Gymkhana

Supported by the Patroon Chapter

Chairperson: Scott Stowell

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Wanna’ Gymkhana?

Do you have the detail oriented mindset of a councours participant, the lightning fast reflexes of an autocross driver, the patience, heart, and competitiveness of a club racer, and the intelligence of a rally driver or navigator? Do you enjoy the excitement of a Formula One qualifying session with the seconds ticking down until there is only one driver who will sit on the pole position with the opportunity to be champion? Will you be driving or have access to a BMW of choice while attending the 2008 Oktoberfest this September? If you possess these skills, passions, and a car, you need to participate in this year’s version of the Oktoberfest Gymkhana presented by the Patroon Chapter!

What’s that? You don’t know what a Gymkhana is? Well neither did we several months ago when we were approached about organizing it. A quick check in the Merriam-Webster dictionary gave us the following definition:

A meet featuring sports contests or athletic skills: as a: competitive games on horseback b: a timed contest for automobiles featuring a series of events designed to test driving skill.

The Patroon Chapter decided to chose definition “b” due to our lack of horse handling skills, and much more importantly our complete lack of horses. While there are herds of horses at the Saratoga race tracks, they would understandably frown on our procuring them for this event.

What we do have planned for you is a roughly twelve minute contest that will take you on a tour of upstate New York. Teams of two people will begin their Empire State automotive adventure on the Hudson River where you will get to test your skills with a rod and reel. Our next stop will be in Albany, our state capital and center of government. Here you may encounter a test requiring extreme patience with a bit of automotive knowledge as you attempt to navigate bureaucratic red tape. Heading to the west, we travel up the Mohawk River past the fertile pastures and fields that present three agricultural based opportunities which will showcase coordination skills, problem solving abilities, and animal husbandry acumen, but I probably have already said too much! Our final destination is the start/finish line where your time though the course is totaled and the Gymkhana champions will be determined.

Where does the “test of driving skill” fall? Well, we will leave the bulk of that challenge to the Autocross competitions being held on the following days. What you will need to do is be able to follow a well marked course, place your car in cone-defined stop boxes and not come into contact with the volunteers – we are a small chapter and do not wish to become smaller. The only real requirements you need to be a successful Gymkhanaist are to have a friend to work with you, a car, and most importantly have the desire to play the game. While someone with more car control skills may drive around the course more quickly than you, you may gain a winning advantage by completing the challenges faster than others.
This event is designed to be a chance for both participants and volunteers to have some fun. We will laugh at and with each other and kick off Oktoberfest on a humorous note. Please consider joining us as either a contestant or in assisting us run the first competitive event of Oktoberfest 2008 at Watkins Glen.

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