We did it! The 2nd Annual Motor State Challenge is the largest performance-driving event ever held for muscle cars. In fact, with almost 80 entries, we almost doubled the 2009 field. The reason for the event’s success is a simple formula of affordable entry fees, SCCA safety and scoring, plus tons of exciting pro-touring performance and camaraderie. Those of you who came out, we can’t thank you enough.
Lane Automotive, the parent company of Motor State Distributing and Allstar Performance, make the event possible. That is no gratuitous plug. While many mainstream companies are dismissive of pro touring, Lane Automotive believes that well-rounded performance is the future of hot rodding. They believe in our community. For 2010, we certainly did our part by bringing some of the fastest, grippiest, most refined hot rods ever built.
The results were nothing short of amazing. The cruise turned into a free for all when 70 mph winds and driving rain forced everyone to race back to the hotel. It’s not every day that you see dozens of hot rods hauling ass under black skies and extreme weather.
Despite being cut short, the cruise and bbq was a success. On the way to Warren Dunes, Lane Automotive arranged for a full police escort. We must have blown 20 red lights and stop signs on our way to the barbecue. I elbowed a small child to be first on line. I’m sorry kid.
At Gingerman Raceway, tire treadwear, once again, proved to be irrelevant. Stielow and Finch ran within one second of each other in the finals despite running 220 and 300 treadwear tires, respectively. Unfortunately, the silly tire rule did have one negative impact. It kept Hotchkis Performance, from participating in the Quick 16 final. Hotchkis trekked all the way from California with their familiar yellow Challenger and ran fourth overall in road course qualifying. The performance of that car is nothing short of amazing given that it only runs bolt on Hotchkis suspension parts like torsion bars, leaf springs and sta-bars. But because Hotchkis ran the same 180 TW tires that are legal at Goodguys, they were not allowed to back up their fourth place qualifying time in the finals. Other participants chose to stay away rather than buy an extra set of “compliant” 200 TW tires. As one of the event promoters, I’m wholly embarrassed by this turn of events. We don’t want anyone to feel excluded or denied. In our world, driver skill has proven to far outweigh any other parameter including tires and horsepower. The top 8 cars in the field ranged from 400HP to 1200HP. It’s all about the driver.
When you see Mark Steilow’s new ride, the Red Devil, you won’t believe it’s not quite finished. The proof could be found out on the track, though. On hard decel, flames would shoot out of the exhaust. Flamethrowers are cool, but so is a finely tuned air/fuel map. Likewise, engine coolant temps reached 245 degrees. But the car still flew around the track and did so with grace. The trophy results fail to show that the Schwartz Performance Ultima posted the second fastest lap time overall. Jeff Schwartz is an experienced driver and the Ultima has a mid mounted twin turbo LS motor. The Ultima is fast and fun to watch. It’s also impossible to ignore the fact that not one but THREE Detroit Speed equipped Camaros were hanging with and even eclipsing the Ultima’s lap times. And the Hotchkis Challenger and Roadster Shop Chevelle were right there also. That’s HUGE news for the pro touring community! Once again, we clarified that, with the right driver behind the wheel, a well-built pro touring car can yield honest Supercar performance.
In the road course finals, Brian Finch’s 2nd place finish set the tone for Sunday’s autocross. Brian has only been road racing for about one year. But he can run with accomplished drivers like Stielow and Mark Hotchkis. Finch’s raw talent really shined through on Sunday where he bested the entire field of autocross entries. Newcomer Chris Jacobs posted the second best autocross time in his Chevelle. Chris is a real gentleman and his performance is impressive. The Hotchkis Performance Challenger came in 3rd place overall with Mark Hotchkis behind the wheel. 300 treadwear tires (Finch) beat out 180 treadwear tires (Hotchkis). And what about Stielow? His overall autocross rank was 9th. When you knock out ineligible entries like vendors, newer cars, Cobras, and sub 200 tires, Stielow’s rank improved to 4th place. That right there is how Brian Finch beat Mark Stielow. The gap between 1st and 4th was big enough to erase Stielow’s road course lead from Saturday. Both guys built cars in their home garages. Both guys have day jobs. And both have proven that driver skill is the most potent, shiniest upgrade you can make to your hot rod.
My 20-year career has brought me to some amazing events. NHRA Winternationals, Daytona 500, Bonneville, Power Tour—it’s a long list. I can honestly say that the Motor State Challenge is the best-kept secret in hot rodding. From the endless line of amazing cars in the paddock to the smell of superheated metal from high dollar machines, the action is impressive. And you get to dispel the many “bench racing” myths that are so pervasive in the internet age. See it with your own eyes: Who’s fast? Who blows up? Who is all talk? Who is conspicuous by their absence.
We’ve learned a lot about our cars’ capabilities and limitations. Some things will change for the future and I’m proud to be a part of the process. Earlier today, we roughed out a radical plan to accommodate 120 cars at the 2011 Motor State Challenge. We hope to see you there next year.
Thanks for looking
/Steve Chryssos
Technical Director Motor State Challenge
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
Motor State Challenge OFFICIAL Results and Recap
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