CANDIDATES' ELECTION MESSAGES
Michael Allen
My name is Michael Allen and I’ve been a member since 1993. I’ve been a motor sports fan since I was young enough to have brown hair (not the gray I see each morning in the mirror). I’m a road racer, at least when I’m not in the position of roasting engines, and although I learn something each time I go to the track, I’m hoping next season to learn more from pleasure and less from mechanical pain than I’ve done the last few years!
I’ve been a motor sports fan since the days of, well, you get the idea, and I’ve watched racing change over the years. The SCCA, in particular, used to be a place where road racing was the only form of racing that was considered, but the last few years the club has changed to a much broader field of interests, I’m happy to say. We have autocrossers, rallyists, road racers, and even baby grand racers, something unique from some years ago when European sedans and roadsters were the only vehicles used for the sport.
But due to the broadening of the sport we now have competing interests for our time, energy, and money. That’s good for motor sports but it means that we have to have some balance in LOL as well. I’ve got experience with some of the forms of motor sports competition and an interest in the economics of the amateur side of the sport. I’d like to serve on the board to share my experience and ideas with the club; to make it a better experience for all of us, and to consider what might be done to reach out to a public that often seems to be
confused regarding our passion. We need to support one another, keeping a balance in club activities so that no matter what type of motor sports we love, we can help each other to enjoy the form of the sport that is closest to our interest. We need rallyists, road racers, and autocrossers to maintain a balance. I’d like to share time and energy with LOL members to enjoy the speed sports that we all love.
Mike Allen
John Daniels
I am John Daniels and am running for the LOL Board.You may know me as vintage car #13, a number I have run under since I took my Sprite off the street and began racing it in 1990. (Actually, I got a little encouragement from the local Minneapolis Police, but that’s another story.) I’ve been a VSCR and LOL/SCCA member since 1990. I race bug-eyed Sprites, which is a little like racing Chihuahuas in a field of Greyhounds. So, folks, I’ve learned something about humility - although it does feel good to occasionally take something away from the tall dogs. I was trained in by Dick and Peg Schneider who were there about 5 minutes after sporty car racing began in Minnesota in the olden days. They taught me that for a racing event to work everyone should take a turn at helping out. So I have helped out a lot, chaired a few races, done a turn running our vintage newsletter, served as President of VSCR, wrote a few Tonneau articles (although editor Anderson got pretty exasperated with my last minute approach to journalism), co-chaired the SCCA Memorial Day driver’s school for two years and generally made a nuisance of myself. So now I’m running for the Board of LOL. I am doing it because we REALLY need somebody from the vintage club on the board. I was chosen not because of my dedication
or my silver tongued lawyerly eloquence, but because I was late to our club meeting at the track over Labor Day, and by the time I got there it had been decided that I was going to run and it was too late for me to do anything about it. My only hope was to lose the election - so here I am. I do think it's worth the effort if elected, and look forward to keeping racing very much a part of LOL’s motorsports effort. I can’t promise much for our club. I can’t bring back the Kid’s Grand Prix, but there is much we can do to keep our sport strong in Minnesota. So vote me in, OK?
John Daniels
Mark Stevens
Background: SCCA member since 1999. No formal SCCA racing experience. President Performance Shop Chinen, a new local tuning and performance parts shop. Three years racing Gymkhana (solo) in Okinawa, Japan. Founder www.ClubSI.com, an online club with over 8,000 members.
Non race related: Eight years United States Marine Corps (Gulf War Veteran). Degree in Business and Management.Why I am running for the board: I do not wish to see the Land O’ Lakes Region of the SCCA disbanded due to a lack of desire or interest on the part of the members. Although I do not have a great deal of experience in the SCCA I do have an extremely high level of dedication and determination. I have a strong business sense and very effective organizational skills. I will do my very best to serve the SCCA, the LOL region, and all its members.
Mark Stevens
CANDIDATES cont. on page 12
Tonneau On-Line October 2000
Page 11
Copyright 2000, Land O'Lakes Region Last revised: March 13, 2003
