Website Honors

History Team

The History Team was awarded the Woody Dunn Trophy
(Outstanding contribution to Nebraska Region SCCA for 2003)

Left to Right: Dave Zitzlsperger, Ellen Zitzlsperger, Patt Buell
Not Pictured: Mark Ross (who was called into work at the last minute)

Published in SportsCar December 2003

The Kansas-Nebraska Act

Rocky's Road
Midwest Division
by Rocky Entriken

The territories of Kansas and Nebraska were created May 30, 1854, when President Franklin Pierce signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act into law. It led to regional conflicts, especially in "Bleeding Kansas," as a precursor to the Civil War.

Ninety-nine years later, the Kansas and Nebraska Regions were created, happily to far less fractious consequences. Both celebrate their 50th anniversaries this year.

LUNCH AT THE LIBRARY

Kansas Region kicked off its golden anniversary with a special program, display and car show at the Topeka Public Library, with racer/journalist Denise McCluggage - born and schooled in Topeka - and author Burt Levy keynoting the event.

Both shared stories of their days behind the wheel. McCluggage regaled the crowd with tales of racing with the likes of Stirling Moss, Juan Fangio and Briggs Cunningham in a day when female racers were a rarity. Levy shared stores from his latest book, The Fabulous Trashwagon. Each was presented an honorary membership in Kansas Region.

A car show outside the library put about 30 cars on display, from a number of Spec Racer Fords brought in under police escort, to exotics including a Ferrari Testarossa and Lamgorghini Diablo, Mini Coopers old and new, Detroit Iron in the presence of a Mustang, and Kent Prather's five-time National Champion G Production MGA.

LEMAY WAS A LOCAL GUY

At a time in the early '50s when SCCA had few places to race, Gen. Curtis LeMay, commanding officer of the Strategic Air Command, stepped up and provided the runways of several SAC bases for use as temporary SCCA racetracks.

Of course, Offutt AFB at Omaha, Neb., SAC Headquarters, was among them and was the site of two SCCA weekends in 1953 and 1954. The birth of Nebraska Region - perhaps inspired by the '53 race (where LeMay himself threw the green flag) - took place four months before the '54 renewal.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary this year, Nebraska Region has created a Web site - www.nrsccahistory.com - containing tidbits and excerpts from the "Exhaust Notes" newsletter and other sources telling about five decades of SCCA motorsports in the Cornhusker State.

The editors of the Web site are Patt Buell, Mark Ross, and Dave and Ellen Zitzlsperger. Included are comprehensive reports of those two Offutt AFB races with vintage photographs, lists of award winners and regional executives, photo montages of Nebraska racers, autocrossers and rallyists, members' remembrances, and other information.