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Ten Cars from the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational - Ultimate Street Warriors!Ten Cars Run The Gauntlet At The Toughest Street Car Challenge Anywhere-The Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational. From the March, 2011 issue of Popular Hot Rodding By Christopher Campbell Photography by Christopher Campbell, Robert McGaffin
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As the sun crested the horizon in the desert outside Pahrump, Nevada, a rose-hued sunrise lit up the heavy candy red metalflake on Brent Jarvis' '65 Corvette causing everyone nearby to stop and take in the dazzle. We'd just arrived at the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch where the air was already thick with the cackle of SEMA show cars and fortunate invitees warming up their engines, double-checking every system and component, and just generally preparing for what would be the most intense challenge most had ever participated in. Welcome to the 2010 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational. In order to prove the street... In order to prove the street worthiness of your OUSCI entry, you're required to have your car photographed in front of a Las Vegas landmark. These guys get extra points in our book for somehow getting a shot on the closed-to-traffic Fremont Street. In the year leading up to the OUSCI, would-be competitors compete in a loose series of qualifying events around the country-such as the Holley LS Fest we covered in the February issue, and the Midwest Muscle Car Challenge in the November issue. Essentially, there are two paths into the OUSCI at the end of the year after the SEMA show-you can earn your way in at one of the qualifying events, or you can charm your way in. Hey, it's an invitational-so if they like your car or your style, you can still get invited! If you're invited though, just make sure your junk is up to snuff, or risk being embarrassed. As for the street worthiness of the cars-that's mostly a function of the DOT tire compound-200 treadwear or higher. Beyond that, cars run the gamut from totally docile, to right at the edge of street credibility. In the end though, your equipment better perform, because it's hot in the Nevada desert, and there are no free flatbeds back to civilization! In covering OUSCI, we decided to focus on the aspect of the competition that gets us excited the most: the cars. These cars represent the bleeding edge of what's being built-and legitimately street driven-in the Pro Touring hobby. We selected 10 of our favorites to show you what's being brought to the table at a high-profile competition like the OUSCI. We didn't just nab the top finishers; we pulled cars that pushed our hot buttons. Stuff we'd love to build. You'll have to forgive the dusty wheels though, all of these cars actively engaged in competition when we grabbed 'em for a few quick photos. Who knows, maybe your car will be invited to attend someday-and you'll want to know what you'll be up against.  It wasn't a necessity, but...  It wasn't a necessity, but bonus points were awarded to any team that could track down an Elvis impersonator and get a photo with him. You win OUSCI automatically if you find the real Elvis.  Mark Stielow and his DSE-equipped...  Mark Stielow and his DSE-equipped '69 Camaro dominated most of the performance events. Out on the Spring Mountain track, Steve Ruiz and his '04 Z06 Corvette barely bested him. See the complete feature on Stielow's winning Camaro on page 22.  DSE's Kyle Tucker was in his...  DSE's Kyle Tucker was in his element on the tight autocross track behind the wheel of his recently wrapped second-gen test car and bumped Stielow for the number one spot.  ABS and ZR1 Corvette carbon...  ABS and ZR1 Corvette carbon ceramic brakes made Stielow's Camaro the best in braking, but there was plenty of enthusiastic competition! Ultimate Street Car Challenge Results - Overall
1st - Mark Stielow, '69 Camaro
2nd - Kyle Tucker, '70 Camaro Raybestos Performance Design Competition
1st - Jim & Mike Ring, '66 Mustang
2nd - Brent Jarvis, '65 Corvette BFGoodrich Hot Lap Challenge
1st - Steve Ruiz, '04 Z06 Corvette
2nd - Mark Stielow, '69 Camaro Ridetech Street Challenge Autocross Competition
1st - Mark Stielow, '69 Camaro
2nd - Brian Nutter, '02 Corvette Baer Brakes Speed-Stop Challenge
1st - Mark Stielow, '69 Camaro
2nd - Paul Arvid "Polly" Blytt, '86 Pontiac Trans Am 1968 Corvette Shades of Smokey
This '68 Corvette didn't have a great start in life; Gary Harlan's brother-in-law Bill Hedekin originally bought it back in 1972 as a rolling chassis after it had been stolen, joy-ridden, and then relieved of the big-block and four-speed. Nowadays the drop-top would likely have been restored, but at the time a thrashed three-year-old Vette looked like perfect fodder for a fun track car. Hedekin took the opportunity and turned it into a slalom and SCCA solo car with all the trick parts from Dick Guldstrand. He removed the body and reinforced the frame to eliminate factory weak points, then reinstalled the body and fabbed up a full 'cage designed for protection-soft top be damned. Hedekin eventually lost interest, parked the car in 1978, and removed all the good suspension parts, and the Vette sat for roughly 20 years. Harlan saw it as the perfect basis for the street-legal road race car he wanted to build and eventually persuaded Hedekin to sell it to him. This time the '68 got a full Vette brakes package with composite monoleaf springs and a two-tone paint scheme. The new livery is Harlan's way of paying tribute to his favorite racer of all time
-Smokey Yunick. To date, Harlan and his wife have taken the Vette on many cruises, including all the way to South Dakota for the Black Hills Corvette Meet where it handily won the C3 class autocross. It's also averaged a tick under 125 mph in the Silver State Classic Challenge several times, placing Second and Third in its speed class. By The Numbers
'68 Chevy Corvette
Gary Harlan; Klamath Falls, OR
Overall Finishing Position: 29 out of 55
| ENGINE |
| Type: |
Chevy 383ci small-block |
| Block: |
GM, bored to 4.030 |
| Oiling: |
Moroso blueprinted HV pump, B&M cooler, Moroso 8-quart road-race pan |
| Rotating assembly: |
Eagle 3.75-inch crank, 6-inch Eagle H-beam rods |
| Cylinder Heads: |
CNC-ported Brodix Track 1 with Manley 2.05/1.60 valves |
| Camshaft: |
COMP Cams solid roller, .639/.630 lift, 258/258 duration at .050 |
| Valvetrain: |
COMP Cams Pro Magnum 1.52:1 rockers, COMP Cams springs and timing chain |
| Induction: |
Brodix SP1 intake with Barry Grant 750-cfm Race Demon |
| Exhaust: |
Hooker Super Comp headers with 17/8-inch primary tubes and 4-inch collector, Hooker glasspack mufflers in side pipe |
| Fuel system: |
Barry Grant Mighty Sumo fuel pump and regulator, modified stock fuel tank |
| Ignition: |
MSD dual pick-up distributor with twin MSD Blaster coils and MSD Super Conductor wires; MSD Digital 6 primary box, 6AL backup |
| Cooling: |
Be Cool aluminum radiator and electric fans |
| Output: |
estimated 550 hp |
| Built by: |
Bill Hedekin and Gary Harlan |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Transmission: |
TKO five-speed with Lakewood scattershield and Centerforce Dual Friction clutch |
| Rearend: |
stock Corvette IRS built by Tom's Differentials with 3.73 gears and LSD |
| CHASSIS |
| Front Suspension: |
Vette Brakes 420 lb/in composite monoleaf with 1¼-inch sway bar and custom-valved Bilstein shocks |
| Rear Suspension: |
Vette Brakes 420 lb/in composite monoleaf with ¾-inch sway bar and custom-valved Bilstein shocks |
| Brakes: |
Vette Brakes 11.25-inch discs front and rear with Hawk blue pads |
| WHEELS & TIRES |
| Wheels: |
17x11 American Racing Torq-Thrust II, 4¾ backspace front, 4½ rear |
| Tires: |
315/35R17 Nitto NT05 front and rear |
1966 Chevelle A Family Affair
When Tom Farrington and his future wife, Debbie, were dating back in high school, Farrington was picking her up in his first car, a '66 Malibu. Working on the cars and cruising and hanging out with friends provided great memories for both of them, but like so many of us after high school, Farrington decided to do the mature thing and sell the Chevelle for newer, more dependable transportation. The Farringtons hoped to have another Chevelle some day, but sometimes time slips away with family and career, and a fast 15 years flew by. In 2002, they decided it was time to get back into a Chevelle. Lots of searching eventually led them to a solid '66 shell with no interior, engine, or trans, but accompanied by lots of boxes full of small parts and trim. And so began the eight-year restoration to build their dream Chevelle. The '66 came together just in time for this year's Midwest Muscle Car Challenge, but a dead electric fan almost sidelined them. Farrington rolled the dice and took it on the Putnam Park road course, relying on speed to keep things cool. It worked, and he and Debbie drove the Chevelle to their limits, had a blast, and learned a lot. The next day during the Speed-Stop event though, things got ugly when a rod bearing began making noise. The Chevellabration in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, was just a week away, so out came the engine for a quick rebuild in under nine days. They had just enough time to grab their bags and hit the road with Debbie following with a truck and trailer hauling her '64 Chevelle wagon they had bought as a cruiser-just in case they needed to switch cars. The '66 made the trip with ease, but that was just the beginning of the year's road trips; the '66 attended the Motor State Challenge, Goodguys in Columbus, Ohio, Day at the Strip in Lawrenceville, IL, and the Run Thru The Hills in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where the Farringtons were awarded the Spirit of the Event invitation to attend the Optima Ultimate Streetcar Invitational and SEMA. The adventures have hooked the whole family on Chevelle performance now; through the winter Debbie's '64 wagon will get stuffed with wider tires, more engine, and a Tremec TKO 600 trans so she can be more competitive next season. Their son, Sam, has also begun wrenching on a '67 Chevelle four-door that he plans to drive to school along with the autocross and road course in the future. By The Numbers
'66 Chevy Chevelle
Tom Farrington; Mooresville, IN
Overall Finishing Position: 39 out of 55
| ENGINE |
| Type: |
454ci Gen IV big-block |
| Block: |
GM |
| Oiling: |
Melling HV/HP oil pump with Milodon 8-quart road race pan and Canton 3-quart Accusump |
| Rotating assembly: |
stock crank and rods with Speed-Pro hypereutectic dome pistons |
| Cylinder heads: |
GM iron oval-port |
| Camshaft: |
unknown make with .500/.500 lift, 282/282 duration at .050 |
| Valvetrain: |
stock |
| Induction: |
Edelbrock Performer RPM intake with Holley 750-cfm carb |
| Exhaust: |
Sanderson ceramic-coated shorty headers with Flowmaster dual 2.5-inch universal kit with X-pipe |
| Fuel system: |
Holley fuel pump, stock fuel tank |
| Ignition: |
GM HEI with Pertronix upgrades |
| Cooling: |
Allstar dual-pass radiator with Derale 14- and 12-inch electric fans |
| Output: |
278.1 hp at 4,300 rpm and 397.9 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 to the wheels |
| Built by: |
Tom and Debbie Farrington |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Transmission: |
Tremec Viper-spec T56 with Lakewood bellhousing, Hays billet steel flywheel, Centerforce clutch |
| Rearend: |
12-bolt with Eaton LSD, Moser axles, and Richmond 3.73 gears |
| CHASSIS |
| Front suspension: |
Detroit Speed and Engineering coilovers with SPC adjustable upper control arms, Global West lowers, ATS/AFX spindles, and a RideTech 1.5-inch Musclebar sway bar |
| Rear suspension: |
Detroit Speed and Engineering coilovers with Edelbrock adjustable upper control arms, Currectrac billet lowers, and a Hotchkis 1-inch sway bar |
| Brakes: |
Baer 13-inch front and rear with Hawk HP Plus pads |
| WHEELS & TIRES |
| Wheels: |
18x9.5 Vintage Wheel Works V-40s with 6.5-inch backspacing up front 6-inch backspacing in the rear |
| Tires: |
275/35R18 BFGoodrich up front and 295/35R18 in the rear |
1978 Trans Am Presto Chango!
The killer gold Trans Am you see before you is not the car the Optima officials at the Optima Street Car Faceoff at Road America saw blasting around those pucker-inducing curves. No, this one is much better. The car they saw was the previous incarnation of Telly Violetto's favorite gold Trans Am that he's owned since he was 16. Violetto rolled in with a good looking, but mostly stock car sporting little in the way of suspension upgrades. Despite that, he proceeded to drive the TA as hard as it would allow and had a great time. The officials were so impressed that they awarded him the Spirit of the Event award, providing his golden ticket to SEMA and the OUSCI. Blown away, Violetto knew he had to seize the opportunity and turn the Trans Am into the car of his dreams. After the Faceoff at Road America, he took it home and completely disassembled it, starting over from scratch. The chassis was stiffened with subframe connectors and the rear was mini-tubbed to make room for more meat. All of the stock suspension was tossed in favor of a new front subframe and rear torque arm assembly from Jake's Rod Shop. He didn't stop there, though; Violetto knew reducing weight was the best way to make the most of the new suspension, so he began eighty-sixing the unnecessary creature comforts. All power accessories, the radio, and the A/C got the axe. To help the front-to-rear weight bias, the stock steel fenders were swapped with carbon-fiber versions and the hood was replaced with a lightweight fiberglass piece. Even the driveline got a full makeover with a stroked LS3 and Jerico four-speed. In essence, Violetto just reinforced the "Spirit" award by proving how badly he wanted to be a real competitor. Believe it or not, Violetto had everything back together in four months and showed up at the OUSCI loaded for bear. Sadly, after all that work he was out of the competition early with driveshaft and torque arm breakage during a lap on the Spring Mountain road course. No harm was done (other than perhaps to Violetto's ego), and the TA came out unscathed. We're sure we'll be seeing Violetto's Trans Am at more events again soon. By The Numbers
'78 Pontiac Trans Am
Telly Violetto; Montello, WI
Overall Finishing Position: 39 out of 55
| ENGINE |
| Type: |
416ci GM LS3 |
| Block: |
GM, bored to 4.065 |
| Oiling: |
Melling oil pump with a Champ pan |
| Rotating assembly: |
forged Manley crank, rods, and 11:1 pistons |
| Cylinder heads: |
GM LS3 with custom porting by Wegner Motorpsorts and 2.165/1.6 Dell West valves |
| Camshaft: |
COMP cam with 250/260 duration at .050 |
| Valvetrain: |
COMP Cams rockers and lifters |
| Induction: |
GM intake with FAST throttle body and fuel rails |
| Exhaust: |
custom Jake's Rod Shop headers and 3-inch exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers |
| Fuel system: |
Aeromotive fuel pump and regulator, stock tank |
| Ignition: |
GM coils controlled by FAST XFI |
| Cooling: |
AFCO aluminum radiator and SPAL electric fans |
| Output: |
651 hp at 7,800 rpm, 532 lb-ft of torque at 5,300 |
| Built by: |
Telly Viotello |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Transmission: |
Jerico four-speed |
| Rearend: |
Spraker Racing 9-inch with Detroit Locker, Moser 31-spline axles and 3.89 gears |
| CHASSIS |
| Front suspension: |
Jake's Rod Shop Apex C6 subframe with Hyperco 550 lb/in coilover springs on Bilstein shocks, C6 Corvette control arms and spindles, Speedway Engineering splined sway bar |
| Rear suspension: |
Jake's Rod Shop torque arm with Hyperco 225 lb/in coilover springs on Bilstein shocks, Detroit Speed and Engineering mini-tubs |
| Brakes: |
Baer |
| WHEELS & TIRES |
| Wheels: |
18x10 and 18x12 Forgeline WC3 |
| Tires: |
275/33R18 and 335/30R18 BFGoodrich |
1967 Camaro OneLapCamaro
James Shipka doesn't know it, but he and his '67 RS Camaro are actually heroes of ours. The stated mission of the build was to build a car that would excel in a variety of motorsports-autocross, road racing, acceleration, braking challenges, and open highway racing, but with the ultimate goal of competing in the One Lap of America. And that he did-taking home the Vintage American Class win in May 2010. But that's a long ways from where the car started. Originally, this $2,500 eBay score was destined to be a Pro Street show car. The price should have been a hint, but the Camaro was far worse than imagined, loaded with hacked metalwork and enough rust that every panel on the car other than the rockers and taillight panel was replaced. Along the way, Shipka's inspiration started shifting toward Camaros like R.J. Gottlieb's Big Red and Mark Stielow's Thrasher, with a little vintage Trans-Am thrown in. That's fine inspiration, but somewhere along the way, Shipka became enamored with the idea of competing in One Lap of America. Single-day track events are one thing, but enduring the eight days and 4,000 miles of One Lap while running two or more races a day without tow or support vehicles is a tall order. Competition venues can include wet and dry skidpads, road courses, oval tracks, autocrosses, dragstrips, and even dirt ovals. Undeterred, once the car was together Shipka set out to attend autocross events. The car looked great, but had a long way to go chassis tuningwise, so he enlisted David Pozzi of Pozzi Racing, and together over the next year they took the Camaro to everything they could manage: The Nevada Open Road Challenge, The Silver State Classic Challenge, the Run to the Coast, and tons of autocross events. Each time the Camaro got better, thanks to major and minor tweaks. In April of 2010 after a year of testing, they were ready. Optima Batteries, Hellwig Products, and ISIS Power stepped up with some much-needed sponsorship, and before they knew it, Shipka and Pozzi were in South Bend, Indiana, with the Optima Batteries OneLapCamaro. They were one of several "lap pups" (noobies) in the event, and were driving the oldest entry in the field. They had no clue what they were about to take on, but not only did they and the Camaro survive exertion, they took home the win ahead of teams with 20-plus years of experience. That's nothing short of amazing, and a story we aspire to emulate one day with the Max Effort Cougar. By The Numbers
'67 Camaro
James Shipka; Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Overall Finishing Position: Exhibition only
| ENGINE |
| Type: |
GM LS7 |
| Block: |
GM |
| Oiling: |
GM dry-sump system with remote thermostat, oil cooler, and filter, custom remote dry-sump tank and breather, and ATS (Speed Tech) fabricated road-race oil pan |
| Rotating assembly: |
GM LS7 crank and rods with Katech Engineering 11.35:1 forged pistons |
| Cylinder heads: |
GM LS7 |
| Camshaft: |
Katech Engineering; .645/.648 lift, 220/244 duration at .050 |
| Valvetrain: |
LS7 rockers with Katech Titanium retainers and beehive springs |
| Induction: |
LS7 intake with MSD 90mm throttle body |
| Fuel system: |
Aeromotive fuel rails, Rick's Stainless Vaporworx Tank with custom adapted dual '10 Camaro fuel pumps |
| Ignition: |
MSD controller and plug wires with LS7 coils |
| Cooling: |
Ron Davis radiator with dual SPAL electric fans, ATS Evans water pump |
| Output: |
600 hp at 6,200 rpm, 560 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 |
| Built by: |
Katech Engineering |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Transmission: |
T56 Magnum with McLeod RST dual-disc clutch, aluminum flywheel, and SFI bellhousing |
| Rearend: |
Currie Enterprises 9-inch with Strange aluminum centersection, Daytona pinion support, 3.89 gears, 31-spline Currie axles, and Detroit Truetrac diff |
| CHASSIS |
| Front suspension: |
Speed Tech high-clearance tubular control arms, ATS/Speed Tech AFX aluminum spindle with C5 Vette hubs, Penske dual-adjustable shocks with Hypercoil 575 lb/in springs, adjustable 11/8-inch hollow Hellwig sway bar |
| Rear suspension: |
Lateral Dynamics three-link, Penske dual-adjustable shocks with Hypercoil 275 lb/in springs, adjustable 1-inch solid Hellwig sway bar |
| Brakes: |
14-inch AP Racing rotors with six-piston calipers and Raybestos ST43 pads up front, 13-inch AP Racing in the rear |
| WHEELS & TIRES |
| Wheels: |
18x9 and 18x12.5 HRE C20 Comp Spec with 6.25-inch backspace up front, 6 inches in the rear |
| Tires: |
275/35R18 and 335/30R18 Michelin PS2 |
1972 Nova ResurreXion
What happens to magazine project cars when the build is wrapped up, or even worse, aborted due to unforeseen circumstances? Oftentimes they quietly relocate elsewhere, never to be seen or heard from again, but occasionally a few lucky ones go on to bigger and better lives after the glitz of print. In its previous life this gorgeous '72 Nova was a project for Super Chevy magazine known as the No-Bull Nova. [We also featured it in last month's Under Construction column.-ed.] The goal was to build a no-nonsense track car that eschews creature comforts in pursuit of speed. For reasons unknown, the build sputtered out somewhere after the Speed Tech suspension was installed, but rather than remove the parts, a deal was struck and the No-Bull Nova became project ResurreXion-so named because Speed Tech decided to strip the car and start from scratch to create a rolling testbed for the company, and the "X" as a nod to the Nova's body designation. Though it had to be show car perfect to represent the company and its products well, Blake Foster of Speed Tech loved the original ethos of the build, and decided that he'd stay true to it. After all, streetable, but fully track ready, is in line with the type of cars Speed Tech likes to build anyway. The optimal place to reveal the finished car and show its worth was, of course, the OUSCI. Foster had a clear vision of what he wanted and the Nova came together fast-but, of course, the good luck couldn't last. While out testing the car three weeks prior to SEMA, the original motor went kablooey. The 11th-hour call went out to Richmond Engines to slam together a new 6.0L LS motor that was up to the task of competing at Optima in just two weeks. Richmond Engines really came to the party to help out, even working a couple Saturdays to get this finished in time. The new LS was broken-in on the dyno with a carb to save time, thrown into ResurreXion with EFI, and after a trip around the block, it went into the trailer and straight to Las Vegas for SEMA, followed by the Optima Challenge. All that hard work was worth it, though; Speed Tech finished with Fifth Place overall. To date, ResurreXion has only racked up around 1,000 miles, but roughly 70 percent of that has been on the road course. By The Numbers
'72 Chevy Nova
Blake Foster; Pitt Meadows, BC, Canada
Overall Finishing Position: 5 out of 55
| ENGINE |
| Type: |
GM LS2 |
| Block: |
GM |
| Oiling: |
stock pump with American Touring Specialties LSX road-race pan, Speed Tech remote filter kit, Earl's oil cooler |
| Rotating assembly: |
stock crank with Eagle H-beam rods and Manley 10.75:1 pistons |
| Cylinder heads: |
stock LS2 |
| Camshaft: |
COMP Cams .590/.590 lift, 236/236 duration at .050 |
| Valvetrain: |
COMP Cams beehive springs with 1.7 rockers |
| Induction: |
LS2 intake with LS6 90mm throttle body |
| Exhaust: |
Stainless Works headers with 3-inch pipes and Dynomax VT mufflers |
| Fuel system: |
Areomotive fuel rails and pressure regulator |
| Ignition: |
LS7 coils with MSD wires |
| Cooling: |
aluminum radiator from Performance Radiator with dual 11-inch SPAL electric fans |
| Output: |
510 hp at 6,200 rpm, 543 lb-ft of torque at 5,400 |
| Built by: |
Richmond Engines |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Transmission: |
Tremec Magnum T56 |
| Rearend: |
Bears Performance fabricated 9-inch with 3.89 gears, Strange 31-spline axles, Detroit Truetrac diff |
| CHASSIS |
| Front suspension: |
Speed Tech Performance Track Time front subframe with high-clearance tubular control arms, American Touring Specialties/Speedtech Performance tall forged aluminum spindles with Corvette hubs, rack-and-pinion, 1.25-inch sway bar, RideTech shocks and 500 lb/in Hyperco springs |
| Rear suspension: |
Speed Tech Performance Track Time torque arm suspension system with RideTech shocks and 220 lb/in Hyperco springs |
| Brakes: |
Baer Pro-Plus six-piston calipers with Wilwood road-race pads on 14-inch Baer rotors |
| WHEELS & TIRES |
| Wheels: |
18x9.5 and 18x11 Forgeline WC3 with 6.5-inch backspace up front, 5.5 inches in the rear |
| Tires: |
275/35R19 and 295/35R18 Nitto NT05 |
1965 Corvette All That Glitters
When we first encountered Brent Javis' blindingly flaked and polished '66 Vette replete with fender flares, we had visions of '70s show cars, but in a good way. What we didn't expect was the completely custom road-race-style chassis the body was draped over. Dubbed "Maxed Out," the Vette looked to be a serious open-track competitor, but why the mile-thick metalflake and never-ending gleam on a car that clearly wants to be driven hard? Jarvis says the original plan was to build a vintage road racer, but things escalated quickly with the engine growing to a monstrous 13:1 compression, 850hp big-block. Then things really got out of hand with paint and chrome, and before he knew it 4,000 hours of labor over the course of three years had passed, and Jarvis had a high-end show car with the heart of a racer on his hands. Time for plan B. Now the Vette is destined for a brief campaign on the ISCA show circuit with limited event participation. Don't despair, however; a show car's life is limited and after the show days are done Jarvis says he'll probably attend some autocross events and select road-race events. Of course, when he was given one of the exclusive invitations to the OUSCI, that's not an offer to be passed up, so Jarvis had to relent and bring the beast to play. Despite some oil galley restrictor issues that kept Jarvis from running the car as hard as he wanted, the Vette showed massive potential on the road course, and while we wish it success in the ISCA, we gotta say that we secretly hope for a speedy retirement from the show circuit and a prompt reappearance on track. By The Numbers
'65 Corvette
Brent Jarvis; Mundelein, IL
Overall Finishing Position: 19 out of 55
| ENGINE |
| Type: |
565ci big-block Chevy |
| Block: |
Dart |
| Oiling: |
standard wet sump |
| Rotating assembly: |
4.250-inch stroke crank with 13:1 forged pistons |
| Cylinder heads: |
Dart 355, CNC-ported |
| Camshaft: |
Erson solid roller, .724-inch lift |
| Valvetrain: |
T&D shaft rockers |
| Induction: |
Dart intake manifold, 1,050-cfm Pro Systems carb |
| Exhaust: |
Stahl headers, 4-inch side pipes |
| Ignition: |
MSD billet distributor and ignition box |
| Cooling: |
Meziere water pump with Be Cool aluminum radiator |
| Output: |
850 hp |
| Built by: |
Brent Jarvis |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Transmission: |
G-Force clutchless five-speed with McLeod bellhousing and dual-disc clutch |
| Rearend: |
Corvette style IRS |
| CHASSIS |
| Front suspension: |
custom tubular control arms with QA1 double-adjustable coilover shocks and 700 lb/in QA1 springs |
| Rear suspension: |
custom-built IRS by Performance Restorations with QA1 double-adjustable coilover shocks and 350 lb/in QA1 springs, 1-inch splined sway bar |
| WHEELS & TIRES |
| Wheels: |
17x10 and 18x12 ET five-spokes |
| Tires: |
265/40R17 and 33530R18 Michelin |
1973 Trans Am Fifth Time's The Charm
This black beauty is actually James Contos' fifth second-gen TA, but only his first real hot rod. Previously, he either didn't have the money, or the TA was just too rare and original for a Pontiac purist to modify. But when he found this TA a couple of years ago that had already begun the transformation into a touring machine, he knew he'd finally found the one to have fun with. When the Trans Am arrived, it needed a little TLC; it had overheating issues, and some paint problems that needed to be addressed if it was going to compete in car shows. That's when Dave Hall and his crew at Restore a Muscle Car came in. RMC handles all muscle-era cars, but their real forte is TAs. These guys live and breathe Pontiacs-they even organize the annual Bandit Run that commemorates the ultimate cross-country Trans Am trip from the original Smokey and the Bandit. This author even ran with the boys from Texarkana to Atlanta on the inaugural run in 2007. Originally, Contos approached Hall for a "light" mechanical and aesthetic freshen up and repair of a few questionable mods. But after visiting the RMC facilities in Lincoln, NE and seeing the incredible TAs hanging around, including the awesome Burt Reynolds Edition, Contos began to get ideas. He had visions of finally building the ultimate TA that he had always dreamed about. A "light" freshening quickly progressed into a full frame-off rotisserie restoration with all the right parts to create a true Pro Touring car including suspension upgrades from Pro Touring F-Body and Detroit Speed and Engineering and a Butler-built 642hp 535ci Pontiac powerplant. Contos' direction changed as well; rather than car shows, he's getting hooked on track events. So far he's only made it to a few events, but he says that everywhere the car goes it gets a ton of attention. "You see Camaros and Mustangs everywhere, but these old Birds are pretty rare, so people are excited to see them." By The Numbers
'73 Trans Am
James Contos; Fort Collins, CO
Overall Finishing Position: 39 out of 55
| ENGINE |
| Type: |
535ci Pontiac |
| Block: |
Butler Performance |
| Oiling: |
Melling M54F oil pump blueprinted by Butler Performance with Canton 15-450 pan |
| Rotating assembly: |
Butler Performance 4340 forged crank, Eagle H-beam rods, Ross/Butler 10.9:1 pistons |
| Cylinder heads: |
Edelbrock RPM ported by Butler Performance |
| Camshaft: |
COMP Cam, .600 lift, 254/258 duration at .050 |
| Valvetrain: |
Scorpion 1.65 rockers with Lunati springs |
| Induction: |
Edelbrock Victor intake with Holley 950-cfm double-pumper carb |
| Exhaust: |
custom tri-Y headers by Tribal Tubes, 3.5-inch oval pipes, Spintech mufflers |
| Fuel system: |
Aeromotive electric fuel pump and regulator, Robb MC |
| |
sending unit/pick-up, custom gas tank |
| Ignition: |
MSD Pro-Billet distributor, Blaster 2 coil and wires |
| Cooling: |
Be Cool Cross Flow radiator, Jeg's dual 12-inch electric fans, FlowKooler water pump |
| Output: |
462 hp at 6,000 rpm to the wheels with 449.7 lb-ft of torque |
| Built by: |
Restore a Muscle Car |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Transmission: |
Tremec TKO 600 by American Powertrain with cryogenically hardened dual base-welded 26-spline input shaft, cryogenically hardened 4616 chromalloy gears and shafts, cryogenically hardened one-piece countershaft, polished synchros, cryogenically hardened steel forks |
| Rearend: |
Moser 33-spine axles with Moser limited-slip diff |
| CHASSIS |
| Front suspension: |
Pro-Touring F-body control arms and spindles with QA1 shocks |
| Rear suspension: |
Detroit Speed and Engineering QuadraLink |
| Brakes: |
Wilwood four-piston calipers on 14- and 12.5-inch rotors |
| WHEELS & TIRES |
| Wheels: |
18x10 and 18x12 Rushworth Nightrain |
| Tires: |
275/35R18 and 335/30R18 RA1 |
1986 Trans Am Norwegian Wood
This third-gen Trans Am looks aggressive, but let us assure you, you have no idea how serious it really is. Check out the specs in the box and you'll see that this car is easily the most powerful in our group. But is earth-shattering torque the best way to get around a tight road course or autocross? Most experts would say no, but then again, they aren't calculating the fun quotient. Polly, as his friends call him, actually bought this TA as a nice temporary second car until his main project was ready. Nevertheless, the more he drove it, the more it was apparent that the outstanding aerodynamics and handling of the F-body chassis was the ideal platform for what he had in mind. And what did he have in mind? Absolute fastest street car domination. Of course, we're not talking about the quarter-mile, although it has run a 9.19 at 155 mph even after blowing the trans at the eighth-mile mark. No, Polly wanted to run down Bugatti Veyrons in Europe. For several years the ProCharger F3 blown 540ci Trans Am has held the title of Norway's fastest street car. It also took First Place in 2009 on a German television show looking for fastest street cars, and at the 2010 Silver State Classic Challenge (SSCC) it gathered up five First Place finishes: Unlimited Division, Fastest Trap Speed, Half-Mile Shootout, One-Mile Shootout, and Fastest Overall SSCC 2010. On top of that, it set the track record at the ATP-Papenburg Mercedes-Benz test track in Germany at 253 mph on the straightaway. In the rain, in the presence of slack-jawed AMG engineers. That friends, is the standing official record for Europe's fastest car. Despite being a bit heavy at 4,200 pounds and being built with more of an emphasis on straight-line stability at high speed rather than precision cornering, the Trans Am performed remarkably well in all events at the OUSCI. Our only real regret from the 2010 OUSCI is being on the wrong side of the track when Polly did a high-speed burnout the entire length of the front straightaway on the Spring Mountain track! By The Numbers
'86 Trans Am
Pal Arvid (Polly) Blytt; Godvik, Bergen, Norway
Overall Finishing Position: 4 out of 55
| ENGINE |
| Type: |
540ci big-block |
| Block: |
Donovan |
| Oiling: |
custom-made aluminum dry-sump pan by Polly Motorsport, Moroso oil pump, dual oil coolers |
| Rotating assembly: |
Callies crank with Oliver rods and 7.5:1 JE pistons |
| Cylinder heads: |
Dart 325cc, ported to 340cc by Polly Motorsports |
| Camshaft: |
COMP Cams solid-roller, .610/.615 lift, 265/270 duration at .050 |
| Valvetrain: |
Jesel 1.7 shaft mount rockers, COMP Cams dual valvesprings |
| Induction: |
Dart tunnel-ram intake with twin 75mm Edelbrock throttle bodies |
| Power adder: |
ProCharger F3 with six intercoolers in series |
| Exhaust: |
Polly Motorsport headers with custom pipes by Jensen Metallindustri |
| Fuel system: |
Bosch 1,880cc/min injectors with Weldon regulator, two Weldon electric pumps with frequency controller, ATL 44-gallon fuel cell |
| Ignition: |
Autronic SM4 controller, MSD coils and wires |
| Cooling: |
Griffin radiator with dual Flex-A-Lite electric fans |
| Output: |
1,407 hp at 6,800 rpm, 1,112 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 |
| Built by: |
Polly Motorsports |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Transmission: |
ZF 6-speed from '91 ZR1 Corvette with modified McLeod bellhousing and Verktøymekanisk clutch |
| Rearend: |
custom full-floater 9-inch by Polly Motorsports with ATB Torsen differential, Verktøymekanisk 31-spline axles, and 2.47 gears |
| CHASSIS |
| Front suspension: |
custom tubular control arms by Polly Motorsport with C6 Corvette spindles, 1,050 lb/in Bilstein coilovers and a 36mm hollow sway bar |
| Rear suspension: |
320 lb/in Bilstein coilovers and a 40mm hollow adjustable sway bar |
| Brakes: |
15.5-inch carbon ceramic rotors with six-piston Brembo calipers up front, 13-inch Alcon rotors with Wilwood calipers on the rear |
| WHEELS & TIRES |
| Wheels: |
19x9 and20x12 Speedline |
| Tires: |
265/35R19 and 335/30R20 Pirelli |
1955 Chevy I Can't Drive '55!
"It's just a '55 Chevy hot rod with a big-block and a stick." That's how custom car builder JF Launier described this gorgeous two-tone Tri-Five. Maybe that's because that's what Wes Sutherland asked for when he approached Launier at JF Kustoms four years ago with a simple goal for a '55 Chevy: "I just want a cool car ... You know, like a bright-colored hot rod!" Realizing he needed to start from scratch, Launier bypassed complete cars and sought out a shell as a clean slate. The phone call finally came in; a friend had found a car at a farm. The '55 they found was a one-owner car with a family history; the dad originally bought and drove it, but all three sons learned to drive in it and got to use it as they got older and each time it was customized by the boys through the '60s. It was no perfect barn find though; after teen drivers and 40 years in a barn, there was lots of rust and all the pieces of the partially assembled car had to be transported in three truckloads. Over the next two years, Launier kept Sutherland up to date with lots of email pictures and phone calls, but he had near carte blanche on the '55's look. That same level of trust allowed Launier to take the '55 to the OUSCI with only 50 test miles. At SEMA, the '55 was extremely well received with many people wondering what was done to the car to make it look so clean-including us. It just has a look doesn't it? After tracking down Elvis for a photo-op with the car, Launier drove the 60 miles to Pahrump where the rest of the challenge would take place the following day. Both Launier and Sutherland were proud of the Tri-Five's performance, especially considering the competition. "It did extremely well considering the high number of race cars that the little show car was up against, finishing 17th out of 55 cars overall," Launier says. Actually, it seems that the competition altered his perception of what he expects out of his cars from now on. The OUSCI was Launier's first real track event and what he describes as an "incredible experience." It even caused the '55 to come away with a new nickname, "El Toro." By The Numbers
'55 Chevy
JF Launier & Wes Sutherland Fort Nelson, BC, Canada
Overall Finishing Position: 17 out of 55
| ENGINE |
| Type: |
572ci GMPP big-block Chevy |
| Block: |
GM |
| Oiling: |
GM oil pump with custom-fab oil pan by JF Kustoms |
| Rotating assembly: |
GM 572ci forged stroker assembly |
| Cylinder heads: |
GM rectangle-port aluminum heads, 118cc chambers |
| Camshaft: |
GM PN 88961557, .632/.632 lift, 254/264 duration at .050 |
| Valvetrain: |
1.7 ratio GM aluminum roller rockers |
| Induction: |
GM aluminum single-plane with Holley 850 cfm |
| Exhaust: |
custom headers by JF Kustoms, 3-inch pipes with Flowmaster mufflers |
| Fuel system: |
Aeromotive fuel pump with stock tank |
| Ignition: |
MSD billet distributor and coil |
| Cooling: |
GM water pump with Be Cool electric fan and aluminum radiator |
| Output: |
620 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque per GM specs |
| Built by: |
GM Performance Parts |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Transmission: |
Tremec TKO 500 with Lakewood scattershield and Centerforce clutch |
| Rearend: |
Strange Engineering 9-inch with locker diff, 31-spline axles, and 3.73 gears |
| CHASSIS |
| Front suspension: |
Art Morrison Tri-Five Chassis with Strange coilovers and Art Morrison tubular control arms suspension and 1-inch sway bar |
| Rear suspension: |
Art Morrison 4-link with Strange coilovers |
| Brakes: |
Wilwood 12-inch rotors with four-piston calipers up front, 11-inch rotors in the rear |
| WHEELS & TIRES |
| Wheels: |
19x8 and 20x10 Painina from Curtis Speed Equipment with 4½-inch backspacing front and rear |
| Tires: |
245/40R19 and 315/40R20 Pirelli |
1973 Camaro Understated Overdone
Paul Alderman wanted a killer Camaro, but he didn't want to start from scratch or deal with unknown issues. The man was ready to have fun, not restore. We can relate; repairs are always the more expensive and least fun part of a build. So Paul set out to find a solid, rust-free car that already had excellent paint. He found the perfect '73 with a stunning sheen of Cortez Silver and was able to strike a deal for the car minus the drivetrain. From there, Alderman removed and sold another $4,000 worth of parts, ending up with a perfect painted shell for under $12,000. That worked out ideally, since Alderman's plan was to ship the Camaro to Detroit Speed and Engineering for a complete chassis and drivetrain upgrade. Not only did DSE receive the perfect starting point for a project, but doing the work beforehand and removing what he didn't want saved Alderman a lot of money in labor that he reinvested in good parts. Now that's smart. Other than a beautiful set of Forgeline wheels, those good parts are hidden for the most part-which was another one of Paul's goals: "I have coined a phrase that I think fits this car. It would be, 'overdone in an understated way.' " We like that concept; keep your class and have your speed, too. The only downside was that the Camaro was delivered to the SEMA show in Las Vegas just prior to the OUSCI. Of course, that also resulted in an invitation to the event, so we'd say it balanced out. Competing in the OUSCI proved to be difficult, especially with zero seat time in the car or on the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch track. Alderman couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome, however. "The car turned out to be a real purebred on the track. Now, its driver needs to bring himself to the level of the car's capabilities." By The Numbers
'73 Camaro
Paul Alderman/DSE; Mooresville, NC
Overall Finishing Position: 36 out of 55
| ENGINE |
| Type: |
416ci GM LS3 |
| Block: |
GM |
| Oiling: |
stock GM |
| Rotating assembly: |
Callies crank and H-beam rods with 11.2:1 Mahle pistons |
| Cylinder heads: |
Mast Motorsports CNC LS3/L92 |
| Camshaft: |
Mast VVT custom hydraulic |
| Valvetrain: |
Mast 2.04-inch intake and 1.57-inch exhaust valves, nitrided beehive springs |
| Induction: |
LS3 car intake |
| Exhaust: |
custom DSE headers with 3-inch pipes and Borla mufflers |
| Fuel system: |
Mast Black Label fuel rails with GM pressure regulator, Walbro GSS340 pump in a DSE tank |
| Ignition: |
Mast M-90 ECM, GM coils, MSD wires |
| Cooling: |
Be Cool aluminum radiator and EMP dual electric fans |
| Output: |
606 hp, per Mast specs |
| Built by: |
Mast Motorsports |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Transmission: |
Tremec TKO 600 with Centerforce clutch |
| Rearend: |
DSE 9-inch with Detroit TrueTrac diff and 3.89 gears |
| CHASSIS |
| Front suspension: |
DSE hydroformed subframe and tubular control arms, DSE double-adjustable coilovers with remote canisters and 450 lb/in springs, splined DSE sway bar |
| Rear suspension: |
DSE QuadraLink four-link with DSE double-adjustable coilovers with remote Canisters, 250 lb/in springs |
| Brakes: |
14-inch Baer rotors with 6S six-pistons calipers |
| WHEELS & TIRES |
| Wheels: |
18x10 and 18x12 Forgeline ZX3 with 6.4-inch backspacing front, 5.4 inches rear |
| Tires: |
275/35R18 and 335/30R18 BFGoodrich |
Where To Get It!
Want to see the full breakdown of the competition results?
Or maybe figure where you can qualify for next year?
Go to www.OptimaInvitational.com and click on the "Official Results" link.
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