UI’s Tony Opheim, Regional Racing Champ: 'Heaven’s a four-wheel drift at 100 mph'
Thursday, October 3 2002
Oct. 3, 2002^Editors: Photo can be downloaded from www.today.uidaho.edu/photo_list.asp^MOSCOW -- Tony Opheim, University of Idaho Information Technology Services whiz, recently proved his off-campus speed by winning the regional Formula Continental car-racing championship in Portland, Ore.^Opheim bagged the Sports Car Club of America Oregon Region Formula Continental Championship that involved six months of eight races and four first-place finishes. His car, named “Ellie,” or No. 31, took to the track averaging 94 mph in a half-hour race, completing the 1.9-mile circuit in a minute and 13 seconds^This kind of racecar, says Opheim, is "two steps below an Indy car. It’s an open cockpit, open wheel, 900-pound car with wings." With a 143 HP engine, he's taken it to the limit at 132 mph.^The thrill, he says, “is to be in a corner going 100 mph and all four wheels are sliding. Heaven is a four-wheel drift at maximum speed. My wife, Jody, is just glad the car has a roll bar and a six point safety harness.”^On the UI campus, Opheim is known for his speed as well. He talks fast. Walks fast. And at his ITS day job, has a reputation as a crack problem-solver, says his boss Harvey Hughett. Opheim regards the pressure and high-speed decision making as similar to racing, he says.^“We field problems 50 hours a week," he adds. "UI ranks No. 12 among the nation’s most wired universities in part because of ITS’ high performance and attention to detail. We deliver over 100,000 emails a day, and losing even two is unacceptable.”^Opheim does admit now that the race season is over, “it’s going to seem like a long, slow winter.” ^Contacts: Tony Opheim, racing champ, (208) 885-2781, tony@uidaho.edu or Nancy Hilliard, University Communications, (208) 885-6567, hilliard@uidaho.edu^-30-^NH-10/3/02-ITS/ADM^
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