The founding group knew immediately that they couldn’t do it alone. The event needed the car club community behind it – not just as participants, but as organizers and owners of the outcome.
Darren reached out to every club he could identify, invited representatives to come and sit at the table, and made the case: this is your event too. The response exceeded what any of them had hoped for.
On January 14, 2014, the first formal committee meeting was held. The room filled up. Ten clubs sent voting representatives, and a formal organizational structure was elected on the spot.
CB Harris was elected President. Darren Traub took on Secretary. Denny Hale became Treasurer.
At that same meeting, Denny did something that said everything about the kind of man he was. He put $1,000 of his own money on the table as seed funding – enough to get the website running and the organizational infrastructure moving. It was a statement of belief. The event was real now because Denny had made it real.
The clubs represented at that founding table were Austin Healey, Cobra, Mini Cooper, Jaguar, MG, MGA, Mini, Triumph, Mazda Miata, and the Nissan Z Car Club – each committing a representative to the work ahead. Darren participated as an independent, representing no single marque but bringing the organizational backbone the event would need.
From that table, committee chairs were assigned. Ken Williams took on the track event. James Mackenzie handled parking and car placement. Mick Mithelavage led fund raising, working alongside Dan McConnell and Scott Ward. Rick Van Tuyl took on the autocross.
Shortly after that founding meeting, Tracy Modlin joined the committee and took on the entire field operations and security – a role that would prove enormous in scope and critical to the day running smoothly.
Dean and Kay Owens of the Corvette Association also joined the effort, adding their experience and enthusiasm to the growing team.
As the work intensified, it became clear that the track operation needed dedicated expertise. Rick Van Tuyl mentioned he knew someone – a man named Kevin Hinckle. Kevin came in, took over the track, and never looked back. It is not an overstatement to say that Kevin Hinckle became the single most pivotal figure in making the track event work. More on that shortly.
Not everyone who started finished, and others stepped up to carry more than originally expected. As roles shifted and the scope of the event became clear, Darren’s contribution extended well beyond Secretary – taking on marketing, event development, the legal and corporate structure, insurance navigation, and the promotional infrastructure that would get the word out. Denny absorbed registration alongside his treasurer role, building a system that would need to handle hundreds of participants. CB and Cheryl absorbed the car show on top of everything else they were already carrying – which was typical of how they operated.
The partners deserve their own mention. Behind nearly every committee chair was a partner who showed up, rolled up their sleeves, and did whatever needed doing. They are woven into this story even where their names don’t appear on the official record.
The group agreed to meet on the second Thursday of every month at Lucky Brew Grille on Johnson Drive – two hours, 7 to 9 p.m., with real agendas and real minutes. And they did.
Part 4 coming out next Weekend. . . .
