Reality and necessity have been a good catalyst to find solutions for 2020 dilemmas. The famous Hoffman Cup Run-Off event is where the top twenty drivers for the season compete back-to-back in the same car to crown the winner. That just wouldn’t work this year due to Covid-19 protocols. Instead, we created a new run-off style event that made for an exciting end to the year and launched a new tradition. Now you can strive to add the distinctive title of AutoX-University Road Scholar to your driving credentials. To earn this RS title, you will need to demonstrate your “Better Driving…Faster!“ driving skills, now in your own car, but still tested in the heat of competition. Repeatable and fast driving is the measure.


To determine the RS title, your fastest time from the morning AutoX event is your “target time” and you try to match that as closely as possible with your three afternoon runs. The person with the tightest grouping of times (the smallest Standard Deviation, or Sigma) is the winner. This is a hard test and best won by driving to your maximum on each run with no mistakes at all. Simply Averaging times would have made this a game where a faster time could be offset by an equally slower time, so that was not an option. To earn this RS distinction would be a true test of accumulated driving skills.
With “the car” now eliminated from the equation, there was a buzz to the event. Everyone had an equal shot at this new award and everyone was “going for it”. As a result, there was a fantastic demonstration of driving skills as each run was clocked. “Wow” and applause erupted often from the group more often than an empathetic “ooooh”, as the clock immortalized each run. Many drivers received the former. With a winning Sigma (standard deviation) of only .091 seconds for all four runs, Paul Usechak took the RS title for 2020. Brian Fournier earned honorable mention with a Sigma of only .097 seconds. What an amazing display of skilled, fast, and consistent driving. Congratulations to Paul and to all that made him really earn this new distinction!

Not to be overshadowed by the new RS event, there were two more annual AutoX awards that had been earned by the season-long demonstration of driving skills. And the winners are:
2020 AutoX Most Improved Driver: Rob Keller


Rob Keller started with his first AutoX event just two years ago, then three events last year. As is typical, desire to refine one’s driving skills must first overcome years of “normal driving habits” and the humbling realization that it will be really hard to build an inventory of advanced skills. Rob gets admiration for sticking with it as he attended all 5 CVR AutoX events this season, focusing on the AutoX University lessons highlighted at each. I knew Rob had made a big step forward this year when I was watching his 944 impressively flow through the course and asked “is that Mike” (his son) driving? Knowing Mike’s driving abilities that was quite the compliment indeed. Looking at the impressive jump in Rob’s scores from last year’s low to mid 70% range to this year’s high of 81.8% cemented this year’s award. Congratulations Rob!
2020 AutoX Rookie Of The Year: Tony Bogue


It’s hard to think of Tony Bogue as a “rookie”. He has literally grown up at CVR AutoX events and has been absorbing all of the AutoX-U skills by paying attention all of these years. Not only has he helped with the set-up, running, and tear-down of the AutoX events, but his dad and he walked the courses and discussed each driving skill, each line, each car adjustment Ed made, and just about every nuance of all of those. As a result, when Tony finally got his driving license this year, all of that knowledge and skill just needed a little calibration behind the wheel to ooze out. His level of driving is very high and it takes a very trained eye to distinguish his runs from his dad’s other-worldly demonstrations on the course. Congratulation Tony on your well-earned 2020 AutoX Rookie Of The Year Award!
This year has indeed been memorable. We adapted to the realities of 2020 and ran safe, respectful, and amazing fun events that had a great touch of normalcy and camaraderie. Please join us next season to be part of the CVR AutoX team and build your Better Driving…Faster!