Going back to SEMA!

[Turbo6inKY]

This weekend I hit up the Optima Ultimate Street Car event at Barber Motorsport Park, and tore it up.

This was my best ever USCA event. 4th in class, 13th overall. I scored 439 of a possible 500 points. Combined with a 401 point performance at Road America earlier this year, I landed 10th overall in class for the season and scored another invite to the invitational at the SEMA show in Vegas in two weeks.

Here's my best autocross run from the weekend:

Here's my best track lap, a full nine seconds faster than I ran it in 2018:

If anybody's going to be at SEMA this year, come find me. We'll be wherever the Optima cars are parked. Not sure where that is yet, they've apparently moved us to a different lot than previous years.

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

That’s GREAT!!
It’s good to see all you hard working paying off.
Did you change anything on the car this year?

 

[Turbo6inKY]

That’s GREAT!!
It’s good to see all you hard working paying off.
Did you change anything on the car this year?

between '18 and now, it's got completely different shock/spring package, newer turbo, and much better tires. Plus a lot more seat time. It all added up.

 

[1986 Buick GX1]

between '18 and now, it's got completely different shock/spring package, newer turbo, and much better tires. Plus a lot more seat time. It all added up.

I remember the QA1 suspension swap, but wasn’t sure if there were more updates.
I’m sure seat time helps.
I always got so nervous/ anxious I could hardly breathe let alone think.

 

[Turbo6inKY]

I remember the QA1 suspension swap, but wasn’t sure if there were more updates.
I’m sure seat time helps.
I always got so nervous/ anxious I could hardly breathe let alone think.

Yup, I had to tweak the fronts. The QA1 shocks didn't have enough valve to control the 750lb springs I needed to keep the nose off the pavement under braking, so I swapped out for Viking Berzerkers. I had enough local autocross events this year that I was able to really dial in the shock settings and it' been aces since. It handles so well. I don't feel like I'm fighting it anymore, you can see in the autocross video above I went to hot into a corner midway through the run and I easily caught it and kept going. A few years ago it would have gone all the way around on me.