More 1967 Autocross Olympics memories

SAMOA's team #1 in the 1967 Autocross Olympics consisted of Dick Penna, Gerry Everett, Jeorge Patience, Ray Honsberger and Jim Burnett. They led the fledgling Mini club to an overall team victory but a couple of faces on the #2 team might be more familiar to recent members. From left to right, Kjell Lyso and Glenda Williams, had just started their senior year in high school, Ed Sauer, had just graduated, and a MUCH older Al Beebe had to be wondering what he’d done to wind up on the same team as a bunch of punk teenagers from Ballard!

Glenda drove a beautiful white Triumph Spitfire in those days but she had been coerced into driving Al’s Cooper S in the autocross. Needless to say, she never had autocrossed or even driven a Mini before but Glenda dove right in and did an admirable job, finishing sixth in the, get this, Small Powder Puff class (oh how times have changed). Memory fails as to what Kjell drove in the event, probably Ed’s Cooper S. Regardless, he finished fifth, a mere .009 of a second behind Al. Ed finished second, 3.2 seconds behind the overall top time of the day and class-winner Dick Penna. Jim Burnett finished third so at the end of the day, SAMOA Minis held the top five places in Small Sedan! –above photo by Dennis Metherell
Washington State Senator Warren G. Magnuson presented the Autocross Olympics trophy to SAMOA at the Western Washington Sports Car Council annual awards banquet in 1967 with club president, Ray Honsberger accepting. Pretty exciting stuff for a club in its first year of existence.