Thanks Mitch!

I love this. Always winning! Ha! Good job again sir

Thanks Wade, car feels great, I have it signed up for a Hotchkis event in Sept and then the Optima Fontana event in October, so we will see how all the changes do up against the big boys...

Tearing it up, the competition is left in a Purple Haze Tom!

Thanks Emil, the Valiant really is proving now, with BOTH drivers, that a torsion bar leaf spring setup really can compete with the best the aftermarket has to offer. We finished 1-2 for the first time against a 550HP 427ci LS3 TCI suspension Camaro that finished 4th in its class at Optima Vegas this year. We also beat no less than three HOTCHKIS SPONSORED Autocross Mustangs. Two of the Mustangs are the actual Hotchkis test vehicles their suspension package were developed on. Now I just need somebody to help me secure a 450 HP small block!

Didn't Rylis have one he pulled out of his Cuda?

IIRC there was a mechanical malfunction hence the quick jump to the the Hemi swap. I don't know if it was bad enough to call that engine unusable.

I thought the balancer came apart on his small block

Maybe the Mustangs just need a driver swap mod?

Yeah being a good co-driver is a delicate balance, particularly if you are driving someone else's Mustang. I blew a guys motor once, and never felt worse. I try to always give my co-driver as many tips as possible, ideally he would finish a tenth behind me, not 5 seconds a lap. Obliterating someone in their own car has to get old after awhile. We all have egos, but to me racing at this level should never be so competitive that winning a three inch trophy means more than helping a buddy.

Been lagging on my updates since my trip to the SCCA nationals. My buddy and I could only afford to borrow one trailer so we had to choose between my Valiant and his Mustang to take to Nebraska. He felt more comfortable in his Mustang and it has more HP so we took his Stang. He put brand new 275/35/18 Bridgestone RE71R all around on it, and off we went. At least we used my 6 cylinder base Ram as our tow vehicle. I had trouble getting time off work so we had to do 1000 miles towing the first day, 600 miles the next, only to arrive into driving rain for our only 4 practice laps. The first day of competition was cut short by a spindle breaking, luckily not too much other damage.

The spindle breaking is what ultimately caused me to enjoy the Nationals so much. 1200 Racecars and campers all living on the same Tarmac for a week created a great environment. So many like minded gear heads rushing to help with tools and beer the instant we broke. A guy who runs Autokraft saw us, and started making calls, the disc spindle for that year Mustang is kind of rare, but after 3 hours of making calls he found us one 30 miles away. Hopped in the Ram, got it and got back at dusk and started wrenching. Again, so many people of all ages and car classes stopping by to help. We finished at 9 PM, dirty and hungry, but ready to race the next morning...

The Nationals takes your best time from only three laps the first day on one course, and adds it to your best time the second day out of 3 laps again on a completely different course. CAM-T drivers registered were some pretty decent drivers. Al Unser Jr, Robbie Unser, Mary Pozzi, and 5 other guys showed up. We had spotted them 3 seconds or so after day ones eventful laps... Here is our 400 HP junkyard build sandwiched between two 580 HP super Camaros... Little Al on left, Mary on right.

Well said Tom

Ended up 4th, behind the Unsers and Pozzi. I was happy with only having 8 laps total in this car ever. The second day I finished .7 behind Robbie Unser, I would have caught him on my last lap, but the faster line I chose had too many marbles, and the rear came loose just long enough to lose the time needed. Overall a blast though, I beat Al Unser JRs co-driver in the Speedway Camaro, and got to drive the two best Autocross courses I've ever seen. SCCA Nationals should be a bucket list item for every racer.

Muuu Muuu has one.

Great job, Tom.

"SCCA Nationals should be a bucket list item for every racer."

Tom -- make a habit and it'll become 2nd-nature. I suggest to all racers to try to attend the best competitive events possible, biggest course layouts similar to SCCA National finals... as well as the pavement. Learn to look ahead into the sea of pylons... again, make it a 2nd-nature to yourself. Memorizing the course is at least 50% of the contest for any major event. Sometimes long distance travel is required and becomes costly.

MoPower to ya!

Awesome, Tom.

Mustang or not, that looks like a heck of a lot of fun!

Thanks for all the support! Enough of the Mustang stuff, next I took the Valiant to The Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational....