Ousci

[Sieg]

The event didn't get over until 6 last night, many took red-eyes home, I stayed over and got home at 4:30 this afternoon. Hopefully we'll hear more when people recover from sleep deprivation.

[Richio1]

Originally Posted by dkp993

Have gone every year too (including this year) and while there's still plenty of American muscle to enjoy the viewing experience has become more and more disconnected. It used to be that you felt like you were apart of the action and you could often be so close you could feel the V8 rumble in your chest. This year you were standing behind fences 100's of feet from event. I personally don't enjoy sitting in a grandstand ala NASCAR.

I agree. This was my 3rd year attending and I left feeling disappointed. I would say I enjoyed Pahrump the most. Goldberg was cheesie but entertaining. It was mainly muscle cars with a few exotics and modern cars. Now that has done a 180. So many new Camaros and Mustangs with a handful of Porsches and Evos.

Pretty difficult for the PT crowd to compete with all the modern technology, ABS, AWD, etc.

We need our own series. Pre 75 would be a blast. It would be like an old Trans Am series club race. In a year or two there will only be a couple PT cars out there.

I also agree with how disconnected it felt. I even liked last years set up better. This years was way too spread out.

I got a free hat though.

[hifi875]

Guess,it's like any other event. Starts out real fun and after a few years it gets real serious real fast. Just look at good guys autocross. It started out small and fun Now it's turned into a all out competition with purpose built race cars instead of street cars and points etc. not that it's a bad thing. Just different

[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.

[Sieg]

Originally Posted by MarkM66

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

Two years in a row and due to the Evo's road course finishing positions. Evo's were 1 & 2 on the podium in AutoX and Speed Stop, 2 & 3 on the Road Course.
The timing margins were very tight.

AWD is a big advantage. Remember when Audi entered the Trans Am Series and dominated, then were basically regulated out with handicap measures?

My guess is there will be some class alterations made in the future.

The spirit of the competition is awesome, the cars are secondary and that's why the series is a success. It's like an annual reunion of people you want to be around in the pits at this event.

[GrabberGT]

I've poured over the results longer than I'd like to admit. Initially I felt dumbfounded by the lack of ProTouring cars at the top of the list. Even the regulars like Kyle Tucker, Mike Maier, Jake Rozelle, Mary... were well below what I expected them to be. But thinking back, I've kind of ignored the other classes this season only focussing on my own. In reality, we've been out performed all year long and when you stack up all the GTS, GTL, and GT winners from 9 other events it makes a lot more sense. Makes me wish the finals were segmented just as the rest of the season was. In order for a Musclecar to do really well at this event you'd really have to take the musclecar out of it. Those builds, though impressive, are not what Im interested in racing against. Here is the GTV class for those interested:

Year Vehicle Driver Car # Road Rally Design Hot Lap Autocross Speed Stop Score Rank
1966 Ford Mustang Mike Maier 42 25 20.1333 7.98 6.75 12 71.8633 12
1970 Chevrolet Camaro Kyle Tucker 38 25 21.1667 7.77 6.54 9 69.4767 17
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Jake Rozelle 27 25 19.5667 6.54 7.36 7.16 65.6267 22
1972 Chevrolet Nova Billy Utley 17 25 20.8667 4.7 5.93 5.11 61.6067 27
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Mark Stielow 62 25 20.1 7.16 3.67 4.49 60.42 28
1972 Chevrolet Corvette Chris Smith 48 25 20.1667 3.47 1 7.36 56.9967 33
1973 Chevrolet Camaro RS Mary Pozzi 77 25 20.2667 2.03 7.57 1 55.8667 34
1967 Chevrolet Camaro James Shipka 46 25 18.5 5.11 4.49 1.42 54.52 37
1968 Chevrolet Camaro Larry Woo 5 25 19.7 1.62 5.52 1 52.84 40
1969 Dodge Charger Matthew Butts 75 25 22.9 1 1 1 50.9 44
1978 Ford Mustang Brett Behrens 87 25 22.6667 1 1 1 50.6667 46
1968 Chevrolet C10 Jay Weir 89 25 20.5667 1.83 1 2.24 50.6367 47
1967 Chevrolet Camaro Steve Keefer 90 25 22.3333 1 1 1 50.3333 49
1966 Chevrolet corvair JB Granger 28 25 22.1333 1 1 1 50.1333 50
1969 Chevrolet chevelle Nick Weber 45 25 21.9667 1 1 1 49.9667 53
1965 Chevrolet Corvette Greg Thurmond 92 25 17.3 1 1 5.52 49.82 54
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Tony Grzelakowski 73 25 18.4667 1 1 3.26 48.7267 56
1972 Chevrolet C10R Brandy Phillips 72 25 20.3333 1 1 1 48.3333 59
1966 Ford Mustang Michael Hamrick 84 25 19.8333 1 1 1 47.8333 65
1964 Chevrolet Corvette Jane Thurmond 68 25 19.6333 1 1 1 47.6333 66
1964 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200 Kevin Tully 66 25 19.4667 1 1 1 47.4667 67
1973 Chevrolet Camaro Jim Stehlin 33 25 18.4333 1 1.83 1 47.2633 69
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Efrain Diaz 69 25 18.7333 1 1 1 46.7333 70
1966 Datsun 520 Truck Bob Boileau 56 25 15.8333 1 1.21 1 44.0433 80