Texas brought the heat, not only literally, but with the plethora of rides that showed up to LS Fest Texas. The Grand Champion class was stuffed with cars from all over the country and the variety is hilarious. Everything from a Mazda RX7 with a tunnel ram and LS power to the technological marvel of the C8 Corvette showed up to run the SpeedTech Performance Autocross.
The Grand Champion class is split up into three classes; Vintage, Late Model, and Truck. Autocross is just one portion of the Grand Champion class. They must also compete in a drag race segment and the Baer 3S Challenge. You can be hanging out at the fences watching a highly-modified C6 Corvette racing around the course and next up a patina-wearing Ford F-100 sliding around the course with maximum effort. It’s easy to say that watching the truck’s race around is one of the more entertaining groups. Even with the massive modifications, the dramatic body movements and lean of the trucks is wonderfully violent to watch.
In theory, hot rubber should be stickier and therefore traction should be excellent in 100 degree heat, right? Wrong. The competitors 200tw tires were getting greasy and losing traction quickly. Traction was an issue all weekend and everyone thought that the late sessions would help them gain a bit of speed. The Hooker Group thought they were set up perfectly with their 7:00-8:30 sessions with shade stretching across the course. The times stayed consistent throughout the session and not many improved on their times from the blistering sessions earlier in the day. We’ll see how it turns out throughout the weekend and who can take the three Grand Champion trophies home.
First-gen Mazda RX-7, plus tunnel rammed LS swap, equals awesome.
This patina-wearing F-100 was putting in maximum effort all day long.
A little patina on this Chevy II didn’t hurt the times it was throwing down all weekend.
Bill Holt’s ’86 C10 was on fire with Rob McGregor of No Limit Engineering tearing up the Truck class.
Karen Leisinger hustles around her 1970 "Crusher" Camaro around the autocross course, it's Warren Johnson Racing-built LS engine howling.
Anthony Palladino breaks the norm with his widebody ’69 Datsun Roadster.
