MATS 2013 Autocross Review

[DTM Racing]

This year MATS Autocross was just as action-packed as ever. We had all comers from all different makes an models, from Ma Mopar to Modern Muscle and Supercars. The Petty Enterprise folks were even nice enough to volunteer their New-gen Challenger for ride along duty. Despite the weather sacing in the straight line guys for a bit of the weekend, a little silt on the track and a cross wind didn’t scare us, even when the timing equipment blew over! The classes were Classic Muscle, Modern Muscle, Truck/SUV, FWD and the hard core guys: Turn and Burn. At the end of the weekend, the SCCA folks had brought out a great contingent of cars from SSM Prep’d s2000’s, Miatas and WRX STI’s. None of them could best our Challenger Emax’s Best time of 27.904.
As any day would start, we began with unloading of the Challenger.


And a few warm-up runs.



Our passengers were having a blast, and the line never seemed to die down. The Challenger answered the call flawlessly, running all weekend without issue.




Shannon Hudson of Redline Gaugeworks was out in “Violent” sporting Hotchkis TVS and a new Borgeson Power Steering Box.


H-Team was out in full swing answering the Mopar vs. The World challenge.




Some of the turn and burn cars from the Mopar Muscle True Street Challenge.




Some Modern Mopar Muscle




I’ve always loved Jensen’s and was thrilled when this one came out to play with us!



And as luck would have it, the FWD class was being dominated by a Ford Focus Cona Edition. A lady named Sue late entered he Fiat Abarth at the last minute, turned around and tossed me the keys with a basic set of instructions: Don’t lose. I had the three runs of the shootout to learn the car and best the Focus. At the end of the third lap, I had beaten his best by 1.8 seconds and snatched the FWD win back for the Mopars! Unfortunately the Challenger was exhibition only, so Steve in his Hotchkis built f-71 Camaro took the win for the Classic Muscle, and Rob “Angry” Byrd took the win for Modern Muscle. Truck/SUV win went to the ACR Durango and Turn and Burn to the awesome Green Viper(love that color).


We even had a factory TA on track with us and we have some great pictures to highlight the effectiveness of our suspension.


I hope to see more of you folks out there next year to carry the Mopar flag so we can take our trophies back next year! The Brand-X guys never let me live it down at the track days. And now, the worst picture I think has ever been taken of me on the track to date!

[mpozzi]

Great write up, Dan.

Mary Pozzi

[mpozzi]

Great write up, Dan.

Mary Pozzi

[soloracerSD]

Wish that Challenger could meet SDR SCCA DB meter limit of 93.Love to see it there...I know you want it there Dan...See you and Mary (If Your Going ) at Good Guys DEL MAR.The yellow winged car? Thats a Super Bird right?

[DTM Racing]

Wish that Challenger could meet SDR SCCA DB meter limit of 93.Love to see it there...I know you want it there Dan...See you and Mary (If Your Going ) at Good Guys DEL MAR.The yellow winged car? Thats a Super Bird right?

Sure is!

[Tomswheels]

Dan, we need to do some Hotchkis magic on the Barracuda and then get it out there next year, looks like a blast!

[DTM Racing]

Dan, we need to do some Hotchkis magic on the Barracuda and then get it out there next year, looks like a blast!

LOL, I think I've been saying that for a year now.

[rustomatic]

Very cool pics--I like that green thing!