Placeholder for the whole story, but we can start with a little background.

Last year synopsis: Finished 7th in autocross, 2 seconds back (owch!), did decent in concours and blew up at the drags.

This year: We test more, apply a new theme (not flat black) and go back...and win autocross overall, 7th in concours and with rain on the drags not everyone got a run, so the drag scores were thrown out and we ended up first overall. I helped with the build and am the autocross driver.

First up, if you are just THAT bored, here is last year: http://www.witchdoctormotorsports.com/ch166.htm

Pre-event test for the car just a few weeks ago: http://www.witchdoctormotorsports.com/ch187.htm

Pre-event onboard vid: http://vimeo.com/29884138

Pre-event photos and a vid from Vorshlag: http://vorshlag.smugmug.com/Racing-Events/...7230663_BptXKm8

EVENT FOLDER AT VORSHLAG (you'd better have some time on your hands....) : http://vorshlag.smugmug.com/Racing-Events/...7634785_d3PBmv4

WDMS writeup on the event is coming...

F-body content: Our car has a 4th gen V6T5 and a clutch res from an Fbody (I think). Also, there were a few f-bodies at the event including the Concours winner, a gorgeous red firebird with flames to checkerboard paint job and an LT1 auto spraying a 150 shot.


Costas
cars and such...

Hey Paul. I didn't know you were on this forum. Small world. Anyway kudos on your win! It was great meeting you. For those who remember me I posted a while back about entering the Challenge. We ended up third in our '94 Trans Am behind the Vorshlag crew and Andy Nelson in his SBC powered VW. I'd like to thank rmackintosh for the optisparks and NJ Speeder for getting me hooked up with njfboa. It was a great event. Look for a feature on our car in an upcoming issue of GRM.

Matt

Paul - The car is a stunner! Congrats on the win, and to you and Terry and crew for having the perseverance to stick with the project and make the car work. I've followed the build for it seems forever, and I can appreciate the effort involved.

Paul's too modest to post pics, so I will - Folks, there's an LS1 in there:

Costas,

Congrats on the results, its great that all your hard work has paid off. Just out of curiosity, what type of ET's do you think the car was capable of?




Matt,

I've always thought a f-body could do well in the challenge, the lt1 cars are quickly becoming the red headed step child of SBC's and the prices reflect that. Do you have any details of your build?

I have every intention to put together a build thread here or on the GRM forum. I just need to pay some extra attention to my wife right now. I think if I spent some hours on the computer writing about "that car" right now I'd end up in divorce court.

I don't have my website update done yet, but Vorshlag has added a LOT more pics and some video (at the bottom) too.

So...if you're bored....

http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?showtopic=15337



Costas
cars and such...

Thanks! It was a LOT of hard work and thankfully the testing paid off.

The car should have been good for a mid to low 12 with no issues. Surely not as quick as the Circle-Track metric framed SBC bug....nor as quick as Matt's LT1 spraying. Both those cars had dedicated drag tires and we were on the autocross HooHoos.

If we go back, it will be in a different car and it will indeed have drag stickies too. We'll see.



Costas
cars and such...

The writeup. It's long. Caution!

http://www.witchdoctormotorsports.com/ch188.htm








Hopefully Matt will do his writeup now!!!!

Costas
cars and such...

I finally started a build thread on the GRM forum. Please forgive me for not doing a seperate one here. Here's the link...

Trans Am $2011 Challenge build

Wahoo!

COVER CAR!!!!




Costas
cars and such...

Congrats Costas! That's awesome!

Jason S.

Fantastic.

Thanks folks!!

Nick (texas cmc2 3rd gen) told me my new tagline:

I don't always drive BMWs, but when I do, I get them on magazine covers. Stay in the gas my friends...

heh heh heh


Costas
cars and such...

We have cover stars on this site, TOO COOL!

Congrats on the well deserved win!

I will say that it IS hard to believe (despite all of the requisite documentation) that some of those cars actually cost that little to build, given how GREAT they look, perform, and turned out!

Your livery looks better than something the mid-late 80s factory Bimmer M Werks DTM team would have done (let alone the engineering involved, and attention to mechanical detail)!!!

GREAT Tagline!!

Kudos to a great bunch of guys (and gal). I was holding out hope that an F-Body was going to be on the cover but I'm stoked for you.You built an INCREDIBLE car.

I remember walking the course with you, and you saying you were pretty good on a regional level at auto x. Lol! Remind me never to play poker against you. I now know your credentials and wonder how you kept a straight face telling me that.

I feel like Ralphie lookin in the mailbox every day for his secret decoder ring except it's a magazine I'm waiting for. Hopefully it won't be an Ovaltine commercial.

I posted this on a private local forum:




Thanks for the kudos Matt...but they sure did have a NICE SHOT of your car on the back page of the current issue! If you don't have that framed and hanging in your shop then you damn sure ought to!! And I'm excited to see the upcoming coverage...you won Concours, so I'm looking to see a GOOD SPREAD on your awesomely gorgeous car!

As to our course walk, I remember that too. We chatted tire pressure and I told you what I typically run and I was happy that the kumho guy said the same thing! As for the talent comment....well...I feel like I'm pretty good behind the wheel, but I see so much room for improvement and I'm always trying to learn more. Hanging around autocrosses and race tracks I run into so many folks who OVERtalk their skill level, so I try to make it a point to not be a d!ck about stuff.

Now that I'm (hopefully) on the cover of a magazine tho....well, I'll have to call Bell and get a bigger helmet!!! (lol...KIDDING!!!!)

Anyway, are you going to the 2012? Fair is BURIED at work and will likely not be building another car for this year, but my wife and I are thinking on a project to drag back over to Florida for the 2012 challenge. Not sure yet...but I have a few ideas.

I also wonder if Condor is bringing the same car, but with more refinement. That car was very cool too!

Costas
cars and such...

That picture is getting framed. Absolutely. My wife likes it because you can see my wedding band. No women throwing themselves at me because I'm famous. Lol.

I haven't decided if pops and I will run $2012. I feel like my car is a one trick pony. In other words, what do I do for an encore? Mabe I'll make it ugly like a barn find. I have been looking at third gens, too. I just so happen to have an LT1 T56 in a wrecked Z28 that I scored for $700 that will fit just perfect in one.We'll see.

I'm sure Condor will be back. Those guys are great. They built that car in a month. Needs more LSx though.

I have a um...shell for sale. (not quite the right approach for the challenge...but maybe).

I don't think a shell will do me any good. Parts cars are the name of the game because you can sell off stuff to recoup budget. I appreciate the offer though.

Outstanding Costas!