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Chicagoland MG Club

Chicagoland MG Club: Driveline
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Cover
Intro & Club Officers
The Steering Column
Awards Banquet
January Meeting Minutes
February Meeting Minutes
Tech Sessions
Swapmeet & Auto Jumble
Just A Simple Wrench
Vintage Racing Season
Vintage Racing Schedule Picture Contest
Club Grille Badges
Support Your Rally Events
Wave to Dave
Free Racing School
Brit Car Promotion
Classifieds

  Chicagoland MG Club:Club Info

1999 Vintage Racing Events to Attend

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The Tracks
Gingerman (GM) is the newest roadracing track, and is located east of South Haven, Michigan. As a new track (I believe it is less than five years old), it still lacks some amenities--the first time I was there, it didn't even have grass! Today, there are bathrooms and food service. But what a track--for driver and spectator! At two miles of what appears to be flat track, I have yet to hear a consensus of what the "correct" line is for driving it! Favored as a test track by the automotive magazines, it is a difficult, baffling enigma of 10 corners. If you go as a spectator, bring sunscreen because there are no trees, but it has the best sight lines of any track I've been to, period. Make a point to walk or drive out of the paddock, around the outside of the track to the remote lot, then climb the hill. From there, you can watch the entire track! It is the only track where you can see the ebb and flow of two closely matched cars trying to overtake one another through an entire lap of racing--very cool.

Grattan (GR) is like a slot racing track--tight, twisty, big hills and bizarre turns. Located 30 miles east of Grand Rapids, MI, it is my favorite track to drive--it beats the hell out of the car and makes me nauseous, but man is it fun! There is a fast, long main straight and a left turn which drops twenty feet(!) through the turn, a jump, triple "s" curves, a Monza bowl and a 270 degree bend with a two foot drop right at the apex! That's a lot of stuff for a 2-mile course! If you've been to Twist's late summer party, you've had a chance to drive this track and watch as a spectator. Don't watch from the grandstands outside the track, by the end of the long straight: come inside and watch from the paddock hill. With a short walk, you can see all of the paddock and most of the track. Sight lines are excellent and much can be seen from one view point at one time. Bring a fishing rod (there are 2 stocked ponds in the middle of the course) and a bathing suit (there is a pool there too!).

Midwest Council of Sports Car Clubs can be reached at: (815) 434-9999 or web page address http://www.execpc.com/~mcscc. Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association can be reached at: (616) 949-8281 or web page address http://www.iserv.net/~vscda (tell Judy I said "Hi"). You can reach me at: (847) 256-8332 or at sfohr777@aol.com.

Scott

1999 Vintage Racing Events Calendar appears on page 5.

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