Gluttons For Speed

While most speed junkies get their fix at the local drag strip, for some a quarter-mile is not nearly enough. For those selected and deranged few there are open road races, which utilize 80 to 100 miles of state highway to satiate even the largest craving for velocity. Races such as the Pony Express and the Silver State Classic are every hot rodders dream, reaching speeds in excess of 150 mph on public highways without starring in an episode of "Cops."

"In open road racing they will actually let you drive as fast as your car will go," said Bill Springer, a native of Washington state who has over three years of experience. Bill, along with his friend and fellow F-body racer Boyce Goff, Jr., are both former drag racers who met through a chance posting on the Northwest F-body forum. Bill had been preparing for the Silver State Classic when another racer mentioned that he needed a navigator, so he posted an open invitation on the website and Boyce responded. Meeting in person for the first time in April of 2002, the two kept in touch as Boyce navigated in three other events before striking out on his own. The two also began organizing lap days, convening at F-body events, and consulting each other about modifying their Fourth Gens.

Bill flew all the way to Reno, NV to purchase his WS6 Trans Am with a T56 and traction control. At the time it was intended as a daily driver, however the temptation for speed was too great and caused him to get a ticket an hour after he bought it. After this incident, his first addition to the TA was a good radar detector.

For Bill Springer his racing career began the day he saw a video of his friend's father racing in the Silver State Classic. Once he was able to indulge his passion for the sport, he dove in headfirst by entering a racing school that would enable him to start in a higher class. Next he began practicing his newly acquired skills on lap days at the local track, however these outings were quite costly and did not provide the thrill he was looking for. There is no substitute for the open road racing that Bill now finds so enjoyable. "Obviously there is a high amount of adrenaline and speed, but with cops waving you up to the starting line and having the ability to really let loose on a state highway, there really is nothing else like it."

The most obvious additions to the engine compartment are a BMR strut tower brace, a Whisper airlid with a K&N filter (hence the sticker), the LG Motorsports oil tank breather, and the NOS solenoids. Less noticeable are set of ASP pulleys and QTP long-tube headers.

Modifications began on his 2001 WS6 Trans Am when it seemed his 1971 Camaro would not be ready in time for the next running of the Silver State Classic in May of 2001. His daily driver soon became his new racecar as it was outfitted with an MTI custom roll bar made to the SSC's specifications. An RCI five point harness with arm restraints and a driveshaft safety loop were also added along with a few other light performance mods. Having already been to racing school and participated in many lap days, Bill had a good idea of what it was going to take to keep his car running safe and fast.

This fan is key to Bill's custom fabricated differential cooler, which also utilizes a Titon differential pump to move the fluid into the Fluidyne cooler. A cylinder operates the flip-down plate via a manual control located inside the cockpit.

Averaging 150mph in races such as the 130-mile Pony Express and the 80-mile SSC in Nevada can take its toll on the rear end, as Bill noticed on the Firebird's maiden voyage. "I heard a loud howl coming from the rear accompanied by vibration, and I knew the differential fluid had to be cooking," said the owner and full-time Allison Transmission technician. As a result, Bill fabricated his own differential cooler using a Titon differential pump, a Fluidyne cooler, and a cylinder to flip down the rear plate drawing in fresh air. An assortment of gauges from Autometer is also crucial in these types of races to monitor water, engine, transmission and differential temperatures during the race. The T56 remains stock, except for the CAGS delete, and seems to be in excellent shape. Meanwhile the stock aluminum block remains a cool customer thanks to an LG Motorsports G2 Supercool radiator, the same unit found in Boyce's Camaro.

Bill keeps his interior as civilized as possible adding only the roll cage, 5-point harnesses, a complete set of Autometer gauges mounted in the air vents, and a Granatelli white-face 200mph speedometer. A B&M shifter and a Garmin GPS III unit also adorn the mostly stock interior.

Now that the engine and drivetrain were ready to handle such high speeds, it was time to stiffen up the suspension and add a little more bite to the brakes. Halting 3,500 pounds of Detroit iron from speeds over 170mph can often be a difficult task, even with grippy PBR calipers. Adding stopping power to the front end is a set of 13.25-inch vented Porsche GT3 rotors and accompanying Brembo four piston calipers. While Brembo does not sell this kit on the open market, several companies sell these kits (which are the stock brakes on the Porsche 911 GT3) for F-bodies. These kits have become somewhat popular among F-body road racers because of its high strength rotors, which have cast holes preventing the cracking for which cross-drilled rotors have become infamous. Eibach Pro-Kit springs were used at all four corners to reduce body roll, while a combination of Koni DA shocks (front) and Bilstein HD shocks (rear) keep the TA planted to the pavement. LG Motorsports aluminum lower control arms and panhard bar are also used to help stiffen the rear, reducing oversteer and wheelhop.

With the Porsche GT3 13.25-inch vented rotors and Brembo four piston calipers, Bill no longer worries about whether he is going to run out of brakes after a few miles of racing or a few laps on the track. He was able to take advantage of the German exchange rate, which has since plummeted making the kit no longer affordable for the buyer and the maker.

To free up some horsepower Bill bombarded the '01 Trans Am with a bevy of bolt-ons including a Whisper airlid, ASP pulleys and modifications to the Ram Air. QTP long-tube headers, a custom Y-pipe with dual cutouts and a Borla catback exhaust system were installed by a local shop called Budget Towing in Mount Vernon (which also did Boyce's exhaust system). Bill, who knows his way around an engine as a professional mechanic, then tuned the engine using HP Tuner. While Bill has chosen to keep the engine internally stock for now, he has added NGK TR6 spark plugs for a colder range to prevent detonation and preserve the engine. For giggles he added some giggly gas, a NOS 5177 dry kit sprays 100 hp worth of nitrous through the airlid and throttle body.

When asked what it is he loved so much about open road racing, Bill Springer replied, "I love that feeling that it is just you and your car."

Since nitrous is not allowed in open road racing, Bill relied totally on the stock LS1 to win third place in his first entry in the Silver State Classic (165tech/130 target) in May 2001. Since his first entry in an open road race he has moved up the ranks quite fast, making additional mods and moving up several classes. His latest verified top speed is 172mph will move him up to the 180mph tech speed in the Pony Express next June. With a possible new set of heads and cam on the way perhaps he could break 200mph as well.