This went down last weekend (July 15-17) and it was a 3-day event that might have been the best one I've ever been to. That's why I wanted to talk about it here. We all know Heidts as a company built on selling Mustang II IFS stuff to street rodders, but now they're building F-body subframes, bolt-on IRS setups, and more. They've chosen to jump into the musclecar market, and this event was their first chance to showcase it.
Friday was a cruise from Heidts HQ to the host hotel near the track. First, they had a car show thing at their facility, and offered tours etc. They had a lot of their new parts on display and were anxious to speak with pro touring enthusiasts. They also offered tours of their plant and served up a nice BBQ. Then we all left to drive to the hotel- about 90 miles.
Saturday was the road course portion of the event. The Autobahn facility in Joliet is incredible. It's a country club, and members join ($35K up front and 5K per year afterwards) to enjoy the place. It has two tracks than can be configured together to be one huge track, and everything there is really nice. The bathrooms are so nice your wife would have no problem using them. The food at the trackside vendor is pretty close to gourmet. The tire walls lining the outside perimeter of the track are made from brand new tires. The infield lawns look nicer than the yard at my house. The place is super clean, no trash anywhere, and is first class all the way. Check it out here: http://autobahncc.com/
The track we used is their North Track- 1.9 miles of flat, smooth pavement. There are some nice turns and a couple tricky parts, but it was designed to be enjoyed by novice drivers. It works. We had a wide range of drivers and cars, and no one got in trouble out there. There's plenty of room for off-track excursions without having to worry about hitting concrete walls or anything. I wasn't super fast, but I had a ball driving the wagon hard. I hadn't driven it on a road course since I finished rebuilding it- I started to last year at Road America but many of you will remember I blew it up on the first lap. This time everything held together nicely and my new Canton road race pan kept oil pressure over 40 the whole time. Usually it was around 60. It didn't get hot (215-220 max) and those big Baer brakes worked great all day and never faded. Not even a little. I was able to take passengers along, so my pal Scott rode with me most of the time. I also took one of the guys from QA1 for a session, since he helped us out with the coil-over install and also with the double-adjustable shocks all around.
We kept tweaking and tuning on the car and it responded nicely. With some shock settings and tire pressure adjustments, it got more stable and confident as the day went on. My learning the track layout and the car's limits also helped. I was able to go after each corner more aggressively each lap. This was my favorite part of the weekend. I'll have a link to share video soon- the QA1 guy was filming while we were out there. It was cloudy and overcast most of the day, which was really nice and not too hot.
Sunday was autocross and speed/stop challenge day. The weather got hot but since we'd only be spending short sessions in the car (vs. 15-20 minute sessions on the road course) it was okay. We'd make 4-5 runs at each challenge and then take a break to cool off (and let the car cool off too). The autocross was tough, but we got better at it (again, with tuning adjustments and tire pressure tweaks). The Speed/Stop is one thing I'm pretty good at, and we finished 10th overall there (out of 32 cars). Not bad, considering how most of the cars were LS-powered F-bodies with experienced drivers and stickier tires.
Overall, we had a blast. The car worked great (once we fixed a couple minor things) and I feel good heading into Car Craft this weekend. I did get to see the car Jeff Schwartz is bringing to compete with (a really nice '66 Chevy II with all the best stuff under it and a lot of LS power) so I'll be gunning for second or third at best.
But if any of you are considering attending a Pro Touring event, this Heidts deal is a great value ($355 for the whole 3-day weekend!) and I know we'll be heading back. There's a lot of time to learn (they break folks up into groups and the 'novice' group was by far the largest) and everyone helps each other out. They had a team karting enduro that was a lot of fun and everyone (passengers included) got to drive some nice go karts on a fast little track. It's not far from us (8 hr drive) and if you want to see what your car can do, this is the best way to do it.
SShink said
Jul 19, 2011
Scott, sounds like a great time!
I'm sure Derek is about ready to lose his mind from reading your post and will want to go next year!!!
bowtie said
Jul 19, 2011
Sounds like fun!
Scott Parkhurst said
Jul 19, 2011
Here's a note from the president of Heidts regarding the event:
Racers and Participants: Many thanks for partipating in our Heidts Performance Car Challenge event and making it such a success! On behalf of Heidts and our sponsors, I sincerely appreciate all the positive feedback regarding the event. It was certainly fun hearing the great questions posed to our production guys during plant tour and seeing the shock and awe from pedestrians as you passed through downtown Wauconda! Chad kept us moving all weekend with many of you racing 80 miles plus over the event, and everyone survived the go-karts, although I heard something about a governor on Mary’s kart. Autobahn is still trying to clean the track after the WilStop event and who let an Autobahn member’s Porsche on the AutoCross course? It was certainly an awakening for him! Randy Johnson’s spirit and effort on and off the track absolutely embodied the Todd Gartshore Award and we will long remember the remarkable times and performances turned in by all of you, especially Mark and Mary. The fantastic cars in the car show were also a real treat and we all enjoyed your lap on the North track and frustration with the pace and extended no-passing zone. Just return as racers next year! Our plans are to build next year’s event to be even bigger and better at the Autobahn Country Club. We are currently registering racers for next year’s event at heidtsperformancecarchallenge.com, which is planned for the third weekend in July again. We will keep you updated via the Heidts Performance Car Challenge event newsletter. Just email me directly if you want to be included. Again, we could not have done this without you. Heidts and its sponsor partners appreciate your support and are committed to build the event to be one of the best driving experiences for our racers and participants. See you next year!
Wal Leyshon President/CEO
So, if any of you guys are interested, you can start registering for it now! Honestly, I'm thinking about registering early just because I know slots are going to fill up once the word gets out about this event. This year was the first one, and since I went, I'd like to make it a regular thing.
Derek69SS said
Jul 27, 2011
SShink wrote:
I'm sure Derek is about ready to lose his mind from reading your post and will want to go next year!!!
I missed this topic while I was on vacation, but you're right...
Sounds like an awesome time Scott! I really need to get my car back together.
Scott Parkhurst said
Jul 28, 2011
Derek- I know you've been hesitant about road courses before, but if you want to start slow on a relatively gentle one, this is it. It's still challenging, but it's easy to learn and short enough where, if you feel anything not perfect, you can exit before any issues arise. It's ideal for a first timer in many regards, and this event caters to those who haven't done this before.
You'll totally rock it, of course.
Coverage of the event at BangShift.com: http://www.bangshift.com/blog/Event-Coverage-2011-Heidt-s-Performance-Car-Challenge-includes-some-seriously-heavy-hitters..html
It will surely be scheduled right before Car Craft again, and provides a really good chance to give the car a good workout and tuning session right before RSE. I know we did better because of it, and we'll surely head back next year. It's an absolutely first class event that's not too far from us and is seriously affordable. Got to go!
This went down last weekend (July 15-17) and it was a 3-day event that might have been the best one I've ever been to. That's why I wanted to talk about it here. We all know Heidts as a company built on selling Mustang II IFS stuff to street rodders, but now they're building F-body subframes, bolt-on IRS setups, and more. They've chosen to jump into the musclecar market, and this event was their first chance to showcase it.
Friday was a cruise from Heidts HQ to the host hotel near the track. First, they had a car show thing at their facility, and offered tours etc. They had a lot of their new parts on display and were anxious to speak with pro touring enthusiasts. They also offered tours of their plant and served up a nice BBQ. Then we all left to drive to the hotel- about 90 miles.
Saturday was the road course portion of the event. The Autobahn facility in Joliet is incredible. It's a country club, and members join ($35K up front and 5K per year afterwards) to enjoy the place. It has two tracks than can be configured together to be one huge track, and everything there is really nice. The bathrooms are so nice your wife would have no problem using them. The food at the trackside vendor is pretty close to gourmet. The tire walls lining the outside perimeter of the track are made from brand new tires. The infield lawns look nicer than the yard at my house. The place is super clean, no trash anywhere, and is first class all the way. Check it out here: http://autobahncc.com/
The track we used is their North Track- 1.9 miles of flat, smooth pavement. There are some nice turns and a couple tricky parts, but it was designed to be enjoyed by novice drivers. It works. We had a wide range of drivers and cars, and no one got in trouble out there. There's plenty of room for off-track excursions without having to worry about hitting concrete walls or anything. I wasn't super fast, but I had a ball driving the wagon hard. I hadn't driven it on a road course since I finished rebuilding it- I started to last year at Road America but many of you will remember I blew it up on the first lap. This time everything held together nicely and my new Canton road race pan kept oil pressure over 40 the whole time. Usually it was around 60. It didn't get hot (215-220 max) and those big Baer brakes worked great all day and never faded. Not even a little. I was able to take passengers along, so my pal Scott rode with me most of the time. I also took one of the guys from QA1 for a session, since he helped us out with the coil-over install and also with the double-adjustable shocks all around.
We kept tweaking and tuning on the car and it responded nicely. With some shock settings and tire pressure adjustments, it got more stable and confident as the day went on. My learning the track layout and the car's limits also helped. I was able to go after each corner more aggressively each lap. This was my favorite part of the weekend. I'll have a link to share video soon- the QA1 guy was filming while we were out there. It was cloudy and overcast most of the day, which was really nice and not too hot.
Sunday was autocross and speed/stop challenge day. The weather got hot but since we'd only be spending short sessions in the car (vs. 15-20 minute sessions on the road course) it was okay. We'd make 4-5 runs at each challenge and then take a break to cool off (and let the car cool off too). The autocross was tough, but we got better at it (again, with tuning adjustments and tire pressure tweaks). The Speed/Stop is one thing I'm pretty good at, and we finished 10th overall there (out of 32 cars). Not bad, considering how most of the cars were LS-powered F-bodies with experienced drivers and stickier tires.
Overall, we had a blast. The car worked great (once we fixed a couple minor things) and I feel good heading into Car Craft this weekend. I did get to see the car Jeff Schwartz is bringing to compete with (a really nice '66 Chevy II with all the best stuff under it and a lot of LS power) so I'll be gunning for second or third at best.
But if any of you are considering attending a Pro Touring event, this Heidts deal is a great value ($355 for the whole 3-day weekend!) and I know we'll be heading back. There's a lot of time to learn (they break folks up into groups and the 'novice' group was by far the largest) and everyone helps each other out. They had a team karting enduro that was a lot of fun and everyone (passengers included) got to drive some nice go karts on a fast little track. It's not far from us (8 hr drive) and if you want to see what your car can do, this is the best way to do it.
Scott, sounds like a great time!
I'm sure Derek is about ready to lose his mind from reading your post and will want to go next year!!!
Racers and Participants:
Many thanks for partipating in our Heidts Performance Car Challenge event and making it such a success! On behalf of Heidts and our sponsors, I sincerely appreciate all the positive feedback regarding the event. It was certainly fun hearing the great questions posed to our production guys during plant tour and seeing the shock and awe from pedestrians as you passed through downtown Wauconda! Chad kept us moving all weekend with many of you racing 80 miles plus over the event, and everyone survived the go-karts, although I heard something about a governor on Mary’s kart. Autobahn is still trying to clean the track after the WilStop event and who let an Autobahn member’s Porsche on the AutoCross course? It was certainly an awakening for him! Randy Johnson’s spirit and effort on and off the track absolutely embodied the Todd Gartshore Award and we will long remember the remarkable times and performances turned in by all of you, especially Mark and Mary. The fantastic cars in the car show were also a real treat and we all enjoyed your lap on the North track and frustration with the pace and extended no-passing zone. Just return as racers next year!
Our plans are to build next year’s event to be even bigger and better at the Autobahn Country Club. We are currently registering racers for next year’s event at heidtsperformancecarchallenge.com, which is planned for the third weekend in July again. We will keep you updated via the Heidts Performance Car Challenge event newsletter. Just email me directly if you want to be included. Again, we could not have done this without you. Heidts and its sponsor partners appreciate your support and are committed to build the event to be one of the best driving experiences for our racers and participants. See you next year!
Wal Leyshon
President/CEO
So, if any of you guys are interested, you can start registering for it now! Honestly, I'm thinking about registering early just because I know slots are going to fill up once the word gets out about this event. This year was the first one, and since I went, I'd like to make it a regular thing.
I missed this topic while I was on vacation, but you're right...
Sounds like an awesome time Scott! I really need to get my car back together.
You'll totally rock it, of course.
Coverage of the event at BangShift.com:
http://www.bangshift.com/blog/Event-Coverage-2011-Heidt-s-Performance-Car-Challenge-includes-some-seriously-heavy-hitters..html
It will surely be scheduled right before Car Craft again, and provides a really good chance to give the car a good workout and tuning session right before RSE. I know we did better because of it, and we'll surely head back next year. It's an absolutely first class event that's not too far from us and is seriously affordable. Got to go!