Recently, we asked participants in the upcoming Cars & Cones Road Trip event to share some details about their cars; and here are the results!! As you’ll see here, this is truly an event for the grassroots enthusiast; it’s all about the fun and the friendship, so snag one of the few remaining spots and come along with us!! We will be adding profiles as information is submitted; more details can be found at www.fm3roadtrip.com.
DRIVER: Eric Vandermey
CAR: 2007 Mazda MX-5 MS-R
DETAILS: Upgraded 2.5-liter engine, OE 5-spd trans; Koni yellow DA shocks, MazdaSpeed MS-R springs, Hotchkis swaybars
DRIVER INFO: Eric has been autocrossing since 1994 and doing track events since 1999, and attended his first OSUSC event last year. He’s owned his car since 2007, and says it handles great, is light weight, and as close as you can get to a motorcycle on 4 wheels! He’s looking forward to going to places he’s never been before with friends and other auto enthusiasts.
DRIVER: Todd Earsley
CAR: 1969 Camaro
DETAILS: 350 small block with Tremec 5-speed; stock suspension
DRIVER INFO: We’ve met Todd many times at events, but we’ve never seen him outside of an EVO! Todd has owned this car for 16 years; it was his first car, and he spent time in high school restoring it with his father (who would disown him if he ever sold it!). Todd is looking forward to driving the car to various locations and participating with the other enthusiasts.
DRIVER: Edward Michalak
CAR: 1969 Camaro
DETAILS: ZZ4 350, Edelbrock top end & Holley Terminator EFI, TKO500 trans; RideTech 4-Link, Moser 12-bolt, Wilwood disc brakes, SPC & Chassisworks control arms
DRIVER INFO: A Marine with a history in stock car racing, owning a ’69 Camaro was a dream of Ed’s since childhood. He finally got a chance to make that dream a reality in 2010, when he purchased this car and began his build. Ed has taken this car on 3 Hot Rod Power Tours, including one with a family of 4 including a 3 & 4-year old stuffed in the car…he says “It was not ideal, but it was a trip we’ll never forget!”! Ed is looking forward to meeting new people and enjoying his ride on the Road Trip.
DRIVER: James Vanhoose
CAR: 1967 Camaro
DETAILS: LS1 & T56; TCI Engineering suspension, torque arm 3-link in rear, full subframe up front, RideTech SA Coilovers, 9″ 3:89 gear, Wilwood brakes, RideTech TigerCage, Forgeline wheels, Falken tires
DRIVER INFO: James is a big fan of the 1st gen Camaro, but is also building a ’72. He has owned the ’67 for 5 years and enjoys the pro-touring performance and ride. This event will be his first time on the autocross track, and he’s hoping to win a few door prizes that might help with the build of his ’72!
DRIVER: Christine Crutcher
CAR: 2014 Camaro 2SS/RS
DETAILS: 6.2L; Ported & shaved head – changed cam – 3.91 gear swap, upgraded suspension mix of 1LE & Hotchkis, Corsa exhaust, Eibach lowering kit
DRIVER INFO: Christine’s favorite detail about her car is the increased HP courtesy of RedStar Performance. She is looking forward to time with friends and autocrossing on the Road Trip.
DRIVER: Kerry Kirkpatrick
CAR: 1966 Chevelle
DETAILS: LQ9 & T56; Front SC&C Upper Arms/Springs with DA Varishocks, Rear RideTech HQ’s, BBS wheels
DRIVER INFO: Kerry’s Chevelle was with him in high school but had to be sold in college; luckily, a few years later, he was able to get her back and she’s been with him ever since! The pair had quite a bit of fun at the dragstrip, but some changes had to be made when Kerry found an obsession with curvy roads. With advice from friends and a class from Ron Sutton, Kerry began the upgrading process that he looks forward to sharing with his daughter as she gets older. Kerry’s favorite details about his ride are the BBS wheels and the Dakar Yellow color; he’s excited about socializing with other like-minded individuals, receiving tips to improve both the car and driver, and just driving & enjoying the experience!
DRIVER: Robert Green
CAR: 2014 Camaro Z/28
DETAILS: LS427 w/ Tremec 6spd; stock suspension
DRIVER INFO: Robert has owned this car for 6 months, and loves the awesome track capabilities with a factory warranty :). He has participated in road rally, track, and autocross events in another 5th Gen Camaro for the last 6 years, and was on a rally when he came across this car for sale in South Dakota. He finished the rally in Vegas, his teammate drove the car back home to Tennessee, and Robert flew back to SD to grab this beauty! He thinks the Road Trip event will be the perfect combination of travelling, autocross, and visiting the best aftermarket companies in the country; plus, Robert is a CPA, so the Road Trip will also serve as a chance to unwind behind the wheel as tax season comes to a close.
DRIVER: Mark Rife
CAR: 1963 Corvette
DETAILS: LS7 with Tremec 5spd; RideTech coilovers, Wilwood brakes
DRIVER INFO: Mark has had this car for many years and has quite a bit of track time under his belt, including an OUSCI. Mostly stock, this little car still puts out some impressive numbers! Mark is looking forward to new adventures in a car that has already brought him many countless memories.
DRIVER: Jeffrey Darbig
CAR: 1983 Mustang GT
DETAILS: Stock 302 and T5 5spd; Koni DA’s, Maximum Motorsports coilovers/torque arm/panhard bar, stock brakes
DRIVER INFO: Jeffrey’s uncle bought this car new in 1983 and drove it for years; Jeffrey got the car in the early 90’s before totalling it in 2000. The restoration process was long, but it was finally back on the road in 2013! Jeffrey began autocrossing in 2014 and has attended quite a few premium driving events. He is looking forward to enjoying the cars and the sport he loves with like-minded people in a fun atmosphere.
DRIVER: Dan Ballard
CAR: 1972 Nova
DETAILS: LS7/T56; RideTech Level 3 suspension
DRIVER INFO: Dan has owned “Grandma”, this clean, original-paint Nova, since 2011. He’s looking forward to hanging out with friends and having fun just driving the car. Dan failed to provide us with photos, so we generously provided some for him.
DRIVER: Chris Rhinehart
CAR: 1972 Nova SS
DETAILS: Supercharged 355 w/ TKO 600 5spd; stock a-arms, Energy Suspension bushings, Hotchkis coils, Helwig swaybar
DRIVER INFO: Chris has owned this car for 19 years, and he is really looking forward to the drive, seeing old and making new friends, and the challenge…to see if something he built can withstand 1700 miles of driving and autocrossing! He fell in love with this car the moment he saw it, and it’s been driven and beat on as much as possible. Over the last 19 years, he’s built and fixed it himself from reading magazines, joining forums, info on the web, and just being out there and making friends along the way!
DRIVER: Matthew Bacon
CAR: 2003 Corvette Z06
DETAILS: LS6/6spd; stock suspension with aftermarket swaybars
DRIVER INFO: Matt has come a long way with this car in a relatively short time. He purchased it in 2015, just a week and a half before he ran his very first automotive event (OSUSC at MIS)! He has since run more events to improve his skillset, and is looking forward to making great memories and having a great time with fun people.
