Cal Club Autocross Forums

Hello all!

My name is Thomas Guest Jr., and as the title says, I'm heading your way with my whole autocrossing family. A quick bio about me and the fam:

Me: U.S. Marine of about 13 years, SCCA Member for 11 years, experience as Autocrosser(Announcer, Tech, Grid, Safety Steward[Current], Junior Kart Safety Steward[Current], Course Designer[wasn't invited back]), experience as Club Racer Volunteer (FnC, Pit, Grid, Race Chair), experience as Club Race Pit Crew (Chef, Extra Hand, Crew Chief, Drunkard), and occasional PDX/HPDE/Track Event/Time Trial National participant. I've never held a proper administrative "title" in either Carolina Region where I primarily have run, but I've made it a point to be as helpful as possible on racedays with any work that will help the event run smoother. Current car: 1990 Toyota Celica GT

Wife: Marine Wife of 13 years, SCCA Member for 11 years, experience as Autocrosser and begrudging tag along for all the other racing stuff involved in the above experiences. Current Car: 2012 Mazda5 Miniminivan

Child #1: 7 Years old, has been driving an FJC since 5 years and 1 week old. Slow and Steady wins the race.

Child #2: 4 Years old, will be 5 in time to get a few autocrosses in before the move to Cali, is already "racing" on Forza and I'm pretty confident will be the polar opposite of slow and steady anything.

That's us! I'm excited about heading over and getting the kids exposed to some new ways of autocrossing, I'm less excited about buying and maintaining my own kart. (Racing friend in the Carolinas had community karts) My first goal for the few years I'll be over there is the ensure the kids get as much seat time as possible, with my own seat time being second, and the Wife's being third (Her decision, not mine). I do not currently plan on replacing the Celica with something competitive, unless I trip and fall into a couple grand.

I'll be shooting any questions I have onto this forum whenever they popup. I look forward to driving with y'all!

Welcome!! you are among friends.

We have a "practice" along with each event, so there is a potential for 20+ runs for a weekend with our typical 13 event lineup plus nearby national events. Hopefully the Jr kart families will chime in soon, if not, we run Jr Karts first at our events on Sunday and your welcome to come and watch / meet the parents. They have a wealth of knowledge and really know their stuff.

Welcome. When are you scheduled to join us?

Semper Fi, Thomas and family, welcome aboard! I think you will fit in quite well here.

July time frame.

Looking forward to your arrival Thomas!
My son started running a few days after his 5th birthday. He ran straight through til he turned 15 in December and is now trying to make the jump to open KM in a shifter. He's just too big a kid for the junior weight mins. But my wife and I are still very active in the Junior program. We're both JDP SSS's and usually act as the Youth Stewards. I also serve on the SCCA Kart Advisory Committee.

When you're shopping for an FJC kart, The Honda GX50 is now a legal motor along with the Comer C51. The Honda is newer and has better quality control than the Italian Bilge pump. And the Honda is a four stroke, so no oil mix. New to new the Honda is cheaper. Actually MUCH cheaper. But we're all autocrossers, so we generally are cheap and don't buy new. In the used market the Honda might be too new to the sport to be cheaper than the Comer that people are moving away from. I haven't followed the used market lately.

There is an FB group, SCCA Jr Kart Also some info in the forums of Ekartingnews.com Good classifieds in the Ekartingnews forums.

-Steve Ekstrand

So, coming out to the Aug 4th event by my lonesome, bringing a newbie that also moved over to Cali with me.

Looking forward to meeting everyone, I'll be the 00 Celica GT with almost no clearcoat.

Be sure to come by and say hi! You can't miss Ekstrandlandia. 5 drivers. An obnoxious shifter kart. A death trap Formula Car. My 15yr old SRT-4 resurrected as a training tool. Our mini Class A RV and trailer. And various support cars.... Walk softly and drive a big carbon footprint.

Anybody know Mike Nakata's situation. I haven't seen him. But next year he would have exactly the Karts to match the Guest kids. If we set up co-drives in each, maybe Tom could help lighten the load Mike trying to corral and manage "all that".

Thomas-Mike has a daughter in JC and a son in JB. His JC kart was my son's very first kart at 5yo.

So, I do have 2 karts that should work, they both will need motors and some fine tooth combing through the rules, but I am absolutely down for figuring out working together with another family. The kart I have designated for FJC may be a hair too big for my 5 y/o without some serious pedal extensions and seat adjustments.

I, unfortunately, have the karts packed deep in storage because I'm in a temp house and not fully moved into Base Housing, but as soon as I can start bouncing pictures and stats off yall I will.

Robert Baltazar and I are both pretty good with helping with karts and figuring out fits. Eric Nelson is the pro, it's his actual business, so if the parents can't do it, there is a close by back-up. Baltazar was Navy. Navy and Marine's get along ok right?

Steve Ekstrand wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2019 6:06 pm Navy and Marine's get along ok right?

Oh boy...

Thomas Guest Jr. wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2019 6:20 pm

Steve Ekstrand wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2019 6:06 pm Navy and Marine's get along ok right?

Oh boy...

Well, yes it is possible. My co-driver for a couple of decades (Tom McKeown) was Navy.