Getting ready for the 2023 Championship Season!
Hello gang! Happy Valentine's Day! We are nearing the start of our 2023 season, and it's looking stellar. We go into the season with the same rules package as last year, and the same point structure. We have had an absolute EXPLOSION of new competitors coming in for the '23 season; fifteen(!!!) new drivers slated to do at least one weekend, most have a verbal commitment to run the whole schedule.
LATE BREAKING/BRAKING NEWS
NEW DRIVERS!!! To start with, we have a smash of new drivers under the age of 35; Adam White in his beautiful "new old stock" Lola 540, Jake Wadman in the ex-Bob Lobenberg Crossle 32, Clay Carr also in a gorgeous Crossle from back east, and 19 year old British FF standout Gabe Tesch piloting Tony Jimenez' Titan. We also have some returning faces like multiple time SCCA Champ and perennial Crossflow frontrunner Bob Lesnett returning to the grid, albeit in a Club Ford this time. Speaking of National Champs, we will have 2015 SCCA nat'l FF champ Rick Payne in a Van Diemen RF79 joining the grid. Ed Abate will make the grid in the new-to-him ADF later in the season. John Plavan has picked up the super fast ex-Kelly Heil Crossle 30, and will be running out of the Reilly & Co stable this season. Clay Carr's father Randy will be joining his son at the wheel of the ex-Jeff Rothman Royale, and we will have a bona-fide pro in the form of ex-Indycar driver Mark Smith helming a Titan Mk6 from the PNW.
The fight from front to back will be stellar this year as we have so many returning faces! Last year's Crossflow Cup winner Ed VanTassel is gearing up to pick up where he left off at the end of last season, joined by the Pacific Northwest's fastest bus driver Chris Schoap. As always, Ed Lauber will keep everyone up front honest, along with Steve Romak in his super fast Titan. Andrew Wait has been pounding laps at the kart track all winter in preparation for the coming season; Tom Minnich's Tiga has a fresh Ivey bullet and he was looking strong in preseason testing; Dr. Nick Colyvas is committed to running the beautiful papaya orange Titan Mk5 at couple times this year; Alex Dodd has been racking up the testing miles at Sonoma, and Max Minshull and the gang from Frank Monise Motors will put in some serious miles commuting from down south to run a bunch with us this year. Our returning class champs are coming back with a vengeance, Martin Lauber will have a fresh chassis for his Titan, and the Jellyman has decided to change mounts completely and the Brother's Heil have been testing all winter to develop their Lola 540E (shocker, it's mega fast). Brian Swanson will again be fielding cars for himself and his son Terran who had so much fun he will fly out to run most of the races this season. We should see the yellow Van Diemen of Michael Malone a few times this year, and if you hear the opening chords of Def Leppard's Let It Go echoing through the paddock, that means Will Jackson is in the house. The "capo di tutti capi of Garagiste's" Jay Streets is raring to go (he might already be set up in the paddock at Sonoma), Dan Wise (who I believe missed his first Crossflow race ever last season to work at the SCCA Runoffs) will be coming back strong, and I've been told that Danny Baker has been doing an extensive amount of training at high altitudes in Mexico City for improved performance behind the wheel. Jim Lynn, Chris Locke, one or both of the pugilistic Posner's of the PNW (how's that for alliteration?), Neil Porter, Dave Sandlin, Richard Hybels, Mike Wirrick.... This is going to be a season for the ages.
In 2023, Crossflow Cup will be the premier race series for Historic and Club Ford racing in the US. And you have yourselves to thank for this! By racing hard and racing clean, but most of all having fun while doing it, you are all showing the rest of the country how it should be done.
SPONSORSHIP:
In sponsor news, Brian Forster has stepped up to provide the race weekend trophies this year, and we all owe him a round of applause and a cold one for that! Thanks so much Brian!!! And Brent Katusha from Reilly & Co will again be sponsoring the Reilly & Co Hard Charger award this year for each round. If anyone else out there would like to put money towards an award or a traveling trophy, please feel free to reach out! Anything helps keep the fun factor high and our racers wanting to come back for more.
Once again this year we are asking for a "membership fee" to cover costs of beer/wine/champagne, stickers, giveaways, championship/year end trophies, etc. We are asking each driver to paypal $200 to cover these expenses. Think of it as $33 each race, to contribute to the cost of the fun. Please paypal to ethan@shippertracingservices.com (or if you'd rather send a check or cash contact us privately). We are going to have some new swag for sale at the David Love, and as usual all proceeds go right back into the series. We want to keep Crossflow at the very forefront of FF competition, but more importantly we want to keep the smiles per miles at an all time high!
If anyone has any pre-season testing photos, or off-season new paint jobs, maybe a new helmet design, send them over! We'd love to share on social media :)
We are looking forward to a great season! David Love is just 4 weeks away so we will be reaching out again soon with event info! Thanks!!!
Your Crossflow Cup Team
