By Brian Dagneault

The Riverside Corvette Club held its Umpteenth Annual “Back to Back Slalom” at the Lansdowne Shopping Centre in Richmond on August 21 and 22.  President Blair Sibbald (simply known as ‘Sappy’ in his more modest days before his climb to high office) showed up from Edmonchuck with his much better looking and probably more talented son, Sappy Jr., and brought a Northern Alberta monsoon with him on Saturday.  You’d think with a leaky old 1970RAG top he’d know better.

Fortunately Laura McAlduff, Paul and Terry’s talented slalom course designing daughter, had laid out a smooth flowing (no pun intended) course that managed to dodge (can you mention them in a Corvette newsletter?) most of the larger header steaming parking lot car washes.  Unfortunately some, including our talented Newsletter Editor, Doug Campbell showed up from Calgary with his “Dry” setup.  Some (Verne) actually had the audacity to show up with tires that had lots of tread!  Unfair advantage to Verne!  Although I don’t think bringing his son along to keep the tires warm with an extra set of runs was much of a help.

While racing in the rain always presents its’ own special challenges; wiper distraction, fumbling for the defroster mid-run, T-top removal to allow helmet clearance and such, it also provides for its own special entertainment opportunities.  Stop Box hydroplaning is fun, splashing course workers is a special talent, dodging bobbing seagulls is unique but my particular favourite was trying to make it through the cross-over gate (centred on a rather large tropical depression) around the far end and back in time to crisscross through your own wake!  What fun.  You just never realize what unique activities you’re missing when driving in the sunshine all the time.

Despite this rare opportunity to play at off-shore boat racing a lot of people actually stayed home!  Fortunately the more adventurous types showed up in suprisingly good numbers for what was actually a pretty good day of racing.  There was of course the usual strategic maneuvering to see if you could time it for a slightly ‘drier’ run (that being a relative term) and the usual psych jobs, particularly between the Trailer (Park) Boys made up of Jerry Woods, Lawrence Block and Rick Pearson with Jeff Berg thrown in just to make things interesting. 

Unfortunately all the mind games and manipulations went for naught when a little light bulb went on in McDuff’s helmet and he remembered he had a brand new set of unused B. F. Goodrich KDW’s sitting mounted in the trailer!  Hello 3 second improvement, thanks for the trophy, nice of ya’ll to show up.

After that, nothing but for the rest of us to do but go have some fun, which we did.  Good to see at least three Midstyles (there being no such thing as a C2) out sloshing around.  Can you see Dan Minuski’s primered 65 Roadster with a 502 RAT against Calvin Jang’s mouse motored show 65 Coupe?  Poor ol’ Tuffy didn’t know what to make of it all.

Sunday dawned with weather more conducive to the ‘Dash’ element of the two part weekend.  Another great course by Laura led to some serious competition and see saw battles on the now ‘green’ race track.  No longer handicapped by Mother N. the ‘Dry’ setups came into their own and McDuff had to take a step back to reality. 

Not that there weren’t attempts at some rather novel innovations to find an edge.  Jim Burt’s rear hatch popping open mid-run was rather reminiscent of Jim Hall’s high wing Chaparral Can Am cars and probably did add some needed rear downforce on the long straightaway but it also raised the roll centre through the slalom.  We know he said it was an accident and it was because of the body torque but really…………… 

Larry Eastick and his other brother Larry laid a whippin’ on their brother Eric both days, but Eric still says two against one isn’t fair.  Brothers, it just never ends!

With the drying track, Jerry came out of the Woods to Block Lawrence from a good finish and keep Rick Pearson from repeating in SS.  Jeff Berg beat up on everybody in S6 while Norma Berg carried on the family domination in LS6 (does that mean all the ladies in that class have a high horse big block? Just wondering.)

While Glenda had her moment in the sun (in the rain) on Saturday, she got a glimpse of the future on Sunday when Carmen put Mom on the trailer (not literally, Lawrence is the only guy that gets to put the car on the trailer) by 3 tenths.  Look out ladies; we have seen the future and she is Fast!

Speaking of FAST, mild mannered Jennifer Pearson had to be coaxed out of the telephone booth but when she did it was just a blur.  With a time that was bettered by only the 4 SS and one S6 competitors, Jennifer left all of us ‘also rans’ humbled and the other 5 looking over their collective shoulders. 

The good folks at Riverside would like to thank all those diehard racers from ECC, NEIGHCOCK, CU, KCC, VCC, BCCC and LMNOP who literally weathered the storm to attend our event and help out in every possible way on both days.  Your assistance and good spirits throughout made for a very memorable event.

A special thanks as well to Paul, Terri and Laura for organizing the event, bringing along the indispensable tent and for letting Paul out of the asylum to do the trophy presentations.  Easily worth the trip over the mountains all by itself.

Hope you’ll all be back next year, and don’t be shy, bring your friends.

More Great Photos Below!