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Goodguys Del Mar Street Machine Autocross - Race Against Time!With racing venues dropping like flies in Southern California, the Goodguys Del Mar Street Machine Autocross was a temporary oasis in a desolate land From the August, 2012 issue of Popular Hot Rodding By Johnny Hunkins Photography by Author
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Southern California has a growing problem: its racetracks are closing down one by one. In just the last two months, Irwindale, Fontana, Orange Show, and Perris have all closed to their respective forms of racing. Prior to that, we lost LACR, Pomona, and the planned track at Banning called Drag City. We’re seeing a lot more race cars for sale at swap meets, and street racing is again on the rise, as was most recently seen on the National Geographic Channel’s LA Street Racers special. The track situation in SoCal is so bad, we’re even questioning the wisdom of equipping Project Nova with an eight-point rollbar—after all, what’s the point? If there are no places to race, why pour on the costly safety gear? Yet we remain optimistic. We’ve been in these dire straits before, and things always got better. One big reason for SoCal hot rodders to be positive is the growing interest in autocrossing, and open events like Run To The Coast. The Goodguys Rod & Custom Association is certainly doing its part; when Orange County, California, decided to sell off the fairgrounds to real estate developers (ironic because that’s how many tracks fall … ), Goodguys wisely moved their Costa Mesa event to nearby Del Mar, thus keeping SoCal gearheads satisfied. In doing so, Goodguys maintained its highly successful Street Machine Autocross right here in SoCal, and is the prime reason PHR sponsored it. For those unfamiliar with West Coast geography, Del Mar is a picturesque oceanside town midway between San Diego and Los Angeles. The facility where Goodguys happens is just a stone’s throw from the Pacific, making it a fun weekend jaunt in the family hot rod. Ostensibly a fairgrounds with a horse racing facility attached, Del Mar is kind of tight on room, especially for an autocross, but Goodguys has done an admirable job maximizing the available space, positioning the compact circuit close to a side entrance making for easy egress for participants. The Del Mar course was a tight one, with eight turns, a modest straightaway, and a little chicane midway through. Good lap times were in the low 30s, which kept the action nice and safe. We typically see one or two minor scuffles with barriers or fences, and Del Mar was notable for being incident free. The Fort Worth course at the prior event was longer, faster, and arguably more fun, but it was clear at Del Mar that the quality of cars and the variety of makes and models of muscle cars in attendance was hands down the best so far. Absolutely stunning is how... Absolutely stunning is how we describe Gilbert Alfonso’s homebuilt ’65 Chevelle (Danville, California). We were immediately drawn in by Alfonso’s flawless black paint, but were won over by the modern LS1/T56 powertrain, beautiful interior, and Global West suspension. A set of Toyo R888 tires were too sticky for the Chevelle to qualify for Street Machine, so it ran in the Fun Run class. No worries—we’re chasing it for a full feature. It was also evident from the beginning that the top 10 or so cars knew why they were there, and came prepared for it. And while we always get autocross experts at the top of the leader chart at every event, we were particularly impressed with the depth of competition at Del Mar—even the mid-pack drivers were experienced autocrossers. In the lower ranks, the difference seemed to be not so much the talent, but a lack of equipment. Typically, with the exception of the top five or so, competitors are either out for their first try, or they’ve just begun getting their feet wet—not so at Del Mar! With so many hot shoes in attendance, it came as no surprise that a showdown was brewing for the end. Any lap time under 32 seconds was absolutely mind-blowing on the tight, technical course. The biggest temptation was to use too much throttle too early, and those who were patient were duly rewarded. To that end Brian Hobaugh (’68 Camaro), Mary Pozzi (’72 Camaro), and Aaron Ogawa (’70 Challenger) were trading increasingly hotter laps, when in the final 15 minutes of scored timing, announcer Chad Reynolds called the top cars to the staging lanes for a final winner-take-all session. With Aaron Ogawa in the lead, Second Place Pozzi had one last chance to grab the PHR winner’s jacket. Pozzi had been a full two tenths of a second off Ogawa’s pace, but on this final lap she eked out a 31.105 to win by eight thousandths of a second. Pozzi told us after the incredible final lap: “On the last corner, I got in a little over my head. I was trying to shave time and told myself, ‘OK, turn car, unwind the wheel.’ I saw the opening and went for it, and just hoped it was enough.” It was enough, and congratulations, Mary Pozzi—you win the PHR Street Machine winner’s jacket! Look for us next at the 7th Nashville Nationals at LP Field on May 18-20, then at the 15th Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, on July 6-8.  Nick Herrington hails from...  Nick Herrington hails from nearby Solana Beach, California, and his ’67 notchback Mustang coupe was running solid 35-second lap times thanks to a 4.6L “Terminator” mod motor package making 500 hp at the tire. Herrington rows his own with a T56, and gets cornering help from Wilwood binders at all four corners.  The tough lady behind the...  The tough lady behind the wheel of this badass ’67 Chevy II is Cheryl Herrick of Clayton, North Carolina. The Jet-Hot Coatings–sponsored Chevy ran in the Pro class, garnering a best lap of 34.022. Like many modernized Chevy machines, it too was sporting an LS1/T56 combo—this one being aided by a TCI/Air-Ride suspension and Wilwood brakes.  The U.S. Marines don’t always...  The U.S. Marines don’t always have the luxury of power through overwhelming numbers—they often go it alone against tough odds, and U.S. Marine Tommy Wisdom is no different in his ’68 Dodge Dart. Running out of the DTM Racing shop, this A-Body sports a near-stock 440 big-block, a 727 TorqueFlite trans, and a palate of Hotchkis pieces. Those gorgeous wheels are 18-inch New Gen Performance Lite hoops.  This Cris Gonzalez-built,...  This Cris Gonzalez-built, Jim Hobaugh-driven ’68 Camaro was the class of the field; not only is every piece on this thing breathed on by Gonzalez, but Hobaugh was driving it like it was stolen. Knowing that it has a full-on DSE suspension, Wilwood brakes, and a 600hp LS plant with a T56 just doesn’t do it justice. From stretched wheelwells to a custom interior, this thing is a serious contender for our upcoming Muscle Car of the Year competition. You’ve not seen the last of this one!  It’s not entirely finished,...  It’s not entirely finished, but we like builder/driver Bryce Baumgart’s attitude—get it out there and beat on it! The San Diego-based ’65 Ford Falcon has a front coilover suspension of Baumgart’s own design, as well as a homebuilt three-link rear arrangement with a Watt’s link. Drivetrain is a modest Edelbrock-headed 289 small-block Windsor in front of a reverse manual C4 auto. We dig the AF/X-meets-Trans-Am vibe!  Paul and Michelle Newman (Templeton,...  Paul and Michelle Newman (Templeton, California) love taunting their less adventurous street rodder peers with this daily driven ’57 four-door wagon. It sits on a chassis of their own design that borrows heavily from the C4 Corvette parts bin—right down to the stock 350ci LT1 engine and T56 trans. They autocross with the rear hatch open and grocery bags clearly displayed.  We saw Dick Eytchison’s more-door...  We saw Dick Eytchison’s more-door ’65 Chevelle at Del Mar last year, and marveled at its quality, thriftiness, and versatility. Eytchison drives it everywhere (including to Del Mar from his home in Cortez, Colorado), and packs a 383 ZZ small-block crate motor, TKO 600 five-speed trans, Baer Trac 4 brakes, and a brace of Hotchkis components. We should have a feature on this budget homebuilt Crew Cab soon.  Brett Voelkel of RideTech...  Brett Voelkel of RideTech needs no introduction, but his new ’68 Camaro does. Voelkel picked up this black Camaro just weeks before Del Mar and quickly outfitted it with a RideTech suspension and a TigerCage. It still had a peg leg rearend and a tired Powerglide trans when we saw it, but that will change soon.  DSE’s ’63 Chevy II is a testbed...  DSE’s ’63 Chevy II is a testbed for their line of ’62-67 Chevy II suspension/chassis components, and we got a chance to drive it in the Goodguys Media Challenge event. With virtually all the stock parts replaced with state-of-the-art DSE pieces, this thing really sticks. Check out our ride-along lap and interview with DSE’s Kyle Tucker at YouTube.com/PopularHotRodding.  Are you sitting down? This...  Are you sitting down? This bright orange ’67 Firebird is powered by a 406ci Pontiac (fed by a set of Kauffman aluminum heads and a Crower cam). Built by Barry’s Speed Shop (Corona, California) and featured on the Wrecks To Riches TV show, this Poncho pony bucks the trend of LS-powered everything, while holding its own on the track—thanks to a Global West suspension and six-speed T56. Do you guys dig it as much as we do?  While some guys blow up a...  While some guys blow up a checkbook on their cars, Tom Kamman of Escondido, California, quietly works away on his ’69 Barracuda convertible a little bit at a time as limited resources permit (he’s going on 12 years now). There’s a lot of stock stuff in Tom’s A-Body, with the exception of a 360 crate engine, Mustang Bullitt wheels, and an 8.8-inch rear from a Lincoln.  We featured Richard Trujillo’s...  We featured Richard Trujillo’s low-buck homebuilt ’69 Mustang coupe in the May ’12 issue, and he was at it again in Del Mar, playing with his suspension settings and trying different tires. Trujillo finished roughly mid pack, well ahead of cars costing five times as much.  There were a ton of first-gen...  There were a ton of first-gen Camaros at Del Mar, but we think Rodney Prouty of San Mateo, California, nailed the look of his ’68 Camaro with the superb selection of a copper-colored hockey stripe, and the ideal rake supported by 18-inch Coys C55 wheels wrapped in Nitto rubber. A mix of Global West, Hotchkis, and Helwig suspension parts help to hook up the LS6/Super T10 powertrain combo.  The retina-yellow ’70 Hotchkis...  The retina-yellow ’70 Hotchkis Challenger has been around for several years now, flying the Hotchkis banner high in the hopes that Mopar faithful will join the handling party. It seems to be working—if a bit slowly—and Hotchkis is leading the parade. At Del Mar, Aaron Ogawa was behind the wheel showing that Mopars can hold their own, and even take the lead, in a sea of Camaros. Until a Camaro snatched victory from him in the waning minutes …  Mary Pozzi (Salinas, California)...  Mary Pozzi (Salinas, California) came from behind to defeat all comers for the PHR Street Machine Autocross, and was awarded her second PHR Street Machine Winner jacket. Pozzi’s ’72 Camaro has been well documented in other magazines; under the hood beats the heart of a beast—the very same LS2 that resided in PHR’s Project Bad Penny Camaro until recently. Suspension goodies come from RideTech, Hotchkis, and Baer.
Del Mar Goodguys
Street Machine Autocross Results |
| Driver: |
Car: |
Best lap: |
| 1. Mary Pozzi |
’72 Chevy Camaro |
31.105 |
| 2. Aaron Ogawa (manufacturer) |
’70 Dodge Challenger |
31.113 |
| 3. Brian Hobaugh |
’68 Chevy Camaro |
31.569 |
| 4. Gerald Lum |
’71 Chevy Camaro |
31.913 |
| 5. Kyle Newman (manufacturer) |
’55 Chevy Bel Air |
32.321 |
| 6. Brett Campbell |
’67 Chevy Camaro |
32.530 |
| 7. Kyle Newman |
’57 Chevy 210 wagon |
32.656 |
| 8. Brandy Morrow (manufacturer) |
’70 Chevy Camaro |
32.810 |
| 9. Dick Eytchison |
’65 Chevy Chevelle |
33.362 |
| 10. Mike Wright |
’69 Chevy Camaro |
33.507 |
| 11. Chris Meyer |
’70 Chevy Camaro |
33.610 |
| 12. Chris McCrea |
’69 Chevy Camaro |
33.928 |
| 13. Roy Rozelle |
’69 Chevy Camaro |
34.024 |
| 14. Gregg Blumdell |
’69 Chevy Camaro |
34.257 |
| 15. Paul Alderman |
’70 Chevy Camaro |
34.309 |
| 16. Tom Kamman |
’69 Plymouth Barracuda |
34.334 |
| 17. Mike Young |
’65 Ford Mustang |
34.515 |
| 18. Allen Palmer |
’59 Chevy Corvette |
34.618 |
| 19. Robert Hall |
’68 Chevy Camaro |
34.662 |
| 20. Bryce Baumgart |
’65 Ford Falcon |
34.817 |
| 21. Richard Trujillo |
’69 Ford Mustang |
34.892 |
| 22. Aaron Raymond |
’69 Chevy Camaro |
35.118 |
| 23. Robb McIntosh |
’69 Chevy Camaro |
35.123 |
| 24. Nick Herrington |
’67 Ford Mustang |
35.150 |
| 25. DJ Arerill |
’71 Ford Mustang |
35.393 |
| 26. John Wityak |
’65 Ford Mustang |
35.724 |
| 27. Tim Callahan |
’66 Chevy Nova |
35.740 |
| 28. John Butler |
’66 Chevy Chevelle |
35.889 |
| 29. Tray Borgen |
’69 Chevy Camaro |
36.028 |
| 30. Tony Evans |
’72 Chevy Camaro |
36.190 |
| 31. Mike Fitzsimmons |
’67 Pontiac Firebird |
36.913 |
| 32. Dennis McNeil |
’72 Chevy Chevelle |
37.338 |
| 33. Tommy Wisdom |
’68 Dodge Dart |
37.831 |
| 34. Frank Temblador |
’69 Chevy Chevelle |
37.832 |
| 35. George Reiss |
’72 Chevy Chevelle |
39.328 |
| 36. Leonara Bridges |
’72 Plymouth Barracuda |
39.515 |
| 37. Alex Nine |
’71 Datsun 240Z |
40.512 |
| 38. Paul Leeds |
’66 Ford Mustang |
43.298 |
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