Ultimate Street Car Association

[Mike Holleman]

Chump car runs three formats. Twin 7 hour, 12 hour and 24 hour. How do you fit a three day event into their schedule? And how do you put Joe Blow with his high powered street car on a VIR or Daytona safely? You cannot turn an inexperienced driver loose on high speed tracks without major safety requirements and training.

[TheJDMan]

Sounds interesting but I will need to see a lot more details before I make any plans to attend. I sincerely hope they put some sort of mechanism in place that will allow the little guys on a shoe string budget to compete with the big guys who can afford to attend many events. Maybe some sort of a weighted points system or better yet simply average the points earned from each event by the number of events attended. The bottom line is that if you want this new organization to succeed you need to get the little guys like me involved and feel we at least have a chance to compete. I suspect there are a lot more of us on limited budgets than there are those with unlimited funds.

[71RS/SS396]

Chump car runs three formats. Twin 7 hour, 12 hour and 24 hour. How do you fit a three day event into their schedule? And how do you put Joe Blow with his high powered street car on a VIR or Daytona safely? You cannot turn an inexperienced driver loose on high speed tracks without major safety requirements and training.

I agree with you Mike on the safety aspect. I know first hand how scary VIR can be in a high powered street car. 150mph-160mph are possible on the back/front straight in my car and with no aero the car is flat out spooky.

[bret]

I think the Ultimate Street Car Association is the next logical step in the popularity of our sport. Every trend, movement, or sport starts out with a small core group of supporters who work exponentially hard ( out of pure passion) to pursue their given sport. As time goes on (hopefully) the popularity grows and brings in new people and interest. We've seen this with the RTTH events, the Goodguys auto cross series, and OUSCI. As the sole originator of the Goodguys auto cross series, I was fully inspired by Bill Howells RTTH event. To this day I won't miss the Pigeon Forge event because its just a hell of a lot of fun. I ve also attended ( and plan to continue to attend) as many ASCS events as possible for the same reason. I was also the original (and now continuing) sponsor of the auto cross segment of OUSCI.
And now we have the Ultimate Street Car Series...the next logical step in the progression of popularity of our sport. As hotrodders, we now have even more opportunity to enjoy our sport. As businessmen we now have the opportunity to be seen by geometrically larger audiences. I see nothing but great things from this (and I've done a fair amount of thinking about it) ridetech will continue to support this series as a sponsor and a participant because it is not only good for business, it is good for the soul. While it is important to my ego that my car perform well, it is even more important that my family has a good time at these events. Anyone who saw me and my son Andy at OUSCI this weekend can tell that we did indeed have a great time. I do not see that dynamic changing with the expansion of the series.
Will there be kinks? Sure. Will absolutely everything be to every individuals liking? Obviously not. But think about the fact that the event promoters(Jimi Day and Wally Olzcak), the first two sponsors (Bret Voelkel from ridetech, plus Mike Copeland and Ken Lingenfelter from Lingenfelter Performance), and the overall Series sponsor, (Cam Douglass from optima)... are hotrodders. This is the perspective that this group brings to this project. That is why I am comfortable that the events will be safe, fun, and well run...in that order.

Lets go have some FUN!!

[srh3trinity]

I agree that it is the next logical step. When I started lurking around this site, cars had upgraded leafs and shocks, 17 inch wheels, brakes and maybe an LT swap with the very rare LS swap. The game has evolved for many so there should be another stage. People are interested in auto-x but also big track experiences. It won't be for everybody and many wont be able to pay to play or be able to field a car for the series, but I am fairly certain most of these dream tracks would be otherwise above my and many other's pay grades. It looks like the right people are involved to make it happen and do it the right way.

[justimagine]

Ladies and gentlemen, enthusiasts, hot rodders,

The USCA is committed to safety first at all of these events. Secondly, we want to make the events fun and accessible to everyone, without regard to any specific economic demographics. And we are working hard to level the playing field. This series is not about prize money, it's about the cars and the people that drive them, that's what our street performance industry is all about. TV will not dictate the competition, it will cover it in a credible and respectable manner.

We don't have all the rules figured out yet, but we work on them daily. And safety requirements are at the top of our list. We know some of these tracks are very high speed or technical, and I've personally driven on every one of them, so I know. Our USCA group has organized and run hundreds of events at tracks all around the country and we have the necessary knowledge and experience to make the events fun and safe for all skill levels.

As for sharing track time with Chumpcar, I promise you will have a significant amount of track time at each one of these facilities. Our events will have five elements, and all the facilities have an adequate amount of space to run all the events. Our planned format will run Friday through Sunday, starting with a road rally and social event. Saturday will be Autocross and speed stop while Chumpcar is on the track, and we will run a track day on Sunday. At certain venues, we may take the track on Saturday and run AX and SS on Sunday. The format will be the same for every event, the run order may change based on facility.

We also know there will multiple ways to win your way into the Super Bowl, the OUSCI, besides just the points.

We will be posting important updates on our website, ultimatestreetcarassociation.com and to our facebook page, Ultimate Street Car Association. These are the only places where you will find the official information about the series.

I appreciate your patience as we work through the details - the time we spend we spend now will pay off in the near future. We will try to address any specific concerns as they are brought to our attention. We appreciate all of your enthusiasm, input and feedback as we move forward.

[1966longroof]

Chump car runs three formats. Twin 7 hour, 12 hour and 24 hour. How do you fit a three day event into their schedule? And how do you put Joe Blow with his high powered street car on a VIR or Daytona safely? You cannot turn an inexperienced driver loose on high speed tracks without major safety requirements and training.

Mike, welcome back from Vegas. I'll swing by this week and say hi.

And.....diddo on what mike said.

[So Cal Camaro]

Ladies and gentlemen, enthusiasts, hot rodders,

The USCA is committed to safety first at all of these events. Secondly, we want to make the events fun and accessible to everyone, without regard to any specific economic demographics. And we are working hard to level the playing field. This series is not about prize money, it's about the cars and the people that drive them, that's what our street performance industry is all about. TV will not dictate the competition, it will cover it in a credible and respectable manner.

We don't have all the rules figured out yet, but we work on them daily. And safety requirements are at the top of our list. We know some of these tracks are very high speed or technical, and I've personally driven on every one of them, so I know. Our USCA group has organized and run hundreds of events at tracks all around the country and we have the necessary knowledge and experience to make the events fun and safe for all skill levels.

As for sharing track time with Chumpcar, I promise you will have a significant amount of track time at each one of these facilities. Our events will have five elements, and all the facilities have an adequate amount of space to run all the events. Our planned format will run Friday through Sunday, starting with a road rally and social event. Saturday will be Autocross and speed stop while Chumpcar is on the track, and we will run a track day on Sunday. At certain venues, we may take the track on Saturday and run AX and SS on Sunday. The format will be the same for every event, the run order may change based on facility.

We also know there will multiple ways to win your way into the Super Bowl, the OUSCI, besides just the points.

We will be posting important updates on our website, ultimatestreetcarassociation.com and to our facebook page, Ultimate Street Car Association. These are the only places where you will find the official information about the series.

I appreciate your patience as we work through the details - the time we spend we spend now will pay off in the near future. We will try to address any specific concerns as they are brought to our attention. We appreciate all of your enthusiasm, input and feedback as we move forward.

Jimi & Wally, Thanks for all the hard work on this, as it is awesome that there will be 2 USCA series events in California this year and 2 more within a few days drive....and we still have the always great Run to the Coast event that ASCS puts on, which is also a blast to compete in...I just wanna race...more opportunity is a Win to me...

[Quikbrd]

So, the November race in Las Vegas, is that separate from OUSCI ? Like maybe the week before? Also, will the LV USCA track be Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
Inquiring minds want to know,,,,,,,,,

[mpozzi]

Lots of excellent comments and questions here and one I'd like to address is track selection and speeds involved. These events are no different than any others as each competitor drives to his or her own limits. While some will want to push these limits farther than others, there's no "rule" that says everyone must be equal in overall speed and cornering. Drive your car at your own level of ability and you will be fine. You'll also be able to drive your car home at the end of the event ...

Also, each event is a standalone event and like other series, enter the one(s) that you want to. I'm like everyone else as I don't have unlimited funds to chase points all across the country. I'll enter events from all three series (USCA, ASCS, and Good Guys) as my budget permits and be safe while having fun at each.

Mary Pozzi

[CurtiSS 69]

Lots of excellent comments and questions here and one I'd like to address is track selection and speeds involved. These events are no different than any others as each competitor drives to his or her own limits. While some will want to push these limits farther than others, there's no "rule" that says everyone must be equal in overall speed and cornering. Drive your car at your own level of ability and you will be fine. You'll also be able to drive your car home at the end of the event ...

Also, each event is a standalone event and like other series, enter the one(s) that you want to. I'm like everyone else as I don't have unlimited funds to chase points all across the country. I'll enter events from all three series (USCA, ASCS, and Good Guys) as my budget permits and be safe while having fun at each.

Mary Pozzi

Well said Mary: )

Regards

CurtiSS 69

[rustomatic]

Increasingly, I seem to feel the need to have the means to tow my car. This is not so much because I think my car might break, but more that I might crash and damage the car to a point where AAA just won't really help, given the distance some of these places are from home. That said, here's to the evolution of the events!

Regarding the street-level tests of streetworthiness, or whatever you want to call how our cars behave on the street, in places like Monterey, this would seem to be more of a parade/danger lap of town, given the quantity of tourism and lost drivers usually present on weekends. This would be interesting, and probably quite angering for many...

On a track like Laguna Seca (my most likely point of attendance), we could all see that as being awesome, and in many ways, if an autocross day preceded the track event, the level of safety and car handling might actually be nicely improved when the big track came into use. It's a neat concept, but one's adoration of such an event might diminish a bit when actual costs are confronted. It will be interesting to learn more!

[mpozzi]

Increasingly, I seem to feel the need to have the means to tow my car. This is not so much because I think my car might break, but more that I might crash and damage the car to a point where AAA just won't really help, given the distance some of these places are from home. That said, here's to the evolution of the events!

Regarding the street-level tests of streetworthiness, or whatever you want to call how our cars behave on the street, in places like Monterey, this would seem to be more of a parade/danger lap of town, given the quantity of tourism and lost drivers usually present on weekends. This would be interesting, and probably quite angering for many...

On a track like Laguna Seca (my most likely point of attendance), we could all see that as being awesome, and in many ways, if an autocross day preceded the track event, the level of safety and car handling might actually be nicely improved when the big track came into use. It's a neat concept, but one's adoration of such an event might diminish a bit when actual costs are confronted. It will be interesting to learn more!

Good thoughts and regarding the tourists (and the fact that most are generally regarded as moving traffic pylons ...), we usually do not get that many the first part of March. I've done some research on various and sundry areas for Rallye/Cruise travel routes and there are several that will offer some spectacular views, fun roads, and give the competitors a most proper taste of the Monterey Peninsula without much hindrance of those "pylons."

A well-kept secret is we get our best weather right now and it's usually foggy and cold in June thru August.

Mary Pozzi

[mpozzi]

Ooooops ... forgot to address the AAA Emergency Towing. I work for AAA and was the Regional Manager for the Contract Stations in this area of California. I'm guessing Pilot Hill is close to 200 miles from Laguna Seca and as such, you could be transported from here to there with a Premier membership as it offers one 200 mile tow per membership year.

There are also excellent repair facilities that love our type of cars and can perform most any repairs you'd need if the worst happened. And if the really, really worst happened, we've got some good body shops. From past events, it's rare to have a car suffer collision damage from an "off" and it's more common to see mechanical issues raise their ugly heads. Things like power steering leaks and operational problems, brake fade, overheating, tire issues ... stuff like that.

Trailering is an excellent idea if you've got the means and even though I'm 15 minutes from the track, I will be doing just that. I'll most likely take some heat for it but when other people's rides break down and need a means of getting to where they can get fixed or for tool borrowing, guess who will be most popular? Plus, if I've got the trailer then it's a guarantee my Camaro won't need it ...

Mary Pozzi

[howehot]

I'm all in! To get on the track at Daytona is a dream of mine and given a chance to run the Monte Carlo there, I will pay the price of admission, drive the 3000 miles round trip, and have the memory of a lifetime. Then my life will be complete. I won't be the fastest, I'm not worried about points, but this is what Josh and I built this car for and the El Camino that's in the works.

[bret]

I'm all in! To get on the track at Daytona is a dream of mine and given a chance to run the Monte Carlo there, I will pay the price of admission, drive the 3000 miles round trip, and have the memory of a lifetime. Then my life will be complete. I won't be the fastest, I'm not worried about points, but this is what Josh and I built this car for and the El Camino that's in the works.

The definition of what this is about. Cheers to you!

[TheJDMan]

Why is there such a stigma against trailering our cars to one of these kinds of events? To me it's just common sense. Back in the 70's I used to drive the 68 to the local drags. Until one night I blew the spider gears out of the

Sorry, I didn't mean to change the subject!

[BMR Sales]

I'm all in! To get on the track at Daytona is a dream of mine and given a chance to run the Monte Carlo there, I will pay the price of admission, drive the 3000 miles round trip, and have the memory of a lifetime. Then my life will be complete. I won't be the fastest, I'm not worried about points, but this is what Josh and I built this car for and the El Camino that's in the works.

Daytona is a Great Track, but be aware that it is a Very Hard Track to set your car up for. The Banking puts extreme forces into your car as the speed pushs it into the Track with a lot of G Force & when you get to the infield, it's flat & slippery.

T.C.

[1966longroof]

Daytona is a Great Track, but be aware that it is a Very Hard Track to set your car up for. The Banking puts extreme forces into your car as the speed pushs it into the Track with a lot of G Force & when you get to the infield, it's flat & slippery.

T.C.

All the warnings (which are excellent), just get me more interested. Sounds like fun in my non-areo dynamic brick on 235's.

[Jim Nilsen]

I have to say AAA is in my back pocket and got me back from Road America for FREE!!!!!!

I have put the cost down and found that trucks and trailers suck up all the money to ship your car home any way you like your car carried, your choice is up to you but it will cost less to have the card in your pocket that can get your car back home from where you are at than to trailer ANY day of the year. It takes planning but it is less to do than tax,title,license,inspection,etc.........
Love the big tracks with care, they take their toll on a car like nothing else.