4th Quarter | 2005 | #04

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURES

08 | EVENT COVERAGE

DEPARTMENTS

04 | OUR GARAGE 05 | READERS RIDES 26 | CLUB INSIDER 34 | IMAGE MANIPULATION 35 | WRECKAGE

12 | THE QUEEN Z

1999 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24

16 | FEROCE

1985 Pontiac Fiero SE

20 | CAVYTECH

24 | EVENT COVERAGE
3rd Annual V6Z24.com Bash

28 | EVENT COVERAGE

1st Annual GM Small Car Bash

32 | BEGINNER

Drag Racing & Autocrossing

Domestic Driver News:

Cartoons created by Chris Beach Cover created by Eric Wood
WHAT IS DOMESTIC DRIVER MAGAZINE?
A quarterly printed magazine featuring Chrysler, Dodge, Ford and GM Small to Mid-Sized Cars from 1980+
This will be the last printed issue for a while. We have decided to switch the magazine to an E-Zine format so we can provide more pages of higher-quality content without raising the price. Once we have enough subscribers to print in larger quantities, Domestic Driver will return to the printed format. We want to sincerely thank all of our advertisers who have supported us over this past year. We hope they will stay with us through these temporary changes. Domestic Driver will continue to offer more online content for the small to mid-sized American car owner than any other. Please visit www.domesticdriver.com for information on accessing the temporary format. If you already have a subscription, we will transfer your balance to the E-Zine. The new E-Zine pricing will be between $8-$15 a year, depending on the frequency of issue-release. Again, without the cost restrictions associated with printing, we will be able to provide our readers with more amazing cars, articles and automotive information.
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Welcome to the 4th quarter issue of Domestic Driver Magazine. We hope you enjoy this issue which features plenty of car show coverage and featured rides. In 2006 we want to include more event coverage, tech articles, how-tos and more overall content. A lot of changes will be accuring this coming year so be sure to check out www.domesticdriver.com for all the news. Our Garage is our place to speak freely. It contains announcements regarding the magazine, and information on what readers have done to their cars. This will be the only page that may not contain car-related information.

OUR GARAGE

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING TO DOMESTIC DRIVER
Featured Rides Checklist:
10+ pictures taken with a 5MP+ digital camera (exterior, interior, trunk, engine.) 8-20 paragraph article written in the third person. Please dont simply write a history of your car. Try to make it interesting and different. Write about how it handles and what the modications have improved or anything else you think should go in there. Modications list categorized by Performance / Audio & Visual / Control / Show Any extras such as dyno sheets, 0-60mph times, track times.

Readers Rides Checklist:

4+ pictures taken with a 3MP+ digital camera (exterior, interior, trunk, engine.) 1-2 paragraphs about your car - not including modications. Modications list categorized by Performance / Audio & Visual / Control / Show

2006 SUBMISSION DATES

January/February - Submission deadline: December 1st - Available around: January 1st March/April - Submission deadline: February 1st - Available around: March 1st May/June - Submission deadline: April 1st - Available around: May 1st July/August - Submission deadline: June 1st - Available around: July 1st September/October - Submission deadline: August 1st - Available around: September 1st November/December - Submission deadline: October 1st - Available around: November 1st

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Anything else

We are always looking for new stuff to put in our magazine. Just send in your ideas. Rally action is always good. So are drifting, burnouts and track race-pictures and information.
All pictures that you send to us must be your own pictures that you took or have permission to give us. Please include who we should give credit to for the submission. You may also include your e-mail address so readers can contact you with any questions they may have. By sending in your articles and photos you are giving us full rights to it. Also, please keep all submissions exclusive to us until after we have printed and distributed the issue containing your submission.
Things to remember when submitting
If your submission is used you will get a free copy of the issue its in!
Send all submissions to contact@domesticdriver.com
Owner: Dan Ciobanu Car: 1993 Ford Probe GT Location: Sacramento, CA Mile: 11.91 @ 114.87 mph (on stock motor + Nitrous) About: This is FrankenProbe, a former 1993 Ford Probe GT. It began life as a trailer-queen in the summer of 05 when a fully built motor and turbo kit were installed thanks to sponsor KeenKelly. Although it is still a full unibodied car, all non-essential systems were removed and all glass replaced with NIRA-legal lexan. It is expected to make in excess of 400hp on the dyno in early October when the nal components are added. I decided to stick with a Ford Probe because it wasnt the mainstream import racer like a Honda or DSM, making the car more unique. All modications were done in my garage by myself and other BAPOC members (Bay Area Probe Owners Club). We hope to stand out in the tuner crowd for the remainder of the 05 show and race schedule. The full car details are at www. frankenprobe.com

READERS RIDES

Modications:

Performance:

- OEM 2.5L V6 DOHC 24-valve engine - Crower billet rods - ARP rod bolts - JE 9.5:1 pistons - Competition 5-angle valve job - 65mm bored throttle body - Ceramic coated turbo collectors & downpipe - Tial 35mm external wastegate - Unorthodox Racing underdrive pulley - 550cc injectors (52lb) - Walbro 255lph high pressure fuel pump - Nitrous Express 75-shot wet setup - Kirkey aluminum drag seat - Lexan windows all around - MegaSquirtnSpark engine tuning software w/laptop - And so much more we dont have room for

Control:

- SWRacecars 8-pt rollcage - front & rear coil over setup - 500lb/in rear and 450lb/in front springs - Tokico Illumina 5-way adjustable struts - Weld Racing 15x8 Front & 15x4 Rear wheels - Mickey Thompson 26x8.5x15 Fr & 8x4.5x15 Rr skinnies - Goodridge stainless steel brake lines - TMS stainless steel clutch line
- 2-tone paintjob - Autometer Guages - Grant GT steering wheel
Owner: Josh Koch Car: 2000 Dodge Neon Location: North Carolina Mile: 13 seconds About: My car started off as a 2000 Dodge Neon ES

- Blitz dcc ii turbo timer - MPX C/F fog light covers - 35% window tint - RVM C/F hood & decklid

Audio & Visual:

- Kenwood 922 MP3 player - MTX 952 2ch amp with all street wires - (2) 10inch Sony dvc subs (sealed) - (1) Corbeau A4 black racing seat
Owner: Dave Brooks Car: 2004 Saturn ION Location: Gainesville, FL About: This car is 100% American. The slant tip exhaust,
chrome 5 spokes, lack of neon.all of this says American. The red, silver and blue colors of this car are also American, but they represent Red Bull, too. The blue on the calipers, engine and shift knob, against metallic silver with red subwoofers, all work together to help me show the world how much I love (and need) the stuff. Im not totally against rycers. I even started a business selling quality parts to real rycers. Head over to www.rycekits.com to check it out.
Performance: - Secret Weapon air intake - Custom bored TB to 55 mm - Cat Removed - 2.25 custom exhaust using Flowmaster mufer Control: - Eibach pro springs - Goodyear performance tires - Shortened shifter with Silver and blue shift knob Audio & Visual: - Four 6.5 Memphis midrange - Eclipse headunit - Two 10 Sony Xplod subs with 500w Kenwood amp - 17 Chrome 5-spokes by DBL-G - Lowered 2 (springs) - Removed pin stripes and ion logo on trunk - Blue calipers with black drums (blue drums are illegal) - 80/100 Hyperwhite bulbs
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Owner: Kevin Whitehead Car: 2005 Chevy Cobalt Location: Lockport, IL About: I originally went out looking for an 03-04
Cavalier LS sport with my dad. We got to the dealership and (of course) the Cobalts were all up front and out of my price range. I decided I liked them, so we went for a test drive and I was basically sold after that: I knew I wanted a Cobalt. Before we went back to buy it, we found an awesome deal at a different dealership. It was not the color I wanted, but because it was much cheaper, we bought it. I couldnt be happier. I love the color now and it goes a lot better with the black and blue theme Ive got going. I am an active member of cobaltss.net and I may have one of the most modied non-S/C Cobalts out there. I slowly get things as money comes, but Ive only had the car since May, so I think Ive got a lot accomplished to it since then.
Performance: - Injen warm air intake Control: - Eibach Pro Kit lowering springs - 18 Damani Tech-5 gunmetal rims w/ Hankook tires Show: - McCulloch 6000K HID headlights - Painted headlight housing black - Carbon ber OEM hood - Cleared out corners

^^ Thursday night go-cart racing after check-in

Chris MIllinders

B F E S T

Jim Cards barbec

Aaron Choates an

F O I L

WAT E R M E L O N

Dave Holsts 54k

G A R A G E

Brian Kramer s 24

M I L L I O N
Shane Shane Daviss 47 hour

M I L E Q U E E N

E N D L E S S

R I D E

Z26 tics

B U S T

ue skills
ood Story by Eric W of Beretta.net Photos courtesy members and Bstuff.com
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The Queen Z

Falls, Montana. She started the Queen Z project in the middle of December, 2004, and nished it at the beginning of May, 2005, just in time for the 2005 show season. Her goal was to make it one of the top show cars in the nation. The exterior is where Queen Z really shines. The rst thing you notice when looking at Queen Z is her beautiful three-tone House of Kolor Platinum Pearl Silver, Pearl Silver over Kandy Apple Red, and Charcoal Metallic paint job. Once your eyes make it past the eye-Kandy, youll notice the custom body work ranging from a one-off custom wide body to the RKSport Pro Stock Spoiler molded into the trunk lid. A custom-painted Fiber Images carbon-ber hood and unique taillights made of aftermarket RX-7 tails are a nice touch.
his 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 nicknamed Queen Z has been featured in Domestic Driver once before, but has come a long way since that rst issue was released. This unique vehicle has gone through several major transformations in just under a year. Queen Z has won many Best of Show trophies as well as other awards both nationally and internationally during the past 2005 show season. It has also been featured in television shows and other magazines. To build her dream car, Ashley Becker teamed up with Joe Hudson and Superior Auto Body of Great
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Domestic Dri v e r | | | 1 3
Queen Z is also equipped with a Lamborghini-style door conversion and eye-catching 19 Racing Hart wheels that seem to get swallowed up due to the Easy Street Air Lift Technologies strut system that can literally put the Queen Zs body on the ground! Lastly, Ashley decided a brake upgrade was in store, so she chose to install complete Baer big brake systems for the front and rear, including 13 crossdrilled up front, 12 rotors out back and four-piston calipers all around. This Cavalier is not just about external sweetness. There are some treats on the inside, too. The most eye catching thing about the interior (besides the matching berglass panels) is the back-seat area, which is where you nd chrome Audiobahn 12-inch Flame Excursion Subs in a berglass enclosure along with a billet chrome NOS Bottle with billet brackets. The cockpit also has ve LCD monitors for entertaining onlookers, leather racing seats with red stitching and multiple MOMO Italy accessories. The trunk holds two Audiobahn amps and an Audiobahn capacitor, all displayed in a custom drop oor wrapped in black vinyl.

But wait! Ashley did not just make the Queen Z all show and no go. She knew if she wanted to compete with the big boys on the national show circuit she would have to give her engine a boost. She decided to turbo charge her 2.4 liter DOHC engine using a Garret T/3-T/4 turbine. Along with the turbo, she installed a stainless turbo manifold, a Tial 38mm wastegate, TurboXS BOV, 310cc fuel injectors, MSD high ow fuel pump, a huge FMI and many more performance adding goodies to complete the turbo kit and make her power plant stronger. The Queen Z is also equipped with a nitrous oxide system with purge kit thats vented out both sides of her front bumper. In the near future
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The Queen Z

PERFORMANCE
- Garret Hybrid T3/T4 T04 V-Band turbocharger - Stainless turbo manifold - Tial 38mm wastegate - Exhaust downpipe - Holly NOS Nitrous Oxide System - Holly NOS dual purge kit vented out of front bumper vents - High ow exhaust - Huge 24/31/3 front mount intercooler - Custom 2.5 intake/intercooler piping - Silicone connectors & hose clamps - High ow catalytic converter - Beltronics Vector FX1 performance timer/accelerometer - 310cc fuel injectors - MSD high ow fuel pump - TurboXS manual boost controller - TurboXS BOV - Greddy turbo timer
- RK Sport pro stock wing molded into trunk lid with shaved 3rd brake light - Custom taillights using parts of aftermarket rx-7 tails - Auto Loc door popper kit - Varad red led under car lighting, suspension lighting, & headlight strobes - 2-Tone paint job with House of Kolor kandy apple red over platinum pearl silver - Fiberglass door panels, rear panels, dash, center console, speaker box replacing rear seat - Black leather racing seats w/ red stitching w/ tvs - Momo black tuner steering wheel, steering wheel hub, shift knob, pedal kit, grid t200 alloy oor mats - Lotek 3 gauge a-pillar pod w/autometer boost, voltmeter, and air fuel ratio gauges

MODI F IC ATIONS

AUDIO, VISUAL & SECURITY

CONTROL

- Racing Hart 19x7.5 RH Evolution C5 wheels

- Toyo Proxy-4 225/35/19 tires - Easy Street air ride strut system front & rear - Easy Street air ride clear 10 switch box - Easy Street 5 gallon air tank & chrome viair compressor - Baer Track 13inch cross drilled & slotted big brake kit with 4-piston calipers in the front - Baer track 12inch slotted drum to disc conversion with 4-piston calipers in the rear - Baer metallic performance brake pads - Baer teon stainless steel braided brake lines front & rear
- Kenwood kvt-815 DVD 7 motorized in-dash touch screen TFT monitor DVD/CD/MP3/WMA receiver - Jl 100 amp 12-volt converter - (4) Audiobahn 12 aw1206t 2200 watt subs - (2) Audiobahn a2200hct 1600 watt amps - Audiobahn acap601q digital ame-amp style 6 farad capacitor - (2) 7.2 at panel LCD screens in back of seats - (2)Custom 7.2 TFT LCD monitors in sun visors - Stinger sp800 dry cell car audio battery - Cerwin vega 6x9s, 4x6s, tweeters - Clifford security system - Directed audio video amplier
- One-off custom wide body - Molded and customized full drift body kit - Decah vertical doors - Fiber Images carbon ber ss style ram air hood
Ashley says she plans on installing new performance cams, forged pistons and forged H-beam connecting rods that are stashed away in her garage. As the car goes through more changes in preparation for the 2006 show season, we can only wait to see
what else can possibly be done to this custom J-body. Ashley will be teaming up with Audiobahn and many other companies to fully complete the Queen Z. She would like to thank her sponsors
- Superior Auto Body, Meguiars and Audiobahn. A big thank-you goes out to her husband, Ian, for all of his help and support, as well as Ashleys parents, Mike and Kerry Crain, for everything they have done for her. Ashley would also like to thank Larry Mull and family along with Team GMCI Racing for helping Queen Z become one of the top cars on the NCCA Circuit and for taking a chance on her and her car by inviting them into their car club and family. For more information and updates on this jaw dropping Cavalier, check out teamgmciracing.com and cardomain.com/ride/325547.
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Feroce

hen Ed decided to build this car he was 57 years old. It is not the first car Ed has completed, but he wanted to have something that nobody else has or could have. He started with a 1985 Pontiac Fiero SE V6 and added a $6,000.00 Fino body kit courtesy of V8 Archie in Chicago, Ill. I chose the body kit because no other car on the road looks like it, said Ed. The front end is very nostalgic looking - like a Lotus from the 50s and 60s. According to Ed, A re-body is a start, but it is not a bolt-on job that can be done in a weekend. Apparently, there is a lot of work to be done including fitting all parts by adding filler,
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shimming, making brackets and then making parts to fill in areas that are not covered by the new body. This makes the car flow and look like it rolled off the assembly line at General Motors. Not only does the outside look good but the interior is just as impressive. The old interior was completely removed and the entire area was cleaned and painted, then all new insulation was put in. The wrap-around dash, center console, door panels and leather seats from PISA look like they were made for the car. New black carpet came from the Fiero store, while the headliner, rear area cover and sun visors had to be custom made by Ed. The trunk was

-1995 Firebird 3.4 V6 Chevy engine -Bored.030 -Hypereutectic pistons 10.25:1 -Comp Cams performance camshaft -Heads 3800 valves, HD springs -17-pound injectors -1988 transmission with lower gear ratio
-Front & Rear Coil-over shock with powder coated tubular control arms -Adjustable shocks front & Rear -Enkei RSx 7 rims -Nitto Tires front & rear NT 555 225/40ZR-17
automatic transmission with lower gear ratios for quicker starts in town. Ed knew what he wanted in an exhaust system, but designing it was much easier than building it. He wanted center exhaust with four chrome pipes so the bottom of the trunk needed to be cut off 12 just to make room for the new system. Then the rear lower fiberglass valance needed to be reworked to complement the new exhaust exits. Construction began in February of 2002 and Feroce showed the first time at the Detroit Autorama in February of 2003. Ed took 1st place in the Full Sport Class. Ed told us that the best compliment he received at the Detroit Autorama was that his car looks like it just rolled off the General Motors production assembly line. Ed is considering a 3800SC engine install, even though he is very happy with the power he has now. Out of the many trophies Eds car has taken, Best of Show, Best Interior and Best Engineered say it all when describing this work of art.
-Speedhut white faced gauges -Grant steering wheel -Remote control start, doors locks, engine compartment and power windows -Embroidered center console and front & rear compartments -Sun visors and headliner custom made -PISA Wrap-around dash, center console, leather seats and euro door panels. -Four chrome center exhaust pipes -Steel braded hoses -Snake hubcap covers -Snake center steering wheel cover -Feroce aluminum emblem in front grill -Powder coated intake and valve covers
-Kenwood radio/CD -10-disk changer in trunk -Kenwood Front speakers and subwoofer -Innity rear speakers

THANKS TO

-Kevin Personious (paint) -Gary Floate (snake & ames) -V8 Archie (Fino body kit) -Bob Steiger (engine) -Bruce DeLong vinyl graphics

0-60MPH..6.7 sec

/ MILE..14.7 sec
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CavyTech

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Domestic Dri v e r | | | 2 1
ight outside Chicago, a 2002 Cavalier is being transformed. CavyTech is the name given to this custom Cavalier. Owner Ronnie C teamed up with master installer and owner of SoundzPlus, Marty Deane. They made their plans to build an amazingly creative show car with one goal in mind - to build a car that ts together and wasnt over the top. After 3 weeks of planning and gathering parts, the project began with clean lines and a unique custom feel. The exterior of the car was refreshed even though the paint was just 3 months old. Cream white base with a pearl blue nish was the paint-theme of choice. They left the Accord/Prelude headlight-conversion in place, but the front end was changed using a Blitz bumper which was built up and around the new headlights. A radical change to

on the car within minutes - just by typing in a question. Its crazy the number of Fieros with super-charged V6s, Cadillac Northstars and even Corvette engines that are out there just waiting on an unsuspecting import. Anything you have ever wanted to know about Fieros (buying, repairing or modifying) can be found at www.ero.nl. Information on the Chesapeake Fiero Club can be found at www.chesapeakeeros.com. Once you have ridden in a boosted two-door or felt the rumble of a V8 in a tonand-a-half car, there is no turning back, except to see the competition. Written by Andrew Cleaver, CFC Member
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Earl Sessions - Waldorf, MD
Car: 1985 Fiero SE known as HellRazor Drivetrain Mods:
Bill Sessions - Waldorf, MD
Car: 1988 Fiero GT Drivetrain Mods:
- 325 hp 3.8 liter supercharged V6 - 2.8-3.4 modular pulley system. Allows the smaller pulley for increased boost - ZZPerformance Short Stack intercooler system - ZZPerformance XPHOT cam - 42.5 lb injectors & 105 lb valve springs - Walbro 340 fuel pump - Custom PCM program by Ryan Gick at Sinister Performance
Shawn Cunningham Pasadena, MD
Car: 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT known as Shredd Drvietrain Mods:
- hp 3.4 DOHC engine with an Isuzu 5speed on a 1988 engine cradle - CRX cold air intake routed to an Aus side scoop
- 320 hp 3.8L Supercharged V-6 mated to a 4t65e HD automatic transmission - ZZP intercooler - 2.8 pulley providing 11 pounds of boost - XP cam shaft

Interior Mods:

Interior and Exterior Mods:
- Nordskog digital speedometer and tach - Aeroforce scan guage - Mr. Mikes leather seats - Custom red and black interior theme by owner - Kenwood self-powered subwoofer behind seat with - Sony and Kenwood speakers in dash and doors

Other:

- Best quarter mile so far is 12.00@112mph on Nitto street tires - 0-60 in less than 5 seconds - 95% of all work done by owner, including the engine swap and paint
- Ultra-violet metallic paint - 17 inch Konig Flatline rims in black opal nish - Eibach lowering springs (1.5 inch drop) - Owner-manufactured side scoops with functional cold air intake - Mr. Mikes custom seats
- Mr. Mikes leather seats - Villian carbon ber steering wheel and shifter - Carbon ber headliner and third brake light - Late model GM CD stereo with custom leather wrapped center console & 10 Octane Sub - Custom carpeted front storage area along with front-mounted battery and amp

Exterior Mods:

- Best quarter mile so far is 12.48@106mph on Falken Azenis street tires - All work except paint was done by the owner
- 2003 Corvette Electron Blue paint - Lowered with rear coil-over shocks - Aus Stage 2 scoops - Mustang air scoop on trunk lid with factory spoiler moved back and custom chin spoiler - Custom extractor hood vents - Corvette tail lights - 17x7 front / 18x8 rear Motegi DPK wheels

Andrew Cleaver - Waldorf, MD Car: 1984 Fiero notchback known as Finiero

Drivetrain Mods:

- New Chevy 350 LM1 crate engine mated to stock 4-speed usingV8 Archies install kit - Edelbrock Torker II intake - Edelbrock 600 CFM carb - Custom dual exhaust through Silver Bullet mufers - 4-core radiator - High performance starter - Racing clutch - Remote oil lter
- Mr. Mikes leather seats - Custom carpet with steel diamond tread inserts - Green racing pedals accented with green oor/overhead lights - Green leather-wrapped steering wheel - Pioneer head unit and speakers with 10 sub on center console - Power windows and locks - Remote keyless entry and alarm
- Nordskog Digital Dash tracks mile, top speed and 0-60 times - V8 Archies dash, door, console and rewall kit
- Sublime green paint - V8 Archies Fino body kit designed by Peter Ashdown - 16 American Racing Estrella wheels - Kumho Z-rated tires 225/45/16 front, 245/45/16 rear

- Website: www.niero.com

Domestic Driv e r | | | 2 7
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1s t Annual

GM Small Car Bash
pointing. The list of things to see and do, however, was not disappointing, beginning with some traditional Friday drag racing. Lines at the track were not long, so those who raced were in hog-heaven. The heat continued through Saturday when the all-day car show took place. The show was accented

Indianapolis, IN

with events like the USACi (United States Autosound Competition International) sanctioned Sound-off competition, XM Satellites informative display booth, a bikini contest and some live music. As you can see by the photos, the cars were as impressive as the venue. It was nice to see the many vendors and the large GM
Domestic Driv e r | | | 2 9
toasty weekend in July brought us to what we thought would be one of the biggest domestic small car gatherings in the country. The size of the show grounds was truly impressive, but with just 230 people participating in the GMSC Bash at Indianapolis Raceway Park, attendance numbers were a bit disap-
presence featuring the latest cars from Chevy, Saturn, Pontiac, Saab and the newest performance hardware from GM Accessories. Brand new products like the 2006 2.4L Cobalt SS, Pontiac Solstice and Chevy HHR were on display, as well as custom show cars from GMs private stable. The informative Chevy Racing Tour was also on display featuring Chevys entire racing heritage. Again, the event location was great with a nice track, plenty of space and a good central location. More cars and spectators will be needed to keep this event from losing money in the

Domestic Dri v e r | | | 3 1
INTRODUCTION TO AUTOCROSSING
club in your area is to visit www.scca.org and look for a region near you or do a search for events on any popular search engine. Once you nd a local club, you can sign up on-line or in person for the next event. To compete in an autocross event, you must posses the following: a valid drivers license, proof of being at least 16 years of age, a vehicle that will pass a simple safety inspection and a DOT and Snell approved helmet. If you do not have a helmet, most clubs generally offer loaners. For the best results, you should clean out all loose objects in your car including the spare tire, jack, subwoofers, oor mats, any cargo and basically anything loose that may get caught under your feet. You should also bring a helmet, a signed consent form (if you are under 18), lunch and proper clothing. On the day of the event you should arrive at the race site early enough to get yourself prepared for the day. Autocrossing is generally an all day event, so be prepared. The day will normally start between 8:30 and 9:30am. This gives you time to arrive, check in at the registration tent, change your tires (if you have racing tires), look your car over and get it numbered for the event. For numbering, you can use masking
utocross is a form of racing that many people outside the sport know little about. This overlooked motor sport is quickly gaining popularity because of its unique blend of competition and affordability. Autocross events are time trial competitions in which there is no wheel-to-wheel racing involved, meaning that there is only one car on the track at a time. Each driver races against the clock, not against a person in the other lane. Naturally, the winner is determined by the vehicle that completes the course in the shortest time. Autocross is a great starting point for anyone wanting to become a race car driver. It is a safe and cheap way to participate in competitive racing. Autocross events are generally run by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). These events are either sanctioned by the SCCA or are run under their rules by independent clubs. The SCCA calls their autocross events Solo II. Generally speaking, any safe, street legal vehicle can compete. Each driver is placed in a class based on their cars performance potential (including modications) and sometimes the racers auto-crossing experience. The only classes that are based on experience are the Novice classes, designated for drivers in their rst season. There are also open classes and ladies classes. Open classes are for all experienced drivers and ladies classes are obviously only for ladies. The best way to nd out which class your car ts into is to order a copy of the SCCA Solo II rulebook, or visit www.moutons.org/sccasolo/ for a summary of the classes based on vehicles and modications. In general, a course is laid out in a large parking lot using trafc cones. Autocross courses are congured to emphasize the drivers car control skills and car set-up, not speed. However, speeds up to 70 mph may be attained by faster cars. The SCCA and independent clubs hold events in locales across the nation throughout the summer. The best way to nd a

Article courtesy of Eric Schneck of Boomtastic Racing (www.boomtastic.com)
Image thanks to Ken Stefancic
or those interested in drag racing, the fear and uncertainty of how things work can keep you from ever approaching the line. A good place to start is at a test-and-tune event. When running in a test-and-tune, dont worry about a thing. Its all practice time where you get to iron out your launch timing and try different strategies. There you can nd out the best RPM level for your launch, learn about the light tree (when the last amber light illuminates completely - not before and not after!) and get a few runs in back-to-back. Dont get too mixed up with the weather and how it changes things (track temps, air/fuel mix, etc.). For now - just go have fun! After you get comfortable its time to start bracket racing. This is where youll learn the terms breaking out, etc. Bracket racing is racing against the other guy - as well as yourself. After a few runs, youll get an idea of how fast you can go most of the time. Keep the runs identical as best you can; the same launch time, same launch speed, etc. For the sake of argument, lets say that you are doing a consistent 15-second 1/4 mile. You need to tell the tower (and your opponent) your dial-in time. This is the time that you think you will go in the next 1/4. You want to be as close as possible (explained in a few seconds) but you DO NOT want to go faster than the time you post. If you do, you broke out and that means an immediate loss. So, you should say that youll run a 14.8 just for kicks. Your opponent is a pure drag car, and he posts a 9.8 - a full 5-second difference. Because you have the slower car, the times are subtracted (14.8 - 9.8 = 5.0) and the difference is the amount of a head start that you get. What this does, in theory, is level the playing eld. At the end of the 1/4 mile, you both should be side-byside. Got all that? Good! Just dont leave earlier than the green light or you will red light, and that, too, is an immediate loss. So is crossing over the center line. Sit and wait for the green light and youre snoozing, which is costing you time. For those of you wondering about staging, it is very easy, but can also be
Domestic Driv e r | | | 3 3
This page shows what can be done with modern day imaging software. This quarter we bring you 4 different manipulations, all which were submitted by ero.nl members. In the future we might provide a few different images to work with and sponsor a contest to see who can be the most creative and make the car look better then it did at the beginning. If you are interested in making a submission see our Submit page on our web site.

IMAGE MANIPULATION

Andrew Cleaver (Saxman)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Joel Rood (justa6)

Rob Bartlett (MinnGreenGT)
Mike Moreau (maxsideburn)
34 | | | D o m e s t i c D R i v e r

WRECKAGE

I was on my way to the ER, where I work, on July 26, 2005 in my 04 Chevy Cavalier. I was waiting to make a left turn, stopped by a ashing red light. After a couple seconds, oncoming trafc came to a stop, and I got the green arrow telling me to go. I looked on ahead to see that there was a brown van stopped, and no one in the lane to its left. I was about to shift into second when I heard the sound of tires squealing and experienced a jolt that felt like I was on a roller coaster. I was half a block away from work. I made it there - on a backboard, in a C-Collar and in the back of an ambulance. After hours of tests and radiation, (and being checked on by almost the entire staff of the ER) I was released and set out to see my car. She looked pretty bad, so I grabbed a few things, leaving the B&M Short Throw Shifter and the Weapon R intake for another time. Luckily, my Pacesetter header and Magnaow exhaust were going to be put on later in the week. It turned out I was hit by a 94 Ford Ranger, which I only remembered as a black blur hours before. I guess he was speeding up to try to make the late yellow, and didnt stop for the red. Im sure all Cavalier owners will be pleased to hear that the airbag was rather cushy to hit, so I made it out with only some small cuts on my face and arm, along with some bruising on my hip. All this from getting hit somewhere around 40-50 mph. Bad news however, if I had a passenger with me, they would have been in some serious trouble. Before I even received the ofcial word that she was being totaled I went to work on nding another car. Immediately, the Cobalt SS caught my eye. Once I received my insurance money, I placed my order for a new 06 Laser Blue SS/SC. Only thing left for me to do now is to wait for it to be built and shipped to me before I start all over again, only this time with force induction from the get go. Submission by Tim Tanason
If your domestic small to mid-sized car was involved in a major accident, please snap a few pictures with your digital camera and show us the aftermath. You can even send us 35mm photos. Even pictures you take for your insurance company will work. Explain in 1-4 paragraphs what happened and what you plan to do next. Send all submissions to contact@domesticdriver.com. Remember this is the worse way to get into Domestic Driver, so drive safely and pay attention to the road.
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