Grassroots Motorsports
Issue link: http://grassrootsmotorsports.epubxp.com/i/397024
DRIVERS MEETING Motor State Challenge: Pro Touring Cars Come Out to Play There's something primal about a V8 engine screaming past 7000 rpm that few gearheads can ignore. Welcome to the Motor State Challenge, an autocross and track event geared toward the pro touring movement. This year's sixth-annual event took place this summer, with track time at Gingerman Raceway and autocross runs at Tire Rack's Indiana headquarters. We were there and came home with a refreshed outlook on this scene. A few things to love: • High-winding V8 engines are just cool. • The fabrication and attention to detail is amazing. • The people are friendly and sociable. • There's no such thing as too much power. • Wanna see a '66 Chevelle slice through the cones? • Did we mention that high-winding V8s are cool? The pro touring movement may seem contradictory: Why teach big, heavy cars how to dance when they could just run Miatas and Corvettes? Because that added dif- fculty seems to propel people to raise the bar, fre up the welder, and create some stellar machines. Need some inspiration for your project? Visit a pro tour- ing autocross and walk the paddock. MEET A MODEL PRO TOURING MACHINE Just what does it take to compete at the top level in an event like the Motor State Challenge? How about a car like Project Envious, a 1973 Chevrolet Camaro by D&Z; Customs? This machine fully embodies the pro touring movement, which makes older cars faster and more comfortable than they have any right to be. And they look really, really cool. Massive amounts of rubber, clever suspension designs, giant modern V8s, and creature comforts like a/c and nice stereos are all hallmarks of exemplary pro touring cars. And, as you'd expect, Project Envious has it all. This car was created to showcase what D&Z; Customs and its suppliers can do, and that arsenal is certainly impressive. Foot-wide rear wheels from Forgeline put down the power from a well-built LS7 V8. There's a Tremec six-speed transmission. There's a roll cage and safety harnesses. The front suspension is cantilevered, like a Formula 1 car's. The a/c blows ice cold. Oh, and the bodywork–it's all smooth as glass, with some tasteful aerodynamic add-ons to make the car more stable at speed. The carbon-fber hood has two giant holes, similar to a Ford GT's, that vent hot air from the 680-horsepower powerplant. To slow down this beast, Wilwood disc brakes are present at all four corners, with the front discs measuring 14 inches in diameter. For those keeping track at home, that's larger than the wheels on an early Civic. This Camaro even has a push- button start and LED headlights, because that's what it takes to sit at the cool kids' table these days. It's tough to stand out in a crowd full of professional builders backed by the best sponsors and the deepest wallets. But D&Z; Customs has managed to do just that. We can't wait to see what comes out of this shop next.–Tom Suddard courtesy motor state