$2017 Challenge Pro Drivers

Which Pro Drivers will be attending $2017?

I hear one may be looking forward to driving a certain car.  I gather it's not right to spill the beans though.  

Count me in!

For those unfamiliar with this aspect of the event:  Since it is primarily a car building competition, more than a driving event, entrants can use a "Pro Driver" to drive their car/truck on the autocross course and try to get them the best score possible.  The organizers even make a few top level autocross "Pro Drivers" available.  In the autocross scoring, the officials do not even keep track of who is driving the car.

As for me, I have been a Challenge Pro Driver since the inaugural event, where I won Fast Time of Day at the autocross for Tim Suddard, driving Tim's SVO. (I know that sounds fishy, but it was mostly due to luck with the weather, not any special publisher's privilege!)  For variety of experience, I have won SCCA Nationals trophies in VWs, Mazda MX6s, Neons, a Mustang, Corvette, Porsche, MG, and MR2.  I have raced dirt track stock cars and SCCA sports cars. I like adapting quickly to different types of cars.  I have won the Challenge autocross for a few car owners over the years, and helped a lot of folks get better autocross scores, even if their car wasn't really contending for overall honors in the autocross.  

I have never wrecked or blown up anyone's Challenge car, but I still feel bad about returning the Johnny Quest van last year running poorly.

Danny

In reply to Danny Shields :

Re: Johnny quest van: I think you did it more good than harm. It could have stranded John in the middle of Tennessee on Sunday afternoon.

Danny is a damn good driver!  No foul on the Quest.  As mentioned, it was better to break while surrounded by friends and resources rather than break will competly alone on a 1k mile journey.   The final answer on the 3.5L of the van was a failed cam phaser.  Said another way the variable timing stopped varying.  The van generally ran  like it was out of timing resulting in way down on power.  This was likely caused by oil starvation from repeated autox  runs on full slick BFG R1's mounted to RX7 FD rims.  Not exactly a set up the factory had ever intended!  Add to all that the fact that last years autox course started with a large series of left hand turns completing a 360 rotation.  It was near the end of that the engine got louder and went down on power.

After having done a couple of passes myself, I put the Quest in the hands of Danny and he made that beast dance better that I had done earlier!  

In reply to John Welsh :

Danny Shields, Steve Hoelscher, Alan McCrispin, Steven Duckworth, Rob Lewis

Rick Goolsby said:

In reply to John Welsh :

Danny Shields, Steve Hoelscher, Alan McCrispin, Steven Duckworth, Rob Lewis

John Thomas said he was coming again.

So out of all these professional choices, who happens to be the fastest on the ill handling bias-ply tires?

Who's the fwd guy?  Who could lay down a National Champions type pass in a Ford Probe/Mazda MX6?    2.5L V6

That would be me buddy... watch out.

I haven't got 2nd in the general tire challenge more times than i care to mention with my looks...

Yeah, but who was that guy who was getting 1st in the General Tire Challenge???  

Well played...

John Welsh said:

Who's the fwd guy?  Who could lay down a National Champions type pass in a Ford Probe/Mazda MX6?    2.5L V6

JT won 7 of his 17 consecutive national championships in a DP Honda Civic SI...just sayin'

Other 10 were in FP 240z.

Ovid_and_Flem said:

John Welsh said:

Who's the fwd guy?  Who could lay down a National Champions type pass in a Ford Probe/Mazda MX6?    2.5L V6

JT won 7 of his 17 consecutive national championships in a DP Honda Civic SI...just sayin'

 

Other 10 were in FP 240z.

An FP 240z with number 23 no less.... not why my car number is 23.  

so any idea who the special guest is going to be that was hinted in a post somewhere about a semi tv star?

My memory is a bit weak, but I think a MX-6 is a Ford Probe, and Danny has a national championship in a MX-6.  I think it was Per who said something like, Danny changed 4 things on that car to win the Championship .... One tire at each corner.  John Thomas is also a ridiculously good driver, but I think he shines in highly modified cars.  It's hard to go wrong with any of the provided Pros.  All of them could easily humble me.

Right now we are planning to do all our own driving.  That will likely cost us 1/2 a second, but will hopefully increase our level of Fun. 

I have volunteered to warm our teams tires, to make sure there is some grip for the fast guys...

Hey, you guys know I've won national autocross trophies, right? A nation that's smaller than most SCCA regions, sure, but that's beside the point

Lineup Of  Judges ?  Likes / dislikes   Thanks

GameboyRMH said:

Hey, you guys know I've won national autocross trophies, right? A nation that's smaller than most SCCA regions, sure, but that's beside the point

There are some here who have taken FTD at the Challenge autocross.  That were not pros.  

ckosacranoid said:

so any idea who the special guest is going to be that was hinted in a post somewhere about a semi tv star?

My blind guess (well, driven mostly by personal hopes and dreams, but I also THINK I may have seen a hint in the mag):

Freiburger

Could it be Edd China?

If its fryberger my daughter is going to be pissed. He is my nine-year-olds hero.

Robbie said:

ckosacranoid said:

so any idea who the special guest is going to be that was hinted in a post somewhere about a semi tv star?

My blind guess (well, driven mostly by personal hopes and dreams, but I also THINK I may have seen a hint in the mag):

Freiburger

Could it be Edd China?

Edd would be good but both Keith Tanner and Seth Lemke (The Duece) in the same place!  

Dusterbd13 said:

If its fryberger my daughter is going to be pissed. He is my nine-year-olds hero.

I mean Roadkill has GRM challenge written all over it they should build a car and attend sometime

Seeing Freiburger twice in the same year at GRM events would be weird. I mean, doesn't he work for a completely different magazine or something. 

I forgot Keith was supposed to be there. I'm going to take a selfie with him.