GOODGUYS NASHVILLE - Pictures and Results

[Trackside-Suzy]

Well, Goodguys Nashville Nationals was fun despite the lack of runs. The track this year (as you saw here in an earlier post) was reformatted to avoid a large storm drain grate and offered up a challenging narrow and turn-filled track with times averaging about 54 seconds.

The usual suspects came out to strut their stuff along with several newcomers including two guys who made a point of telling me (okay, really they said it to Rodney) that they had brought out their new builds (Impressive first and second gen Camaros) after following several builds on Pro-Touring.com and consulting the resident forum experts for advice along the way. Pro-Touring continues to create instant friendships it seems.

I mentioned that there weren't a lot of runs to be had in Nashville, mostly due to the new format of having the pro class run at the top of every hour; a practice they had done away with in the last couple of years. It seems that Goodguys has partnered with local children's charities to offer rides with pros for a donation. I don't complain about Goodguys as a rule because I don't go to win or even expect to get a lot of seat time. I go to Goodguys because it's always a fun time with friends. The fact that we were getting a run about every three hours didn't really faze me. I only bring it up here because I was somewhat alone in being unfazed; many participants AND sponsors made note of the lack of runs for the other classes and complaints were voiced pretty heavily. I wouldn't be surprised if this run format changes if only to give Ed some time without people bitching at him.

Saturday drivers were faced with a delay-of-game due to several hours of pouring rain. For those who have never been to the Nashville facility, it's in the parking lot at LP Field where the Tennessee Titans play. The autocross is in the corner of this parking lot at the EXACT area where all the rain from the parking lot flows to enter a large storm drain. If it rains, it's almost guaranteed racing will stop. At around noon, The goodguys team called an informal drivers meeting and determined that the timing would stop and winners would be determined based upon Friday's results. If runs were to commence, no times would be counted. We were fortunate that John and the crew were committed to getting drivers some seat time and as soon as the weather report showed a break in the rain, the team strapped on leaf blowers and went to work with brooms and squeegees to get the track dry. The pits were nearly empty until about 35 drivers got lined up and started to run. Most drivers got in as many runs this afternoon as they did all day Saturday.

To keep things exciting and reward spectators for showing up in the weather, the fans were treated with a hand-picked shoot-out.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/20150516_172945201_zpsulaxutuh-1.jpg

The first round pitted JB Granger against Jared Leisinger

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_9687_zpsxygu4v1q-1.jpg

Kyle Tucker against Bobby Unser
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_9744_zpslta953s0-1.jpg
Brian Finch vs. Matthew Braun - a first timer at Goodguys (although a seasoned SCCA autocrosser) running Tony G's A-body with it's new mean look, who on Friday had very quietly been running times faster than anyone else but unable to wheel that beast without taking along some cones.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_9643_zpszvdcai9m-1.jpg


Tim McGilton vs. Bret Voelkel
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_9763_zpseswqn5jr-1.jpg

and finally Al Unser Jr. vs. Josh Leisinger (talk about pressure for a kid!)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_9736_zpssrslirya-1.jpg

Through a series of eliminations, Kyle Tucker came out on top with a top time of the weekend a lightning fast 49.2!


Full gallery here: http://s385.photobucket.com/user/protouringdotcom/slideshow/Pro-Touring%20Events%202015/Goodguys%2010th%20Nashville%20Nationals

[k7king]

On Friday the common folk got 3 runs and the pros 8. Terrible

[Craig510]

They did the same thing at Pleasanton. I got 6 or seven runs the whole weekend. The pros got at least 18. I know that they need to keep the big name drivers interested, but it sucks not getting many runs. I am alway racing for a win, and a run every 3 hours makes it hard to get a rhythm.

[Bad94]

On Friday the common folk got 3 runs and the pros 8. Terrible

Sorry you didn't listen to me a few weeks ago.

Get the car fixed and see you in a few weeks in Indy.

[Kcorrigan2]

Thought I would post the "official" Goodguys results. Only Friday runs counted towards points and here is how things ended up:10th Nashville Nationals AutoCross Results

Friday
Summary Results
- Nashville 2015 - Fri 05-15-2015
Timed Entries: 71
pro sm trk hr
Pos. Class # Rookie Driver Car Model Total Diff. From 1st
pro - 'Pro/Sponsor' Total Entries: 20
1T 1390 Kyle Tucker 70 Chevy Camaro 0:50.228 [-]0.604 -
2T 1388 Robbie Unser 65 Chevy Nova 0:50.832 +0.604 +0.604
3T 1387 Al Unser Jr 65 Chevy Nova 0:51.054 +0.222 +0.826
4T 1392 Josh Leisinger 64 Chevy Corvette 0:51.092 +0.038 +0.864
5T 1383 Bret Voelkel 69 Ford Mustang 0:51.244 +0.152 +1.016
6T 1014 Mike Dusold 67 Chevy Camaro 0:51.634 +0.390 +1.406
7 1384 Chris Smith 72 Chevy Corvette 0:51.841 +0.207 +1.613
8 926 Rob MacGregor 69 Chevy C-10 0:52.529 +0.688 +2.301
9 930 Keith Corrigan 68 Chevy Camaro 0:52.708 +0.179 +2.480
10 1039 Tyler Powell 63 Chevy Corvette 0:52.842 +0.134 +2.614
11 1394 Todd Green 67 Chevy Camaro 0:52.858 +0.016 +2.630
12 787 Rodney Prouty 68 Chevy Camaro 0:53.230 +0.372 +3.002
13 902 Deb McGilton 69 Chevy Camaro 0:53.392 +0.162 +3.164
14 1025 Greg Schneider 66 Chevy Chevelle 0:53.781 +0.389 +3.553
15 1020 Larry Woo 68 Chevy Camaro 0:54.056 +0.275 +3.828
16 1385 Jimi Day 69 AMC AMX 0:54.119 +0.063 +3.891
17 1393 Jared Leisinger 70 Chevy C-10 0:54.337 +0.218 +4.109
18 1391 Karen Leisinger 70 Chevy Camaro 0:54.828 +0.491 +4.600
19 898 Dan Ballard 70 Ford Torino 0:55.109 +0.281 +4.881
20 1102 Tom Farrington 66 Chevy Chevelle 0:55.430 +0.321 +5.202
sm - 'Street Machine' Total Entries: 40
1T 903 Tim McGilton 70 Chevy Camaro 0:52.095 [-]1.679 -
2T 697 Corey Williams 72 Chevy Camaro 0:53.774 +1.679 +1.679
3T 643 Matthew Braun 70 Chevy Chevelle 0:54.035 +0.261 +1.940
4T 1234 Ken Hiebert 72 Triumph TR6 0:54.407 +0.372 +2.312
5T 698 Mark Williams 72 Chevy Camaro 0:55.379 +0.972 +3.284
6T 400 Mark Strong 68 Ford Mustang 0:55.550 +0.171 +3.455
7 1066 Tim Strange 68 Chevy Camaro 0:55.563 +0.013 +3.468
8 644 Grant Hukle 66 Cobra Replica 0:55.900 +0.337 +3.805
9 897 Brent Pursifull 72 Chevy Camaro 0:55.971 +0.071 +3.876
10 434 Tony Grzelakowski 70 Chevy Chevelle 0:56.262 +0.291 +4.167
11 334 Mike King 67 Chevy Corvette 0:56.581 +0.319 +4.486
12 969 Tony Grace 70 Chevy Camaro 0:57.469 +0.888 +5.374
13 785 Suzy Bauter 68 Chevy Camaro 0:57.568 +0.099 +5.473
14 599 Richard Giesey 71 Chevy Camaro 0:57.720 +0.152 +5.625
15 1175 Jeff Peoples 72 Buick Gran Sport 0:57.791 +0.071 +5.696
16 807 Todd Stansberry 65 Ford Mustang 0:58.832 +1.041 +6.737
17 1143 Roger Minyard 66 Chevy Chevy II 0:59.281 +0.449 +7.186
18 700 Greg Cullum 69 Chevy Chevelle 0:59.283 +0.002 +7.188
19 702 Stacy Herman 69 Chevy Chevelle 0:59.538 +0.255 +7.443
20 369 Jim McDaniel 68 Pontiac Firebird 1:00.042 +0.504 +7.947
21 606 Alex Giesey 72 VW Beetle 1:00.538 +0.496 +8.443
22 1019 Chris Wheatcraft 67 Chevy Camaro 1:00.987 +0.449 +8.892
23 810 Jason Thompson 72 Olds Cutlass 1:01.063 +0.076 +8.968
24 1111 Deb Farrington 64 Chevy Chevelle Wagon 1:01.713 +0.650 +9.618
25 1068 Bart Morrison 72 Chevy Camaro 1:02.015 +0.302 +9.920
26 1141 Mike Cornelius 69 Chevy Camaro 1:02.819 +0.804 +10.724
27 1097 Don Croxton 69 Chevy Camaro 1:03.118 +0.299 +11.023
28 949 Bobby Jackson 72 Datsun 510 1:03.312 +0.194 +11.217
29 794 John Rippy 71 Pontiac LeMans wagon 1:03.949 +0.637 +11.854
30 1197 Jason Gaskins 72 VW Super Beetle 1:04.828 +0.879 +12.733
31 425 Alan Hutcheson 61 Ford Starliner 1:05.367 +0.539 +13.272
32 1211 James Barnes 67 Sunbeam Tiger 1:05.612 +0.245 +13.517
33 883 Lee Thompson 57 Chevy Handyman 1:06.197 +0.585 +14.102
34 613 John Kundrat 64 Chevy Corvette 1:06.465 +0.268 +14.370
35 929 Pam Corrigan 55 Ford Thunderbird 1:09.029 +2.564 +16.934
36 1191 Lloyd Gaskins 57 Chevy 350/700 1:10.123 +1.094 +18.028
37 774 Megan Tracy 70 Chevy Camaro RS 1:11.180 +1.057 +19.085
38 1230 David Douglas 67 Chevy Nova 1:15.336 +4.156 +23.241
39 1081 Matt Noernberg 65 Chevy Chevelle 1:16.872 +1.536 +24.777
40 806 Jamie Stansberry 65 Ford Mustang 1:18.098 +1.226 +26.003
trk - 'Truck' Total Entries: 12
1T 647 JB Granger 65 Chevy C-10 0:56.474 [-]1.673 -
2T 529 Joe DuRard 68 Chevy C-10 0:58.147 +1.673 +1.673
3T 779 Mike Mitchell 50 Chevy 3100 0:58.505 +0.358 +2.031
4T 611 Dan Burnette 72 Chevy Pickup 0:59.507 +1.002 +3.033
5T 1028 Danny Cartwright 68 Chevy C-10 1:02.142 +2.635 +5.668
6T 1139 Herb Lumpp 63 Chevy C-10 1:03.425 +1.283 +6.951
7 1138 Mick Hochgesang 67 Chevy C-10 1:03.766 +0.341 +7.292
8 733 Lee Jones 71 Chevy C-10 1:08.672 +4.906 +12.198
9 1168 Julia Aschenberg 62 Ford Unibody 1:21.068 +12.396 +24.594
10 610 Greg Blaydes 41 Chevy Rat Rod 1:21.507 +0.439 +25.033
11 436 Steve Hunington 68 Chevy C-10 0:00.000 +81.507 +81.507
12 1053 Vincent Gibson 69 Chevy El Camino 0:00.000
hr - 'Hot Rod' Total Entries: 1
1T 503 Gary Cook 27 Ford Coupe 1:11.076 - -


Top Times Of Day Time Class # Driver
Raw time 50.228 pro 1390 Kyle Tucker
Sunday
Summary Results
- Nashville SS 2015 - Sun 05-17-2015
Timed Entries: 48
ss fun
Pos. Class # Rookie Driver Car Model Total Diff. From 1st
ss - 'Super Sunday' Total Entries: 22
1T 1332 Randall Farless 96 Nissan 240 SX 0:52.143 [-]0.400 -
2T 1330 Greg Schneider 02 Chevy Z06 0:52.543 +0.400 +0.400
3T 1329 Amanda McCarthy 02 Chevy Corvette 0:52.965 +0.422 +0.822
4T 1323 Casey Woodside 10 Chevy Camaro 0:54.249 +1.284 +2.106
5T 1311 Chris Gennon 06 Chevy Corvette Z06 0:54.447 +0.198 +2.304
6T 1334 Eric Vantassel 11 Ford Mustang 0:55.764 +1.317 +3.621
7 1328 David Deckard 14 Chevy Camaro 0:56.252 +0.488 +4.109
8 1340 Wes Duenkel 03 Ford Mustang 0:57.025 +0.773 +4.882
9 1371 Paul Bryant 08 Ford Mustang 0:57.685 +0.660 +5.542
10 1350 Jerry Stuterille 78 Chevy Malibu 0:57.867 +0.182 +5.724
11 723 Sean Kiernan 14 Ford Mustang 0:58.664 +0.797 +6.521
12 1377 Paul Meadows 14 Ford Fiesta 0:59.080 +0.416 +6.937
13 1315 Leslie Jones 76 Chevy Camaro LT 0:59.116 +0.036 +6.973
14 1342 John Ridings 15 Dodge SRT 1:01.335 +2.219 +9.192
15 1367 Patrick Vebelhor 77 Dodge Colt 1:02.213 +0.878 +10.070
16 1381 Trent Goodwin 79 Chevy Camaro Z28 1:04.174 +1.961 +12.031
17 1351 Travis Fields 99 Ford Mustang 1:04.256 +0.082 +12.113
18 324 Jay McCoy 14 Chevy Camaro 1:05.865 +1.609 +13.722
19 808 Doug Leacock 14 Chevy Silverado 1:07.097 +1.232 +14.954
20 1359 Mark McCallie 67 GMC C10 1:10.526 +3.429 +18.383
21 1349 Janice Moore 10 Chevy Camaro 1LT 1:17.162 +6.636 +25.019
22 1408 Daniel Krupinsic 04 Cadillac CTS V 0:00.000 +77.162 +77.162
fun - 'Fun Run' Total Entries: 27
1T 1388 Robby Unser 65 Chevy Nova 0:49.243 [-]0.488 -
2T 1387 Al Unser Jr 65 Chevy Nova 0:49.731 +0.488 +0.488
3T 1307 Brian Finch 71 Chevy camaro 0:50.887 +1.156 +1.644
4T 1384 Chris Smith 72 Chevy Corvette 0:51.197 +0.310 +1.954
5T 1039 Tyler Powell 63 Chevy Corvette 0:51.452 +0.255 +2.209
6T 1234 Ken Hiebert 72 Triumph TR6 0:51.498 +0.046 +2.255
7 1020 Larry Woo 68 Chevy Camaro 0:51.721 +0.223 +2.478
8 787 Rodney Prouty 68 Chevy Camaro 0:51.780 +0.059 +2.537
9 1394 Todd Green 67 Chevy Camaro 0:52.120 +0.340 +2.877
10 932 Steve Merryman 15 Chevy Corvette Z06 0:52.245 +0.125 +3.002
11 1102 Tom Farrington 66 Chevy Chevelle 0:52.275 +0.030 +3.032
12 1389 Kyle Tucker 63 Chevy Nova 0:52.776 +0.501 +3.533
13 1025 Greg Schneider 66 Chevy Chevelle 0:52.850 +0.074 +3.607
14 902 Deb McGilton 69 Chevy Camaro 0:53.170 +0.320 +3.927
15 897 Brent Pursifull 72 Chevy Camaro 0:54.268 +1.098 +5.025
16 785 Suzy Bauter 68 Chevy Camaro 0:54.385 +0.117 +5.142
17 810 Jason Thompson 14 Chevy SS 0:54.735 +0.350 +5.492
18 898 Dan Ballard 70 Ford Torino 0:55.031 +0.296 +5.788
19 611 Dan Burnette 72 Chevy Pickup 0:55.428 +0.397 +6.185
20 599 Richard Giesey 71 Chevy Camaro 0:57.386 +1.958 +8.143
21 1068 Bart Morrison 72 Chevy Camaro 0:57.672 +0.286 +8.429
22 1028 Danny Cartwright 68 Chevy C-10 0:58.276 +0.604 +9.033
23 1111 Deb Farrington 64 Chevy Chevelle Wagon 0:58.582 +0.306 +9.339
24 606 Alex Giesey 72 VW Beetle 1:00.264 +1.682 +11.021
25 1405 Tyler Lesuman 04 Ford Mustang 1:01.494 +1.230 +12.251
26 1053 Vincent Gibson 69 Chevy El Camino 1:02.759 +1.265 +13.516
27 1339 John Pritchard 55 Chevy Nomad 1:15.174 +12.415 +25.931


Top Times Of Day Time Class # Driver
Raw time 49.243 fun 1388 Robby Unser

[RobNoLimit]

Fun, frustration, and rain sums it up for Nashville. I haven't been that far down the list in a long time. I'll give the Speedway/Unser crew the "Most improved since Charlotte" nod. And for Dusold's Camaro, or whats left of it, (and I dig it Mike) I'll put that on the "We're all in big trouble if he sorts that one out" list. Lots of cool trucks that were fun to watch but only one Hot Rod? - come on guys. If this weekends Pro class is a glimpse of the future, November's Scottsdale Shootout will be the best and closest yet. Indy and Columbus will have some fast racing. Can't wait.

[Bad94]

Wow, I didn't finish last in pro class.(Tom I you had some problems in the morning Friday and if u would have been there I would have been last)

Overall the racing was great. Track was a little tight in spots for some of us big cars, but you just had to give up some speed and roll the corner.

I'm with Rob the group of car/drivers keep getting better and better. I think Columbus is going to be the event where we see everyone show up and fight it out.

Congrats to all the winners.

Back to work on the Nova.

[bret]

Keith…thanks for posting the OFFICIAL results from the autocross!
I ALWAYS look forward to going to Nashville. Since this was the 10th anniversary of the original Goodguys autocross in 2006, I was awaiting this year’s event most eagerly.

No disappointment!

The weather forecast was iffy, but the rain held off on Friday and the field of approx. 70 cars laid down some great laps. They changed the track configuration this year…the course was a little tighter, a little narrower in a couple of places, but longer and more conducive to preventing accidents. It also included a separate entrance and exit to help expedite the process…nice refinement over the tiny parking lot [now the swap meet] we started with 10 years ago!
The fastest 5-10 cars in the Pro class included many familiar names…Kyle Tucker, Josh Leisinger, Robby Unser, Chris Smith, Bret Voelkel, Tyler Powell to name a few.

Saturday brought the rains so most invested some time in bench racing until it cleared up. Around 1:00pm it looked like that was not going to happen so after consulting with the top runners in each class, they finalized the results as of Friday evening so the participants could then choose to go home or wait out the rains. Kyle Tucker prevailed in the Pro Class at the end. The Street Machine class had a large roster of fast players as well, with Tim McGilton finally coming out on top. Although I only ran 5th overall in the Pro class I got the invite to the Scottsdale shootout because the other 4 were already qualified or unable to commit yet to go there. I’ll take it!

It actually did clear up later on Saturday afternoon and the autocross resumed for fun runs. For fun and entertainment, Goodguys put together a shootout between 10 of the fastest cars [regardless of class]. Although it did not affect the official results, it did provide good entertainment for the spectators as the fastest runs of the weekend occurred during the shootout.

Sunday's event included all the later model cars so we got a chance to see how our old musclecars stacked up against the new stuff. This segment has proven to be very popular. Greg Schneider and Amanda McCarthy from the RideTech shop ran our 02 Z06 Corvette to a 2nd and 3rd place finish on Sunday. Randy Fairless in a LS powered 240SX was the winner.

While some never ventured anywhere but the autocross, there were some stunning cars all around the venue. The Pros Pick area contained cars whose paint, fabrication, fitment, and interior could generate years of ideas for all of us to emulate. Next time any of you get to a Goodguys autocross, do yourself a favor and take in the rest of the show. Those people take in the autocross…where do you think all those spectators come from?!

Taking people for rides through the autocross has always been a staple of these events. I’m sure many here can remember their first autocross experience being a ride at a Goodguys event. Goodguys has taken this concept a step further by partnering with the Austin Hatcher Foundation to organize this process. For a token $20 donation to the Foundation, they will give you a helmet and put you in the Pro Class car of your choice…at a scheduled time! THAT is why the Pro Class runs at the top of every hour. It’s not because the Pro Class drivers are trying to be some elitist bunch of snobs, it’s because we are trying to 1. Make sure as many people get to ride as possible, 2. Keep riders from waiting around all afternoon not knowing when their ride may occur, and 3. Raise some money for a worthy cause.

I would like to publicly applaud Goodguys for the effort they have put into the autocross events for the last several years. While it is no secret that Air Ride Technologies [yeah, that’s me] brought the very first autocross event to Nashville in 2006, it was the structure and resources of the Goodguys organization that made it grow into the popular and competitive portion of the shows that it is today. They continue to refine, adapt, and innovate. It is not perfect, and likely never will be, but it sure beats sitting around in lawn chairs like we used to do.

[71RS/SS396]

Keith…thanks for posting the OFFICIAL results from the autocross!
I ALWAYS look forward to going to Nashville. Since this was the 10th anniversary of the original Goodguys autocross in 2006, I was awaiting this year’s event most eagerly.

No disappointment!

The weather forecast was iffy, but the rain held off on Friday and the field of approx. 70 cars laid down some great laps. They changed the track configuration this year…the course was a little tighter, a little narrower in a couple of places, but longer and more conducive to preventing accidents. It also included a separate entrance and exit to help expedite the process…nice refinement over the tiny parking lot [now the swap meet] we started with 10 years ago!
The fastest 5-10 cars in the Pro class included many familiar names…Kyle Tucker, Josh Leisinger, Robby Unser, Chris Smith, Bret Voelkel, Tyler Powell to name a few.

Saturday brought the rains so most invested some time in bench racing until it cleared up. Around 1:00pm it looked like that was not going to happen so after consulting with the top runners in each class, they finalized the results as of Friday evening so the participants could then choose to go home or wait out the rains. Kyle Tucker prevailed in the Pro Class at the end. The Street Machine class had a large roster of fast players as well, with Tim McGilton finally coming out on top. Although I only ran 5th overall in the Pro class I got the invite to the Scottsdale shootout because the other 4 were already qualified or unable to commit yet to go there. I’ll take it!

It actually did clear up later on Saturday afternoon and the autocross resumed for fun runs. For fun and entertainment, Goodguys put together a shootout between 10 of the fastest cars [regardless of class]. Although it did not affect the official results, it did provide good entertainment for the spectators as the fastest runs of the weekend occurred during the shootout.

Sunday's event included all the later model cars so we got a chance to see how our old musclecars stacked up against the new stuff. This segment has proven to be very popular. Greg Schneider and Amanda McCarthy from the RideTech shop ran our 02 Z06 Corvette to a 2nd and 3rd place finish on Sunday. Randy Fairless in a LS powered 240SX was the winner.

While some never ventured anywhere but the autocross, there were some stunning cars all around the venue. The Pros Pick area contained cars whose paint, fabrication, fitment, and interior could generate years of ideas for all of us to emulate. Next time any of you get to a Goodguys autocross, do yourself a favor and take in the rest of the show. Those people take in the autocross…where do you think all those spectators come from?!

Taking people for rides through the autocross has always been a staple of these events. I’m sure many here can remember their first autocross experience being a ride at a Goodguys event. Goodguys has taken this concept a step further by partnering with the Austin Hatcher Foundation to organize this process. For a token $20 donation to the Foundation, they will give you a helmet and put you in the Pro Class car of your choice…at a scheduled time! THAT is why the Pro Class runs at the top of every hour. It’s not because the Pro Class drivers are trying to be some elitist bunch of snobs, it’s because we are trying to 1. Make sure as many people get to ride as possible, 2. Keep riders from waiting around all afternoon not knowing when their ride may occur, and 3. Raise some money for a worthy cause.

I would like to publicly applaud Goodguys for the effort they have put into the autocross events for the last several years. While it is no secret that Air Ride Technologies [yeah, that’s me] brought the very first autocross event to Nashville in 2006, it was the structure and resources of the Goodguys organization that made it grow into the popular and competitive portion of the shows that it is today. They continue to refine, adapt, and innovate. It is not perfect, and likely never will be, but it sure beats sitting around in lawn chairs like we used to do.

Congrats on the invite! Thanks for coming out and joining in on the delinquency Saturday night too, it was definitely a fun and memorable weekend, lots of fun with great folks.

[lzdick]

For a token $20 donation to the Foundation, they will give you a helmet and put you in the Pro Class car of your choice…at a scheduled time! THAT is why the Pro Class runs at the top of every hour. It’s not because the Pro Class drivers are trying to be some elitist bunch of snobs, it’s because we are trying to 1. Make sure as many people get to ride as possible, 2. Keep riders from waiting around all afternoon not knowing when their ride may occur, and 3. Raise some money for a worthy cause.

Kudos to Goodguys and the Hatcher Foundation for their joint venture toward a worthy cause. I get it...but the disparity in amount of rides for pros vs. 'common folk' is truly unfair. Why can't the fund-raising rides be given by the 'common folk' as well? I am quite sure the paying passengers would enjoy that ride as much as with the pros.

[woodside783]

then thank you Bret and ridetech for bringing it here. This is where i got the autocross bug back in 2012.

[bret]

Kudos to Goodguys and the Hatcher Foundation for their joint venture toward a worthy cause. I get it...but the disparity in amount of rides for pros vs. 'common folk' is truly unfair. Why can't the fund-raising rides be given by the 'common folk' as well? I am quite sure the paying passengers would enjoy that ride as much as with the pros.

I think that might be a worthy idea to bring to Goodguys and the Hatcher Foundation. Although ride along's have never been restricted to the Pro class, [and still aren't] some people are a little shy about asking for a ride from someone they don't know...and most want a ride in the faster cars. The structure that Goodguys and the Hatcher Foundation has brought forth has given these people a clear path to ride along.

And to address the difference between the Pro Class cars and the other classes...I certainly do not want to imply that one is "better" than the other. The Pro class cars are typically faster because we put more emphasis on getting them faster. More time, effort, money...more laps [testing and competition]...and more willingness to optimize our cars into the narrow window of autocross. Are they street cars? Sure...we drive them...anywhere from "only when we have to" to cross country tours. But to be fair...most are not our first choice when we go to the grocery store. The fastest guys have gotten a little faster over the years...the Street Machine class people have gotten a LOT faster! Why? suspension...tires...but mostly...seat time. Practice improves your lap times. A lot!

[SSLance]

While I have never driven an autocross myself at a Good Guys show, I did happen upon a Good Guys autocross going on in Scottsdale back in March of 2010...and just watching from behind the fence was enough to alter my course in car entertainment...forever...

[Trackside-Suzy]

EDITORIAL UPDATE: I think I may have come across (in my bleary-eyed Saturday evening post) that this event wasn't great because of the lack of runs. While I won't deny that many were complaining, I myself did/am not. I LOVE Goodguys' autocross. There is no other event where you can meet people from the forums, make new friends, see what everyone is doing with their cars and give ride-alongs to curious spectators. Goodguys has consistently gone to great lengths to make the autocross portion of the shows better and better. For ten years (Happy Anniversary guys!) the courses have gotten more challenging, the location has become near-front-and-center, the ad campaigns showcase the autocross heavily and the Gazette gives a terrific amount of ink to what used to be our little thing in the corner. I look forward to Goodguys for the more even-keeled competition (I'm not totally wiped out of the game by the fast guys) and the fun and support I get from my friends in the pits. Last year I wrote a piece for another blog wherein I credited autocross (specifically Goodguys) for my ability to have friends all over the country -- FRIENDS, not just acquaintances. These friends guaranteed that when we moved across the country, we had a friendly face waiting for us in the pits.

I commend Goodguys for coming up with the charity rides and I was personally thanked by the guy running the ride along program for helping them raise almost $3,000 on a weekend that was mostly rained out. It was hard to be annoyed with only three runs on Friday when you knew that some kids with Cancer were going to benefit from the event. And, you cannot tell me that you don't take satisfaction in scaring the pants off some guy with a Mustang (just like your Camaro) that he's had sitting in his garage for ten years waiting to be built.

Additionally, what normally would have been a total bust on Saturday with so much rain -- turned out to be three hours of almost back-to-back runs thanks to the hard work of the Goodguys Autocross team. Would you want to strap a leaf blower to your back and do everything you had to get the track dry for a bunch of whining complainers? I am not sure that I would; but they did. You have freedom of choice in where you race and there's a reason you keep attending the Goodguys and my guess is that it has a lot less to do with how many runs you get. I'll be sad if I don't see some of you at the next event, but I hope that you'll recognize that we are a product of our own invention. Goodguys encouraged people to put their hot rods and muscle cars/trucks to the test, we took the challenge; we then told all of our friends and anyone who would listen how much fun it was. The pits filled up, the marketing budgets increased, the pits got even more full and now here we are -- complaining that it's too popular. Additionally, I can't lie, I love the fans -- the cheering and clapping for a good run is addicting. Where else do you have fans?

I think Goodguys will figure this out (as they always have) and if they don't have a solution that works for all involved, so be it; I will still be there to take my runs however few or many they be.

[71RS/SS396]

Kudos to Goodguys and the Hatcher Foundation for their joint venture toward a worthy cause. I get it...but the disparity in amount of rides for pros vs. 'common folk' is truly unfair. Why can't the fund-raising rides be given by the 'common folk' as well? I am quite sure the paying passengers would enjoy that ride as much as with the pros.

Rich, I asked about non pros doing charity rides, it's a liability issue. While some non pro drivers are a known entity some are not, they don't want the problems that would come along with allowing some and excluding others.

[Kcorrigan2]

There is no other venue in autocrossing like the Goodguys. I just started autocrossing a year ago. I sat on the sidelines for years and finally decided to give it a try...I was hooked. Giving rides is one of the coolest parts of this for me. I am not the driver that some of the guys there is but I still get p,entry of people who want to ride along...that and the fans that cheer, and look and talk make this a unique venue...and I for one, love it. We spend a lot of time, effort, and money to keep these cars performing at the level they do and it is the people, the commoradere that keeps us coming back...it's just plain fun.
This was a tough course. The reason there were so few runs was all of the cone killing going on. John and Ed work hard to design a fun, safe course...this is tough. There is a fine line between a course that is fun to drive and one that is unsafe when you are in a cramped parking lot. If the runs would have been clean you would have had twice the runs. And let's not forget the cone runners themselves. Goodguys comes to town and hires the people they can but some are better than others. We even saw con runners in Raleigh that seemed unionized...I won't get into that but suffice to say they had there own way of doing things.
It is so easy to be unhappy about things. We traveled 300 miles, my wife had to fly in Friday morning, it was a lot of time and money just to get rained out on Saturday. But I had a great time. I spent more time bench racing with people. I spent more time in the show than normal. I even bought some awesome mugs filled with awesome Rootbeer and actually got to refill them several times. I ate some BBQ cut right off a whole pig (my wife could have done without that) and to top it off I got to watch my wife make her very first 2 runs...yes that is all she got...in the autocross of her life...you just don't find this anywhere else. This was a great event. With one of the most wonderful settings of all Goodguys events...the backdrop of the downtown skyscrapers was awesome. I can't wait for the next event.

[hotrodalex]

I was worried about the rain ruining the event but I still had a fantastic time. Still got a good amount of runs in and the rest of the show was great. Plus going across the river to Broadway Street is always fun.

It's kinda crazy how much attention the VW got. If the competition was based on lap times/attention, it'd be close to the top! (It would also win a competition based on lap times/HP haha)

[Rod]

There isn't another autocross event like the Goodguys, where you as a consumer are face to face with the very manufacturer you want to put on your car. Where top drivers from all over come to play (literally play). As an autocross pro we are exempt from the fantastic prize packages the sponsors put up for the winners! (how good is the prize package? ask a winner) so why do we come to the event? to race friends, to make new friends, to wish happy birthdays, eat BBQ, give others rides in our cars in hopes to get more to drive, to hang out in fantastic venues, to answer questions on what it takes to do this, for bragging rights!

REALLY where else can you say you raced on the same track and compare your times to Detroit Speed drivers, Ridetech drivers, ABC drivers, Jet Hot drivers or better yet Al and Robby Unser? really you raced a freakin Unser!!!!! A TV star (Tim Strange from Search and Restore) announced for you!!! how awesome is that?!.....

I know that some said they had few runs during the day, and when I am not running pro category...what I do is walk out into the show grounds!! there's a huge show going on all around you, VISIT those booths, DSE, roadster shop, Mast motorsports, Spectre, PPG, Edelbrock....you have time...tell them how good your doing and how much fun your having!~

[mpozzi]

Rich, I asked about non pros doing charity rides, it's a liability issue. While some non pro drivers are a known entity some are not, they don't want the problems that would come along with allowing some and excluding others.

This leads in to a very interesting thought as it's for insurance reasons that I'm not really willing to give rides at GoodGuys events. The release of liability that passengers sign somewhat protects GoodGuys but would not protect me, owner/driver of the vehicle, nor assets, present or future, in the case of the inevitable lawsuit if I had a "run out of talent" moment that resulted in injury or worse to my passenger. And as this is a timed speed contest, there is no insurance coverage in effect either.

Mary Pozzi

[woodside783]

i have wondered about what would happen with that.