Cars N Cones Roadtour - the greatest hotrod tuning and education event of 2016
 

The reason hotrodders come to these forums is for information...about suspension, engines, tires, brakes, wiring...ect.

The reason hotrodders drive and race their cars is to have fun...and to determine if the changes they have made are actually an improvement.

Imagine if there were an event that combined the two...an event where you would have direct live access to experts in the suspension, brakes, engine, (and several other fields), you could get them to look at YOUR car in person, ask their advice, potentially TRY their advice, then ask more questions (in person) about the results of that advice.

The Cars N Cones Roadtour might just provide that chance for you. The Tour starts on Monday May2 at the DSE shop in Charlotte, NC and ends on Friday May 7 at the RideTech shop in Jasper, In. At each stop we will be doing 4-5 hours of autocross fun, then retiring to the day’s sponsor’s facility for dinner and socializing. Then the next morning we get up and drive 2-4 hours to the next stop…and repeat. Find out more here: http://www.fm3roadtrip.com/


Here is a short list of the people who will be on the tour, and what they might be driving:

Bret Voelkel, RideTech - (somebody has to be first on the list, right?) 70 Buick GSX
Building cars since 1979, building suspensions professionally since 1996, driven many hotrods across the country, driven several thousand autocross laps...I still LOVE to talk about cars and try to help people improve them.

Kyle Tucker, Detroit Speed - 65 Nova
GM suspension engineers Kyle and Stacey Tucker started DSE on the back of a pro touring 69 Camaro that they put THOUSANDS of highway miles on. They might be best known on an autocross track, but they also know exactly what it takes to make your car happy on the highway.

Rob McGregor - No Limit Engineering – 65 Mustang
A mechanical engineer who spent time on the TRD Toyota racing program many moons ago, Rob has likely put more highway miles on a motorcycle and/or a hotrod than many of us put on our daily drivers. Rob is a real common sense guy that tries to find the most efficient solution to your problems.

Chris Smith – Smitty’s Custom Automotive - 70 Camaro Streetgrip car –
While he is now known as the driver of the 48 HR Corvette and the RideTech shock tuner, he also builds lots of fast reliable hotrods in his Tiffin, Oh shop. There is little Smitty can’t fix or prevent from breaking...a totally dedicated hotrodder who thrives on helping other hotrodders.

Britt Marolf - RideTech - 48 HR Camaro - Brit is the RideTech Special Projects engineer. He has 2.5 small children so he doesn't get out much, but when he does, his autocross competitors know about it! Britt is also the guy to talk to if you want to build an all-wheel drive Gen 3 Camaro...he knows all the ways that don’t work! Shock expert, air suspension expert, electronics expert...he'll make your head swim with information that you never knew existed.

Chad Reynolds - bangshift.com – 72 Chevelle StreetGrip car - Some of you know him as one of the founders of Bangshift.com, others may know him from his announcing duties at Optima and Goodguys. Fewer may know that the reason he is such an effective announcer who needs no script is that he KNOWS this stuff...because he has lived it for the last 40 years! The only thing about hotrodding that Chad doesn't know is a stranger. You'll be kicking him off your leg :)

Jeff Schwartz – Schwartz Chassis – 65 Tempest - Jeff makes a living building kickass chassis for lots of different applications, AND has a history of building huge horsepower unique hotrods. Anyone remember a certain Ultima GTR with a twin turbo LS engine that made 1012 hp and went well over 200 MPH? Not impressed yet? How about putting 40,000 miles on that car? Yeah, I was impressed too.

Bruce Raymond - Raymond's Performance Center - Bruce’s shop in Indianapolis is the support system for Ken Thwait’s VERY successful Optima Ultimate Street Car program. Yeah, their kinda smart like that. Bruce and his guys will be following along with the tour to provide repair services and general car building/maintaining/racing tips.

The Bonus…each sponsor will be giving away a LOT of product and swag. RideTech is giving away a full StreetGrip system EVERY DAY. DSE, No Limit, Holley, Forgeline, Baer and others will be giving out similar prizes.

AND…after all of this…Ron Sutton will be presenting his first Suspension workshop of 2016 at the RideTech facility in Jasper, Indiana on Saturday May 7. For those of you who attended one of Ron’s workshops last year, you can attest to how much information is offered. Be aware that the information presented in the 2016 workshop will be significantly different than last year’s workshops.
2016 topics:
• Tips and tricks to measure the suspension and steering points in YOUR car
• Learn to evaluate your car’s geometry and understand it better
• Simple ways to improve your car’s grip and handling consistency
• Proven methods to create out-of-the-box winning suspension set-ups
• Master the recipe for ultra fast spring, swaybar, and shock combinations
• How to achieve amazing grip and corner speed in your current car…or any car
• Track day tuning to dial in your car for neutral, balanced handling

The Ron Sutton Seminar does have an extra cost of $329.00 [about the cost of ONE good tire] but it will likely be the best investment you have ever made in making you and your car faster and happier.

Soooo…the highlights:

1. Sign up for one of the last 20 spots left in the Cars N Cones Roadtour. You can enter for the entire week for $500 or just for a day at a time for $75/day. Note that the day rate does not include any autocross access or raffled prizes like the weeklong entry. http://www.fm3roadtrip.com/event-registration.html

Why? Have fun…learn things…have fun…win prizes…have fun

2. Sign up for Ron Sutton Suspension workshop on May 7 at RideTech http://www.ronsutton-racetechnology....php?storyid=64


Why? Learn something…make your car faster and handle better…what other reason do you need?

Man I wish I could be a part of this... All of you that will are going to have a blast!

I really wish I could attend this event, it sounds like it will be a blast! Hopefully next year I will have more free time in my schedule.

geez Ron, you even have Star Girls, I won't be able to attend for sure now :peepwall:

Plenty of pics :thumbsup:

Would love to attend.

Joe

Cars N Cones Driver Profiles
 

Here are some of the registered participants going on the tour.....

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DRIVER: Erik Vandermey
CAR: 2007 Mazda MX-5 MS-R

DETAILS: Upgraded 2.5-liter engine, OE 5-spd trans; Koni yellow DA shocks, MazdaSpeed MS-R springs, Hotchkis swaybars

DRIVER INFO: Erik has been autocrossing since 1994 and doing track events since 1999, and attended his first OSUSC event last year. He’s owned his car since 2007, and says it handles great, is light weight, and as close as you can get to a motorcycle on 4 wheels! He’s looking forward to going to places he’s never been before with friends and other auto enthusiasts.

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DRIVER: Todd Earsley
CAR: 1969 Camaro

DETAILS: 350 small block with Tremec 5-speed; stock suspension

DRIVER INFO: We’ve met Todd many times at events, but we’ve never seen him outside of an EVO! Todd has owned this car for 16 years; it was his first car, and he spent time in high school restoring it with his father (who would disown him if he ever sold it!). Todd is looking forward to driving the car to various locations and participating with the other enthusiasts.

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DRIVER: Edward Michalak
CAR: 1969 Camaro

DETAILS: ZZ4 350, Edelbrock top end & Holley Terminator EFI, TKO500 trans; RideTech 4-Link, Moser 12-bolt, Wilwood disc brakes, SPC & Chassisworks control arms

DRIVER INFO: A Marine with a history in stock car racing, owning a ’69 Camaro was a dream of Ed’s since childhood. He finally got a chance to make that dream a reality in 2010, when he purchased this car and began his build. Ed has taken this car on 3 Hot Rod Power Tours, including one with a family of 4 including a 3 & 4-year old stuffed in the car…he says “It was not ideal, but it was a trip we’ll never forget!”! Ed is looking forward to meeting new people and enjoying his ride on the Road Trip.

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DRIVER: James Vanhoose
CAR: 1967 Camaro

DETAILS: LS1 & T56; TCI Engineering suspension, torque arm 3-link in rear, full subframe up front, RideTech SA Coilovers, 9″ 3:89 gear, Wilwood brakes, RideTech TigerCage, Forgeline wheels, Falken tires

DRIVER INFO: James is a big fan of the 1st gen Camaro, but is also building a ’72. He has owned the ’67 for 5 years and enjoys the pro-touring performance and ride. This event will be his first time on the autocross track, and he’s hoping to win a few door prizes that might help with the build of his ’72!

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DRIVER: Christine Crutcher
CAR: 2014 Camaro 2SS/RS

DETAILS: 6.2L; Ported & shaved head – changed cam – 3.91 gear swap, upgraded suspension mix of 1LE & Hotchkis, Corsa exhaust, Eibach lowering kit

DRIVER INFO: Christine’s favorite detail about her car is the increased HP courtesy of RedStar Performance. She is looking forward to time with friends and autocrossing on the Road Trip.

More...
 

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DRIVER: Kerry Kirkpatrick
CAR: 1966 Chevelle

DETAILS: LQ9 & T56; Front SC&C Upper Arms/Springs with DA Varishocks, Rear RideTech HQ’s, BBS wheels

DRIVER INFO: Kerry’s Chevelle was with him in high school but had to be sold in college; luckily, a few years later, he was able to get her back and she’s been with him ever since! The pair had quite a bit of fun at the dragstrip, but some changes had to be made when Kerry found an obsession with curvy roads. With advice from friends and a class from Ron Sutton, Kerry began the upgrading process that he looks forward to sharing with his daughter as she gets older. Kerry’s favorite details about his ride are the BBS wheels and the Dakar Yellow color; he’s excited about socializing with other like-minded individuals, receiving tips to improve both the car and driver, and just driving & enjoying the experience!

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DRIVER: Robert Green
CAR: 2014 Camaro Z/28

DETAILS: LS427 w/ Tremec 6spd; stock suspension

DRIVER INFO: Robert has owned this car for 6 months, and loves the awesome track capabilities with a factory warranty :). He has participated in road rally, track, and autocross events in another 5th Gen Camaro for the last 6 years, and was on a rally when he came across this car for sale in South Dakota. He finished the rally in Vegas, his teammate drove the car back home to Tennessee, and Robert flew back to SD to grab this beauty! He thinks the Road Trip event will be the perfect combination of travelling, autocross, and visiting the best aftermarket companies in the country; plus, Robert is a CPA, so the Road Trip will also serve as a chance to unwind behind the wheel as tax season comes to a close.

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DRIVER: Mark Rife
CAR: 1963 Corvette

DETAILS: LS7 with Tremec 5spd; RideTech coilovers, Wilwood brakes

DRIVER INFO: Mark has had this car for many years and has quite a bit of track time under his belt, including an OUSCI. Mostly stock, this little car still puts out some impressive numbers! Mark is looking forward to new adventures in a car that has already brought him many countless memories.

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DRIVER: Jeffrey Darbig
CAR: 1983 Mustang GT

DETAILS: Stock 302 and T5 5spd; Koni DA’s, Maximum Motorsports coilovers/torque arm/panhard bar, stock brakes

DRIVER INFO: Jeffrey’s uncle bought this car new in 1983 and drove it for years; Jeffrey got the car in the early 90’s before totalling it in 2000. The restoration process was long, but it was finally back on the road in 2013! Jeffrey began autocrossing in 2014 and has attended quite a few premium driving events. He is looking forward to enjoying the cars and the sport he loves with like-minded people in a fun atmosphere.

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DRIVER: Dan Ballard
CAR: 1972 Nova

DETAILS: LS7/T56; RideTech Level 3 suspension

DRIVER INFO: Dan has owned “Grandma”, this clean, original-paint Nova, since 2011. He’s looking forward to hanging out with friends and having fun just driving the car.

Another Batch of Cool Cars and people attending Cars N Cones.
 

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DRIVER: Chris Rhinehart
CAR: 1972 Nova SS

DETAILS: Supercharged 355 w/ TKO 600 5spd; stock a-arms, Energy Suspension bushings, Hotchkis coils, Helwig swaybar

DRIVER INFO: Chris has owned this car for 19 years, and he is really looking forward to the drive, seeing old and making new friends, and the challenge…to see if something he built can withstand 1700 miles of driving and autocrossing! He fell in love with this car the moment he saw it, and it’s been driven and beat on as much as possible. Over the last 19 years, he’s built and fixed it himself from reading magazines, joining forums, info on the web, and just being out there and making friends along the way!


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DRIVER: Matthew Bacon
CAR: 2003 Corvette Z06

DETAILS: LS6/6spd; stock suspension with aftermarket swaybars

DRIVER INFO: Matt has come a long way with this car in a relatively short time. He purchased it in 2015, just a week and a half before he ran his very first automotive event (OSUSC at MIS)! He has since run more events to improve his skillset, and is looking forward to making great memories and having a great time with fun people.


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DRIVER: Gary Flentge
CAR: 2000 Corvette

DETAILS: LS1/T56 6spd; RideTech SA shocks, C6 Z51 swaybars, endlinks, monoleaf

DRIVER INFO: Gary has had this car for exactly one year, and obtained it as a replacement to his 1978 Z28. He loves the LS power and performance, great track and auto-x manners, and that it still makes 30+ MPG with AC on the highway! He will be enjoying some seat time, spending time with friends and fellow motorsports enthusiasts, and seeing some beautiful country in our United States.

A few more Driver Profiles....
 

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DRIVER: Mike Leasure
CAR: 1979 Z28 Camaro

DETAILS: 500hp 385, Bowler stage2 TKO 600; Classic Performance Parts Protouring stage2, QA1 coilovers & leafs, Moser 9″ rear, Wilwood disc brakes

DRIVER INFO: “You gotta love that nasty 385!”, says Mike of the Z28 he’s owned for 6 years. He’s looking forward to driving his car for the first time this year. This is the first car he’s built; at first, he was building it to be a drag car, until he got hooked at the OSUSC events. He’s spent the last 3 years building the car, and with lots of help from family and friends, it’s come a long way since then!

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DRIVER: Eric Fleming
CAR: 1971 Corvette

DETAILS: GMPP LS3 / Silver Sport TKO-600; RideTech Level 2 Coilovers

DRIVER INFO: Eric just started racing this C3 in January, 2015. He’s done quite a few upgrades in that short time, trying to put together a car that will keep up with the big guys, but he’s done very well! He loves track days and has really enjoyed the Hot Rod Power Tour in years past, and believes the Road Trip will combine the two into something right up his alley.

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DRIVER: Steve Rivett
CAR: 1968 Camaro

DETAILS: Wegner Motorsports stage II LS3 long block, TKO 600 5spd; Full RideTech Air Suspension/TruTurn/TigerCage, Wilwood brakes

DRIVER INFO: Steve has owned this car for 24 years! After a major engine fire early on, Steve has personally installed every nut, bolt, wire, and everything else to restore and build this car over a 15-year span. He’s looking forward to driving through the Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains with 100 like-minded car nuts, and the social aspect that goes along with that!