SSLance
08-12-2015, 08:02 AM
Last weekend I had the pleasure of competing in an event that had a completely different feel than any I had raced in before. It was a melding between the top level SCCA National Solo crowd and the top level Optima\Good Guys Pro-touring crowd along with the rest of us. Back in 2013 I worked on getting the Kansas City Region of the SCCA to implement a class for cars built for the Optima\Good Guys series to race in and in 2014 SCCA National implemented the Classic American Muscle classes for the same reason...to give the drivers and their cars in Pro-Touring series a competitive place to race their highly modified yet street legal cars with the SCCA.
94 drivers from all across the Country convened at Grissom Air Force Base in Peru, IN to compete in the CAM Challenge East event. A lot of the SCCA National crowd was there both in their cars and driving borrowed cars, names like Feighner, Meredith, Boreen, Strano, Farkas, Freise and many more.
A lot of the Optima\Good Guys heavy hitters were there too, Detroit Speed, Ridetech, Speedway Motors and Hoosier PE all had multiple drivers in their cars with names like Tucker, Mckamey, Unser while Chris and Lynda Jacobs, Mary Pozzi, Rodney Prouty and Suzy Bauter were there in their own cars as well as many others.
For a lot of them, it was the first time racing with and against each other. I have been fortunate enough to have raced with both groups and it was very interesting to me to participate this weekend. I first realized it was going to be different when I was working in the tech tent Friday. I was there with 5 or 6 of the National SCCA crowd when Kyle Tucker of Detroit Speed walked up...I greeted Kyle, gave him the lay of the land, and he headed off to get registered and get his car ready for tech. Back in the tent I asked if anyone knew who that was and not one person did. I told them that they would soon enough with a big grin on my face.
As the event progressed we all got to watch a young driver Cody Mason climb into Kyle Tucker's car for the first time and spank the field on Saturday, Al Unser Jr race on his first autocross course where he had to shift to 2nd gear, the Merediths autocross a bone stock, beautiful survivor 1985 Mustang, Sam Strano work his magic in a 5th gen Camaro, and James Bishir autocross for the very first time in his beautiful Grand National.
That is what the creation of this class was all about, giving these like minded drivers a place to race together with a totally different style of car and ruleset. Kudos to Raleigh and Velma Boreen for spearheading the implementation of this class, David Dusterberg for chairing this event, and the members of the SCCA Indy Region for helping to man the event. I also have to give thanks to Speedway Motors, Ridetech, Wilwood, and Hoosier PE for sponsoring the event. From my vantage point, everyone got along great, everyone rooted everyone else on to do the best that they could, and at the end of the day everyone had a great time.
For me personally, it was a chance to measure myself as a driver against the National SCCA winning driver who co-drove my car with me as well as measure the car I built with a great driver behind the wheel against the other well built and well driven cars at the event. I'm very happy with the results, Ryan Finch finished 16th out of 64 drivers in Saturday's competition in Barney and I finished 27th...a bit better than mid pack which was my goal. The car held up well all weekend and the 2 drivers had more fun than you can shake a stick at...and that's what counts to me.
94 drivers from all across the Country convened at Grissom Air Force Base in Peru, IN to compete in the CAM Challenge East event. A lot of the SCCA National crowd was there both in their cars and driving borrowed cars, names like Feighner, Meredith, Boreen, Strano, Farkas, Freise and many more.
A lot of the Optima\Good Guys heavy hitters were there too, Detroit Speed, Ridetech, Speedway Motors and Hoosier PE all had multiple drivers in their cars with names like Tucker, Mckamey, Unser while Chris and Lynda Jacobs, Mary Pozzi, Rodney Prouty and Suzy Bauter were there in their own cars as well as many others.
For a lot of them, it was the first time racing with and against each other. I have been fortunate enough to have raced with both groups and it was very interesting to me to participate this weekend. I first realized it was going to be different when I was working in the tech tent Friday. I was there with 5 or 6 of the National SCCA crowd when Kyle Tucker of Detroit Speed walked up...I greeted Kyle, gave him the lay of the land, and he headed off to get registered and get his car ready for tech. Back in the tent I asked if anyone knew who that was and not one person did. I told them that they would soon enough with a big grin on my face.
As the event progressed we all got to watch a young driver Cody Mason climb into Kyle Tucker's car for the first time and spank the field on Saturday, Al Unser Jr race on his first autocross course where he had to shift to 2nd gear, the Merediths autocross a bone stock, beautiful survivor 1985 Mustang, Sam Strano work his magic in a 5th gen Camaro, and James Bishir autocross for the very first time in his beautiful Grand National.
That is what the creation of this class was all about, giving these like minded drivers a place to race together with a totally different style of car and ruleset. Kudos to Raleigh and Velma Boreen for spearheading the implementation of this class, David Dusterberg for chairing this event, and the members of the SCCA Indy Region for helping to man the event. I also have to give thanks to Speedway Motors, Ridetech, Wilwood, and Hoosier PE for sponsoring the event. From my vantage point, everyone got along great, everyone rooted everyone else on to do the best that they could, and at the end of the day everyone had a great time.
For me personally, it was a chance to measure myself as a driver against the National SCCA winning driver who co-drove my car with me as well as measure the car I built with a great driver behind the wheel against the other well built and well driven cars at the event. I'm very happy with the results, Ryan Finch finished 16th out of 64 drivers in Saturday's competition in Barney and I finished 27th...a bit better than mid pack which was my goal. The car held up well all weekend and the 2 drivers had more fun than you can shake a stick at...and that's what counts to me.