SCCA RoadRally eNews - May 2014

Your RoadRally Roundup of News, Views and How-to's!

Routes To Click This Edition

RRB Checkpoint Chat

What are YOUR Rally Questions?

RRR Changes

Badger Burrow Tour

TOOLBOX Tips

Coker Tire USRRC 2014

There's an App for That!

RRB Minutes - May 2014

Checkpoint Chat from the RRB

from RRB Chairman Rich Bireta

Submitted May 12, 2014

What is the experience of serving on the SCCA Road Rally Board really like? How is it different than my expectations? What are the challenges and rewards?

I had been reading the RRB minutes in FastTrack for about 10 years prior to joining the Road Rally Board in January 2012. I had my impression of what it would be like to serve on the board. I envisioned it as similar to the US Supreme Court - reasonable decisions made by reasonable people who've done their research and seek to find the best answers through intelligent debate. This misconception lasted until about 90 seconds into my second RRB conference call. The actual experience was closer to the serving in the US House of Representatives.... in 1858. (Two years prior to the Civil War, for those who don't know their US history).

By serving on the RRB I hope to enable the growth of the sport/hobby that I have cared passionately about since I was 17 years old by making events easier to organize and making more potential participants aware of the sport.

There are several inhibitors to achieving that goal. First among these is the minutia trap that is all too easy to fall into. Sometime people raise questions that, frankly, don't deserve the time of the board. I won't go into specific examples in order to avoid yet other time squandering argument.

All of the RRB members are volunteers and there is a finite limit to the amount of time we have to work together (22 hours of conference calls and perhaps 4 hours at the convention) each year. Our strategic priority (growing the sport) takes a back seat to lesser issues too often. As chair of the RRB I can prevent some, but not all of this mis-prioritization.

The second major inhibitor to growing the sport is the amount of time the RRB takes to administer the National Program. Yes, we've delegated sanctioning, liaison assignment and other routine matters to the National Events Committee and that has served well in freeing up the board's precious time. Yes, the SCCA Operations Manual puts the RRB in charge of administering a National Championship, but I've found over the past two years that too much time and energy is spent by the RRB working on this small tip of the membership pyramid at the expanse of growing the base.

Colan Arnold, SCCA VP Membership presented a "membership experience pyramid" to the BOD in Charlotte. (See March FastTrack BOD minutes). At the top are the competitors trying for a National Championship at the Run Offs or Solo Nationals, in the middle are those who are very serious about the sport on a local level - think of the solo competitors who have a second set of race, I mean solo tires, and upgraded shocks and sway bars. At the base are those who don't spend a lot of money on the sport; those who just want to have a good time, compete and socialize on the weekend.

The road rally community has a similar pyramid. At the top are the organizers and competitors of SCCA National Road Rallys. In the middle are the 14 regions that have strong rally programs (4 or more events per year). At the base of the pyramid are the regions who are offering one or two events per year as a low cost, competitive activity for their local clubs and regions with a strong social aspect.

Spending too much RRB time on the top of the pyramid takes away time and energy that should be spent on growing the base.

There are many aspects of serving on the RRB that are rewarding. I am really tickled when members of the board or the broader community see a need and they get it done. There are many examples to cite (and at the risk of omitting a significant contribution): Cheryl sees a need for more communication from the RRB to the broader community and now publishes the RoadRally eNewsletter; the RRB minutes are the main communication channel between the RRB and the rally community and Jeanne gets the minutes out in a timely manner each month so they can make the FastTrack deadline; Sasha sees the inappropriateness of the Safety Steward manual for GTA events so he creates a GTA checklist and goes on to write a GTA Safety Steward section for the manual; Len thinks the Toolbox section of the web site is overwhelming to a new rallymaster so he organizes an outline for the material; Patrick realizes that flyers at car shows and the SCCA web site are not going to get new entries to events in the day of Facebook and Twitter so he writes a document on how to publicize your rally.

What do you see that needs to be done and what are you going to do about it?

The most surprising aspect I've found from serving on the RRB these past 2 and a half years is the amount of sniping and back-biting in the rally community. Since becoming RRB chair I have been told, literally, in separate phone calls, emails and personal conversations that this or that member of the RRB should be kicked off the board or not renewed for another year for one reason or another. These suggested dismissals cover every member of the RRB. I'm certain that one or more of you have that same opinion about me, I just have not heard it yet.

Members of the Road Rally Board are appointed annually by the SCCA Board of Directors with recommendations for appointment coming from the RRB. RRB members are expected to serve for a three year term with a maximum of two terms.

I anticipate one or more vacancies on the RRB for 2015 and we had a RRB member resign before the May meeting. If you share my priorities, have a desire to contribute to the growth and health of this sport at all three levels of participation, and can set aside your personal agenda and work on growing the sport in all of its flavors then I encourage you to apply for appointment to the RRB by sending a short resume via email to [email protected].

SCCA RoadRally Links

SCCA RoadRally 2014 Rule Book
Starting a Regional RoadRally Program
Road Rally Planning Calendar (140516)

Ask the RRB

Here's your chance to see answers to your RoadRally program questions or road rally in general from the RoadRally Board! Click the e-mail addy and send your questions to [email protected] today!

May Question to RRB - From Penelope Pitstop

We are rebuilding our program and are excited that we have three Rallymasters and three dates on summer calendar. To save my Region money on sanction and insurance, can we do all of these as Social Rallies? Are there any restrictions on sanctioning them this way?

We had our first question last month, and shall hope to publish the RRB's answer in June!

From RReNews

I was young the first time I saw this poem -

Do You Just Belong?

Are you an active member, the kind that you would be missed?

Or are you just contented that your name is on the list?

Do you attend the rallies and mingle with the flock?
Or do you just stay at home to criticize and knock?

Do you take an active part to help the work along?
Or are you satisfied to only just belong?

Do you work with your committee and get right in and mix?
Or leave the work to just a few and talk about the "cliques"?

Think this over fellow rallyists, you know right from wrong!

Are you an active member, or do you just belong?

No! I am not preaching! I just think it is up to each of us to participate and speak up about our experiences and how they may be applied to the greater road rally community. I was exposed to the sport at a young age, and I had many mentors who choose to belong as described above.

Do I just belong? I have only competed at "national" events via participation in the 1995 United States Road Rally Championship with Bill Demming and the 2012 USRRC with Deena Rowland. My main interest is in growing the Regional Road Rally programs across North America - be they SCCA, another marque sanctioning body, or the many other organizations that sanction our sport for their communities!

During my time with RRB Rich Bireta last month in Topeka, I took him at his word and had my list ready. I assured him that - while there were twenty-nine agenda items - many of the line items on my list were a part of a topic: RRB specific questions and seeking the support of that membership to the Publicity Committees work on RReNews, National Office concerns related to overlooking Rally, Regional Road Rally programs - Road Rally of the Month, where is the appendix for "regional rally" specific requirements promised long ago, a monthly webinar that could be posted to YouTube afterward, and then there was the National Road Rally Championship. The RRB had sought all of our opinions and input yet I had not written. I shared with Mr B my ideas of we could change the program and strengthen it; I was pleased his head didn't spin around as he listened and I even got a few "now that is an interesting idea" comments from him.

I returned from my February - April travels and while posting my comments to the SCCA.com websites forums (item 101 on the catch-up list) was important, I didn't get my 2015 National RR Championship thoughts posted, as encouraged by Bireta, until May 6th. Did you read them and make your comments? Have you posted your take on the 2015 Championship? I don't have ownership on what will have in 2015, yet we need to get a marketable National Championship established. The RRB is looking for your feedback, suggestions and comments by May 31st, and I hope you will speak out and let them know your thoughts! Heck! I'll make it easy for you - click here and send your message today!

Another library is closed - Rallyist. Mentor. Friend.

We all do it. We learn of the passing of a fellow rallyist and send out that email that begins, "With sadness, I share the passing of ....". I did that last week as I shared the passing of Ross Bordwell with my old rally friends. I share the reply of John Fouse, who rallied locally and out to some National events and ProRally events, as he said it well in his reply to me:

Among my numerous failings in life was losing track of Ross some years back. He was a great friend and he taught me all (or as much as I could absorb) about rallying. Ross was the guy who got me into rallying. It went something like this in the spring of 1971: Phone rings and it's Ross "There's a rally tomorrow night. You'll drive and I'll navigate"

I say "I don't have the first clue what a rally is."

Ross says "Just do what I tell you to do and it'll be fine".

It was. We won. I was hooked.

There will never be another Ross. Those who didn't know him really missed out.

I have too many Ross stories to tell here. Someday we'll have coffee and I'll relate 'em. All true. You couldn't make that shit up.

John

I regret that I don't have all of the Ross stories from him directly. He was a good story teller... his library is closed.

To those of you who have faith in the future of our sport and the efforts of the RReNews - I thank you! Drivers, Checkpoint Workers, and Navigators - photos and events from your point of view are good to send too!

Until next time, safe travels,

Cheryl Lynn

Arctic Alaska Region
Click here to email your comments, kudos, photos, and articles to RReNews!

PS: Before your library of knowledge closes, can you help me identify the checkpoint workers, navigators and drivers in the masthead this month? Send me their name and location in the photos (i.e. the old row and # from right or left).

Immediate RRR Changes

Both Items Approved by RRB, May 6, 2014

Submitted by Chuck Hanson, RRB

Errors and Omissions - Article 20 Claims

Due to an error, Article 20 E) of the RRRs, first paragraph is changed from:

"In the resolution of claims, the Claims Committee shall consider the evidence presented, the SCCA RRRs and/or the event's GIs with supplements in addition to its rights as stated in Section E above."

to: "In the resolution of claims, the Claims Committee shall consider the evidence presented, the SCCA RRRs and/or the event's GIs with supplements in addition to its rights as stated in Section D above."

The last paragraph of Article 20 E) is changed from:

"In denying a claim the committee must, in its judgment, effectively refute a least one of the two points required by Section E."

to "In denying a claim the committee must, in its judgment, effectively refute at least one of the two points required by Section D."

Technical Bulletin - Rules For Organizers

Effective April 8, 2014

The RoadRally Board has amended the following portion of Chapter 24 B after a review of the Claim's Committee inappropriate actions during the 2014 Steel Haul National Rally. No change will be made to the Official Results but the claimant's fee shall be returned. The italicized bold portion shall be considered to be a permanent change to the RFOs until such time that a new edition containing this amendment is published.

6. The vast majority of claims received by Claims Committees revolve around the interpretation of route instructions or their conformity to the SCCA RRR or the GI's. In resolving claims of this nature, the claims committee should interpret the language of the route instruction or regulations in the normally accepted sense. Laborious, obscure, or illogical reasoning in an effort to find some justification for rejecting a claim has no place in the SCCA RoadRally program. If it is concluded that a disputed route instruction is erroneous or contrary to the SCCA RRR or GI's, and this error could reasonably have affected the contestant's score, the proper course of action for a claims committee is to discard the leg rather than to make an individual adjustment in the claiming contestant's score. The claims committee shall never consider or use a contestant's opportunity to recover from a course error as a reason to deny an otherwise valid claim.

RoadRally Board Members

(Click above to send a message to the RRB)

Chuck Hanson

Clarence Westberg
Jeanne English

Len Picton

Chairman Rich Bireta
Sasha Lanz

SCCA Offers More than RoadRally!

Many of you know of the Sports Car Club of America through RoadRally, yet we have much more to offer our fellow motorsport enthusiasts! Each of these SCCA-sanctioned programs also offer support roles that don't even require you to compete or have a vehicle - Registration, Tech, Safety Stewards, Timing & Scoring and More! Come Join Us!

Club Racing - Our wheel-to-wheel racing action. For more information, please click here and learn more at our Go Racing page!

Solo (also known as Autocross) - Paved. Cones. New course each event. Do it in your daily driver. Do it in your Road Rally vehicle! Click here to head to The Starting Line, and then click the Resources tab for more information about this exciting SCCA driving challenge!

RallyCross - While similar to Solo in that you have a new course each month - these events are on grass, ice, snow, gravel, and dirt. Think a scaled down stage rally. Click here to checkout this motorsport and how you can become involved!

Badger Burrow National Tour Rally

by Jay Nemeth-Johannes

After a long, hard winter, we were definitely ready for spring. The problem was, spring was refusing to emerge. Rally events got postponed, and then run as winter events. We were getting nervous as May 3rd approached because we had no backup plan. This was going to run as a spring event. Fortunately, the sun finally emerged, and Saturday turned out to be a perfect day, with scattered clouds and highs in the 60's.

Seventeen cars gathered at Dunn's Imports in Middleton WI, ranging from late-model Camaros to a 1973 Plymouth Duster, and BMWs outnumbered Subarus for once. While we awaited the start, contestants admired the selection of exotic cars and Moto Guzzi motorcycles in the shop. Jason Dunn, our host and fellow competitor, provided a continental breakfast to help folks get in the mood. After a short rally school, teams were off at 11 AM on their seven-hour journey.

Dan and Alieca Bailey showing great enthusiasm along the route.

S Class winners Dave and Rich Bireta proving GPS and apps can get good scores!

Rallymaster Fred Rosevear provided a 200-mile course that wound through the driftless area west of Madison. It is a region stretching in a rough triangle from Madison to Lacrosse to Eau Claire Wisconsin where the glaciers didn't cover the land and grind down the hills. Thus there are deep valleys and steep hillsides. The roads are narrow and follow the terrain up and down through the many small canyons. Nothing is straight. The event had longer transit zones, followed by short timed 'stages'. The timed sections, usually a couple of miles, were chosen to be the twistiest roads available. The speeds were set from 38-45 MPH and teams needed to be alert to maintain them. Controls were placed around curves and over crests.

We are working to establish a local program here in Milwaukee Region and have started building a loyal group of regulars. When we decided to make this a National, our main concern was encouraging that group to run. We decided against telling the locals that this was a National, and wrote the event with the locals in mind. The only advertising we did that was aimed at the National crowd was the SCCA calendar listing and a single posting on the national road rally mailing list. All of our promotion on social media and to the car clubs emphasized that this was a driver's event with an emphasis on brisk driving on the roads you wish you had time to find for yourself. It worked! Twelve of the seventeen cars were from the Milwaukee Region, most of them entering in the Novice Class.

Hosts and Competitors Jason and Beth Dunn.

When new folk come out, we want them to enjoy the rally as much as find the route and checkpoints. I ran as sweep car, and was able to help our Novice team in the Duster. By Leg 3, they had already learned the lesson that someone prone to car-sickness may not be the best for the Navigator seat. I gave him some Dramamine and Tums; I suggested they switch seats because the Driver never gets sick. A blown tire challenged them two legs later, yet we spent thirty-minutes getting to know each other whilst we aired-up one of their spare tires and used the jack for my AcuraRSX. Yes, they got down a bit on time, yet Fred's course was rock solid. CZTs after every control kept the rally running on time, and everyone arrived at the finish line just before 6 PM as promised.

The Milwaukee Region thanks the workers and organizers of the Badger Burrow National Tour Road Rally -

Chairman Jay Nemeth-Johannes

Rallymaster Fred Rosevear

Precheck Mike Thompson

Control Crews: Samantha Johannes, Joyce Rosevear, Mike Thompson, Dave Parps, Eric Zenz , Ron Metsiloff, John Johannes and friend Tony.

Photographers Philo and Coleen Kassner for the photos, taken along the route and in this edition of RoadRally eNews

People really seemed to enjoy the event and there were many stories of the great roads and cool exploits during the day. We awarded trophy "kits" consisting of a Lego car (complete with little man holding a trophy) on a mat containing the place award.

Entering control 3 were Car 18 Joel Wallschlaeger and Jeff Ackerman in an Audi A6 followed by Car 19 Dustin and Tyler Masters in a modified Toyota MR2.

Award Winners - 2014 Badger Burrow Tour Rally - May 3rd, 2014

Place	Driver/Navigator	Vehicle	Score
1st Equipped	Robert Morseburg/David Head	Subaru WRX	18
1st Stock	David Biretta/Rich Biretta	Honda Civic	26
1st Novice	Friederiksen Greg/Mark	Subaru	255
2nd Novice	Jimmy Lutz/Jesse Johnson	BMW	260
3rd Novice	Dustin Master/Tyler /Master	Toyota MR2	490
4th Novice	Daniel Bailey/Alieca Bailey	Chevy Camaro	578

Click here for the complete Badger Burrow Leg Scores and Finishes!

TOOLBOX TIPS
This Month - It's About YOU!
by Cheryl Lynn

Len Picton got us all enthused about the recently re-worked items coming to the SCCA RoadRally Toolbox last month. This month, we ask each of you - what would you be looking for in a Toolbox for putting together a Road Rally as a Rallymaster, help as an Organizer, or a Region looking to start a program? Click here and send your list of items you'd like to find in the RoadRally Toolbox! We'll have a listing of them next month and pass the information along to the Regional Development Committee too!

Elsewhere in this issue you'll read RRB Rich Bireta writing about what each of us can do to build stronger programs. Please, send your suggestions and Region forms, e-pubs, and suggestions along for the greater good too!

In upcoming months, Picton and his team, will be reaching out directly to Rallymasters and Safety Stewards via emails. As a part of our RoadRally eNews mailing list, you are directly responsible for helping those messages reach your inbox. Through the six quick steps shown below, please take time to update your profile information in our RReNews database - name, zip code and checkmark your RoadRally interests; we welcome the additional fields too should you be willing to share the information!

To help you through, here are steps and some snaps of what we need each of you to do. Please, take the four minutes and show us you value RReNews and our efforts for our beloved sport!

1. Click Update Profile/Email Address on the bottom of this message. For those getting two copies (to different email addys) you may choose to click SafeUnsubscribe to stop delivery of one.

2. This is the screen that you will see, and in moments you will receive an email.

3. This email confirms you have requested the update. Please continue - the entire process is less than four minutes and improves our delivery of RReNews.

4. This happens quickly! An email appears and with this step you are taken to the website to update your information and Road Rally interests. Rally enthusiast Mark Henderson forwarded our April RReNews on to many friends on his email list, and we are grateful for the exposure! To give your rally friends a chance to sign-up for future editions, please consider using the link at the bottom of this email to forward RReNews. This also is offered when you update your personal profile.

5. The red stars have the mandatory requested information (screenshot cut off a portion of fields). We don't sell our database and welcome any additional fields you wish to share; you can update your email address here too!

6. There it is! You are done!

Thank you for taking time from your busy lives to update this information. When we started this last Spring, we were surprised by the collection of emails sent us that contained errors; don't make the judgement that the correct email is on file at the national office or with members of the various committees. We like to keep our records current, and we want you to reach those targeted emails that will be heading to the various interest categories above!

TOOLBOX TIPS

April - Click here to download your copy of the Road Rally Handbook - for use in putting on a Road Rally School or enhancing your understanding of our sport!

TOOL TIPS is a column that will be covering the items in the SCCA Toolbox, which is located on the SCCA website. Designed to be a resource for SCCA Members and our friends involved with Road Rally, you will find many helpful forms and organization files, as well as items to improve your rallying as a competitor too! The RoadRally Board is actively updating the items, so follow along with here, at RReNews, and learn of the various resources!

United States Road Rally Challenge 2014

Mark YOUR Calendar for September 18-21st!

We'll bring you news as it becomes available. RRB Jeanne English is now the official point of contact on this event. This month we can share that the SCCA Chattanooga Region will be the Host Region for the USRRC. Lodging will be the Chattanoogan Hotel, 1201 Broad Street, Chattanooga, TN. Rates are $139 per night and given that there is a Tow Truck Convention in town the same weekend - you'll want to book early! Click here for the direct link to the hotel for the special rally rate.

Stay tuned for an update in our June Road Rally eNews!

There's an App for That

Out with the Old - In with a Review!

Series begins with TSD Rally Computer App

TSD Rally Computer is an iPad app designed to simplify computations necessary to navigate a traditional time-speed-distance (TSD) automobile rally.

A TSD rally is comprised of stages set along a route defined by written instructions. The first stage is the Odometer Check stage that allows you to calibrate your car's odometer with that of the Rallymaster's odometer.

In later stages you will follow a course at a particular average speed that will change from time to time at places that are generally unknown in advance. Each change in average speed marks the beginning of a new leg of the race within a stage.

In order to drive the course at the prescribed speeds, you must keep track of your odometer reading along the way.

The TSD Rally Computer allows you to do all this and much, much more. For more documentation, you can download the User's Guide.

Wanting to know more about the "man behind the app" I asked for a bit of an auto-biography. I was curious what would have an enthusiast go through the development of an App and the process to get it through the Apple-maze of approval. What impressed me most was that he was indeed there, back in the early 60's - the heyday of our sport, running events and he is still impassioned these many years later! Here is what he sent RReNews by way of a bio -

I entered my first TSD rally in the early '60s. Along with a friend who had an uncanny knack for changing and maintaining speeds, we won more than our share of trophies in this father's VW Beetle that only had an odometer that read in whole miles. But, our not so secret weapon then was a large set of rally tables for minutes per mile at various CASTs and a range of correction factors. We'd drive around at the starting line to get the odometer to move right at the line and then estimate the distance as best we could to calculate the correction factor.

Those rally tables were the very first computer programs I ever wrote back in 1963 in a language called CORC (bonus points if you can guess what that acronym stands for...no entries from Upstate NY allowed).

Later we upgraded our equipment with one of the very first BMW 2002s to reach our shores in Feb 1968. We had totally illegal lighting everywhere and a Halda odometer with dual readouts. More trophies followed.

Fast forward to this year. Now retired and working on apps for real estate, finance, and education just for fun, I decided to dust off some old ideas for a TSD calculator. Back when I was an engineering student, I designed a couple of electro-mechanical contraptions that never got beyond the drawing board for lack of money to build them.

With the advent of the iPad, all those old ideas became much easier to implement. The iPad has mapping, clocks, and super fast calculators built-in. So I began building the app you see in earnest. The first version was all tricked out with custom mapping, GPS, and digital odometer. But, then I realized that such a full-blown app would be either illegal in most rallies or force the user into the pro equipped class.

I wanted something that would appeal to a wider audience and that might especially attract people to the sport by making the computational tasks easier to handle while bouncing down the road.

So there you have it, the TSD Rally Computer version 1.0 for the iPad. I welcome feedback, comments of all kinds, and ideas on how to improve the app.

Cheers, Michael Young

For me, I know that I enjoy using my Timewise for laying out events, and I don't often get to run our local events. Yet if I were new to the sport - would I spend $888+ (if I could find one) just to come out for a fun and challenging road rally? Or, being on the bleeding-edge of gadgets, could I encourage new teams to run an App Class with me?

Here are a few screen shots of the TSD Rally Computer App:

Features of the TSD Rally Computer:

Clock time in either minutes and seconds or decimal minutes
The clock itself may be a 24-hour clock or a 12-hour clock with AM and PM
Distance measurements in either miles or kilometers
The car's odometer distance measurement may be the same or different than the official rally odometer distance measurement
One button click to reset default conditions for starting a rally
The internal iPad clock can be adjusted to match the official rally clock
The car's odometer reads up to 9999.99 miles or kilometers and can be incremented by simple button clicks
Calibrate the car's odometer to the official rally odometer on the odometer check stage via a popup
Change average speed (CAST) with a single button click
Preselect the next CAST to simplify the process of changing speed on each leg
The CAST button can be deactivated to prevent accidental touching
Preset CAST speeds and times to travel one mile or kilometer at those speeds with via a popup
Use scroll wheels to quickly and easily change time, speed, or distance throughout the app
As time passes and as the car's odometer is incremented, the actual speed over the course is compared with the expected speed. The difference in seconds is displayed along with an indication to either "Speed Up" or "Slow Down" to stay on pace
Pause or gain time on any leg with a toggle button and at times chosen with scroll wheels
Handle off-course corrections to time and distance with a toggle button
End stages at checkpoints with a single button that has protection from accidental touching
Set departure time from a checkpoint and have the time tick down on the master clock
Use a handy popup to perform ad hoc computations of time, speed, or distance given any other two variables
Hide the bottom toolbar to avoid accidental selection of popups

Note: Use of the TSD Rally Computer during any particular rally will be subject to the rules and instructions governing the rally and may also define your category or class among race participants. Some rallies may, in fact, prohibit use of this app.

- See more at http://www.msyapps.com

There's an App for That

Amid promises of rallyists to write a column for us about many of the apps out there for use in our sport - for competition or layout tools - we are starting this month with TSD Rally Computer. We are hoping this piece will encourage more Out With the Old - In with a Review submissions. Got an APP that you use in our sport? Share with fellow rallyists by sending your review via this link!

SCCA RoadRally Board Minutes

by Jeanne English, RRB Secretary

The RoadRally Board met by conference call on May 6, 2014; meeting called to order by Rich Bireta at 7:30 pm CST.

In attendance: Rich Bireta, chairman, Jeanne English, Chuck Hanson, Sasha Lanz, Clarence Westberg, Len Picton; not in attendance: Deena Rowland from the National Office, BOD liaisons Peter Zekert and Tere Pulliam.

The April minutes were approved (Chuck/Sasha/pass).

Bruce Gezon has resigned from the RRB and as Rules Committee liaison and as National points keeper effective May 6. He will retain responsibility for lifetime points and is willing to continue to procure the annual awards. Jeanne will take over as Rules Committee liaison, Chuck will take over as National points keeper.

Front Burner Items:

1) April RRB Meeting action items

a. Agenda out by May 2 (Rich) DONE

b. April minutes in FasTrack (Jeanne) DONE

c. Planning Calendar updated and posted (Jeanne, Deena) DONE

d. Revise insurance language in safety checklist, reply to Detroit (Chuck) DONE

e. Inform Clyde Heckler that his letter was discussed and decisions made (Rich)DONE

f. Draft formal RRB response to Heckler / Minor letter (Bruce) DONE

g. Publish response to Heckler/Minor letter (after May meeting) Open

h. Return of Heckler/Minor claim fee (Deena) DONE

i. New Safety Steward Manual posted (Deena) DONE

j. WDC Region Rally Textbook posted (Deena) Open

2) RReNews

a. Kudos and much appreciation to Cheryl Babbe for another great issue. Several folks commented positively on the SCCARoadrally Yahoo! group and Rich has heard positive comments from several members of the community complimenting this issue.

3) RRRs Errors and Omissions

a. Article 20.E - change the two references to 20.E to 20.D. Exact wording is in the Dropbox. Motion to approve: Jeanne/Chuck/pass. Chuck will post to the SCCA Forum, the Yahoo list, and send to Cheryl for RReNews.

4) RFOs Technical Bulletin

a. Bruce drafted a Technical Bulletin amending Chapter 24.B.6 of the RFOs in response to Clyde Heckler's letter; it adds this sentence: The claims committee shall never consider or use a contestant's opportunity to recover from a course error as a reason to deny an otherwise valid claim. Document is in Dropbox; move new sentence to the end. Motion: adopt the technical bulletin as amended with the additional sentence. Jeanne/Sasha/approved. Rich will put the new version in the Dropbox, SCCA Forum, RReNews, and Yahoo group (Chuck will do this one).

5) 2014 Coker Tire Challenge

a. Jeanne has volunteered to act as Chairperson/Liaison; Chattanooga Region has stepped up to be the host region; Howard Duncan has told Rich that SCCA is willing to forgo the sanction fee; hotel just about locked up; get rooms quick [hotel update: it will be The Chattanoogan Hotel (a AAA 4-Diamond hotel) at $139 a night; wait for registration code before making reservations]

b. Publicity plan. Jeanne received an email from Philip Royle (SportsCar) looking for information; she sent him what she had.

6) Rules for Organizers Update (Bruce)

a. Status update? Bruce told Rich at the Madison rallies that Ron Ferris had completed the RFO revision; Rich has received a copy of it, will forward it to us to look over for next month's meeting

7) Reorganizing the Toolbox

a. Draft outline is in the DropBox (Len); Len wanted a conference call meeting with Deena and the SCCA IT people to discuss the reorganization of the Toolbox, but it hasn't happened yet. Len wants list of 2013 rallymasters, to add to his 2012 list, and to share with Dave Head; Jeanne will send her list to Len.

8) 2013 Championship Season Status

a. 2013 Tour and Course Results status (Bruce)

b. 2013 Plan B - Bruce has resigned as points keeper, Chuck will take this over

9) 2014 Championship Season

a. When should the next Planning Calendar be published? As stated last month, the plan is for an update once a month; next update soon.

10) Significant changes to Road Rally Championship (Chuck)

a. Chuck has provided a reorganized proposal which was released for public comment on both Yahoo and RReNews with comments due May 31. Dave Head has posted a substantial list of comments and complaints on Yahoo, several of which were misinterpretations of the proposal. A response has been posted pointing out how the proposal actually handles the concerns. Cheryl has privately told Chuck that she has a better proposal, and he asked her to send it to us. (It was posted to the SCCA Forum earlier today.) No other comments received, and none specifically addressed to the RRB; there is still until the end of the month for opinions.

b. What about Cheryl's proposal? She posted it on the SCCA Forum. One main goal is to have a calendar by 11/1/14 for 2015 season; her plan is strictly for nationals, with only double national weekends; regionals and any additional nationals don't count toward the championship; this program will be easier to promote. The RRB discussed it at length, saying that it contains some thought-provoking ideas, with a strong component of promotion.

11) Official Observer Reports (Nationals) (Bruce)

a. The recent National events in Pittsburgh highlighted some procedures in the sanction process to which we need to adhere. They are detailed below:

b. At the time of sanction, the Rally Department (Deena) should send an electronic copy of the RRRs and RFOs to the Official Observer at least a week prior to the event with a cover note to the Official Observer highlighting their responsibility as described in Chapter 7 and Appendices C and D. Chuck commented that this is a significant change to current procedures in that most organizing committees do not announce the Official Observer and Claims Committee appointments until the opening of Registration on Friday evening; this would require that committees provide the names to the Rally Dept. more than a week in advance; and then what if the person(s) can't make it to the event at the last minute. Perhaps the requirements for the OO and CC need to be in the RRRs because that is the one document that ALL competitors are required to have and be familiar with. Suggested by others: a packet for the Official Observer, with applicable pages of the RFOs.

c. The Rally Department (Deena), as part of their post-event duties, need to ensure that Official Observer's reports are submitted to RRB (as already listed at the top of the OO form).

d. When looking at the revised RFO proposal (item 6.a above), evaluate it for requirements and procedures.

12) Road Rally Publicity

a. Where, what and who?

b. Background: There need to be activities which make the sport of road rallying more visible to members of the SCCA and the general public.The RRB should not take on the promotion of individual events, but there should be a more organized and concerted effort to raise the visibility of the sport. Where should this promotion be done? (e.g. Yahoo forum, SCCA web site, Facebook, ...) What items should be included? (National events, national results, signature events). Who should be responsible for executing this publicity and promotion?

c. RRB responses: What to put? Jeanne - upcoming events, Clarence - agrees; Rich - a paragraph or two highlighting signature events; Clarence - has anything been submitted lately? No. Rich will write a blurb about CAST in Stone for SCCA website. Rich to Clarence - are you still doing a Facebook page? Clarence -- yes, it's sort of like a storefront, where you put up things that are interesting. Sasha mentioned Sccaforums.com (this is not the current SCCA Forums), which didn't catch on (it predated Facebook). Rich - we need a press release on scca.com/rally about RReNews.

13) 2015 Potential Signature Events

a. JRRC (Jay Nemeth-Johannes proposal) - multi-day event; he has submitted an updated proposal for us to look at

b. Coker Tire Challenge

14) New business, open forum

a. Road Rally Town Hall via conference call? Given that we don't have good rally attendance at the convention, should we have a conference call Town Hall meeting? Who to invite? How to do it? No PIN necessary. Sasha and Len both said we should at least give it a try. Rich will look into setting it up for late summer.

b. Motion to revise the Audit Form to specifically require that the audit include a set of Official Results. No second, no vote. Does there need to be a fine for failure to include results, or is it sufficient to say that an audit isn't recorded until the results are submitted and just go with the existing fine for late filling of an audit? [This is in response to Item 8.b. above] Chuck will revise the results form to say to send results to both him and Deena, separately from the Audit form.

c. Rich forwarded an email from Doug Shepherd with a suggestion for regionals with awards at various experience steps; Chuck was generally in favor; Len asked who would keep the points; Rich said maybe we put the burden on the contestant, have them show results that he or she has achieved the necessary results.

15) Pick your "one RRB-task" this month:

a. Jeanne - get minutes done sooner

b. Clarence - link to RReNews

c. Sasha - contact Eileen Waters again about press release

d. Len - add 2013 rallymasters to his list

e. Rich - read RFO, talk to Deena about a phone conference town hall

f. Chuck - get up to speed on points

Meeting adjourned 9:29 pm CDT

Next meeting June 3, 2014, via telephone conference.

Respectfully submitted,

Jeanne English, RRB Secretary