|
|
 Deanna Marengo was an autocross...  Deanna Marengo was an autocross warrior in her ’71 Camaro. She not only managed to hold off some extremely close competitors to win the Muscle Machine class each day, but also missed beating the fastest Modern Muscle machine (a brand-F GT) by mere hundredths of a second on Sunday. This car/woman combo straight out hauls; ’nuff said.  Another hard-core autocross...  Another hard-core autocross effort came from Kyle Newman, who nipped at Marengo’s heels while piloting the Newman Car Creations ’55 two-door post, earning runner-up status in the Muscle Machine class both days. Ever wonder what the offspring of a Tri-Five and a C4 Corvette would look like? This is as close as you’ll get to finding out, and another one you’ll see in CHP.  Dannie Pinard put in a full...  Dannie Pinard put in a full two days on the autocross course in his ’10 Camaro, and was still game to take a crack at the Baer Brake Systems Speed-Stop. All you had to do was go all-out for 600 feet, then bring the works to a halt within a 20x40-foot stop box. Fastest time wins … unless you hit a cone, of course. Sorry Pinard, we know you made several good runs but what can we say? We like shots of cone mayhem!  Based on what we saw, Jon...  Based on what we saw, Jon Rasmussen is a skilled autocross pilot behind the wheel of his ’72 Nova, and took Third Place both days in the highly competitive Muscle Machine class, running only a tenth of a second or so behind the leaders. However, we also caught him committing a very rare (for Rasmussen) case of cone-icide, so of course that’s the picture we bring you.  There weren’t very many third-gen...  There weren’t very many third-gen F-bodies on hand for the autocross, but Casey Cronin did a top-notch job of representing the species, piloting his ’92 Camaro RS to the lead spot in the Street Machine class on Saturday …  The unofficial “Car I Wished...  The unofficial “Car I Wished I’d Stopped Working Long Enough to Take a Ride in” award goes to Brian Hobaugh’s ultra-trick ’73 Camaro. Hobaugh ran in the Exhibition Class, clicking off a 34.148-second lap, compared to the class winners’ high 35- and low 36-second runs. I want a rain check, Hobaugh! When you look at the West Coast Challenge as a whole, it had something for everyone; it was a very active, participant-friendly event. Sure, you could watch, but you could just as easily be having a ball doing some driving, too. CEO of NMRA and NMCA, Stephen Wolcott, probably made the most telling remark I’ve heard about this event. I asked if there would be a similar event next year. His response? “Because the people had so much fun, we’re gonna try to do a couple of events in the future.” Let’s hope it happens, because the highest compliment this writer can pay NMRA/NMCA on their initial West Coast Shootout offering is this: Next year, I want to be behind the wheel and not behind a camera lens. Yes, it was that much fun. Although he left us some weeks ago, the presence of recently departed Baer Brakes owner Todd Garthshore still loomed large over the event, especially at the Hotchkis Autocross and Baer Brakes Speed-Stop Challenge, which were held in close proximity to each other. What can we say? Todd was an important part of the auto aftermarket industry, a friend, and all-around nice guy to many (myself included), and also responsible for making plenty of fast cars stop short. To honor Todd’s legacy, a “silent” autocross lap was held in his honor, complete with checkered flag flowing. Todd finished his race, and it was great to see him appropriately—and affectionately—honored.  Gerald Synegal brought his...  Gerald Synegal brought his ’83 El Camino out to do autocross battle, and acquitted himself well, taking home Third Place finishes in Street Machine on both days of the event.  “Hello, Newman.” Sorry, but...  “Hello, Newman.” Sorry, but a surname is all we have for this competitor, who gets our unofficial Perseverance award. Mr. Newman couldn’t answer the bell for the start of the True Street competition, but came out the next day and won the Street Machine class in the autocross. Way to hang in there.  Robert Byrd upheld the fifth-gen...  Robert Byrd upheld the fifth-gen Camaro and Chevy honor during the weekend, checking in as fastest Bow Tie behind the wheel of his ’10 Camaro in the Modern Muscle class on both Saturday and Sunday.  In NMCA action, Doug Crumlich...  In NMCA action, Doug Crumlich and his ’96 Camaro won the Fastest Street Car Open Comp event, throwing down an 8.571 run on an 8.57 index. You can’t get much closer than that, folks.  Most of the action at the...  Most of the action at the Hotchkis Autocross was precise and very controlled. That even includes Rob Phillips and his Hotchkis TVS-equipped ’69 C10, the duo who won the truck class both Saturday and Sunday. Then again, Phillips decided to color just a bit outside the lines on his final run of the weekend, much to the delight of everyone at trackside.  Dick Eytchison was not one...  Dick Eytchison was not one of the faster drivers on the autocross course—on the other hand, we dig the four-door action he brought to the field with his ’65 Chevelle, and he did run in the 40-second range, which was faster than a lot of newer entrants with fewer doors.
|