Midwest MuscleCar Challenge Coverage

[NewsBot]

After months of planning and anticipation on the part of event officials and competitors, the first installment of the Midwest MuscleCar Challenge got underway at the scenic Putnam Park Road Course in quaint Mount Meridian, Indiana, just a short drive from Indianapolis. The Pro Touring movement has seen incredible growth in a very short period of time, and this event represented not only an introduction of sorts to these style of events to the Midwest, but a key event in the rapidly expanding craze of muscle car and Pro Touring happenings.



The near-record heat and humidity in central Indiana and eastern Illinois wasn’t enough to dampen the enthusiasm for the long-awaited event, as competitors traveled from far and wide to put their machines to the test. Among them were racers from all experience levels and forms of cars; from skilled drivers with purpose-built road course and autocross cars to hobbyists with street-driven muscle cars brought out to try their hand against some of the best in the business while pushing their rides to its limits.



Saturday's action at the Putnam Park Road Course provided racers with a day chocked full of opportunities to get on track and continually push and make adjustments to turn in the best lap possible. The 1.87-mile, 10-turn course in rural Indiana proved a perfect venue to host the Midwest MuscleCar Challenge, with its wide open space and layout that offered a mixture of difficulty levels in its turns. The event organizers had several driving instructors on hand to ride along with the racers and help them hone their technique of attacking the course that they could later improve upon to turn some great laps; all while having a ball doing it.



North Carolina’s Kyle Tucker, at the wheel of his BFGoodrich-backed, Detroit Speed ’70 Camaro distinguished himself as the man to beat early – a lead he would hold onto throughout the day while resetting the bar in the late afternoon heat with a 1:23:2 lap that stood for quick time, giving him an edge in the standings and some added confidence going into Sunday’s schedule of events. Tucker’s Camaro is powered by an LS-based motor featuring L99 heads, with Detroit Speed’s own Hydroformed subframe and Quadralink rear suspension underneath.





The three groups of racers, which were separated by skill level, received six sessions on the course. By late afternoon the heat had begun to take its toll on the racers, their cars, and the ability to turn a quick lap on the slick racing surface and several competitors were in the pits making repairs or simply sitting out to save their parts for the rest of the weekends activities.



Nashville, Tennessee’s Brian Finch was in the house driving two cars, a 1971 Chevy Camaro and a 1966 Corvette roadster. Finch was touted as one of the racers to watch over the weekend, and he certainly delivered. Behind the wheel of the yellow Camaro, Finch finished up the road course portion of the event in second place with a 1:24:2 lap. Finch also captured the Speed by Spectre Top Speed Challenge with a 125 MPH blast that was measured throughout the day at the end of the long front stretch at Putnam Park.

Road Course Top 10:
1. Kyle Tucker 1:23.2
2. Brian Finch 1:24.2
3. Jeff Schwarz 1:24.8
4. Tom McBride 1:25.0
5. Karl Dunn 1:25.8
6. Randy Johnson 1:25.8
7. Stacy Tucker 1:26.5
8. Brad Coomer 1:26.5
9. Brian Finch 1:26.9
10. Bret Voelkel 1:27.4





After a long, hot day of turning laps, tweaking, and making repairs, it was time to kick back and relax with the Bowler Transmissions 99 mile cruise that would make its way down Highway 231 through scenic southern Indiana to the town of Vincennes for the Flowmaster American Thunder Rib Feast. A great time was had by all as the lineup of powerful cars displayed what Pro Touring is all about.

On Sunday morning, the Midwest MuscleCar Challenge competitors converged upon the Mid America Air Center in rural Lawrenceburg, Illinois for the Baer Brakes Speed Stop Challenge and Ridetech Autocross Challenge. The large airport afforded the event a huge piece of real estate to set up the autocross, as well as a taxiway for the speed stop competition.





The Speed Stop Challenge provided some great entertainment as competitors pushed their mounts to the edge and beyond in the 1000-foot distance, getting out of shape in their attempts to stay within the measured box and turn a winning time. Even those who admittedly didn’t have the high-dollar brake setups needed to win such a competition gave it their all. The Speed Stop Challenge and the location also came together to produce what appeared like a scene from the drag races of yesteryear – with a wide open airstrip, a Christmas tree, fans lining the course, and the timing equipment dangling above the starting line.



Tim Watson, who incurred engine problems with his supercharged, small-block ’65 Nova early on Saturday at Putnam Park, slaved away on his ride all throughout the day, late into the night and much of the day on Sunday as well. But with the helping hand of his competitors, Watson got his mount buttoned up and returned in glorious fashion, nabbing the Speed Stop win late in the day with an 11.74-second time. Chris Jacobs was second with his immaculate ’66 Chevelle, and Karl Dunn was third with his ’07 Ford Mustang.

Speed Stop Challenge Top 10:
1. Tim Watson 11.74
2. Chris Jacobs 11.80
3. Karl Dunn 11.90
4. Brian Finch 11.94
5. Brian Finch 11.94
6. Terry Neuville 12.06
7. Bret Voelkel 12.15
8. Kyle Tucker 12.16
9. Bill Howell 12.22
10. Brad Coomer 12.38



Just across the lot from the Speed Stop Challenge, the Ridetech Autocross competition was taking place as well. The SCCA club of Southern Indiana, which regularly holds autocross events at the facility, set up a course layout meant to challenge the combatants. When the dust settled and the crushed road cones cleared, Brian Finch in his Camaro was the victor with a 50.939-second run of the course. Finch’s closest foe all weekend – Kyle Tucker – finished second at 51.148, and Chris Jacobs third at 51.209. Brad Coomer, Randy Johnson, Jeff Schwarz, Curt Ukasik, tom McBride, Finch in the Corvette, and Bret Voelkel rounded out the top 10 finishers.

Autocross Top 10:
1. Brian Finch 50.939
2. Kyle Tucker 51.148
3. Chris Jacobs 51.209
4. Brad Coomer 51.284
5. Randy Johnson 51.737
6. Jeff Schwarz 51.905
7. Curt Ukasik 52.131
8. Tom McBride 52.379
9. Brian Finch 52.534
10.Bret Voelkel 52.674

When all was said and done, Brian Finch was crowned champion of the first Midwest Muscle Car Challenge, consistently finishing in the top 5 of each leg of the weekends competition with a total score of 70 points. Second went to Kyle Tucker at 65, third to Jacobs with 49, fourth to Dunn also with 49, and fifth to Brad Coomer with 45 points. There is already talk of the event becoming an annual happening in the Midwest, and if the positive experiences shared by all is any indication, this is one that'll be on everyone’s calendar for years to come.



Jeffrey Hinkle traveled up from Atlanta with his gorgeous ’68 Fastback Mustang to partake in the festivities. The classic Pony car is powered by a 427 fed by an F1R Procharger making close to 575 horses at the wheels from 5 lbs. of boost. Hinkle indicated that before converting the car over to road course and autocross uses, it turned quarter mile times in the mid 10’s at nearly 140 MPH. The boost levels were backed down for better handling in corners, but Hinkle stated that with some adjustments the car could very well run in the 9’s. This piece is a great example of the very powerful cars found in this up-and-coming form of racing.



Muscle car builder extraordinaire Brian Schwartz brought his revered ’65 Pontiac Tempest– affectionately known as the “Temptress” - down from Woodstock, Illinois. Schwarz was the last years Car Craft Magazine Real Street Eliminator champion with the 500-horse, LS9-motivated Pontiac that features one of Schwarzs’ bolt-in muscle car chassis.



Spectre Performance shipped their ’71 Z28 Camaro to Indiana all the way from southern California for both the Midwest MuscleCar Challenge and the Hot Rod Power Tour. Mike and Brandy Morrow both shared duties in the car over the weekend in the Camaro, powered by a fuel-injected 388-inch stroker built within an original LT1 block. While heavily modified for road course use, this car sees plenty of highway cruising time as well. Mike and Brandy Morrow both shared duties in the car over the weekend.



Terry Neuville showed how its supposed to be done, loading up the backseat and trunk and driving his absolutely gorgeous ’69 Camaro all the way from Baton Rouge, LA to partake in the event.



Jimmy Spears brought out his ’69 Camaro from Springfield, MO that sported one of the most unique combinations in the pits, with twin T3 AirResearch turbochargers that caught people’s attention all weekend each time he lifted off the accelerator, popping the waste gates with that familiar whistle. Spears’ Camaro features a 9-inch rear with 3.60 gears, and coilover rear suspension to ahndle the 525 rear wheel horses. Spears was partaking in the three contested events for the first time, and had a great time learning the ropes.


Ted Barfett towed his ’68 Chevelle up from Miami. The classic Chevy is motivated by a 415-inch Wagner Motorsports LS3 NASCAR spec engine that pumps out 600 horse at the crank. Barfett purchased the car three years ago and completely rebuilt it to compete in the infamous Bull Run Rally.




More...