LCMS Donated $5,000 to the National MS Society
Laps to Conquer M.S., Inc. (LCMS), donated the $5,000 of "spare pocket change" collected during this year's drive to end multiple sclerosis to the National MS Society.
The drive started with the One Lap of America (OLOA) in May. The team-Fay & David Teal and Wayne Hickman-was ready, but as it had happened last year, LCMS was still without a car. The time to leave for South Bend, IN, neared when LCMS sponsors and the South Jersey Region (SJR), Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) members had cars to lend. LCMS' sponsors and friends are the best.
Three cars were offered for LCMS to use. I vetoed the two-seater immediately - I did not want to be towed behind it on my scooter for the whole 1 Lap while David & Wayne rode inside the Toyota MR2! Thank you Jack & Delores Oliver for the offer - it would have been great for the track events though.
Brian & Val Heun offered their Honda Odyssey mini-van-thank you for saving me from being towed. Plenty of room to pack and room to lie down while traveling from track-to-track - but no chance of competing with the fully prepared, track-ready Odyssey of the Honda team from the Alabama assembly plant!
Then Sue King - SJR and Dominion Title Services, Inc. - offered her 2002 Subaru WRX. A possible mid-pack finisher, less packing space but FUN TO DRIVE! Thank you very much! David and Wayne got Subie ready for 1 Lap. We packed less but expected a good finish.
Subie was quick and fun to drive. She was forgiven for being hard to pack when David began finishing mid-pack from the start. It was cold at Road America, WI, and then sunny and windy at Mid America, IA. Subie was 48th OA of the 72 entrants after the 2nd day.
You all do know plans don't always cover everything - such as having the better competition driver, David, come down with a nasty cold the 3rd day. It rained hard in Texas that day. David wanted to split the competition driving with Wayne. But Wayne knew he wouldn't be as good. He made David keep driving all but the drag race competitions. Wayne drove them again this year. Subie's all-wheel drive allowed 35th and 17th place finishes in TX! Subie moved up to 40th OA.
Next was No Problem, LA, where Subie and David were so good together that they wore the tread off the two front tires! Wayne put them on the back of Subie before he ran the drag races. The tires got replaced near New Orleans, LA. 1 Lappers are the best at helping each other.
David was generous and shared his cold with first Wayne then me. Wayne kept putting David back in the competition seat in SC, VA, PA and at the finish. The LCMS team and Subie still finished better than it has since the early 1990's.
45th Overall 4th in Mid Priced Cars! (1st of the Stock Cars!)
And I finished my 22nd consecutive 1 Lap. At least I was closer to 1st this year than last year. Read the entire story online at: www.lapstoconquerms.org.
Life got hectic after 1 Lap. The Subie went back home. We spent a few days getting over our colds while loading the motorhome to continue working at SCCA road races. During May through October we worked races at Summit Point, WV, Pocono Int'l, and BeaveRun, PA.
In July, SJR,SCCA had the first of 2 new race circuits open at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) in Millville, NJ, 1 hour from our house. David & I and several SJR members planned from January on to operate SCCA events on Thunderbolt and Lightning. According to the reports and gossip the planning worked - the 1st race on Lightning was good.
In August, LCMS was the charity of the Tri Region Pocono Double National. Tri Region put on another fine 3-day event for almost 300 drivers.
Merry Christmas Everyone. We'll see you somewhere down the road!
In October, David got to race - instead of work - at Lightning and WON his 1st race on it.
Merry Christmas Everyone. We'll see you somewhere down the road!
Thank you, to the Sponsors who fuel the drive to end MS:
Dominion Title Services, Inc. Vineland, N.J. 856.691.6783Audubon Environmental, Inc., Marlton, NJ 609.268.3690
Sunoco Race Fuels, Marcus Hook, PA 800.722.3427
Matt's Automotive Service, Gloucester City, NJ 856.456.0035
Westbrook-RockHill Foundation, LaMott, PA 215.635.7294
Signs-by-tomorrow, Marlton, NJ 856.596.9626
Dutch Dryden Stephen Wasley Meg Meyer
Thank you, to the Donors to the drive & the Friends of LCMS
Personally -
David WON his 1st race at the New Jersey Motorsports Park after working as Starter for 6 events there.David's granddaughters; Abby, 6 in 1st, Sami, 4 & Leda, 3 ½, in pre-K, charm us.
Fay's grandsons; Dylan, 17 in 12th grade, Caelan, 9 in 3rd grade, & Tristan, 5 in K, entertain us.