March 18 to 20th couldn't have been a better time to be at Bradenton Motorsports Park for any LSX fan. Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center was covering the entry fee for all LSX racers, the weather was perfect, excitement was high, and you could even catch a glimpse of GMHTP's project cars amongst the many vendors pedaling hot LSX parts. The STI Killer was sporting some new shoes, and old "Greenie" was doing something it hadn't done in a while--see the light of day. One look at the pale skin evident on Thursday's event-goers proved that the many winter-sheltered bodies hadn't seen this sort of tropical sun in a while either. By Sunday, though, all that would change. Necks, faces, and arms then sunburnt and salty from sweat--it was definitely not winter anymore, and we were knee-deep in the 2011 race season. Buckle up LSX racers and fans; we have three more races to go and many memories to be created.
Welcome to the 2011 LSX Challenge....
Welcome to the 2011 LSX Challenge. A plaque, contingency, and thousands of dollars in prize money were up for grabs at Bradenton Motorsports Park, as well as a chance to get an early lead in the points chase.
As usual the track owner was...
As usual the track owner was on hand to set the mood for the afternoon with some fun-filled Pacer burnouts. The right rear tire came apart, after a minute or so, to the sound of applause.
The crew at Scoggin-Dickey...
The crew at Scoggin-Dickey was on hand to show off plenty of new parts and interact with its customers. Its dedication to the LSX community is unparalleled after putting up the entry fee for any LSX racers in Bradenton (and later Atlanta, too).
Check out this new sheetmetal...
Check out this new sheetmetal intake manifold, its low profile design makes it easy to package in many late model engine bays and responds well to boost. They also had a Camaro Body-In-White on hand.
Don Dixon’s hard-charging,...
Don Dixon’s hard-charging, blown ’05 GTO was running awfully close to his 10.0 dial-in all weekend in LSX Rumble. The Heintz Racing Goat bowed out to Rob Farley, though, despite a 10.09 at 122 mph.
Ray Bulach of Fairfield, OH,...
Ray Bulach of Fairfield, OH, in his 404-cube ’99 Camaro, also had his day ended by Farley, breaking out with a 10.86 on the 11.0 dial-in.
David Putnam’s 2000 Firebird...
David Putnam’s 2000 Firebird took second place, after breaking out by .02 on his 13.0 dial-in. The Gainesville, FL native had been very consistent at 13.02-13.05 all weekend.
Rob Farley and his ’98 Corvette...
Rob Farley and his ’98 Corvette Pace Car have taken home their share of hardware from various LSX events, and Bradenton was no exception. Though he also broke out in the Finals, against David Putnam, his 11.489 (on an 11.50 dial-in) was the closer of the two. Farley is a member of the East Coast Supercharging crew, and hails from Old Bridge, NJ.
Being a mere 45 minutes from...
Being a mere 45 minutes from GMHTP world headquarters, several project cars were on display including the STI Killer. Associate Editor Justin Cesler employed this pin-striper, on hand at the show, to mark the beast appropriately.
The car show displayed several...
The car show displayed several examples of late-model GM muscle, including Tommy Herrschaft’s ’99 SS that was featured in the November ’09 issue of GMHTP. Tommy and his SS are known quite well among the central Florida area, and it was great to see him come out to support the event.
Matt Salminen of Port Charlotte,...
Matt Salminen of Port Charlotte, Florida, took third in the Camaro Performers 5th Gen Shootout. His Cyber Gray Metallic ’11 went 12.11 on a 12.0 dial-in in the semifinals, giving Shawn Calabrese the win. He also had a strong showing in NMCA True Street.