SMOTY / OUSCI Has this ever happened??

[bret]

Hell, we'll build twin cars...one optimized for SMOTY competition and its evil twin to run Optima!

Don't laugh...its been done in other venues.

Anyone remember Stan Shaw about 25 years ago with a red 57 Chevy? Great guy...great cars. The "street" car was a steel 57 with a blown, intercooled, EFI big cube Chevy engine. [extremely radical for its time]The "race" car was a tube framed fiberglass body car that ran hard on alcohol...in the sixes if I remember right.

I'm with Rodger...at some point [and were not far off] it make infinitely more sense to build a real race car for racing, and a comfy street car for the street. It all depends on your definition of both. And your wallet. And your willingness to chase...whatever it is were all chasing.

[Stuart Adams]

Originally Posted by 96z28ss

Yes there are a few events and new ones being added. However I disagree, the OPTIMA Challenge is the Super bowl or the Daytona 500 for this hobby or sport.

The superbowl is crowning a champion for the whole year, Daytona is a BIG event at the beginning and means very little to who is the best for the year. Optima used to be it and only it, besides auto X at GG events. Not anymore. 2 of the 3 events at optima are almost identical to the other races.

[214Chevy]

That's it!! I've heard all I can take. I'm going to enter my car into them both next year and win them both. Then I'll say, "I thought y'all said it'll never happen. Look what I've accomplished in one year later.!" (awakens from my dream and wipes the slobber from my mouth)

[ironworks]

Originally Posted by ccracin

This all seems to point back to the old debate of street car vs. race car vs. show car.

One would like to believe that a STREET machine of the year winner could also win the Ultimate STREET car challenge. But it seems the way both events are judged, decided, etc. lean opposite ways.

In the SMOTY competition you have to have a $750,000 show car and big enough OO's to run it on a short autocross for which time isn't the deciding factor. To me SMOTY is turning into what happened at indoor ISCA shows. As soon as the masses feel like they have lost touch with the possibility of attaining a goal, they will move on to something else. This is one of the reasons street rodding is not as popular as it was. I think this has helped rat rods become more popular too.

For the OUSCI competition you have to have a 6 figure race car that is detailed enough to not look like a race car. Stielow won in a street car in my opinion. (Altough still 6 figures) Danny's car was a street car per say but venturing a little more toward race car. I predict you will see many more purpose built race cars at OUSCI unless the organizers pull it back a bit.

For example, I don't know how many of you have seen Rob from No Limits new truck Hell Boy. I love it, it is bad a$$, but it is a tube chassied race car with truck sheet metal on it. Sure, you can register it and drive it on the street. But.....
(No Offense Rob, I love the truck and am jealous!)

In the end, when someone can win and someone can loose as related to cars, MONEY wins! Someone will always spend what it takes to win!

Let the stoning begin!

But Rob's truck can only with Truck of the year. It's not a car.

[96z28ss]

Originally Posted by Stuart Adams

The superbowl is crowning a champion for the whole year, Daytona is a BIG event at the beginning and means very little to who is the best for the year. Optima used to be it and only it, besides auto X at GG events. Not anymore. 2 of the 3 events at optima are almost identical to the other races.

okay so you race all year at other events, which have auto X, road course, and braking, held across the country to QUALIFY for the Optima event, in Vegas, in November. They crown a winner of the entire event. Yet you don't consider it the superbowl of our hobby?
So what event then is greater than the OUSCI? Maybe some of the guys here that competed in the event can comment, but I'm pretty sure they consider it the Championship title.

[73CPCAMARO]

Can it happen? Yes

Will hit happen? Probably not.

If a "hot shoe" wins the lottery or is financed, a winner for both could be built. It would take way over $500k to do, but there are plenty of talented builders out there that could pull this off. None of them have put the package together yet. The "Pro-touring" movement is rapidly advancing. It is just a matter of time before a top builder gets the knowledge needed to build a fast car that looks good enough to win SMOTY. Blu Balz is close on both fronts, but not there yet. If someone where to give me $500k, I could give it a shot!

[SLO_Z28]

Originally Posted by 96z28ss

So what event then is greater than the OUSCI? Maybe some of the guys here that competed in the event can comment, but I'm pretty sure they consider it the Championship title.

SCCA SOLO National Championships.


Build a car you wouldn't be out of place entering SMOTY and you could dethrone Mike Maier's SCCA CP Mustang at nationals, then consider yourself a champion.

[ccracin]

Originally Posted by ironworks

But Rob's truck can only with Truck of the year. It's not a car.

No bed!

[Stuart Adams]

Originally Posted by 96z28ss

okay so you race all year at other events, which have auto X, road course, and braking, held across the country to QUALIFY for the Optima event, in Vegas, in November. They crown a winner of the entire event. Yet you don't consider it the superbowl of our hobby?
So what event then is greater than the OUSCI? Maybe some of the guys here that competed in the event can comment, but I'm pretty sure they consider it the Championship title.

I agree, in the past that is all true. But with many more like events popping up, guys can have fun with their cars on road course events and not have to travel to Las Vegas. SEMA makes it easy to pull off, because alot of cars are already there. With all the previous politics involved with style points, cobra car and street cars vs race cars, these other events may erode its superbowl feel. Its about the fun and since they are not handing out paychecks at optima some guys may stay around home and race close by because its the same fun with potential less drama. I just see equally challenging events popping up, especially in the future. That is just competitive business, if their was only 3 nascar races a year each one would be huge.
So in reference to the question a SMOTY car may at some point compete with the top cars at one of the optima like events during the year, that's all I meant. That would be cool.
The optima event is great and I really enjoy watching it. Kudos to Bill and others for organizing other great events so more across the entire country can compete. Didn't mean to de rail the topic. Its all good.

[Vegas69]

It seems that in most cases, car owners focus on show or go but not at the same time. At least not at the level we are contemplating.

The show car crap is so subjective. I'd rather control my own destiny.