Gasser Autocross Video – Get’n Sideways!

Rob’s 1955 Chevy Gasser Hits the Goodguys Autocross

As you know from the 1968 Shelby GT500-KR post I did, I love the autocross Goodguys puts on with their Arizona Spring Nationals Show in March. You can’t beat AZ in March (see the folks wearing shorts in the pic below!) and you can’t beat hot rods sliding sideways when they were built to be driven in a straight line.

Case in point is Rob “thehazmatguy” and his 1955 Chevy Bel Air he just calls, “1955″ in his personal garage here at MyRideisMe.com.  Looking at the car, it doesn’t take long to notice the nod to Gassers of old. (Every Hot Rod Gasser Story at MyRideisMe.com)

The slightly nose-up stance, fenderwell headers and plenty of punch from the ZZ4 Chevy under the hood linked to the compulsory manual box changing gears, this time in the form of a TKO600. Nuff to say, this car’s sweet.

When I saw Rob in line to run the autocross, I had to watch and his girlfriend, Ryan Marie took this video to show how Rob drove it hard!!

.

.

But wait, there’s more Pictures from 2011 Goodguys Spring Nationals:

Swanee shoots 2011 Goodguys Spring Nationals

Garretto’s shots from 2011 Goodguys Spring Nationals

.

Did you get any video from the Goodguys Autocross? Let us know…

Pro-Touring Engineering from Detroit Speed

One of the best things about the expansion of hot rodding is the availability of aftermarket parts. The only downside, especially if you own a 1st gen Camaro, might be too many choices! After you’ve decided to make your ride turn as hard as it accelerates, you probably hit the web for discussion forums and communities like MyRideisMe.com to ask friends, “What’d you use?” Unfortunately, there’s general wisdom about opinions, how’s that go?? I know it finishes, “Everyone’s got one…”

Left to make the choice alone, how do you chose? Would it matter to you if the supplier was owned by suspension engineers from GM?  Enter Detroit Speed Inc.

The bright blue colored Camaro’s prominently labeled, “Test Car” caught my attention at the 2010 Goodguys Spring Nationals first thing in the morning. I saw “Detroit Speed” discretely sticker’d on the fender, so walking through the supplier pits, I saw Detroit Speed and stopped in to find out what “test car” meant. I talked briefly with Kyle Tucker, president and husband of the husband and wife owner team. Kyle told me to go see Stacy to learn more about the cars and get a ride.

Ride?!

Stacy’s a name that could be a man or woman, so don’t make my mistake and assume the driver’s a man! Over at the autocross, I met Stacy Tucker, Kyle’s wife, co-owner and driver of her 1969 Camaro above.  Happily surprised, I asked, “Can I have a ride!?”

That’s when I learned first hand about Detroit Speed. Looking back, Stacy and Kyle were both working 9-5 at the General as suspension engineers, but were always auto enthusiasts. With a hobby focus, they built a 1969 Camaro called “Twister” filled with custom parts engineered with knowledge they both learned as mechanical engineers at GM.

Twister grabbed immediate attention and questions like, “Can you do that for my car?” After hearing that question several times and checking what was available in the market, Stacy and Kyle decided to both leave the relative security of GM and start Detroit Speed 9 years ago.

Stacy’s Camaro features Detroit Speed’s hydroformed front subframe and quadralink rear with mini-tub. If you’re scratching your head, “What’s that?”,  check out Detroit Speed’s website. Their products are featured by vehicle model and Stacy’s ride shows off the 67-69 Camaro parts. Very cool! There’s parts for Camaros/Firebirds, Nova’s, Chevy II’s  and A-bodies. Soon, they’ll add the blue oval to their inventory with parts for Mustangs.

On the track, Stacy pushes her car to the limit and nearly beyond.  She takes this same car to the mall and grocery shopping, so all that experience helped her keep it off the wall! Unaffected, Stacy came back a lap or two later and set her best time of the day.  Later, she added some un-needed ballast in the form of yours truly!  Fact: It’s alot faster in the car! (My mom’s cringing as she reads this story… It’s ok Mom, we had our seatbelts on!)

So when you’re shopping for parts, ask the vendor, “Who engineers your parts and how are they tested?” That question’s easily answered by Stacy and Kyle.

Before parts hit the track, DSE uses a host of modern, high tech gear like a Romer arm CMM machine. CMM machines digitally measure 3D spaces like the underside of you 60′s ride using a robotic arm. After careful measurement, parts are designed in 3D then tested using finite element analysis (FEA) software named Cosmos. FEA’s another modern digital trick ensuring the strongest, lightest part design possible before the parts are actually built. In fewer words, it’s digital “trial and error”. You get more trials, quicker, at a lower cost.  The alternative to FEA is building a part that’s stronger than needed and you know what that means: Heavy, and probably more expensive.

I couldn’t write fast enough to catch the other test equipment available at DSE including a Shock dyno and steering dyno so that every part gets fully tested for fatigue in their lab.

Now based in North Carolina, you can find Detroit Speed “testing” all over the country at Goodguys autocross events. Based on the Stacy’s smile (not quite as cheezy as mine) I’m not sure this is all work.

I hope to see more of the Tucker’s and their small, but possibly growing fleet of test cars, don’t you?

When engineering meets careful design and lab testing, then finally real world abuse, your decision about what parts to choose should be alot easier to make.

2010 Goodguys Spring Nationals Autocross

Car shows are fun, but I think I speak for alot of car owners when I say: “Get out of the lawn chairs!” Don’t get me wrong, time with friends catching up on new projects and great hot rod buys are essential to car shows, but what else is there to do? That’s where Autocross comes in…

At the 1st annual Goodguys Spring Nationals in Scottsdale, AZ, Goodguys added an event they call the “Street Challenge Autocross”.  Goodguys does a great job of setting up a small, twisty race course that’s perfect for taking cars normally at home on the the straight line quarter mile and forcing them to go left and right. Up for grabs is a set of BFG tires for winners in a few different classes including Vendor, Hot Rod and Street Rod. (Somebody help me with the classes… they’re not listed on Goodguys website)

So who was racing?

The winner of the hot rod autocross was my friend Doug Jerger in his 1934 Ford Roadster.

Doug is the owner and chief painter at Squeeg’s Kustoms in Mesa, AZ. Doug’s built a couple America’s Most Beautiful Roadster contending hot rods including Todd Steven’s Hemi Powered 1932 hot rod and Doug’s own ride that I’ve seen him drive the heck out of: Another 32 Ford Roadster that was a beautiful, blown and driven hot rod. Here’s another shot of the class winning roadster.

Goodguys draws all kinds of rides pre 1972, so hot rods weren’t the only show goers enjoying the autocross. Probably my favorite participant was this straight axled gasser from one of our local race tracks, Speedworld.

Two thumbs up to this gasser! With Southwest Nostalgia Drags painted on the door and drilled axle for all to see, my man was alot more interested in laying down a couple smokey burnouts than setting low time. Way to go!

Also on the stranger side of things is this pickup:

Note the left rear wheel off the ground as these  ladies enjoyed taking everything the track had to offer, including a few cones. Obviously build for autocross, the old Dodge set a record for fan approval.

Why not a long bed Chevy pickup on the course? Goodguys designs the track targeting a max speed of 35 mph, so next year, I hope there’s at least double the participants.

So with the primered and patina’d trucks, this pristine 540 big block powered Camaro hit the track:

Mark’s Camaro may not have one on the Autocross, but who cares! Rather than sit and watch, he showed his hot rod was built to be driven!  Mark’s a member here at MyRideisMe.com. Check out more picture of his Camaro here.

Look for more autocross pictures from Swanee here soon!  I’ll post the link…

So why didn’t more people take advantage of the autocross?

Any chance of having the autocross at the November Goodguys Show?

More pictures from the Autocross:

1st Goodguys Spring Nationals 2010 Street Challenge Autocross

Goodguys Spring Nationals, March 12-14

Street Challenge Autocross

To see all the juicy event details, check below.  What we are excited about and wanted to point out to you readers is the new event they’re having this year.  The “Street Challenge Autocross”!  Take your hot rod and bash some cones and yank that steering wheel around and put a hurtin’ on your tires and brakes.  Check out these 2 hot rods showing you how autocross is done!

 

Check out this CRC Vette getting it on in the twisties.  Man that looks fun!

…or maybe Corner Carving Muscle is your thing, check out Bryan Frank’s Trans-Am. 

I’d love to see some lead sleds or kustoms out on the course.  Or maybe a 32 roadster! 

Details of the event below:

The Goodguys Spring Nationals is a new hot rod and custom car festival featuring the Southwest’s premier custom vintage automobiles! The event will feature over 2,000 1972 & earlier hot rods, customs, classics, street rods, muscle cars, & trick trucks as well as manufacturer and vendor exhibits, a swap meet and cars for sale area, special “themed” parking areas, model car & pedal car expo, kids play area and lots of fun for the entire family.

A special Autocross will also be featured, allowing event participants to test their car’s performance levels on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 12, 13 & 14. Event hours are: Friday and Saturday 8 am to 5 pm and Sunday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. Where: WestWorld Equestrian Park, 16601 W. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, AZ, Tickets: General admission: $18 per day, Kids (7-12) $6. $5 spectator parking fee charged by WestWorld. Phone: WestWorld 480/312-6802 or Goodguys: 925/838-9876. Web: www.ggspringnats.com

Event Highlights: Outdoor Show n’ Shine: The Goodguys Spring Nationals officially kicks off Goodguys’ 23-event 2010 season. With an outdoor show n’ shine of over 2,000 vintage classics through 1972, WestWorld will be landscaped with acres of gleaming, candy-colored cars. Lil’ deuce coupes, hot rod roadsters, lead-sled 50’s Merc customs, ‘55-’57 Chevy’s, Camaros, Barracuda’s & Mustangs and other timeless beauties will fill the entire outdoor acreage of WestWorld.

Street Challenge Autocross: Hot rods and muscle cars will be in action both Friday and Saturday making runs through the electronically timed “Street Challenge” Autocross course. The course is approx. 1000 ft in length and features tight turns with rapid acceleration and deceleration. Speeds average 20-30mph while testing to extreme limits the vehicle’s performance capabilities. Winners receive gift certificates from sponsors including tires and suspension equipment and other performance goodies.

Commercial Exhibits/Swap Meet/Car Corral: Commercial and vendor exhibits will fill a large circus-style tent and the areas outside the tent. The swap meet and cars for sale corral offers unlimited bargain hunting and shopping for rare car parts.

Special Feature Areas: Held on Saturday from the 8 am to 2 pm, these areas will include: Timberland PRO’s Homebuilt Heaven, Young Guys—(for participants 25 and younger), Mighty Muscle (1955 through 1972 muscle cars), Ya Gotta Drive ‘Em (for participants who’ve driven their car more than 500 miles to the event), and the Trick Truck Corral for pickup trucks. The Goodguys “Builder’s Choice” area will feature the event’s top cars vying for 10 special awards.

Model Car Show: On Saturday, Revell Monogram will be sponsoring the Make n’ Take session at 1 pm. Model car kits will be available for the kids to build the kits and take them home. A full scale model car show and vintage pedal car exhibit will also be featured. Entertainment: Rock & roll music will fill the desert air all weekend long. Awards Ceremony: The culmination of the weekend will be Sunday’s official awards ceremony which takes place at 2:22pm. It’s a great way to see the best of the best! Additional Event Info: Visit www.ggspringnats.com or call 925/838-9876.

Six Ways to Malfuntion at the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge

We’ve never figured out why, but for some odd reason humans are always transfixed at the tragedies of others. Its why car accidents cause so much traffic havoc – we all have to stop and look as we drive by (grrrrr)! Racing is no different. When something goes wrong on the racetrack we all wanna have a look.

So for your viewing pleasure, I thought I’d just highlight all malfunctions that went on during Optima’s Ultimate Street Car Invitational 2009. For starters, there was Hot Rod Magazine’s Factory Five built 1933 Ford Coupe, which I’ve already covered in: Hot Rod Magazine 33 Hot Rod Coupe goes down!.

Next there were some problems with Hot Rod Jim’s 1957 Chevy Pickup. It sounded like the tires were just a little too big for their own good. A problem that would’ve gone on with many-a-car on the SEMA showroom floor.

Then we had an exciting show when this 1965 GTO built by Barry White of Wrecks to Riches fame blew a radiator hose of all things. It might not have been so cool – but it happened just as the big heavy GTO was heaving itself around the autocrosses’ 360 circle and resulted in a mess of steam and fluid dumped onto the race course.

After that we had the mysterious control arm breakage on the 0-60-0 acceleration/braking course for this 1972 Charger. A suspicious occurrence for this event no doubt.

At the same event, and we can’t exactly call this a malfunction (the car was all right.) But for some reason it just couldn’t handle doing 0-60-0 in the allotted space this run, running it right off the course!

Last, but definitely not least, was the even more mysterious occurrence for K&N Filter sponsored Nissan Infinity G35. After a full day of racing, on it’s 2nd to last curve around the Road Course we see something fly and a cloud of dust. Was it a bird? Was it a plane? No, it was all 3 control arms snapping and the rear differential blowing out!

All this excitement in one day and nobody got hurt! For plenty o’ pictures of all 51 of the competing cars in the Ultimate Street Car Challenge, check out the MyRideisMe Event photos and for more on this exciting event click on over to some other stories!

Next Page »