Danny Popp Wins 2013 Holley LS Fest Grand Champion

Josh Leisinger took the win of the Real Street Eliminator at Car Craft Summer Nationals this weekend by over 2 seconds in the autocross and .18 in the launch box portion.

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Josh Leisinger took home the win at the Speedway Motors Classic American Muscle Invitational Challenge at the 2014 Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo Finale in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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Josh Leisinger Wins 2014 Holley LS Fest Grand Champion in his '64 Corvette! First and second place were separated by one point after all the smoke cleared with Danny Popp taking second in his '72 Corvette.

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This from the December issue of Car Craft. This was an article about the Real Street Eliminator at Car Craft Summer Nationals

"The one event that everybody seems to focus on is the autocross. Probably because this is also the place where driver skill is worth as much as—and sometimes more than—the level of preparation put into the car. In Muscle Car, it was clear from the beginning that the Crusher II Corvette driven by Josh Leisinger was the car to beat. Josh laid down more than one 27-second pass early on Friday (when everybody else was in the 30- to 31-second range), then eventually pulled off a 25.983 that stood as the second quickest pass of all autocross competitors, not just RSE cars.

Some people may bag on the Corvette as a purpose-built race car with license plates, but like it or not, this is exactly where the Pro Touring competition cars are heading. The Corvette weighs 2,600 pounds with a driver and was built by Kern Hot Rods in Bedford, Indiana, with a custom tube chassis that includes a Howe asphalt racing front clip, an interesting 3-link rear suspension, and Ridetech shocks on all four corners. The car is called the Crusher II, following the very successful silver Crusher Camaro the Leisinger's won RSE VII Muscle Car with in 2012. This car will certainly spawn some interesting debate over the future of Pro Touring competition, just as the tube-chassis race cars did in Fastest Street Car about 15 years ago—it's the inevitable evolution of racing.

In the Muscle Car class, Josh Leisinger only made three attempts on Friday: 3.16, 3.24, and 3.04. If we were to score points on the average of three runs rather than the best hero run, Josh's time would have been equally amazing. Certainly having a light car with big tires helps, but the Corvette's dirt-track-style, 3-link rear suspension also played a big part in that effort.

A 500ci LS engine is in the Crusher II Corvette. It helps to have friends who know how to build a strong engine - like Warren and Kurt Johnson. Yeah, that's right, the same Johnsons who know a little about NHRA drag racing."

So apparently the only thing that is Corvette about this car is the styling and the wheelbase. Its body and doors are full carbon fiber with Lexan windows. Its amazing that Danny Popp lost by only one point at the Holley LS Fest. Danny's car has stock frame and body with stock suspension pickup points.
 
Kid Vette said:
This from the December issue of Car Craft. This was an article about the Real Street Eliminator at Car Craft Summer Nationals

"The one event that everybody seems to focus on is the autocross. Probably because this is also the place where driver skill is worth as much as—and sometimes more than—the level of preparation put into the car. In Muscle Car, it was clear from the beginning that the Crusher II Corvette driven by Josh Leisinger was the car to beat. Josh laid down more than one 27-second pass early on Friday (when everybody else was in the 30- to 31-second range), then eventually pulled off a 25.983 that stood as the second quickest pass of all autocross competitors, not just RSE cars.

Some people may bag on the Corvette as a purpose-built race car with license plates, but like it or not, this is exactly where the Pro Touring competition cars are heading. The Corvette weighs 2,600 pounds with a driver and was built by Kern Hot Rods in Bedford, Indiana, with a custom tube chassis that includes a Howe asphalt racing front clip, an interesting 3-link rear suspension, and Ridetech shocks on all four corners. The car is called the Crusher II, following the very successful silver Crusher Camaro the Leisinger's won RSE VII Muscle Car with in 2012. This car will certainly spawn some interesting debate over the future of Pro Touring competition, just as the tube-.
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I'd like to see photos of his tube chassis and build.
 
Danny Popp wins 2014 Optima Invitational

Popp just won the 2014 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational in Las Vegas in a 2003 Corvette. Don't know any details yet, but there were a lot of C2 Corvettes, Nissan GTRs, Porsches, and a Lambo. I think a 911 TT finished second and an Evo third.

Pappy
 
Kid Vette said:
BRIAN HOBAUGH WINS FINALS SHOOTOUT AUTOCROSS!

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I was there. Great finish. On an earlier round, Hobaugh twisted the end off a half shaft, but they replaced it in about 20 minutes and he got back out there. The half shaft wasn't too bad, but he destroyed a thousand dollar JRI shock in the process. Mary Pozzii was in the finals in her 73 Camaro - with the new Art Morrison IRS. It really worked great. The Crusher 2 64 Vette was also in the finals, but he never was quite as quick as Popp or Hobaugh. Finished third in a run-off with Pozzi. The million dollar real 427 Cobra was a contender also, until he broke a U-joint and couldn't get fixed in time to run-off against Pozzi.

Leisinger said he was going to redo Crusher - Powerglide in place of the TH400 and lighter weight - wonder where - it's a Howe circle track chassis with a carbon fiber body. LOL BTW, he ran a 9:50 in the quarter -- on 200 treadwear autocross tires.
 
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Kid Vette said:
Interesting Danny and Brian are running cars that still have some of the inherent flaws of the C2-C3s (flexy frame, rear toe steer, etc) and are still running better times than Josh with his scratch built car.

Hey Kid

I think if I was scratch building a car for autocross, I wouldn't use an automatic or a Ford 9 inch straight axle (like Crusher). The car is probably a lot more competitive on a road course or the drag strip. Mary Pozzi knocked several seconds off her times in her old reliable Camaro when she went to the Art Morrison IRS. She made other changes, but the IRS sure planted the rear. I did notice that Danny Popp has switched to tubular lower control arms (I never saw the uppers), but Hobaugh is still running C-2 stamped lowers and uppers. The real "trick" component in those cars appears to be the JRI shocks.
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