Putting street cars to task is what the annual Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) is all about, and if you caught Bryn’s coverage from last weekend’s event yesterday, you’ll have a taste of just how tough the competition is. With a range of tests for drivers to complete and a diverse field of almost 100 invited cars vying for the coveted title, winning is easier said than done – but that’s exactly what Danny Popp did in his Lingenfelter Performance Engineering 2003 Chevrolet Corvette Z06.
It’s not the first time that Popp (an experienced SCCA and NASA driver, and winner of 12 national racing titles) has tasted victory at this event – he won in 2011 driving a friend’s car and his been back every year since. For 2014 he was armed with his purpose-built Z06 – a car that’s been autocrossed from brand new, and over the years developed into an uncompromised, street legal performer. Today, the ‘Vette features a Lingenfelter 388ci destroked LS7 engine backed up by a Tremec gearbox, Van Steel suspension, Baer brakes, and Forgeline wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich rubber. It’s a serious machine.
Specs aside, if you want to know what it takes to win the OUSCI, this raw in-car clip of Danny Popp going ten-tenths at the wheel of his Z06 should give you a good idea…
Brad Lord
brad@speedhunters.com
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Well, that looked like a sh*t load of fun!
not a domestic fan... =(
That vette is not messing around. Would love some shots of the car interior and exterior.
I am genuinely staggered to see a Corvette win - I wouldn't have even pegged one as competitive (without meaning to sound rude), let alone win.
A HUGE congratulations for that drive and build. It's SO good to see an American muscle car being driven properly, rather than used simply to decrease tread depth.
Bravo! Build thread....?
That's one serious Vette. We need more info on this car, maybe a feature?
I'm glad that this car built purely for speed wasn't even photographed by Speedhunters...
@Will
C7JFW You can put Danny in a CheVETTE and he'd be a contender.
That said, I don't know what planet you're from but Corvettes are sports cars of the first order. They're just mass produced.
Danny is a Vette guy through and through. His Optima win in 2011 was a White Naturally aspirated Z06 called Snoopy. Check out the competitors. http://www.optimabatteries.com/index.php?cID=2952 has a list of the rankings. https://www.race-monitor.com/Results/Race/23891 has actual lap times achieved by the various European, American, and Japanese makes.
Thank you for posting this video. I was wondering about all the challenges in the last article and this helps me see all the different challenges. God I love C5 Z06s. They really are the best performance bang for the buck right now with prices dipping into the low 20s and even high teens.
This guy is really good behind the wheel too. Very nice driving.
C7JFW reading your comment made me remember a time 4 years ago when i had that attitude of indifference from plain old ignorance. But then I went to a REAL race and it was the 12 hours of Sebring. That's when IT ALL clicked.
Corvettes, Porsches, BMW's, LMP prototypes etc. all there just....racing
The Corvette was no longer an old mans car, a poor mans Ferrari, a mid life crisis, a death trap.
It was fast, it was fighting and it was free.
Do yourself a favor and cut through the media and internet bullshit and go experience the Tudor United Sportscar Championship or whatever racing you have near you.
p.s. bring ear plugs
Any ink to video, not showing up on ipad
C7JFW Correction: American "sports car" muscle cars are not generally good at turning and or braking.
I think I found it on YouTube. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9BXRduZ3f2E
Impressive car, driving and car.
this guy knows his car really well
miatadrvr C7JFW
Standings for the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Season
1 Porsche 343POINTS
2 SRT 340POINTS
3 Chevrolet 330POINTS
4 BMW 328POINTS
5 Ferrari 320POINTS
Must be a fluke.
Would be nice to see an actual article on this vette and driver. I've always hoped for more corvettes on speedhunters
The man can steer. Looking at how this car is handling at the limit, she get messy quick.
happydays88888888 Yes he can. He sets the car up loose for corner entry. Danny's processes and exploits weight transfer and grip at every corner to make the car follow the racing line at super human speed. I'm not just talking tenths of a second, but inches and thousandths -and how they stack up over a lap. He's driven my car at events and those of race drivers and we get out feeling positively lazy in our reactions compared to him.
vroomtothetomb miatadrvr C7JFW
Corvette even had a tough year this year. BOP adjustments some say went too far. There were years in the recent past (ALMS) where Corvette was dominant to the point of being demoralizing. ...hence the BOP adjustments... Can't wait for the 2015 season to start!
therealnecroscope
Same here! Already got time off to go see them at Watkins Glen.
I missed the Super Trofeo race this year (batteries) Wont make that mistake again. Cheers!
He knows his car fully. Never seen a Z06 handle this well.