The official start of the racing season, Goodguys Scottsdale, is always interesting. This the first chance that competitors get to shakedown their cars in the new year. The desert event has historically been successful for RideTech Motorsports and 2017 is no different, with Chris Smith and the RideTech 48-Hour Corvette taking the victory! Smitty’s win highlights the engineering and prowess of RideTech’s Track 1 Suspension System. With years of racing development under our belts, RideTech can turn any C2 or C3 Corvette into a corner-burning, battle-ready machine. The Track 1 System includes StrongArms and upgraded crossmember/cradle components that reinforce and relocate critical mounting points. Track 1 front suspension and steering upgrades are equally robust. Take a ride-along with Smitty in this video.
Adding to the Track 1 System’s dominance, RideTech Instinct Electronic Shock Absorbers react dynamically to real time cornering loads. They analyze various inputs including brake pressure and vehicle speed to actively adjust compression and rebound in real time. While the system does come with a race-ready calibration pre-loaded, static calibration changes are easily set via laptop. In addition to the race-winning Corvette, cars equipped with Instinct Electronic Shocks took 3rd, 5th, and 6th place spots in the ultra-competitive PRO class. That 3rd place spot went to Mary Pozzi with her 2nd Gen Camaro. In addition, second place finisher Greg Thurmond’s 1965 Corvette, “Scar,” showcases RideTech’s triple-adjustable TQ shocks.
How competitive is the Goodguys PRO class? Only four tenths of one second covered the first, second and third place podium finishers. Even more amazing, less than 90 thousandths of one second stood between first and second place. In hindsight, tire wear and track conditions decided the winner early on in the competition, though the battle continued throughout the weekend. Greg Thurmond and his shop, GTS Customs, build fast, great handling cars. His widened 1965 Corvette is competitive at every event. Mary Pozzi and her ace Crew Chief David Pozzi make it look easy as their beautiful 2nd gen Camaro clicks off consistently fast runs without so much as a wisp of tire smoke.
The victories extend into the Street Machine and Truck categories, with the RideTech name proving dominant across the board all weekend long. Keith Corrigan won the Street Machine class in his GAAM Wealth Advisors 1968 Camaro (longtime RideTech fans know it as the Velocity Camaro). Rob MacGregor and No Limit Engineering have installed a Sniper IFS front subframe and Torque Arm rear suspension in the brilliant orange Camaro, along with RideTech triple-adjustable TQ shocks. The Truck class win went to Mike Sullivan in the FITech EFI 1965 El Camino; you’re sure to see this Elky taking the win at many more events coming soon!
It’s downright inspirational to see enthusiasts and grassroots manufacturers compete head-to-head at Goodguys Autocross events. With around 40 (yes FORTY!) runs per day across three days, words and pictures simply cannot describe how hard these cars are driven. Congrats to all the winners!
Instinct Electronic Shock Absorbers powered by DSC Sport
