Normally, if we had SCCA® members like Scott Pruett, Terry Ozment, Joe Aquilante, and Ron Bartell celebrating milestone anniversaries all in one month, that’s what this column would be about. But not this month. You see, in the list below that contains milestone anniversaries that begin at the 25-year mark and work their way up in increments of five, we have one 60-year member, one 70-year member, and incredibly one 75-year member (!) to celebrate in August.
Back to the others, though. If you recognize the name Scott Pruett, then you’re definitely a motorsports fan. Pruett has run in the SCCA Pro Racing-sanction Trans Am Series, as well as IMSA GTO, CART Championship, and even NASCAR. His SCCA membership is also still going strong after 25 years.
At the 45-year mark is SCCA Hall of Famer and past SCCA staffer Terry Ozment. At 50 years is Joe Aquilante, who brings a fleet of potent Phoenix Performance cars to the SCCA National Championship Runoffs® each year, playing a part in a nearly uncountable number of National Championship titles. Then at 50 years of membership is Ron Bartell. While the record book only shows him as earning two National Championship titles, he is a Runoffs stalwart, competing in 28 National Championship events between 1979 and 2019.
Yet who we want to talk about this month are Walter Koopman, Leonard Janke, and Charles Patterson.
Koopman joined the Club in 1966, an incredible 60 years ago. Yet by the time he joined, Leonard Janke had already been a member for 10 years. Backing it up even further, Patterson’s membership became active in 1951, five years before Janke’s!
That means the Sports Car Club of America was barely seven years old when Patterson joined. Patterson was also part of a giant influx of membership in the early 1950s. Case in point, the membership count in January 1950 was 588. One year later, the membership had ballooned to 1,243. He also snuck in right before the annual membership dues increased from $10 a year to $12.50, which in today’s money would be like if an annual membership cost $126 and then increased to $158.
Letters were undoubtedly written about that one.
The anniversary listing below notes each member’s name, Region of record, Division, and join/rejoin date. It’s important to point out that join dates for 1981 and earlier may list the first of the month rather than the actual day of membership.
25-YEAR MEMBERS
Name, Region of Record, Division, Join/Rejoin Date
Margaret Baccarelli, New York Region, NE, 8/15/2001
Sammye Banker, Atlanta Region, SE, 8/28/2001
Jason E. Berkeley, Northern New Jersey Region, NE, 8/22/2001
Mark E Bingheim, Chicago Region, CN, 8/28/2001
Jim Clark, Central Florida Region, SE, 8/23/2001
Terry Clark, Central Florida Region, SE, 8/23/2001
Richard Eastep, Washington DC Region, NE, 8/8/2001
Dave Fichter, Chicago Region, CN, 8/28/2001
Gregg S Ginsberg, Washington DC Region, NE, 8/23/2001
Amy Gould, Washington DC Region, NE, 8/8/2001
Chris Halstead, Northwest Region, NP, 8/29/2001
Joey Jarosz, Las Vegas Region, SP, 8/29/2001
Michael Jaynes, Cal Club Region, SP, 8/23/2001
Douglas Allan Johnston, Central Florida Region, SE, 8/9/2001
David E Kirk, Southwest Montana Region, NP, 8/9/2001
Philip L Knowles, Washington DC Region, NE, 8/22/2001
Paul Kullman, Central Florida Region, SE, 8/2/2001
David Lenzi, San Francisco Region, NP, 8/2/2001
Marshall B Lytle III, Washington DC Region, NE, 8/2/2001
Timm Murphy, Steel Cities Region, NE, 8/1/2001
Bradley B Oldenbrook, San Francisco Region, NP, 8/7/2001
Scott Pruett, San Francisco Region, NP, 8/29/2001
Kinch R. Reindl, Colorado Region, RM, 8/7/2001
David Satterley, Detroit Region, GL, 8/7/2001
Stephen A Schiffman, Central Florida Region, SE, 8/15/2001
Neil Simon, Washington DC Region, NE, 8/14/2001
Susan I Smith, Arizona Region, SP, 8/21/2001
Drew Spoto, Florida Region, SE, 8/22/2001
Amy Toliver, Central Carolinas Region, SE, 8/9/2001
30-YEAR MEMBERS
Name, Region of Record, Division, Join/Rejoin Date
Andrea Albin, Southern Illinois Region, MW, 8/23/1996
Doris L Bax, Cincinnati Region, GL, 8/27/1996
Mary Beth Broring, Washington DC Region, NE, 8/21/1996
Russell Burckhard, Mohawk-Hudson Region, NE, 8/6/1996
Marsha Burkett, South Texas Border Region, SW, 8/14/1996
Debbie Crepin, St Louis Region, MW, 8/5/1996
Domenic Crugnale, New England Region, NE, 8/28/1996
Hal Denham, New England Region, NE, 8/6/1996
Marilyn Freeman, New England Region, NE, 8/6/1996
Patrick Gallagher, Ohio Valley Region, GL, 8/28/1996
Tracey L Gauper, Milwaukee Region, CN, 8/29/1996
Del Lewis, St Louis Region, MW, 8/14/1996
Christian L Magerhans, New York Region, NE, 8/6/1996
Wayne J Menaker, Florida Region, SE, 8/20/1996
Brian Morrison, New England Region, NE, 8/13/1996
Jan Riley, New England Region, NE, 8/27/1996
Joshua Preston Saurino, Northeast Oklahoma Region, MW, 8/5/1996
John C Stermer, Chicago Region, CN, 8/15/1996
Kevin R Vincent, Steel Cities Region, NE, 8/19/1996
Jason Wilhoite, Las Vegas Region, SP, 8/20/1996
Jennifer Wise, Ohio Valley Region, GL, 8/5/1996
Lonnie Worthington, Kansas City Region, MW, 8/6/1996
Marla Worthington, Kansas City Region, MW, 8/6/1996
Thomas B Wright, Eastern Idaho Region, RM, 8/14/1996
Christopher Yearwood, Red Hills Region, SE, 8/12/1996
35-YEAR MEMBERS
Name, Region of Record, Division, Join/Rejoin Date
Jason Benagh, New England Region, NE, 8/22/1991
Jeffrey S Benagh, New England Region, NE, 8/7/1991
Ross A Bollinger, South Bend Region, GL, 8/1/1991
Marcello Canitano, Central Florida Region, SE, 8/22/1991
Carol Cimino, Northern New Jersey Region, NE, 8/15/1991
Jay Culbertson, Oregon Region, NP, 8/7/1991
Leslie S Culbertson, Oregon Region, NP, 8/7/1991
Blair Deffenbaugh, North Carolina Region, SE, 8/14/1991
Tricia Deffenbaugh, North Carolina Region, SE, 8/14/1991
Paul D Durr, Las Vegas Region, SP, 8/28/1991
Boris Elpiner, San Francisco Region, NP, 8/15/1991
Donald A Erickson, San Francisco Region, NP, 8/13/1991
Shelia J Gallagher, Ohio Valley Region, GL, 8/15/1991
Keith Goldin, Central Florida Region, SE, 8/28/1991
Pamela M Lentz, Washington DC Region, NE, 8/15/1991
Thomas N McLeod, Washington DC Region, NE, 8/22/1991
Brad Morris, Mahoning Valley Region, NE, 8/8/1991
Larry O Oliver, Washington DC Region, NE, 8/29/1991
Nancy J Rouse, South Jersey Region, NE, 8/28/1991
Marty N Schiratti, Lake Superior Region, CN, 8/28/1991
R J Shaw, Des Moines Valley Region, MW, 8/28/1991
Robert S Swinehart, Finger Lakes Region, NE, 8/8/1991
James H Thornton Jr., Texas Region, SW, 8/20/1991
Louis J Vannicolo III, Philadelphia Region, NE, 8/13/1991
40-YEAR MEMBERS
Name, Region of Record, Division, Join/Rejoin Date
Brewster Ames, New England Region, NE, 8/22/1986
Craig Bucher, Susquehanna Region, NE, 8/18/1986
Bob Crepin, St Louis Region, MW, 8/22/1986
Larry Diemer, Detroit Region, GL, 8/28/1986
Pam Henderson, Florida Region, SE, 8/26/1986
Rick Henderson, Florida Region, SE, 8/26/1986
F Cameron Lalli, Central Florida Region, SE, 8/13/1986
James D MacMahon, New England Region, NE, 8/13/1986
George A Marino, Atlanta Region, SE, 8/12/1986
Kris Miserendino, Cal Club Region, SP, 8/29/1986
Mike Miserendino, Cal Club Region, SP, 8/29/1986
Tom Miserendino, Cal Club Region, SP, 8/29/1986
Jim Oster, Misery Bay Region, NE, 8/19/1986
Douglas M Rauco, Philadelphia Region, NE, 8/15/1986
Lynne M Rothney-Kozlak, New England Region, NE, 8/14/1986
Rick Ruckman, Steel Cities Region, NE, 8/19/1986
Michael Keith Scharf, St Louis Region, MW, 8/7/1986
Steve Snyder, Texas Region, SW, 8/8/1986
45-YEAR MEMBERS
Name, Region of Record, Division, Join/Rejoin Date
Richard E Fedler, Milwaukee Region, CN, 8/1/1981
JJ Gaines, Oregon Region, NP, 8/1/1981
James Jandrisevits, Atlanta Region, SE, 8/9/1981
J James Jerele, Ohio Valley Region, GL, 8/1/1981
Wendell Karr-Ake, Northeast Oklahoma Region, MW, 8/11/1981
Pamela Kewley, Blackhawk Valley Region, CN, 8/1/1981
Terry J Ozment, Chicago Region, CN, 8/1/1981
Henry Rudolf Payne, Central Carolinas Region, SE, 8/1/1981
Jack J Randall, Land O'Lakes Region, CN, 8/1/1981
Jerry Randall, Land O'Lakes Region, CN, 8/1/1981
Karen Randall, Land O'Lakes Region, CN, 8/1/1981
Stephen Scannell, Detroit Region, GL, 8/1/1981
Bud Scott, St Louis Region, MW, 8/1/1981
50-YEAR MEMBERS
Name, Region of Record, Division, Join/Rejoin Date
Joseph F Aquilante, Philadelphia Region, NE, 8/1/1976
James J Conlin, Ohio Valley Region, GL, 8/1/1976
Samuel Fouse, North Carolina Region, SE, 8/1/1976
Hughie Maloney, Northeastern Pennsylvania Region, NE, 8/1/1976
Sharon K. McBride, Oklahoma Region, MW, 8/1/1976
Wilson A Wright Jr., New England Region, NE, 8/1/1976
55-YEAR MEMBERS
Name, Region of Record, Division, Join/Rejoin Date
Ron Bartell, New England Region, NE, 8/1/1971
Raul Bob DeCardenas, Florida Region, SE, 8/15/1971
Larry R Metz, Columbus Sports Car Club, GL, 8/1/1971
Harold Weiner, New York Region, NE, 8/1/1971
60-YEAR MEMBERS
Name, Region of Record, Division, Join/Rejoin Date
Walter Koopman, South Jersey Region, NE, 8/1/1966
70-YEAR MEMBERS
Name, Region of Record, Division, Join/Rejoin Date
Leonard Janke, Nebraska Region, MW, 8/1/1956
75-YEAR MEMBERS
Name, Region of Record, Division, Join/Rejoin Date
Charles A Patterson, Steel Cities Region, NE, 8/1/1951
