2003 National F-Body Trifecta Motorsports Event

Throw a group of car enthusiasts together and you're bound to have conflicting opinions on everything from transmissions to tracks. Pulling the front tires on a hard launch may be a thing of beauty to some, while others would rather see the right rear come up in a hairpin turn. Whether it's straight lines or curves, the passion to race has brought a group of F-body owners together for an annual event that is now in its eighth year--the National F-Body Motorsports Event (NFME).

Spawned from Internet mailing lists, this group of hardcore drivers does it all. Their activities run the spectrum from drag racing to road course hotlaps and autocross competition. They also have a car show sponsored by MBA Products, but we get the feeling they invite the show and shine guys for the sole purpose of converting them to track junkies. The cost of attending this event falls right in line with the F-body's "bang for the buck" reputation. Three days on the dragstrip can be had for a mere $63 and we're not talking about a dedicated lane during test and tune; these guys rent out the entire facility. One day on a road course with instruction is a great deal at $150, but at this event you'll get two days worth of track time for that price. Throw in the autocross competition for an extra $40 and your car will be begging for mercy in no time.

Although there is a competitive element to the event, having fun and learning something new is just as important. Many first-time racers find the environment ideal for getting their feet wet and event sponsors do more than just write a check or donate prizes. Several employees from TPIS served as instructors on the road course and Paul Freeman from Thunder Racing hosted a drag racing workshop with a focus on suspension setups.

The NFME will be back at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 2004 and now is the time to put in your vacation request at work. Check out www.fbody-event.org for more information and make sure you sign up on their event mailing list early.

Randy Brown was the lead instructor...        read full caption Randy Brown was the lead instructor for the road course portion of the event and organized several meetings during the weekend. Topics covered everything from road course basics to last-minute tips before heading out on the track.

Craig Nyhus joined a rather...        read full caption Craig Nyhus joined a rather large contingent from the Minnesota F-Body Association, all of whom participated in the TPIS-sponsored road course event. Once Craig was done thrashing his '95 Formula Firehawk on the road course, he headed over to the autocross for more action.

Charlie Argento came down...        read full caption Charlie Argento came down from Chicago for his third NFME event in his daily-driven '94 Formula. Charlie really enjoyed the layout of IRP's road course, especially the transitions and surface quality. Jim Keller also participated in the event, but his car is set up for drag racing, so he elected to ride shotgun in Charlie's car for this session on the road course.

Weather during the event was...        read full caption Weather during the event was a constant threat, keeping the drag racers on their toes. The competitive drag racing portion of the event was eventually called on account of tornadoes, but the 103 cars who registered got plenty of passes in before the sirens sounded.

Dave Zug's '92 Z28 did third...        read full caption Dave Zug's '92 Z28 did third gen. owners proud by getting the hole shot on Mike Gronberg's '95 Z28 in the far lane. Dave fared far better during the weekend than fellow Maryland third-gen. enthusiast Greg Westphal. Greg's '87 IROC-Z had a close encounter with a tire barrier on the road course, leaving both the front clip and the driver's ego slightly bruised.

Road course instructors at...        read full caption Road course instructors at the event brought a wealth of experience to the table, including David Hunt who hails from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. David has won the PS-5 championship in NASA's Virginia region and brought his battle-scarred '94 B4C in for some shakedown runs in preparation for an upcoming NASA event at Summit Point.

David Berry was a first-time...        read full caption David Berry was a first-time attendee at the NFME, but jumped in head first, running his car in the road course, autocross and drag racing events. David has been drag racing his '98 TA for about three years, with an ARE-built shortblock helping propel him to a best of 12.13 at 115 mph.

Rain may have shut down the...        read full caption Rain may have shut down the drag racing competition, but it only served to make things more interesting for the autocross participants. Bock Folken is used to the sky opening up in Gainesville, Florida and had no trouble working his way through the puddle-infested course.

The parking lot at the host...        read full caption The parking lot at the host hotel was a popular gathering place at the end of the day. Wrenches turned while beverages and stories flowed freely, but most nights ended early for drivers, who were exhausted by the copious amounts of track time. Private security guards patrolled the lot after hours in yet another example of Ken Rahaim and his staff going the extra mile to ensure a trouble-free event.

The F-body-only format had...        read full caption The F-body-only format had us seeing double when Jim Keller's '99 Trans Am WS6 got the hole shot on its twin in the far lane. Given the Internet-based registration process, we expected to see similar pairings of fourth gens all weekend long, but that turned out not to be the case. The third-gen. contingent was well represented in all disciplines and more than held its own on the track.

James Greenwell was introduced...        read full caption James Greenwell was introduced to the NFME three years ago by a college professor who was married to one of the event organizers. This year James decided to run more track events and he sold his '89 IROC convertible, replacing it with this '91 Z28. The Z performed flawlessly throughout the event, as both James and his father, Don, took turns flogging the car on the road course and autocross. There was some post-event fallout for James when his wife found out they used up a new set of tires in one weekend.

IRP's 2.5 mile, 15-turn track...        read full caption IRP's 2.5 mile, 15-turn track didn't offer much in the way of elevation changes, but the long front straightaway and vast array of turns kept things interesting for even the most seasoned road course aces. Drivers were divided into four different groups, based on prior track experience, and designated passing areas were identified throughout the course. All participants were required to attend classroom sessions before hitting the track and instructors accompanied the newbies, offering helpful tips and showing them the best lines around the track.

Peter Loftus has been participating...        read full caption Peter Loftus has been participating in "driving events" for the last seven years and instructing at them since '99. He had grown accustomed to being the only F-body at most of the events he attends, so the sight of so many Camaros and Firebirds on the track was a welcome change. This was also Peter's first visit to IRP's road course, which he characterized as an enjoyable track, but one that demanded focus due to the lack of runoff in some areas of the track.

Jessie Coulter had plans to...        read full caption Jessie Coulter had plans to dip into the 10s, but rain kept that from happening. His LT1-powered '91 Z28 ran strong all weekend, running a best of 11.13 at 124 mph. As if narrowly missing 10s due to rain wasn't painful enough, Coulter and the rest of the Kentucky-based F-Bodies Unlimited crew had to listen to McIlvaine brag about Marquette basketball while they waited for the weather to break.

The 8th annual event concluded...        read full caption The 8th annual event concluded with a banquet and awards ceremony. Racers recounted the events of the past few days and plotted out their plans for the rest of the summer, while handsome trophies from MBA Products were handed out to the top dogs.