Ousci

[MarkM66]

When the same guy wins three years in a row, it's not much of a search anymore,

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by MarkM66

When the same guy wins three years in a row, it's not much of a search anymore,

I spent a lot of time doing lap time comparisons for the road course and the autocross.... The times show driver talent... they show SEAT TIME (very important!)...


Danny Popp wins because he has SERIOUS TALENT..... and that floats to the top. His car is well prepped.... but it's his talent that wins. If a guy goes out and runs 1:40 -- he goes out and lays down a 1:39...

There are a few people with the talent and seat time to run near or at the top -- but a couple of them had issues at the track so knocked them out of contention. Hobaugh and Rozzelle should have faired better but had car troubles....

I'm serious about the talent statement.... as I've timed Popp in a V6 Camaro RENTAL CAR on skinny ass little tires laying down 2:19 at Thunderhill with the Crows Nest.... my all out track car has run a best of 2:05 and typically runs 2:10's with traffic on track....

[PTAddict]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

I spent a lot of time doing lap time comparisons for the road course and the autocross.... The times show driver talent... they show SEAT TIME (very important!)...


Danny Popp wins because he has SERIOUS TALENT..... and that floats to the top. His car is well prepped.... but it's his talent that wins. If a guy goes out and runs 1:40 -- he goes out and lays down a 1:39...

There are a few people with the talent and seat time to run near or at the top -- but a couple of them had issues at the track so knocked them out of contention. Hobaugh and Rozzelle should have faired better but had car troubles....

I'm serious about the talent statement.... as I've timed Popp in a V6 Camaro RENTAL CAR on skinny ass little tires laying down 2:19 at Thunderhill with the Crows Nest.... my all out track car has run a best of 2:05 and typically runs 2:10's with traffic on track....

It's hard to appreciate how good guys like Popp and Rozelle are until you watch them in person. I can run advanced class without embarrassing myself, but I can't imagine ever being able to wheel a car like that.

Watching the speed stop the first day, everybody is kind of tiptoeing up to the limit, improving by half a second or so every run. Then Popp comes out on his first run, comes shrieking off the corner in a barely controlled full-on drift, jams it into the box and puts down a time less than half a second from the best all day. I repeat, on his first run. It was awesome to watch.

[Bad94]

Originally Posted by MarkM66

When the same guy wins three years in a row, it's not much of a search anymore,

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Danny Popp wins because he has SERIOUS TALENT..... and that floats to the top. His car is well prepped.... but it's his talent that wins. If a guy goes out and runs 1:40 -- he goes out and lays down a 1:39...


I'm serious about the talent statement.... as I've timed Popp in a V6 Camaro RENTAL CAR on skinny ass little tires laying down 2:19 at Thunderhill with the Crows Nest.... my all out track car has run a best of 2:05 and typically runs 2:10's with traffic on track....

The last 2 years we have done a TON of work on the car all year long to get the car this fast. A lot of people don't know how many hours we have in the car. I don't even want to think about it.

Last year Brandon would have won, but had engine trouble on the road course. This year Danny's Vette was set on kill.

But then again Danny is a GREAT driver

[96z28ss]

I missed the very first OUSCI, but I went to all the other ones, even volunteered couple times.
Last year was the year where I hung out in Greg's trailer more than I did watching. It just doesn't have the Lat-G appeal anymore.
I'd much rather see Mark tearing up the course in his latest first gen Camaro, than Danny tearing it up in a C5. I can watch C5's, Evo's, 5th Gen Camaro's, Mustangs, on any given weekend at the local track day.

Where are all the C5, 5th gen Camaro, Evo, Porsche, Subaru, performance parts sponsors for these events. If that's the direction this event is heading in, then why would some of these sponsors stay, when the cars they cater to are at the bottom of the list.

[BonzoHansen]

Was there so much time in between laps in past years? We thought in the past a competitor could get all their ss or autox laps in faster. Keeping the car and tires warm, getting right back out there. We felt there was a lot more waiting between laps this time. Are we wrong about that?

Id also be curious if drivers had trouble with cold tires, it was a bit chilly.

[rustomatic]

I've been to a couple of the USCA events, both as worker and driver, and have to agree that they are exceptionally well-run, which is purely the result of the passion (a word I genuinely hate) we all have for the hobby (avoiding the term "sport"--we all have mirrors here). Many of us have just as much fun watching and hanging as we do driving (for far fewer dollars, might I add).

Chad made the exceptional point here (of two): We drive in these events (most of us) to have as much legal fun as possible with crazily capable cars. The USCA events give us the course/track time to literally beat our cars to death. Other events that involve autocross, not so much, unless it's a weird day. USCA gives decent value for those really trying to squeeze the most from their contraptions.

On the topic of the Evo (and other modern cars of its ilk), I remember Mike Maier consistently beating them a couple of years ago. They've chosen to up their game a bit more than Mike has this year . . . When I saw full-on tractor-trailers (not talking Greg Weld rolling out the barbecue here) delivering loads of fully-prepped, non-street race cars at Thunderhill earlier this year, I could see very well (or not, since I didn't really care) that something had changed (or didn't). What-evs. I wasn't likely to ever actually compete (like most of us here) . . . but I will also never pay to see a new Camaro or Mustang lap a track.

I just want to see the Dusold Camaro in person--that thing is ridiculously awesome (and only a Camaro by suggestion/sheet metal--look closely). More importantly, I get the sense that a lot of people pass it right by (on foot, not in a driving sense) . . . this inspires my own idiotic and stagnated build.

[DBasher]

Originally Posted by rustomatic

I just want to see the Dusold Camaro in person--that thing is ridiculously awesome (and only a Camaro by suggestion/sheet metal--look closely).

YES! From what I've seen online its a wicked lil track star....speaking of, doesn't Ron Sutton offer a tube frame street legal something er other?

I'll be at T-Hill in February to take it all in again...and see if we can better our times from this year. Looking forward to the new Unlimited class (USCA, think about it!)

[clill]

Where is info on the Feb Thunderhill event ?

[So Cal Camaro]

Originally Posted by 96z28ss

Where are all the C5, 5th gen Camaro, Evo, Porsche, Subaru, performance parts sponsors for these events. If that's the direction this event is heading in, then why would some of these sponsors stay, when the cars they cater to are at the bottom of the list.

The sponsors like Detroit Speed offer suspension parts for 5th gens, in addition to Vintage cars, K&N/Spectre offer parts for all year cars, Falken doesn't care if the car is new or old using their tires. Same for Lingenfelter, Holley & Wilwood brakes, they all sell parts for all year cars. The sponsors have adapted to the new world, so while you all like to complain about c5 Corvettes, Evo's or 5th gen Camaro's running in the event, if we didn't run, there would likely be no events as the Vintage guys are not coming out in force to the USCA qualifier events.

There were only 128 GTV cars registered all year at the 9 USCA events, and about 30 of those participated in more than one event to try and qualify for the OUSCI event. If the vintage cars want to be represented in greater numbers all they have to do is sign up and accumulate enough points to make the big show, like the EVO guys from RS Motors did.

They limit the number of entries, so fill the field at each event with as many vintage cars as you all can. USCA and Optima put on great events that provide all of us with a playground to drive the piss out of our cars and get some great seat time, which I do with a lot of friends at events. Do I ever expect to win the event? No, Do I have any less fun seeing where I stack up? No and I finished 57th overall...I am happily looking forward to the 2016 season!