Yes, I like others, am going to blame our first-day-of-spring "winter blast" on the infamous El Niño. Why not?? As I listen to the whistling wind and watch the snow falling outside my window, I think back to those winter days not too long ago when we enjoyed temperatures in the 60's. Ahhh…Michigan!!! Now I know I made the right choice when I bought the socks with the pockets at the toes in which to stuff those warmer packets!!

This year's race season offers some exciting changes and a great new event! The traditional CENDIV "kick-off" national will take place at GingerMan, rather than IRP, this year. Willy Perez did some net-surfing for this issue's installment of E-Mail News, and found just about everything you'll need to know to make the trek to the west side of the state.

Gorden Ensing made me privy to the tentative schedule and map of the Scott Brayton Memorial Street Circuit for the West Michigan Grand Prix. The schedule follows, and you can view the map at the website:

HTTP://WWW.WESTMICHIGANGRANDPRIX.COM

Speaking of websites, Tom Bateman has been busy with ours. You can now complete your Worker Reply Form at the website!! The membership form is another wonderful addition. We welcome three new members who recently joined MTM via the website:

Lorrie Gaunt-Wandell Verne Wandell Darryl Newman

Detroit Region SCCA meetings have a new venue and schedule. General Membership Meetings will take place on the third Tuesday, every other month, at Joey's Comedy Club in Livonia. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, May 19 at 8pm. Andrew Craig, President and CEO of CART, is the featured speaker. Joey's is located on the second floor of Kickers All American Grill on Plymouth Road. Plan to arrive early, as I'm sure the room will be packed!!

David Hertzberg is currently in residence at an in-patient rehab center. He could really use your calls or visits.

3200 E. Eisenhower Parkway
Ann Arbor MI 48108

(800) 554-5543

Those of you who work the Detroit Grand Prix, or other CART events, will like a new rule instituted for 1998. The scheduled CART sessions (and most likely the support sessions) are now "time-certain". This means that the sessions will start and end as scheduled. Time will not be added to compensate for down-time. It worked well at Homestead, and should be even more beneficial for the temporary circuit and road course events.

West Michigan Grand Prix News

Hot off the presses, and handed to me at Homestead, here's the tentative schedule for the West Michigan Grand Prix:

Friday - July 24

7:00-9:00 Track Opened for Commuter Traffic
10:15-10:30 Opening Ceremonies
10:30-11:00 Racecar Parade
11:00-11:30 Sponsors and Supporters Parade
11:40-11:50 Scott Brayton Indy Car Memorial Laps
12:00-12:45 NTB Trans-Am Championship Practice
1:00-1:30 Spec Racer Ford Pro Practice
1:45-2:30 World Challenge Championship Practice
2:45-3:15 WLAV Barber Dodge Pro Series Practice
3:30-4:00 Spec Racer Ford Pro Qualifying
4:15-5:00 World Challenge Championship Practice
5:00-6:00 Track Opened for Commuter Traffic
6:00-6:30 NTB Trans-Am Championship Practice
6:45-7:00 Spec Racer Ford Pre-Race Activities
7:00-7:30 Spec Racer Ford Pro Race (35 Laps)

Saturday - July 25

9:00-9:45 NTB Trans-Am Practice
10:00-10:30 VSCDA [Vintage] Practice
10:45-11:30 World Challenge Championship Qualifying
11:45-12:15 WLAV Barber Dodge Pro Series Practice
12:15-1:00 Lunch
1:00-1:15 GLRRA Motorcycle Demonstration
1:15-1:45 VSCDA Qualifying
2:00-2:45 NTB Trans-Am Qualifying
3:00-3:30 WLAV Barber Dodge Pro Series Qualifying
3:30-4:00 World Challenge Pre-Race Activities
4:00-4:45 World Challenge Championship Race 1
4:45-5:15 VSCDA Pre-Race Activities
5:15-5:45 VSCDA Race 1

Sunday - July 26

9:00-11:00 Non-Racing Activities
11:00-11:15 GLRRA Motorcycle Demonstration
11:15-11:30 World Challenge Pre-Race Activities
11:30-12:15 World Challenge Championship Race 2
12:15-1:00 Lunch
12:30-1:00 WLAV Barber Dodge Pre-Race Activities
1:00-1:30 WLAV Barber Dodge Pro Series Race
1:30-2:00 NTB Trans-Am Championship Pre-Race
Activities
2:00-3:45 NTB Trans-Am Championship Race
3:45-4:15 VSCDA Pre-Race Activities
4:15-4:45 VACDA Race 2

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