Board Notes from the Secretary, January 23, 2026
This quarterly summary focuses on Board actions, decisions, and process updates that support how CVAR operates. It highlights items not covered by other Board member’s reports, such as rules changes, and is intended to provide clarity, context, and continuity for members. Full minutes from all Board meetings are available on the CVAR website.
2026 Board of Directors
John Strnad, President
David Lee, Vice President
Rob Pink, Treasurer
Steven Schultze, Secretary
Ricardo Price, Authenticity
Simon Hughes, At Large Director
Jackson Williams, At Large Director
Steve Heitzke, At Large Director
Mark Mcilyar, At Large Director
Andy Samudio, At Large Director
Steve Coleman resigned as President for personal reasons. In accordance with the club’s Bylaws, the Board elected John Strnad to complete the remainder of the term through 2026. John’s election created a vacancy in the Treasurer role, and the Board elected Rob Pink to complete the remainder of that term through 2026.
The annual election resulted in a three-way tie for the open At Large Director position, which carries a three-year term. As a one time exception, the Board voted to seat all three candidates in the At Large Director role. At the conclusion of this three-year term, the At Large Director position will return to a single individual. The Board also approved a Bylaws amendment to temporarily adjust the number of Directors to support this action.
The annual Vintage Motorsports Council (VMC) meeting will be held virtually in February. CVAR will be represented by David Hopkins, Greg Matlack, David Lee, and Steven Schultze. During the meeting, CVAR will provide updates on club activities from the past year and plans for the coming year, and will extend an invitation to all member clubs to join us in 2027 when CVAR hosts the annual VMC meeting in the Fort Worth area.
A new license fee structure went into effect following the final race of the 2025 season. Members may purchase a license for any available duration within their eligible age range. For example, a 25-year-old may choose a three-year, two-year, or one-year license.
For members age 65 and older, license expiration will be set at 13 months to allow sufficient time to complete annual physicals under most insurance guidelines. To keep a CVAR Competition License active, members must maintain a current CVAR membership in good standing for each calendar year through the license expiration date.
License Fees
Ages 18 to 35, $135 for three years
Ages 36 to 64, $100 for two years
Ages 65 and older, $50 for one year
In 2025, a Guest Fee applies to all race registrants who are not CVAR Competition, Sponsor, or Lifetime Members. The fee is $25 and was adopted for consistency with what some other Vintage Motorsports Council (VMC) clubs charge their guests.
Important: If you are a CVAR member and do not renew your annual membership before or during event registration, the $25 Guest Fee will apply.
The Board will be developing a “How We Do Things” manual. The purpose is to document Board and volunteer roles, standardize how routine club business is completed, and capture current policies in use. Putting this in writing is intended to reduce reliance on “we used to” practices or institutional memory held by a single individual. This will help volunteers step in and support the club more effectively.
The volunteer contributions of our Race Chairs were recognized by the Board. A policy was implemented to issue one event race credit per event. When a single Race Chair serves an event, that individual receives the full credit. When two Race Chairs serve an event, the credit is split evenly. All race credits are valid for one year, consistent with the club’s standard credit policy.
The Board approved the purchase of new Motorola radios, as the existing units had reached a point where repairs were no longer cost effective. The new radios will be in use for the 2026 season.
Important: Most existing scanners will not work with the new radios. CVAR’s Race Operations frequency is now 464.5000 MHz on a UHF digital frequency. Additional information on compatible scanners will be shared as it becomes available. All grid calls will be made using the new radios, track public address systems, and Track Rabbit.
Our Safety Steward, Berkeley Merrill, will be stepping down from the role following the conclusion of the 2026 race season. The Board is seeking a volunteer to begin shadowing in this position as a protégé during the 2026 season. Members interested in learning more are encouraged to contact Berkeley or David Lee.
2025 Membership, Licensing, and Corporate Sponsors Overview
Membership numbers at the end of 2025 reflected growth in Competition and Worker categories.
Membership
208 Competition Members
6 Corporate Sponsor Members
9 Lifetime Honorary Members
6 Lifetime Members Over 75
19 Lifetime Members Under 75
7 Associate Members
21 Worker Members
Licensing
165 Active Competition Licenses
38 Licenses expired in 2025 and not renewed
12 Active Novice Permits
9 Novice Permits expired in 2025
Licensing totals were lower in 2025 due to changes in how permits were tracked during the year.
Corporate Sponsors
Bigger Hammer Racing, Bill Griffith
Coat Pro, Gary McFarlane
McDonalds Restaurants, Chalmer McWilliams
MSR Houston, James Rogerson
Lateral Resources LLC, Steve Coleman
Duntov Classics LLC, Louis Guerra
5 Factor Technology, Jackson Williams, new for 2026