2010 Run to the Coast Pro Touring Shootout

Chevelle Adventures
It wasn't until the day before the event that we finally reassembled our '65 Chevelle after discovering a rear axle bearing problem on Wednesday and rebuilding a dying fuel system on Friday. Global West had previously upgraded the Chevelle with a complete Penske coilover shock system front and rear with Eibach springs along with a set of Toyo R1R tires that unfortunately had a softer treadwear rating of 140 instead of the required 200 minimum. This meant we could only compete in the Exhibition class and our times would not count in the official results.

That didn't prevent us from putting the tires on the pavement to see how our aging Chevelle would compare. The chart shows our times in each of the timed events. The big success was obviously the Baer Brake Challenge, but the biggest thrill was on the road course where Global West owner Doug Norrdin's shock and spring tuning finally created a situation in which we could apply power much more aggressively on corner exit. For years, this much power would have only resulted in tire spin and/or massive oversteer. With our newfound higher corner exit speeds, the car was instantly transformed into sheer unadulterated fun. The RTTC setup for the road course put three cars on the track at the same time, but we ran so fast that we ran up on the car in front of us entering our final lap time, which prevented us from perhaps an even quicker lap since track rules prohibited passing. To rectify our too-soft tire situation, we've set our sights on a set of 275/35ZR18-inch BFGoodrich g-Force KDW tires that sport a 300 treadwear rating and will keep us well within the rules. This will also mean new wheels. We're already planning our next test session because we'll have to completely retune for the shorter sidewall effect of 18-inch tires. After that, we just need more seat time to snuggle up to the Chevelle's new adhesion limit. There's more left in the old blue beast-we just have to find it..