Over 50 members and their guests gathered at the Blue Heron at Blackthorn for an evening of food, talk, and honors for the past year. The keynote speaker was Lloyd Loring who reminisced about the early days of the SCCA and showed a short film of the races at Road America in the fall of 1962. He also reviewed the GCR rules from 1953. Does your race car have a horn?

The annual gathering at the home of Bill Loring & Maureen Kennedy attracted 25 hungry family members and friends from both coasts. The next day most of us went to the National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart, IN where a guided tour helped them recall the glory days of the railroad.

SBR members took advantage of a club-sponsored kart event at Michiana Raceway Park near N. Liberty, IN. A total of 24 drivers created 12 two-man teams to compete in a 40-minute enduro. Winners were the team of Dave Gushwa and Brian Tack. Fastest lap was turned by Bill Loring. It ended almost in the dark and the gang then repaired to Bob's 19th Hole on US20 for food, drink, and fellowship. Great fun!

We were one shy of 14 for our annual meeting, but it was great to see our fellow workers from Electro-Voice, Inc. of Buchanan, and Sevierville and wherever else. A pleasant lunch and good talk left all smiling. Jim Long sent me the last 7 photos starting with blank space on the E-V factory wall. As a special bonus several of us met George Riley at Plainwell, MI a week later and photos taken by Jim Long and his friend Will are included. Congratulations to Carl Goy who now knows the name of the game!

Teen-aged students from around the midwest learned more about the limits of what they and their car can do - and not do - at the Tire Rack test track in South Bend. The driving school was run by volunteers from the South Bend Region, SCCA and attended by over 20 students. Assistance was provided by UPS, the BMW Car Club, and the Tire Rack. For more info, go to the SBR website at www.sbrscca.org

Alice Slatton Campbell and I visited the La Porte County Historical Museum for a few hours and found a treasure trove of old stuff. Some great old cars, a ton of guns, toys, tools, household items from many past generations and even some model trains. It is 3 floors of memories. I had hoped to find some U.S. Slicing Machine meat sliders or perhaps a Rumely Oil-Pull steam tractor but missed them both. [sigh!] I only took my pocket point-and-shoot camera so the photo quality is limited, but you can get a hint of what we saw. Enjoy!

After 4,386 days, Brian invited family, neighbors, friends, uncles, aunts and cats to celebrate his young life. We had pizza, vegan stuff, and lots of fun, including a Cailin cake that was delicious!

I4 young drivers and their parents from around the Midwest gathered at the Tire Rack in South Bend, IN for a day of Street Survival. It is one of a series of courses in safe driving created by the BMW Car Club and presented by the South Bend Region, Sports Car Club of America and sponsored by Tire Rack. Despite rain, wind and cold, the students learned some of the basics of car control that tested their own personal limits and those of the family car, while operating in a safe, controlled environment. The program goes well beyond the limits of most driver ed courses, but is concentrated into a single day of both classroom and on-track instruction. These events are conducted throughout the year in many communities and can help the young driver better understand how to deal with emergencies while on the road.

Thirteen cars and crews set out on a Destination Unknown SBR rally on April 15, touring SW Michigan from Elkhart, IN and stopping mid-course for several hours at the Gilmore Car Museum NE of Kalamazoo, MI. Other than occasional rain, no problems were encountered and all returned to the Villa Macri in Granger for a victory dinner. I've included some photos of the museum and its fabulous cars. Dennis and Patti Jennings were the winners, but there were no losers at this event. More photos can be found on William Loring's Facebook wall.

On February 15, 2012 I took the South Shore train to my first Chicago Auto Show in over 50 years. I took my new little point & shoot camera and must apologize since some of the pictures are not first rate. I spent about 6 hours, most of it on my feet (ugh!) but had a great time. Lots of cars were of interest to sports car lovers, and even more that weren't too exciting to me (thus not in this album). And rode in a Toyota Prius-V that could parallel park itself! And tried Assistive Driving Technology from Continental Tire. I even took a virtual lap around Laguna Seca in the Mazda simulator. Fun! Enjoy.

Since 1954 I have been a member of the Sports Car Club of America. Most of that time I have been a member of the South Bend Region. Since the 70s I have worked with a number of regions primarily announcing solo events. I also was a race worker and announcer at other auto events. During this time I amassed a number of T-Shirts, some polo shirts and some jackets. I thought I would photograph them to amuse you. 119 garments are shown in this album. Dates on some photos are guesses, names indicate the region involved. It has been fun and I still can and do wear them all!

The region gathered to reward its leaders, honor its drivers and trade stories about the past year as well as exchange plans and hopes for the future. In addition, Josh Lasko, the GingerMan Raceway manager amused us with his stories about taking charge of the track.

Enjoy a visit to River Bend, Mountain View and Brenlyn as you tour the HO-gauge railroad of John & Carolyn Underhill. This remarkable construction took almost 20 years to create and is set in 1965 in the midwest with the New York Central and Pennsylvania railroads connecting the towns. It's a marvelous trip into the past. And the detail is truly awesome.

A total of 18 cars set out on the first South Bend Region, SCCA road rally in many, many years. Staged by Duane Belisle and Dennis Jennings, it was deemed a total success as all cars got to the finish. They explored the Wine Country of SW Michigan but didn’t stop to sample or stomp the grapes this time. The finish was at Beef O’ Brady in Goshen where every car with an SBR member won a gift card for entering.

The 2nd Annual SBR kart event at Michiana Raceway Park is now history. 25 SBR members traded big wheels for small and went at it with great enthusiasm. Two practice sessions and one race for each of two groups filled the evening. We had no major incidents and everyone seemed jovial when we re-convened at Bob’s 19th Hole on US20 for food, drink, and our monthly meeting. All-in-all an evening of good competitive fun.

My friend Alice and I attended the 55th Annual Hesston Steam and Power Show and had a wonderful time getting up close to these marvelous old machines. We had a great train ride on the narrow-gauge railroad around their big site.The volunteers there are great folks.

The 13th KahnVention is now history. 14 E-V alumni met at Sonny’s Restaurant in Buchanan to relive old times and get caught up on the latest news. The attendees were Paul Asmus, Brad Baldwin, Carl Goy, Bob Herrold, Jon Kelly, Jim Long, Lloyd Loring, John Overley, Bob Ramsey, George Riley, Bonnie Rolston, Joyce Turnock, Dot Wegner, and Charlie Winkler. Charlie took most of these pictures. The group photo was with Charlie’s camera by Martha Kelly, when I couldn’t operate my new camera on remote. Next year I’ll do better. George Riley also sent some prints of his photos, which I have scanned and added. I noted that the bushes are really overgrown around the E-V plant that is still unoccupied.

Students from Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana met at the Tire Rack for the unique Street Survival day of learning how to drive as though your life depended on it. The event was staged by the South Bend Region, SCCA with volunteers from the BMWCC and the Tire Rack and with the help of United Parcel Service. Lunch was provided by Mancino’s, courtesy of Campbell Ford of Niles, MI. Any photo can be downloaded. Just click on it, then click on the little down-pointing arrow above the photo near the right edge to send it to your hard drive.

Cailin Kennedy, my granddaughter, along with over 800 others, graduated with honors from Penn High School at the Notre Dame Pauley Pavilion.

Students came from around the midwest to learn and practice driving techniques and concepts not available in most driving schools. The event was staged by the South Bend Region, SCCA with volunteers from the BMWCC and sponsorship of Tire Rack and the help of United Parcel Service. Any photo can be downloaded. Just click on it, then click on the little down-pointing arrow to send it to your hard drive.

The 57th Annual Banquet of the South Bend Region, SCCA was held at The Landing in South Bend. Our featured speaker was Mickey Matus, Ford Racing Performance Group Marketing Manager who entertained us with a quick history of Ford and racing. Lots of awards were presented and a good time had by all.

A pleasant day on Alice's birthday in the garden area of Fernwood, near Niles, MI

My friend Alice and I visited Columbus, IN and Brown County this fall to see the leaves (that were falling but not very colorful) and took a few photos of our trip. No pictures of the more primitive Yellowwood State forest which we also visited. Nor any photos of Bloomington where we had coffee and rolls downtown.

Students from the Midwest and SCCA and BMW instructors from South Bend, Indianapolis, Chicago and Ohio met to help young drivers safely get a better understanding of how to control their car in emergencies. The event was sanctioned by the South Bend Region, Sports Car Club of America. The site and additional support was provided by the Tire Rack. UPS provided a driver and semi to demonstrate the problems of blind spots for both trucks and cars. Campbell Ford, Niles, MI donated the lunch from Mancino's, and Doug Campbell also assisted with the event. Driving in both wet and dry conditions was possible with the unique test track. All photos can be downloaded free of charge and prints are available from Fotki.

As part of the October meeting of the South Bend Region, SCCA many members gathered at Michiana Raceway Park near N. Judson, IN for a few hours of kart racing. the Rock Karts are pretty quick and the course is challenging. A great time was had by all. Race results were not revealed, although the chief organizer and our R.E., Jeff Luckritz, reported he did win the final race of the evening. Afterwards we moved to the 19th Hole on US 20 for food and a brief meeting.

My friend, Alice Slatton Campbell and I visited the Fulton County Museum to view the Trail of Courage Festival and Encampment. Both Indians and early settlers were represented and literally thousands attended.

A group of 14 relive the good old days they enjoyed at Electro-Voice at Sonny's Restaurant in Buchanan, MI. The group included: Paul Asmus, Niles MI, Bob Avedon, Park Ridge NJ, Carmen Denisi, Niles MI, Carl Goy, Delton MI, Bob Herrold, Elkhart IN, Jim Long, Baroda MI, Lloyd Loring, South Bend IN, Len Menchinger, Benton Harbor MI, John Overley, Kalamazoo MI, George Riley, Plainwell MI, Bonnie Rolston, Niles MI, Joyce Turnock, Buchanan, MI, Charlie Winkler, South Bend, IN, and Thomas Zoss, Bloomington IN.

Brian tours the New York Central Railroad Museum in downtown Elkhart, Indiana. Grandpa tells him tall tales of how it was before diesels.

Hundreds of folks from all over came to the Mittler Boat Barn in Three Rivers, MI to extend condolences to Charlotte Mittler and family and to remember a remarkable man and his life and passions. This is some of what they saw.

Paul Bender and spouse hosted a party for some old South Bend Region members and friends at his home. Guests included: Don & Pat Naylor, Ed Steltner, Marietta & Wedge Rafferty, John & Norma Powell, Richie Millburn & spouse & child, Don Marando, Jim Matthews, and yours truly. We had a fine time telling some really old lies!

Brian takes Grandpa to the Potawatami Zoo in South Bend. We both had a fine time.

Our 56th annual banquet. Here are the people that attended this event in all their glory!

Thousands of sand hill cranes meet and greet in a open field west of US 421 on IN 143. Up to 10,000 this year. They are en route to Florida and Georgia from northern Michigan and Wisconsin. It is an awesome sight as darkness falls. My little camera barely captures the scene (see the impressive lenses others were using!)

the fall migration of over 10,000 sandhill cranes gather in NW Indiana for a stopover before heading south for the winter.

Fifteen of us E-V folks met at Sonny’s in Buchanan to share our memories and renew old friendships. In addition to the group photo, I took a picture of the still-unleased plant as well as of Sonny’s and a few of downtown Buchanan. Jim Long added over a dozen photos to complete the set, including a picture of Lou Hoodwin with “the tie!”. Thanks Jim.

The annual South Bend Region, SCCA banquet at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, IN where a display of British sports cars was also featured.

On a cold, wet day this October my friend Alice Slatton Campbell and I celebrated her birthday by driving to the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI near Kalamazoo. She wanted to visit the National Miniatures Museum and I wanted to revisit the Gilmore Museum after about 20 years. The miniatures are in a separate album but these photos can give you an idea of the scope of the Gilmore.

Here a few photos I took at the National Miniatures Museum located at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI, These pictures just barely touch on the many little gems on view.

The E-V Alumni gathered at Sonny’s for a lunch and chat. 15 total, plus Olive Kirkendall and Cindy Avedon who met us there but then went on to other places. A fine time was had by all.

Annual Banquet of the South Bend Region, SCCA at the Studebaker National Museum with guest speaker Carey Hines of Special Edition, Inc., Bremen, IN.

Dinner at Carrabas restaurant then Maureen and Brian’s cake plus ice cream at home. Yummy!

A brief stroll through Fernwood Botanical Gardens and Nature Preserve near Niles, Michigan

A small group of car enthusiasts celebrate the 85th birthday of Curt Thews. Organized by Don Tarwacki the group included Dale Martin, Chris Shreve, Ronnie McLean, Vic Andresyak, Gene Rodgers, and Lloyd Loring (not shown). Pardon the poor photo quality.

A display of cars, models and art by Virgil Exner, a Notre Dame graduate, stylist for Chrysler Corporation and Studebaker. Taken at the Stepan Center of Notre Dame.

A dinner she didn’t have to cook, playing with cats, and ice cream and cake with her family to top it off.

Photos taken to illustrate the PowerPoint presentation to St. Joseph County officals officials on rezoning of the Conyer property.

Attendees for lunch at the Riverfront Cafe including (L to R) Lloyd Loring, Bob Avedon, George Riley, John Overley, Lou Hoodwin, Bob Ramsey, Jim Long, and John Kelly (Don Krajecki not shown.)

Photos of the South Bend Region, SCCA booth plus other cars of interest at the Joyce Center.

Bill & Maureen, Cailin and Brian were the surprise at my birthday party at Alice’s. The cake was yummy. The Christmas tree brightened the day on the Epiphany.

Almost 70 members met to give out trophies, enjoy each other’s company have a fine dinner and hear a speech about the Avanti by Andy Beckman, Studebaker Museum Archivist, while a snow storm raged outside.

The family gathers, 23 strong, at Bill & Maureen’s for the annual feast.

Views around this small private lake where I spent a pleasant week.

L to R: Bob Avedon, Lloyd Loring, Jon Kelly, Dot Wegner, Bob Ramsey, Paul Asmus, George Riley, Erwin Dreiske, Denny Bromley, Jim Long, Don Kirkendall, Dale Blackwell, Bonnie Ralston, Lou Hoodwin, Don Stanfield, Ruth Bromley, Frank Spain.

Exteriors of the unoccupied Buchanan Plant