2007 Redline Rendezvous
July 27 to 29, 2007
Dunnville Autodrome, Dunnville, Ontario
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It was time to store our dogsleds and give our huskies a chance to slumber. It’s the throes of summer here in Canada, and that means it was time for the 7th Annual SVTOA Redline Rendezvous Performance On Track Driving School.
For 2007, we returned to the Dunnville Autodrome in Dunnville, Ontario. Located only 45 minutes from Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Fort Erie, and Buffalo, this track makes use of the old Dunnville Airport grounds once designated for fighter pilot training in World War II. We were one of the first groups that ran this 2.2-kilometre, 13-turn track back in 2004. Since then, the Dunnville Autodrome has become home to various Solo events, lapping days, corporate testing, media events, private functions, and driving schools. It remains an exciting venue for all drivers with its combination of high-speed straights and varying degrees of turns.
The weekend got off to a wet start. Heavy rain rolled into the area, but the dark skies gradually let up for a hot, hazy, and humid weekend (typical for Southern Ontario). Participants from both sides of the border began checking into our host hotel, the Ramada Coral Inn, in Niagara Falls and registered for the event. Once they unpacked, many got a head start to the weekend by visiting Chief Tech Inspector Lou Viveiros at the Tech Inspection Station located at the rear of the hotel. Once tech-ed, there was time before our Meet ‘N Greet to squeeze in some sightseeing at the Niagara Fallsview Casino, catch the falls, as well as shop at the outlet mall located across our hotel. Some participants couldn’t wait to get on track, so they ventured to a local go-karting track for some late-night fun after our meet ‘n greet.
Saturday morning began for many with a stop at Tim Horton’s for a cup of Canada’s famous coffee. With double-doubles in hand, we assembled behind the Ramada Inn and caravanned through the foggy county roads to the town of Dunnville. Despite being nearly run down by a rogue 18-wheeler, we arrived safely by 7am - just in time for last minute tech inspection. As the morning went on, Pit Lane was filled with many vehicles from the Ford family, including Shelby GT500’s, SVT Cobras, SVT Contours, SVT Foci, and performance Volvos and Mazdas. We also had a few Bimmers and Mopar folks join us to see if they could hold their own with us on the track.
At 8am, SVTOA Lead Instructor Jeff Lacina and SVTOA Canadian Regional Director Laura Querin called drivers to the hangar and promptly began ground school. Drivers were given a detailed itinerary of the entire event, and they were briefed on the rules and procedures in place for the weekend. Jeff also reminded drivers to keep hydrated during the event, since the day is filled with a lot of mental and physical exertion, as well as being in the day’s sun and heat. The advanced driver run groups then headed to the track for orientation laps. Shortly thereafter, the rumbles of V8 engines and supercharger whines echoed in the hangar as the novice and intermediate drivers learned more about vehicle balance, dynamics, and control. To reinforce the classroom training, it was time for these drivers to strap on their helmets and head out onto the track with our team of volunteer instructors comprised of SVTOA Chapter and Regional Directors, and many from past events from across North America.
The wonderful smells of shaved beef and turkey, fireside beans, granny’s coleslaw, hot sandwiches, sausages and burgers soon stirred the appetites of our hungry participants. It was time for lunch, and the folks at Lyle Trepanier served up a healthy serving for everyone. After savouring every bite of our meal, everyone participated in parade laps around the track to share the On Track experience with their friends and family. Our Grand Marshall for our parade was our very own Jeff Lacina in his True Red Mazda3. After a few laps around the track, we pitted in for a brief photo shoot for our Saturday group photo and shots for an upcoming feature in Modified Mustangs. Drivers then rehydrated themselves, slapped on some more sunscreen, and donned their helmets once again for an afternoon of heated track sessions. All attention had to be focused on the track, as drivers could not be distracted by the King Air and Cessna 182 aircrafts departing from the runway beside the track.
It was soon time to call it the day and everyone headed back to the Ramada Coral Inn for our Saturday night banquet. Guests began assembling in the Colonnade Room making new fast friends and catching up with old time pals. One look at all the raffle prizes ready to be won and many stocked up on all available raffle tickets. Many also took the time to load up on all the freebies such as Ford Racing bracelets, maps, Roush Mustang posters, and SVTOA decals. Word then came from instructor Joe Quaranto that he was offering a weekend at Watkins Glen International race track with Phoenix CMR. Raffle tickets and money instantly flew for this newest prize until we ran out of tickets.
After opening remarks from Jeff Lacina and Laura Querin, it was time to dig into the hot buffet dinner. After some healthy portions of roast beef, roasted chicken, pasta, salad and rich desserts, Jeff Lacina then spoke briefly about the latest SVTOA news and urged all our participants to continue supporting SVTOA and the On Track program. Additional words of thanks were offered by Ted Hogan from Dixie Ford, Premier Event Sponsor and SVTOA-Toronto’s Dealer Advisor, and Craig Wood from Roush Industries.
The draw box made its appearance, and our participants began reaching into their pockets and purses for their raffle tickets. One by one, tickets were drawn and many of our guests walked home with prizes provided by our event sponsors. The luckiest member of the evening was SVTOA-Toronto’s own Mark Simchison. Mark was the winner of our headliner prizes: A free tint from prize sponsor The Detailing Shop (for registering before June 28th); and the weekend pass at Watkins Glen. Not to be outdone was some of our junior participants winning multiple oil-related prizes ranging from cases of Havoline oil and oil changes at Jiffy Lube.
Our auction also helped raise some funds to ensure the success of future Redline Rendezvous events. Nigel Grinsteed had the winning bid for a rare Orange County Chopper 1/10 die-cast drag bike made exclusively for NAPA Auto Parts. Jennifer Venditti put her name on the winning ticket for a 1:18 scale, 1967 Mustang Shelby GT500E Eleanor model donated by our event sponsor, Dixie Ford. New Shelby GT500 owner Dean DiMarco offered up his cash to win a professionally framed, limited-edition, Ford GT poster signed by John Coletti, Director of SVT Operations (2004). Now the tough task for all our winners is figuring out where to place their brand new possessions.
After all the festivities, the evening ended early enough for people to take a leisurely cruise down Lundy’s Lane into the heart of Niagara Falls. The local go-kart track saw some of our revellers burning away the calories from our very hearty meal. Others returned to the Kings Head Pub for some after-dinner drinks before returning to their rooms for some well-deserved rest.
The Sunday morning was not as foggy as the day before, but almost everyone had to stop for a Timmies to awaken their senses. Once again, Jeff Lacina assembled the Sunday drivers for ground school before another action-packed day. Drivers had to brave another hot day while pushing their bodies and minds to the limit. At least they were able to unwind by watching the brightly coloured parachutes of local skydivers descending from the sky above.
To make things a bit more interesting for the Sunday afternoon, we made the drivers run the track in the opposite direction. Orientation laps were in the form of the lunchtime parade laps, led by Grand Marshall Lacina. Another quick photo op was made as everyone posed for the Sunday group photo. Then, the novice group had first crack at the new track set-up. It did not take long to see the weekend’s learning had taken hold, as our drivers were able to adapt to the new track conditions in a short period of time.
The sun began to set slowly, and the heat began to wear our drivers down. Looking at the clock, we realized the Rendezvous was about to end. It was time to pack up our vehicles and return home.
As with any On Track experience, we hope the skills learned from our events will make it easier to deal with the stresses and hazards associated with everyday driving. Also, the friends and experiences made during this weekend will last in the hearts and minds of everyone involved. Most of all, we hope everyone had some plain ol’ fashioned fun!
The SVTOA Canadian Region would like to thank all the participants for coming out to our event. We would also like to give special thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors who helped make this event possible:
- Jeff Lacina, Lead Track Instructor, and his entire team of volunteer instructors (John Venditti, Joe Quaranto, Andy Quaranto, Will Franssen, Guillermo "just call me G" Aristizabal, Opal Gamble, Brad Hall, Fernando DaSilva, Cam Golberg, Chris Atkins, Ed Nicholson, and Tim Cahill)
- Ted Hogan and his staff at Dixie Ford Sales, our premier event sponsor, SVTOA-Toronto Dealer Sponsor, and a huge supporter of the SVT ownership experience and SVTOA
- Our prize sponsors: The Detailing Shop, Texaco/Havoline, Steelcase Tires 'N' Mags (Markham), NAPA Auto Parts (Dunnville), and Canadian Tire (Dunnville)
- The staff at the Dunnville Autodrome
- Lyle Trepanier, our trackside caterers
- All the Track marshals for braving the heat
- The staff at the Ramada Coral Inn for our accommodation and banquet needs, as well as all their assistance before, during and after our event
- Nikki Pett from Sigma Promotions for our commemorative shirts
- Colormark Ltd. for our signage
- Our expert SVTOA photographers: George Hadler, Joanne Kidd, Richard Lee, Remi Parent, and Warren Sawkiw,
- SVTOA-Toronto chapter member Nigel Grinsteed for all his efforts in recruiting prize sponsors and event awareness in the Dunnville and Haldimand County area
- All our spouses, children and friends who helped a hand during our event; and
- Last, but certainly not least, all the organizers of the SVTOA Canadian Regional On Track Planning Committee for their efforts in putting together another successful Redline Rendezvous.
We certainly hope you will rendezvous with us in Canada for 2008.