William Rouse 
July 13, 1996 
William Raymond Rouse, 54, Of Mesa Oaks Circle, Austin, Texas, Died Saturday 
In Austin.

A Giant Inclination 
Big Brothers-big Sisters Stands To Benefit From Annual Hill Climb

By SCOTT FERTAL; Times Leader Sports Writer
 Sunday, July 14, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1C 





LAUREL RUN -- Racing up a steady incline at speeds well over 100 mph while
twisting and turning through hairpin curves is tough enough. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Try doing it on wet pavement in a driving rain. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That's exactly what Dave Beccaris and Bil spelled correctly Corcoran did
Saturday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While Mother Nature caused havoc and kept away the majority of the 106-car
field in the opening day of the 90th Giants Despair Hill Climb, there were a
dozen drivers who braved the conditions and practiced on the one-mile course
anyway. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It was a little frightening at first," said Corcoran, a Harveys Lake
resident. "I spun out on a tour run and that was a little scary. But once I
got my confidence, the second run was a lot better." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The rain didn't bother Beccaris a bit. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I've done many races in the rain," said Beccaris, a Dallas resident who
recently won an IMSA Endurance Series race in Charlotte in the rain. "I don't
approach it with laughs and giggles, but it doesn't bother or faze me. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "If you don't get spooked in the first couple of times you race in the
rain, you're OK. If you do get frightened, it'll stick with you forever." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Beccaris and Corcoran are co-drivers for the Bonner Chevrolet and Car
Stereo-sponsored 1992 Camaro Z28 ILE for the hill climb. The duo decided to
take a couple runs up the hill Saturday not to show off, but to get a jump on
the rest of the field today. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The hill climb will begin at 8 a.m. today, an hour earlier than originally
scheduled because of Saturday's poor weather. Race organizers will determine
how many runs each driver will get depending on the weather and time
constraints. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "With weather like this, it doesn't matter how fast you go," Corcoran said.
"It's more practice than anything. You're not going out there to set any
records." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Beccaris said, "We didn't want to go out and flex our muscles or impress
anyone. We just wanted to go out there and get things ironed out for (today)." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In being that they race up this particular hill just one time a year, the
two also used Saturday as a crash course in getting reacquainted with the
winding course. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's difficult to try to remember the course," Corcoran said. "And the
road changes every year, so it's tough to picture it in your mind." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Beccaris and Corcoran also wanted to see just where they stood, considering
their car is a road-course racer used at tracks like Watkins Glen and Pocono
International Raceway. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The car is set up for road racing. It's not a hill climb car," Beccaris
said. "We're at a disadvantage to start with, so the rain is a great
equalizer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The cars in our class are from the professional series, which is the same
thing we're from. However, a lot of the cars are Corvettes. Corvettes have
350s (cubic-inch engines), and we have a 305." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They did, however, hold one advantage over the rest of the field -- rain
tires. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "That was one advantage we had to get," Beccaris said. "It wouldn't bother
us at all if it rained (today), because we have the rain tires." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Beccaris also has some added incentive to perform well. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For every car Beccaris is able to outrun in his class, Bonner will donate
$50 to Big Brothers/Big Sisters. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's a very worthwhile cause," he said. "Hopefully, I can run well and
raise some money for a very worthy program." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rain Tops Hill Climb Competitors Looking For An Edge In Today's Competition, 12 Drivers Brave Elements To Practice On Slick Road