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Virginia International Raceway History 1957-74
"FROM THE MILTON HILTON" by Sally Zorowski
(from NC Region SCCA 1974 Annual)
Activities at the Milton Hilton (nee Log Cabin) ranged from doing what we are supposed to do best - registering race-type people - to trying to glue birthday cakes back together - to pushing cars out of the mud. The job is really quite diversified. Any of you who have not tried it should do so.
When this activity started three years ago, it consisted of myself and Gloria King. Gloria took one look at the organized confusion and decided that corner working was really her bag - and I haven't seen her since. I must admit that she stuck it out until we had sufficient help to muddle our way through without her.
The people who help at registration are too numerous to mention here. Let me say that they are a dedicated lot who not only help at the track but show up on my doorstop the night before the race to drink beer and help me got my act together. Many of these souls (in fact, I think all of them) work some other aspect during the race weekend - as Corner workers, Timers & Scorers, Crew members, Drivers, and some even play like Race Chairmen. Marq of then have come and worked registration with virtually no training. We have made our share of mistakes, but there has been nothing that we could not un-muddle by the end of the race weekend. They have all done a super job.
A special "thank you" goes to Bob Upchurch, Zan Smith. and members of their drinking club - also to those souls who kept registration open ALL NIGHT at the national race in April. It sure was nice to show up at 7:00 A.M. and find not one person waiting in line. And while I am saying "thank you". let me pass on a very special one to the members of my family whose suffering is unbelievable during the racing season (just ask any one of them)!!!
The one thing we try to stress in our "Specialty" is to get people thru the lines as quickly as possible with as little hassle as possible. We feel that if a good impression is made, and the individual leaves registration with a good impression, it might well set their mood for the entire weekend.
As with most minority groups, we are now in the process of trying to organize. A Manual of Procedure is in the works and a good portion of it has been completed. Hopefully this will be finished by the end of 1975. We are also in the process of appointing some new registrars. Jacque Holland and Sue Davis have both expressed the desire to be Chief Registrar for some of our events. Pat Lee has offered to completely take charge of Worker Registration at the track. It looks like we may finally be getting to the point where we can have a workable organization and possibly some of the work can be spread a bit. It also looks like I may be out of a job soon. Now that I have officially "crashed and burned", maybe I could go work on a corner.
FROM THE MILTON HILTON COFFEE SHOPPE AND LOUNGE
As for our Milton Hilton Coffee Shoppe (hours sporadic) and Lounge (evenings only) - it was a great success. I'm not sure just what went an at the Lounge after I left the track an Friday night (perhaps I'd rather not know). I do know that there were many people who arrived either very late at night or very early in the morning who were most appreciative of the coffee, tea, etc. made available for them.
For those of you not familiar with our infamous Coffee Shoppe and Lounge, it consists of a rather battered old coffee pot set on the corner of one of the tables in the Log Cabin. Along with a jar of instant coffee and some tea bags, it has created a lot of good feeling and good fellowship. The cost of operating the "Shoppe" is nominal (one jar of coffee and one package of tea bags a season), although I'm not sure our poor old "pot" can make it thru another racing season.