alone so I was busy all day. I was no 
threat for FTD but a friend in a new ZO6 vette was. However an old Corolla 
that was prepped and well driven won FTD. They stuck me in C-Mod but I 
really didn't care. I was just trying for seat time. I removed the front bar 
and installed the 7/8" rear bar. It was strange to have a Corvair that I 
could toss and get the rear to step out! I still had understeer on the slow 
tight corners. I did not have time between runs to fool around with the tire 
pressures. Having a set of working secondaries was a treat also. Engine ran 
really well. The course was second gear for me and over a minute plus in 
times. I did not get lost and I murdered no cones. I know David C., I wasn't 
driving hard enough!

I have been mistaken for other famous Corvair Heroes before but this time 
was a new one. A guy came up to me and started talking about how he had 
followed me in magazines for years and knew all about my Corvair racing 
legend. I let him go on for awhile to see where he was going. He thought I 
was Charlie Clark! When I told him who I was (never heard of me!) he said he 
wondered why Charlie would come that far for a local autocross! West 
Virginia sure ain't Kansas!

Moving on to Sunday we took the V8 Vair out to the spring rod run car show 
put on at the State Capitol by the local street rod club. It was a great day 
and once again I reminded my self (twice, on the way there and on the way 
back) just how fast that car is! I always see friends at this show that I 
don't see very often. It is always a good time to be with a bunch of car 
people. We had four Corvairs show up, one of which was my old friend Allen 
LaDriere with his beautifully restored 64 Spyder convertible. Allen was one 
of the Communique editors way back in the day when we called it the 
Windmill. By the way, I was the person who gave it that name and I did all 
the mastheads for it. Also had a 60 four door cave man car and a 63 four 
door at the show.

Now, as I said earlier it seems I am often mistaken for other Corvair 
Heroes. Well this time I was mistaken for me! What happend was, a guy I had 
met several years ago at a local car show was admiring the V8 Vair and we 
got to talking. I recognized him but apparently he did not remember me. As 
the conversation went along he started to tell me about this guy he knew 
that was a Corvair nut and had a web site and so on. I realized he was 
talking about me. When I told him it was me he was talking about he thought 
I was joking at first then he realized what was going on. He was kind of 
embrassed about it but I thought it was funny. Yeah, he was older than 
me....by about a year!

Life is hilarious if you just let it go!

Rick Norris,
Anxious to run with the Corvair group.