I'm excited to see Mark take on the "ESP Challenge" seriously this year. I think the class is ripe for some fresh blood, what with Maderash and his potent 3rd gen Firebird finally leaving ESP (or has he?)...
Mark had more of a "hybrid build", with a motor and transmission that never came together in this chassis, but it was a completely legal update-backdate build. Heck, I built one just like it years ago (5.7L + T5 in 3rd gen). Its a super light package. His was some uber-engine that SLP supposedly put in a dozen 1992 Firebird Firehawks, so it was extra special.
He was persistent and ran the same car for what, 15 years? And he took 7 ESP National Solo titles in the car. And he tested religiously, and NEVER skimped on tires.
We only ran ESP a few times, and with a class change only 2 weeks before the 2012 Nats took 4th out of 47, with a set-up that was not even remotely close to being right. We ran ESP a few times after that Nationals and even ran against Maderash a few times. His 3rd gen Firebird was beatable with a heavy S197 but it would be even easier with less WEIGHT and MORE TIRE.
The Street Prepared game is fairly straightforward... run the lightest set-up you can, the biggest tires money can buy, as much downforce as you can muster with the restrictive ruleset of the category, run the suspension LOW and as stiff as the tires need, lots of negative camber, remove the sloppy rubber bushings, and make it ROTATE and use the best dampers you can afford to allow it to transition well. The BSP C4 above won Nationals in 2005 (the year before they allowed EVOs to come in and ruin that class) and it is just on big tires (315/335), spoiler, stiff springs, lowered, no a/c, race seats, and it has an LT4 from a later model C4 (on the same line) with headers. I've driven this car and its a go-kart.
Bergstrom's 4.6 S197 beat our 5.0 S197 that year because he had the right spring rates (bone crushing!), bigger tires (335 out back), had aero at both ends done WELL, and was running hundreds of pounds lighter with a dedicated ESP build. And he had a helluva driver. You have to get the weight out and you cannot leave hundreds of pounds inside, like we did with our street car.
On a big, heavy S197 I think the most important thing is still THE TIRES. If I were to build an ESP car it would look a lot like the set-up above, but with proper flares so the rears didn't rub. 335mm A7 up front on an 18x12 and a 345mm A7 on back with an 18x13. Max legal splitter (Laguna Seca) and rear spoiler, real Torsen T2-R diff, race seats, no A/C, MCS remote doubles, 800# front rates/350 rear, custom engine tuning, and the Boss302 motor + CJ intake with all of the legal engine tricks, and lightest triple disc 7.25" flywheel/clutch. It would be a bitch on the street but a monster in a parking lot.
If Mark can get the car "serious" and remove the creature comforts of this car and keep it a dedicated ESP build (no track or street use), it can get the job done - with fresh tires and good driving. I know it can.
My two cents... I'm good at spending other people's money!
Mark had more of a "hybrid build", with a motor and transmission that never came together in this chassis, but it was a completely legal update-backdate build. Heck, I built one just like it years ago (5.7L + T5 in 3rd gen). Its a super light package. His was some uber-engine that SLP supposedly put in a dozen 1992 Firebird Firehawks, so it was extra special.
He was persistent and ran the same car for what, 15 years? And he took 7 ESP National Solo titles in the car. And he tested religiously, and NEVER skimped on tires.
We only ran ESP a few times, and with a class change only 2 weeks before the 2012 Nats took 4th out of 47, with a set-up that was not even remotely close to being right. We ran ESP a few times after that Nationals and even ran against Maderash a few times. His 3rd gen Firebird was beatable with a heavy S197 but it would be even easier with less WEIGHT and MORE TIRE.
The Street Prepared game is fairly straightforward... run the lightest set-up you can, the biggest tires money can buy, as much downforce as you can muster with the restrictive ruleset of the category, run the suspension LOW and as stiff as the tires need, lots of negative camber, remove the sloppy rubber bushings, and make it ROTATE and use the best dampers you can afford to allow it to transition well. The BSP C4 above won Nationals in 2005 (the year before they allowed EVOs to come in and ruin that class) and it is just on big tires (315/335), spoiler, stiff springs, lowered, no a/c, race seats, and it has an LT4 from a later model C4 (on the same line) with headers. I've driven this car and its a go-kart.
Bergstrom's 4.6 S197 beat our 5.0 S197 that year because he had the right spring rates (bone crushing!), bigger tires (335 out back), had aero at both ends done WELL, and was running hundreds of pounds lighter with a dedicated ESP build. And he had a helluva driver. You have to get the weight out and you cannot leave hundreds of pounds inside, like we did with our street car.
On a big, heavy S197 I think the most important thing is still THE TIRES. If I were to build an ESP car it would look a lot like the set-up above, but with proper flares so the rears didn't rub. 335mm A7 up front on an 18x12 and a 345mm A7 on back with an 18x13. Max legal splitter (Laguna Seca) and rear spoiler, real Torsen T2-R diff, race seats, no A/C, MCS remote doubles, 800# front rates/350 rear, custom engine tuning, and the Boss302 motor + CJ intake with all of the legal engine tricks, and lightest triple disc 7.25" flywheel/clutch. It would be a bitch on the street but a monster in a parking lot.
If Mark can get the car "serious" and remove the creature comforts of this car and keep it a dedicated ESP build (no track or street use), it can get the job done - with fresh tires and good driving. I know it can.
My two cents... I'm good at spending other people's money!
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