And...

You will have your hands full at that event, I have looked at a few of the cars that go to those events and they are crazy ... big power and lots of brakes. Good luck!

Well you said it, the competition at this Optima Fontana was particularly tough because it is the event before the Final in Vegas, and it's a double points event. All the fast guys using this as a tune up for Vegas and/or battling to finish with enough points to get in. My car was, without question, by far the lowest HP car in the 32 car GTV class. The first event was speed stop, a drag race followed by a u-turn followed by a slalom then stopping in a cone box. Fun, and the Valiants brakes (Wilwood 4 piston on the old ARE adapters and stock 11.75 78 Monaco rotors) did pretty well. I was put so far behind on the drag race though I couldn't make up time and finished 28th...

Next up was the good old fashioned Autocross, and the only change I had made were two new rear 275/35/18 Bridgestone RE71R to match the two used ones up front. It was extremely hot (105 degrees) and the car was pushing, which I hadn't felt before. I figured out after my last lap I should have switched the new tires to the front, which I did the next day for the big track and it felt much better. Opportunity to finish top 10 lost, I was 12th out of 32...

I really think the Valiant had a top 10 Autocross finish in it, even against these beasts, I'd beaten Chad Rykers Camaro 3 times this year and he finished 10th. Here is pics of the competition, including the 48 hour Corvette built earlier this year (he finished 7th).

Last up was the Road Course, the 1.5 Mile infield track at the Autoclub Speedway. I was expecting it to be bad as there are two straights, one long enough for the fast guys to see 125+ MPH. The Valiant with its 4spd OD and 3:08 rear was at a huge disadvantage on each straight when I shifted into the 1:1 third gear. Top speed on the backstretch was probably 95 for me, and the Z06 I was chasing pulled me by 5 car lengths each straight.

I ended up finishing 18th,just ahead of Mary Pozzi and her 580HP Camaro, which I was really happy with. The car felt balanced and neutral, never heated up, never brake faded. I was running the black Z06 down so badly under braking and cornering that I was held up before the straights. What a blast though, no place to hide bad driving out there...

Holy crap Tom. Great job!

Awesome!
Way to represent the Mopar crowd!
Imagine what you can accomplish with a little more
POWER!

Tom, what a great representative you are to the MOPAR community. You've taken the lowliest Valiant on stock pretty much 50 year old suspension system with low horsepower and have been competitive. I'm sure yo get looks and laughed at by some of your competitors making it all the sweater (Why I've always liked the underdog A-Bodys!). You and Wade have shown us what proper tuning to the original suspension design can do on the street, autocross, track and open road racing.

Mighty impressive for all of us in the building stage!

Thanks guys, I'm having a blast out there... Just need to find HP and maybe an AC compressor on the winter break...

Nice job Tom!

Tom -- Great Effort and lots of fun! Congrats!

Car and driver do work very well. More engine with make a lethal combo.

Great job Tom! And thanks for "taking us along". Great coverage. I ended up second in Sacramento for the season, so I have some plans for the Dart for next year. See if I can improve by one spot. I have no pictures of my car in action, so maybe I'll get on of those GoPro cameras for next year. At least I'll have some in car stuff to share. Again, great job! Rick

Congrats on your great finish not that many can do that good.

Great job Rick, hope to see you again at a race next year!

So I've lagged again on updates, two more Qualcom SCCA races since my last update, two more Valiant victorys on the Bridgestones. My main competition in the Mustang also bought a set of the RE-71R, so he doesn't have tires to blame now when the Valiant beats him. My Co-Driver is doing great, making a run at 2nd place, so that competition will go down to our very last race this year...

The Valiant did lock up first place overall in CAM-T with that last win, despite the pic below that shows even the Bridgestone RE-71R and the Hotchkis TVS can exceed track limits.... Since I have the year end title won, I will let others whose Mustangs have broken this year drive it to get year-end points and maybe see and feel the Moparness!

Nice! Progress is slow on the Dart, but hopefully I'll be able to come out with the Dart early next year and compete with the big boys.