Minutes of the Michigan HPV Association annual meeting,
February 11, 2006

Recorded by Paul Pancella, MHPVA Secretary

Present:
Wally Kiehler, Bill Frey, Paul Pancella, Rob Duncan, Terry Gerweck, Jon Stinson, Mike Eliasohn, Mike Mowett, Paul Bruneau, Bob Krzewinski, Rob Akers, Brandon Ellingson, Greg Nelson, Marvin Rehklau, Don Smith, Mike Senyk, Garrie L. Hill, C. David Elliott, Steve Webber, Ross G. Richardson, Kirt D. Livernois, Tom Powell, Mark Konvisser, Rich Moeller, and probably others.

The annual winter meeting was again held in an auditorium of the Francois Xavier Bagnoud building on the University of Michigan North Campus in Ann Arbor. At 12:55 p.m., President Wally Kiehler called the meeting to order and everyone introduced themselves.

Show and tell started with Garrie Hill of Granville Ohio, showing three vehicles: The 21-pound Challenge Hurricane, a low, Dutch, semi-practical recumbent with rear suspension; a sub-20-pound Velokraft carbon No-Com lowracer; and the 75-pound aluminum-skinned Alleweder velomobile. The crowd was stunned by Garrie's announcement that the recumbent-averse Mike Mowett will be the hired gun powering the No-Com in the HPRA series this year.

But the overall impact of the Alleweder was even greater, studded with pop rivets and looking like an old-style aircraft fuselage sitting low on its three wheels.

Two student groups from U-M described their human-powered engineering projects. The submarine team plans to race this summer, and showed their carbon fiber hull laid up on a balsa wood core. The Phoenix HP helicopter project showed no obvious progress since last year. Several other bikes were shown over the next 40 minutes. Among the highlights were president Wally's vintage Lightning F-40, and a lowracer homebuilt by Mike Senyk. This latter bike displayed some very nice features, including part of the primary frame tube used as a drinking water reservoir!

Bob Krzewinski described the Wolverbents' mission and activities for the season. Garrie Hill then showed a video shot by a small camera shooting through the windshield of Warren Beauchamp's streamliner during a fast run down that straight highway at Battle Mountain, Nevada. Cool.

Special guest
Rich Moeller, the new executive director of the League of Michigan Bicyclists, then was invited to the stage. He is making the rounds of member clubs and briefly described some of the issues that are on the plate of the LMB this year.

Business meeting
Treasurer Bill Frey presented his report covering 2005. It showed expenses exceeded income by $57, that is, our normal activities continue to balance out nicely. We maintain sufficient cash reserves to operate for a normal year without income. The treasurer's report was accepted unanimously.

HPRa Racing series report
Garrie Hill updated us on Human Powered Race - America activities. Because of our excellent safety record, the blanket insurance is still inexpensive. A special three-day human-powered racing event at the speedway in Homestead, Florida., is being planned for February of 2007.

Next came discussion of our own racing weekend. The 23rd annual Michigan HPV Rally will take place June 10-11 at the Waterford Hills raceway. Camping will be available on site Friday and Saturday nights. The entry fee structure will be the same, $25 to compete one day or $35 for both days, which will include an MHPVA membership. $350 was budgeted for prizes. Stinson moved (Gerweck second) the following schedule of events:

Saturday:
Sprints
Timed race (divided field)
Lunch break
Hill climb/ coast down
1 km time trials
Urban transportation contest (UTC)
The latter two events will occur in parallel.

Sunday:
Big road race
The evolving vision is to separate the two days into two different "events", perhaps even for HPRA series points purposes. The regular prize scheme would apply to all HPRA classes for the combined points from Saturday (UTC scored separately and prizes awarded without regard to classes). We may try to award those prizes Saturday evening.

The big event Sunday would be a long race, 50-60 miles, either on the regular course or a variation without the hill. Details will be worked out by a subcommittee in the next few weeks, but the idea is to try something new that will draw serious competitors from around the country. We will seek sponsorship to provide a purse for relatively large cash prizes for top finishers. We may restrict entries somehow to faster racers. It should be simple to score this race and award prizes, and still finish early in the day to allow travelers to return home at a decent hour.

Finally, officer elections were held. Wally Kiehler, Paul Pancella, and Bill Frey were nominated and reelected as president, secretary, and treasurer, respectively. Mike Mowett was nominated and elected as our new vice president. Mike Eliasohn and Paul Bruneau were re-elected as directors at-large by the overwhelming majority of the small group still in attendance. Rick Wianecki, who was not in attendance, will be asked to continue as our representative to the HPRA.

The meeting adjourned at 4 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Paul Pancella, secretary

Update from Mike Eliasohn: What we are calling the Michigan Fast 50 will be 36 laps of the 1.4 mile course, for a total of 51.2 miles. I have sent 29 letters to HPV manufacturers, distributors and a few big dealers asking for contributions to a prize fund, with the goal of raising at least $500. Prizes likely will be awarded based on finishing order in two classes -- streamliners and superstreet in one and all other HPRA classes in the other. We will need a big sign or banner at the race naming our major sponsors. If anyone can make one (neatly) or has connections so we can have one made cheaply, please contact me (meliasohn@myvine.com).