Danny Popp Wins 2011 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational

[73CPCAMARO]

Originally Posted by Track Junky

I know what your trying to say and safety should be number one period but that was just straight up a dumb move and driver error.

I know that turn well and he could have waited till the end of 14 and on to the straight to make the pass.

The driver stated the brakes failed, not a dumb pass move. Either way, I think my point is valid.

[Blake Foster]

Yep been arround that track in the Nova and you are probably going over 100mph when you go under the bridge. and after comming down the hill and through the previous 2 corners the brakes have alot of heat in them, the Nova has proplus 14" with race pads and proper cooling ducts, and the brakes are not at 100% when you get to that spot on the track.
don't know i woudl want to hit that wall in the Nova. even tho it has a full cage (no door bars due to street use) OMP racing seats, 5 point harnesses.
NOT MY IDEA OF FUN!!

[Track Junky]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Didn't look to me like he intended to pass -- looks to me like he just did a good job when he went for the brakes and they weren't there.... he blew by the guy because the other driver was on his brakes. You know how much you need to scrub off down there... and if you didn't have any brakes -- you're going to blow off there just like this guy did.

Thanks for correcting me Greg, watched the whole vid this time and it sounds like he did lose his brakes.

I hate watching these vids because its always a possibility for this to happen to anyone.

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by killer69

Yep been arround that track in the Nova and you are probably going over 100mph when you go under the bridge. and after comming down the hill and through the previous 2 corners the brakes have alot of heat in them, the Nova has proplus 14" with race pads and proper cooling ducts, and the brakes are not at 100% when you get to that spot on the track.
don't know i woudl want to hit that wall in the Nova. even tho it has a full cage (no door bars due to street use) OMP racing seats, 5 point harnesses.
NOT MY IDEA OF FUN!!

Blake -- Just ask Charley about my driving "style" -- I just don't use the dang things (brakes) -- they just slow you down too much!

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by Track Junky

Thanks for correcting me Greg, watched the whole vid this time and it sounds like he did lose his brakes.

I hate watching these vids because its always a possibility for this to happen to anyone.

It was easy to miss the conversation... and whether he did or not is only his story... but sure looked that way to me. What I really loved was the course worker telling the driver "THAT WAS SPECTACULAR"...... I mean really? Is that really what the guy wanted to hear after that.... OMG... Yeah dude! You crashed and burned but it was really spectacular. Sounds like something TODD would say!

BRIAN -- I've seen how well your car is built.... You'd have just blasted that wall and kept on going - picked up the track on the other side -- straightened her out and then lapped somebody!

[Flash68]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

What I really loved was the course worker telling the driver "THAT WAS SPECTACULAR"...... I mean really? Is that really what the guy wanted to hear after that.... OMG... Yeah dude! You crashed and burned but it was really spectacular.

Yeah no kidding... that dude sounded like your boy Spicoli, Greg.

[Track Junky]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

What I really loved was the course worker telling the driver "THAT WAS SPECTACULAR"...... I mean really? Is that really what the guy wanted to hear after that.... OMG... Yeah dude! You crashed and burned but it was really spectacular. Sounds like something TODD would say!

I know, right? Spectacular? What the hell was he thinking!!

Probably one of those guys that watches NASCAR just for the crashes.

[MaxHarvard]

Originally Posted by CompInnovations

4 point roll bar maximum for hardtops GT-350 style or a head hoop on a space frame roadster or Cobra style car. Cars equipped in this manner won LeMans overall and class championships in the decade or decade preceding the era most of our cars were manufactured in, I think that spirit is important.

Front and rear windshields made from glass not lexan

Suspension bushings not rod ends

A street car shouldn't need the same amount of braided line necessary to plumb a space shuttle

I was understanding of your point up until I read these lines.

To me, this is safety. To me, braided line is a safety feature. Running FI with non-braided line just seems a bit underwhelming in my opinion.

Safety is priority #1 and these items to mentioned are all safety related. If someone wants to use rod ends because they are stronger, ergo; more safe. Then by all means, go for it.

A 4 pt cage might be "enough", but if a guy wants to be more safe, who am I to tell them differently? Safety is not an item I think you can casually mandate at a bare minimum level.

$.02 given.

~Eric

[jvtex]

I think this whole event is great. Every part about it wants me to spend money on my old mustang and compete. Which is the point right? I have a great street car that works and i can take it to the auto-x and be somewhat competitive. It has a very tired 302ci motor that might put out 210 HP with a T-5 transmission. It's a fun car, my wife can hop in it and drive it as well. However, the road race aspect of this event separates the group.

If running on any road course, I certainly want the most safety available in my car. My father was a road racer when i was a small child. He took his SCCA GT-1 Corvette out to Laguna Seca, Crashed it and rung his head on the roll cage. Put him in the hospital for a day or two and had a hard time remembering that he had a wife and two kids. Point being, that was a racecar with all the safety requirements and he still got hurt. So taking a "Street Car", which only has a upgraded seats, CROW lap belt, no Cage -- add no roof to this argument -- and safety items, to a track seems a bit out of my league right now.

Once OUSCI added the road course to the event, a EXTREMELY high level of safety must be at the top of everyone list. Yeah, sure you can take any car you want to an "open track" (insert Organization Name here) but with OUSCI, you're competing with a clock/timer against other drivers. To me, that sounds like qualifying for a RACE in a RACE CAR. Not Street Car Stuff? This is just how I see it.

If I'm ever lucky enough to compete in any of these events, I'll bring all the safety items available to the road course, including a full roll cage. And at that point I'll probably have a High HP motor, with a Straight Cut Gear Transmission box and all the bad ass Suspension possible. After all I love the competition and I know what it's going to take to win.

- joel

[CompInnovations]

Originally Posted by MaxHarvard

I was understanding of your point up until I read these lines.

To me, this is safety. To me, braided line is a safety feature. Running FI with non-braided line just seems a bit underwhelming in my opinion.

Safety is priority #1 and these items to mentioned are all safety related. If someone wants to use rod ends because they are stronger, ergo; more safe. Then by all means, go for it.

A 4 pt cage might be "enough", but if a guy wants to be more safe, who am I to tell them differently? Safety is not an item I think you can casually mandate at a bare minimum level.

$.02 given.

~Eric

I agree that all of these features add safety to a car. What I debate is the that while braided line is necessary for some, systems if you need 20+ feet of -12 to plumb an engine it's probably not a very streetable combo. Lexan, I don't know of any factory cars coming with lexan, well the govt. makes sure of that. Rod ends willl be stronger but imo much more harsh, need constant maintenance and a properly designed suspension with bushings will be much more street friendly for your and your passengers butts.

As for a cage, plenty of production cars open track at much faster times than some guys running 10 point cages. At the end of the day even in a purpose built racing car I am much more concerned about how good my seat is, my harness, my suit, my HANS, my helmet and the competency of those around me.

My main point of contention is that even a sprint car, modified or formula car can be street driven with lights, brake lights, gps speedo, dot tires and a license plate. Just because something can be driven on the street doesn't mean it isn't a race car. When someone builds a car out of a vintage car that doesn't need lexan, a cage, 380mm brakes, and 800+ hp, pushrod suspension that can beat a near stock Z06, or a 458 in a track event then the ultimate street car won't be a near stock OEM car.