Off
the Line
The Official
Semi-occasional Publication of
Team Harco
Motorsports Summer 1998
Flying
Start To Rally Season
The early
season road rally results have the Team Harco crew in a strong position to
repeat as champions in 1998. Two first
place finishes and a second place, in three events run, has the Team Harco crew
atop the leader board again. Bryan
Murphy teamed-up with Scott to win “Moonlight Monte” in February. Jim Mickle returned to the navigator’s seat
in April and helped the team win “A Grand Adventure”. In May, Harvey/Mickle took a close second at “CAST In
Stone”. All three of these rallies
count toward both the CenDiv and Detroit region rally championships.
The ever popular “Flying
Eagle” shot. (Don’t try this at home).
El
Niño Wreaks Havoc With Winter Schedule
The
unseasonably warm winter, seemingly a result of the El Niño effect, had a
dramatic impact on the winter racing events on the Team Harco calendar. All ice races were cancelled as sufficient
ice never materialized, here in lower Michigan. The much anticipated Sno*Drift PRO Rally was also cancelled due
to the lack of snow on the roads near Atlanta, Michigan. The road commission
did not want the roads torn-up by the 40-plus rally racers, as there was no
protective layer of ice and snow.
Off the Line
The Official
Semi-occasional Publication of
Team Harco Motorsports Issue #8 -- Summer 1998
Contents
Early Rally
Rounds …...........................……....…........ 1
Autocross
Season Off and Running ……….………..…. 2
Lots of
Organizer Points ………….............….....…...... 2
Looking
Ahead
.......................................……......…... 3
Thank You
........................................................…….. 4
The Team Harco Calendar ...............................……... 5
On the Cover: The Team Harco/Dragon Lady Eagle takes flight. Closed road, experienced driver - don’t try
this at home.
Off the Line is edited and
published, time permitting, by Scott D. Harvey, Jr.
The name Off the Line, (aside
from its many connotations) is used here, without being registered and is used
without any ones permission. Any
resemblance between this newsletter and other published columns, of the same
name, is not intended to detract from their readership in any way.
Comments, Questions, Back Issues, etc.
Team
Harco Motorsports
221
Ormsby
Waterford,
MI 48327-1750
Central
Headquarters (248) 683-0207
E-mail:
TeamHarco@Juno.com
(Work
hours) (248) 340-8146
(fax) (248) 340-4410
Early Rally Rounds
With the
cancellation of most of the winter’s activities the “Moonlight Monte” came as a
welcome start to the 1998 season. The
Team Harco crew of Bryan Murphy and Scott Harvey made the best of it too. After more than 200 miles of sloppy, muddy
roads it all came down to the last control.
The team of Dave Parps (from Wisconsin) and Les Talcott (from Michigan)
scored 4 points at the last checkpoint.
Harvey/ Murphy were able to zero the leg and won the rally by that same
four point margin. The final tally
after 22 scored controls was Harvey/Murphy 20, Parps/Talcott 24, Mark
Henderson/Rob Moran 28 and Jeff/Deb Secor 35.
“A Grand
Adventure” would be run out of Ionia, Michigan on April 25th. This would mark the return of Jim Mickle, to
the right side seat of the Team Harco/ Dragon
Lady Talon. This would be the first
rally, for Mickle, as a competitor, since the season ending rally in November
of 1997. The rust was quickly worked
off, and the team eased into a consistent and clean rally. Averaging just over one point per control,
the team was able to claim victory with 25 points (for 22 controls); versus a
score of 40 for Parps and Lester. Third
place would be tied at 52 points with the teams of Ken Kovach/Mark Rinkel, and
Lynn Dillon with Donna Rinkel. It’s
interesting to note the husband and wife, Rinkels, got equal scores for their
respective teams. Any side bets would
surely have to be settled at the next event.
The next event
would be “CAST In Stone”. This rally would
start from Howell, Michigan. At the
time of this writing, official scores are not available. It is known that Dave Parps and Greg Lester
claimed the win, with the Harco crew of Harvey/Mickle taking second. The difference in scores is also known, but
the exact totals are not. The
difference was 14 points. Which
coincidentally, was the same score that Harvey/Mickle scored on one leg when
they inadvertently went down a dead-end road and failed to use a “Time
Allowance”, to get back on time. The
mistake cost the team, at best, a tie for first. Third was the team of Mark Henderson and Bryan Murphy.
An interesting
turn of events will pair Mark Henderson with Scott for the next rally
(“Dawnbuster”) on June 20-21. Richard
Worden and Bryan Murphy will be the organizers of this dusk to dawn run, which
has left a number of teams scrambling to find partners. Interesting is the fact that Scott Harvey Sr
and Gene Henderson rallied together in the 60s. The second generation pairing, of Scott Jr and Mark Henderson, is
certainly noteworthy, but not all that earth shattering when compared to the
achievements of their legendary fathers.
Autocross Season Off and
Running
The autocross
season has gotten off to another good start for the Team Harco/ Autometric/ Dragon Lady Colt. Scott Jr
was able to claim the class win at the Detroit Council (DCSCC) season
opener. A full field of 130 drivers
showed-up at a new venue. A lot at Ford
World Headquarters, in Dearborn, would be the site. The little Colt beat out Gary Fulkerson’s “Fastiva” and nearly
every other car
there. The little Colt was driven to
the 7th fastest time, being beaten only by a couple of Corvettes, a
Porsche, a (very modified) Miata and Scirocco; and by the fastest car of the
day, Norm Anderson’s (DP) Mini.
Several big
events are on the Team Harco calendar for the next few months. Highlights include: the usual DCSCC champ
series events, two CenDiv Solos and the three big events at Waterford Hills. The little Team Harco/ Autometric/ Dragon Lady
Colt will again be looking to embarrass any number of bigger, faster cars in
the coming months. It is also
anticipated that more drivers will be getting turns behind the wheel of the
little Colt. The Detroit Council series
has changed a rule which allowed only two drivers, per car, per class. The rule now places no limit on the number
of drivers. Thus there is a standing invitation to ALL sponsors, supporters,
navigators and team members to come and drive at the DCSCC events!! Mark your calendar and call ahead.
The Team Harco/ Autometric/
Dragon Lady Colt at speed. (Novi, 95)
Lots
of Organizer Points
When not
competing Scott stays active as a promoter and organizer of various motorsports
events. The following events had or
will have a Team Harco presence; if not overall control:
The Detroit SAE Student Spring Event was
again chaired by Scott and drew a healthy entry of 40 students. This year’s
Spring Event was held at Monroe Community College (April 18) and featured Tom
Birchard as the guest speaker,
representing Ford Motorsport. The Team
Harco/ Autometric/ Dragon Lady Colt was again on hand to
turn some quick demonstration runs. In
fact the only car faster that day was the (CM) Formula Ford of Gary Godula and
Tamara McDaniel.
The Formula SAE competition (May 28-30/ Pontiac
Silverdome); went off well again.
Scott was there to serve as a station captain to oversee a number of
technical and safety related areas.
Nearly 90 universities brought their hand built racers to Michigan for
the three days of competition. There
were even two schools from England represented, this year. The overall winners, for the second year in
succession, would be the team from Cornell University. The University of Texas Arlington had to
settle for second place and the University of Akron made an impressive showing
to take third. The best placed school
from Michigan was Michigan Tech, in 10th place.
The rally
portion of the Detroit Region SCCA Waterford Hills weekend (“How the Other Side Does It”), will see Scott serve as rallymaster
again. The rally was considered a
success last year; and we hope to bring out even more first timers. (July
10/ Waterford Hills Race Track).
The much
anticipated RallyCross program,
within the Detroit Region, is starting to take root. Championed by your humble and obedient servant, at least one
RallyCross will take place this year.
Gene Henderson has been consulting with Scott to organize and run a
RallyCross at the end of this years Press On Regardless Rally. The course has already been tentatively
laid-out at the Alma Fairgrounds in Alma, Michigan. The RallyCross is expected to be open to Detroit Region SCCA
members; prior to the arrival of the POR competitors.
Additional
sites are still being sought for other RallyCross events. The best lead, at this time, is with the
Michigan State Fairgrounds. Scott has
been in contact with two representatives of MSFG and both sides seem to be
optimistic that terms and conditions can be worked out. Other
leads or suggestions should be submitted to the editor.
Looking
Ahead
The season is
off to a good start in 1998. The early
results in the two rally series, in which we compete, have helped to provide a
confidant stance before the remainder of the season. The strong and steady Talon, though, is beginning to show some
age. With nearly 140,000 miles on the
clock, the trusty ride has been nothing short of amazing.
This summer,
the Team Harco/ Dragon Lady Talon is
likely to get a heart transplant. The
turbocharger is ready for service. A
long list of other work is expected to be performed while the car is down for
the turbo rebuild.
Before that
can happen, the oft neglected Shelby Charger will become secondary
transportation. The old Shelby has
lived a long and full life already. It
does need a little cosmetic and maintenance work before it will become suitable
for the road again.
The other cars
in the Team Harco stable, namely the Colts, are less in need of work. The rally Colt was ready for Sno*Drift,
which was canceled. It was also ready
for the ice racing; which did not happen.
The only thing holding it back is the cost of entry for the nearest PRO
Rallies. The autocross Colt is still in
the development stage of some suspension work.
The coil-over conversion is partially started and still needs a little
more work.
Some, half
used, soft compound, Hoosier racing tires have been given to Team Harco by Norm
Anderson. When the suspension work is
completed and tuned, it will be time to try the stickier tires. These changes are expected to bring the Team
Harco/ Autometric/ Dragon Lady Colt nearly on par with the
top cars in the division. Further
improvements would likely be in the area of engine output.
The race and
rally programs are expected to go on with little interruption. With careful timing, the down-time to the
Talon can be slotted between “Dawnbuster” and the “How the Other Side Does It
Rally”. Summer is typically the “off
season” for rallies, so it makes sense to do the maintenance during that
period.
After the work
is done, the car should be ready for the full blast assault on the rally
championships for the Central Division and the Detroit region. The big rallies, toward the end of the
season, are in October and November.
The autocross
season looks to be another busy one.
There are two CenDiv events on the calendar. The first of which is at the end of June. July will see two events at Waterford Hills
race track, with a third one in August.
These are in addition to the local, champ (DCSCC) series, events and those
of the Detroit region.
The PRO Rally
activities have been curtailed somewhat this year, partly because of the
cancellation of Sno*Drift but also, due to a lack of local events. The summer PRO Rally in Atlanta (MI) will
not be held this year. The next such
event will likely be at the end of October, in Michigan’s upper peninsula. The rally Colt will, of course, see action
at the famous, Press On Regardless Rally in mid September. It is anticipated that the old Colt will
also see some action when the RallyCross series takes-off.
The Team Harco/ Dragon Lady
rally Colt kicking up a little dirt at a PRO Rally. The Longest Day PRO Rally,
Copper Harbor, MI; 1993. (Photo by Dan
Watkins)
The Team Harco Dodge Shelby
Charger lifts the inside rear wheel at an autocross in 1991. The Charger was a good autocross car until
the Team Harco/ Autometric/ Dragon Lady Colt took its place. (Photo by Dave Westfall)
Thank
You
A regular
feature is the section where we thank the supporters and friends who help with
the activities of Team Harco Motorsports.
1997 was, by
far, the most successful season of racing and rallying for the second
generation of Team Harco. A great deal
of this success is directly attributable to the continued financial support of Sue Vartanian, the “Dragon Lady”, as well as Larry Smith of Autometric Body Shops.
The early
results from 1998 are very good. We
hope to continue this trend throughout the year. With the continued support of our fine sponsors and friends, we
expect the wins and championships to follow.
1998 marks the
fourth year of support from Larry Smith
and Autometric Body Shops. In 1995 Mr. Smith was gracious enough to
provide the beautiful bright red paint which has made the little Colt really
stand-out. In the years since; the
little Colt has been praised by friend and foe alike - not only for its speed,
but also for its beauty. We often hear
competitors talk about Autometric,
and the fine work performed on their own vehicles. It’s unfortunate that
these same people are not telling Mr. Smith that they have seen, and
possibly raced against, the slick little Autometric
Colt. Such word of mouth goes a long
way toward reassuring sponsors that their investment is actually provide a
return. It means a great deal to us, to
have the support of Mr. Smith and his company.
We will continue to wear the Autometric
logo with pride, where ever we race.
Sue Vartanian, the “Dragon Lady”, provided financial support that proved to be the
greatest boost to the Team Harco program.
Her monetary contributions had a major impact on our successes in the
two road rally series, and the performance rallies in which we compete. Moral support has also been a strong suit,
from the “Dragon Lady”.
More dragons
are showing-up on the Team Harco cars all the time. Some magnetic appliques are currently in the works and should
make their debut this summer on one of the Team Harco vehicles, when it goes
into competition.
The tire
mounting machine, on loan from Allen
Hewitt, is getting an incredible amount of use. With five vehicles to
support (not counting the trailer) each with their own needs; a tire machine is
one of the greatest tools a racing team can have. Allen’s bubble balancer has also been working overtime. As a rough estimate, about 60 tires have
been mounted and/or dismounted in the year which we have had use of the tire
machine.
Roy Eastham of Ferodo has been able to provide some very aggressive brake linings
for the two Team Harco Colts. Both
Colts are currently using the same Ferodo friction material. Improved braking performance has been the
end result.
Norm Anderson, driver of the very fast (D Prepared)
Mini has donated a set of slick Hoosier racing slicks for use on the autocross
Colt. These tires will be used when the
suspension changes have been completed.
Lee Kesh and Todd Cameron at the Lawrence Tech fabrication lab have been very
supportive. When new parts need to be
created or old ones repaired, the fabrication lab facilities have been
graciously offered.
The navigators:
Al Zifilippo, whose competent navigational skills,
and jovial nature, make PRO Rallies that much more fun. Al has, selflessly, carried the brunt of the
financial burden since we joined forces as a team in 1991. His enthusiasm and love of the sport is
unequaled.
Bryan Murphy, who would compete in any rally, in
any class, just for the fun of it.
Bryan possesses incredible navigator skills and can pick-up any piece of
equipment and make the team competitive in that class (even if it’s a pencil
and paper).
Jim Mickle one of the best, computer, navigators
in the country. Not that he doesn’t
know how to do it the “old fashioned” way, it’s just that, as he says; “It’s
too much work”. Once the luxury of a
computer has been experienced, it is tough to go back.
The crew and others:
Doug Harvey, Arick
Rushing, Jeff Kaiser, Aaron Conner, Rod Natho, Tom Woodside
and Pete Gladyz have all supported
the team in one way or another over the past few years. The many and varied ways in which these
people have helped Team Harco cannot go unnoticed.
To all of you,
we say “Thank you!”. For without your
support, we would not be winning with the regularity that we are. The many victories and successes speak
volumes of the support and efforts put forward by you.
One attempt to
provide some return, is the production of this newsletter. It is our way of keeping you informed and
updated on the activities of Team Harco.
Thank you teammates,