SMOTY / OUSCI Has this ever happened??

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted by ironworks

It will never happen that a Street Machine of the Year winner will ever win The Optima Shootout. They would be too heavy, They would be so nice that no one would ever push them that hard and they are built for Form over Function for the most part.

Exactly.

They say never say never, but I'll make an exception.

[hifi875]

$400-500k was quite a few years ago wasn't it?? The $$$ for a SMOY is alot more.

[Matt@BOS]

Originally Posted by hifi875

$400-500k was quite a few years ago wasn't it?? The $$$ for a SMOY is alot more.

Yeah, it seems like there is an ever growing number of nice cars in between 600-700k right now, and those don't even stand out compared to the really wild cars!

Matt

[Flash68]

It's sure fun to think it could, but yeah.. not happenin. For the million reasons listed above and a million others.

The Optima win is a pretty big deal to a lot of people, but is it really worth hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars to someone? That is one interesting person with a lot of money if it happens... I'd bet they'd be after a different prize if the checkbook was that large.

[ironworks]

Originally Posted by EBMC

I disagree, I think it could happen.With the bar being raised higher and higher each year Its just a matter of time before somebody with very deep pockets is able to finance a car utilizing alot of composites and titanium therefore bringing the car to a competitive weight for OUSCI. It will take a ton of money and an owner thats not afraid to push it to the limit (including their checkbook!)

Agreed But at some point somebody is going to say. Why don't we just go race real "RACE CARS"?

You could be 2 cars to win the SMOTY award and 2 More cars to Win Optima for probably less cost then one car to win both awards.

Are 2 trophies and internet bragging rights really worth that much investment? Not sure I would want to meet the guy with that ego.

[Stuart Adams]

With Bill getting all the other racing events going and with DSE adding a few also, the Optima is not the one and only large track event anymore. Its still a great event but not the superbowl as before. So I could see a SMOTY and a Street Car Series race be the same winner at some point. Your odds are better because of more similiar events.

[carbuff]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

Secondly, the car is going to need EXTENSIVE testing and tweaking on the race track to have any chance. Then, the owner or builder is going to need to be an extreme hot shoe. Then you have to outgun a Z06. Not easy... It all sounds great until you build the street machine of the year and get it out on the track and start beating it up. Will the owner/builder really push it to the limit that it will take to win?

Seems like BB fits a lot of that description. It certainly has some unique features. Perhaps not quite enough for SMOTY, but who knows...

Come on Karl, you could do it!!!

[wiedemab]

Just a stupid thought - -I have lots of those......

Financially, it may be more cost effective for previously mentioned uber-rich ego-maniac to build two cars, one to win the SMOY and one to win the Optima vs. one car to do both....Still get both trophies............

The only other thing that could shift the "one car" probability more toward the possible end of the spectrum is if the style trend for SMOY seriously shifts toward more race inspired versus the current, but it would have to shift drastically.....ie: no interior is now the cool thing to do. OK, I just talked myself back into the "not possible" category.

You hear that you rich egotistical bastard? I said you can't do it - said in my most antagonistic tone.....

Just in case someone was on the fence and needed someone to call them out.

Thats enough gibberish out of me.......

[96z28ss]

Originally Posted by Stuart Adams

With Bill getting all the other racing events going and with DSE adding a few also, the Optima is not the one and only large track event anymore. Its still a great event but not the superbowl as before. So I could see a SMOTY and a Street Car Series race be the same winner at some point. Your odds are better because of more similiar events.

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.

[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!