GEARBOX MAGAZINE » 2010

What originally attracted you to the Honda? What keeps you going today?
Growing up with friends and family building Hondas, inexpensive, and reliable.

Got a favorite story about your Honda?
Spun out during a canyon run.

What are your goals for your Honda and how close are you to achieving them?
Everyone knows Honda is never ending build.

What was your favorite modification and why?
B18C5 swap from HMO; something to back up the looks.

Tell us about something really exciting you’ve done with other Honda owners.
Cruises

What’s the best part about being a Honda owner? The most challenging?
The challenging part is being unique, the best part is seeing what people have to say about my car.

What excites you about the coming year? (Your Honda and your community)
Eibach meet.

How often do you get together with other Honda owners in person?
Every day.

Your thoughts on those who part out otherwise salvageable cars?
Waste of time, money, and hard work.

How has your Honda build benefited from your involvement in the community?
Drug free environment.

What’s next for your Honda?
Spoon duckbill or CTR wing.

Who has helped you the most along the way with the car?
Sinh Dang, Rick Hawkins, and Mark Chingcuangco

Who do you look up to in the Honda community?
Phaze 2

Is there a particular shop you’d like to recommend?
Homies Garage

Do you spend time on any Honda sites? Which ones?
AZHT.net, NWP4LIFE.com

Are you on Twitter? Facebook? How can people find you online?
Facebook.

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Brad Morris 2WD Heavy Hammer & Tongs

17 February 2010 in Featured

Image courtesy of NeherPhoto.com

What’s your name? Where are you located? What do you do for a living?
Brad Morris. Charlotte, NC. I am the Co-Owner of Promotional Management Group Inc. We do produce and operate tractor-trailer based promotional tours. Basically we take tractor-trailers and turn them into simulation labs, movie theaters, showrooms, etc.

What got you interested in rally?
I worked at Precision Preparation Inc. when it was the off road team for Toyota and my boss, Jeff Tezer asked me to co-drive in a Toyota Corolla at Rim of the World. My first and only time co-driving, but I was hooked.

Tell us about your rally car/truck. How long have you had it?
I have a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer that I purchased from Rhys Millen in 2004. It’s the same car Lauchlin O’Sullivan used to win the Group 2 SCCA championship in 2002.

Did you buy your rally car or build it?
I purchased the car done. All it needed was updated belts and basic prep for the first rally. I bought tires but could have used the ones that came with the car. Rhys gave me a fairly full set of spares and a ton of advice. I cannot say enough how much I appreciate the help that I received form Rhys when I was starting out.

Image courtesy of FrozenMotionPhotos.com

What challenges did this cause? What benefits did you realize as a result?
My first challenge was figuring out what I needed to take to the rally’s and what I didn’t need. The good news is that we have only broke once at a rally and not been able to continue. We broke the flywheel on the first stage at Laughlin a few years ago. Who knew that would break?!?

Buying a well prepared, well built car saved me huge amounts of time and money. I had to pay for it all at once, but in the end I could never build the car I bought for the same money. And that’s not including the time it would take to produce it.

The other advantage for me was that I did not know what a rally car was supposed to handle like. By purchasing a complete, fast, car that was already sorted I knew that it handled well. I just needed to learn to drive it. Still working on that part.

Tell us about a time when you stuffed the rally car (or maybe had a nasty off).
At Black River Stages I managed to hit a rock on the inside of the road that kicked me off the left side, were I managed to hit a small rock so that I could fly through the air and hit a BIG rock!! The big rock hit the rear crossmember hard enough to bend it 90 degrees. And then roll us. We had gone to a new tire (Yokohama) and were flat flying…..right up to impact. We ended up on our sides. After we got out I couldn’t see the bottom so my Co-Driver, Doug Nagy, and I pushed it back on it’s wheels and tried to get it back on the road. That’s when we realized we had a “problem”. I was impressed that Doug was willing to get back in the car with me right then. That’s brave!!

What’s the most rewarding part of being involved in rally? The most challenging?
I love the challenge of rally. To me the best part is trying to get the maximum out of yourself, your car and your team. It is so hard to run a perfect rally. I haven’t done it yet. I’ve had a couple of good runs and won some races, but every time there are areas that you can get better. Sometimes much better.

I love the feeling of accomplishment when you finish a rally. If we’ve done well that’s a bonus.

The other thing I love about rally is racing with my competitors. I don’t really care if we are racing for the lead or for 10th, what makes it fun is going at it hammer and tongs with your fellow racers. I will help anybody to keep them in the race. It’s not fun to win unopposed. There isn’t any accomplishment there. I would rather get 5th against 40 guys than 1st against 5. That’s one of the reasons that I support the two or three class system. 4wd open, 4wd “light”, and 2wd. My car is a Group 2 car in Rally America and a 2wd Heavy in NASA. Same car, same motor, doesn’t matter. We won with a 112hp 2.0 liter motor and we are winning with our current 2.4 liter motor we bought out of a junk yard and put in the car. People always want to talk about power to weight ratios and horsepower when they should be concentrating on driving. That’s where the biggest difference in results come from for me.

Image courtesy of NeherPhoto.com

How many events did you enter last year? Is that trending up or down? Why?
We did four events last year. We are doing more events this year in order to compete for the Atlantic Rally Championship. We won the 2009 ARC in M1 (Open 2wd). Now that it’s all 2wd cars combined in one class it should be fun.

What kind of cash prize structure would entice you to enter more rallies or push the car harder?
That’s a tough question for me. I would love to see some prize money and I love the Max Attack events though I have not done one yet because of my work schedule. I’m not sure prize money would make me push harder but it would probably change the amount of money I spent on preparation. I would like to see some payback for the top three or five in class, but only of the class is well subscribed. If you only have 5 cars in class it doesn’t make sense to offer prize money. 10 cars, maybe. 30 cars absolutely.

Should rallies be run as for-profit corporations?
Absolutely. If organizers made 20k or 30 k for putting on a rally how many rallies do you think we would have? When events don’t make money they go away, fast. I know that in the current environment it’s tough to break even, but it’s in everyone’s best interest for the organizers to be profitable.

How important are car classes? What class/region do you race in? How many competitors in your class at each event?
I don’t think car classes are very important at all. Bring what you have out into the trees and let’s see what you got. I race in the NASA Atlantic Rally Championship in the 2wd class. Usually we have 10 to 15 2wd cars at each event. I wish it was more.

What do you think about recce vs pacenotes?
I like pacenotes. I have done a few events with recce and I go much faster after recce but it adds a lot of days that I have to be out of the office. That makes it harder to do those events for me.

Spectators: Dream come true or worst nightmare? Why?
I’m not sure. I like the idea of spectators at events and I think it will improve the popularity of rally in the US, but the logistics of having spectators is tough. You need enough spectators to charge a cheap admission, but for that you would have to provide bleachers, security etc.. Not sure what it would take to make that happen.

How do you get local gearheads involved in rally?
I have a couple of great guys who help me maintain and race the car. I met my crew chief, Mitch Barbato, through work. He has put in innumerable hours prepping the car and the car is much better for it. I let anyone who is interested help. We get some fantastic ideas from people that don’t have much knowledge about rally. We make sure that everyone is involved and included in the team. We could not do it without all the help.

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
I think the low number of entries is an issue. I think that 50 to 60 cars is an awesome number for rally entries. Big enough to make the organizers confident that they will have the needed resources to put the event on, small enough to keep organized.

The other issue that I see is the high cost of doing your first rally. I think that a class of semi-prepped cars, or cars that have strict preparation rules might help. Don’t sacrifice on safety, but figure out a way to make cars cheap and upgradeable.

How would you address that issue if you were in charge?
For entries, I would try and find outside sponsors (a tall order) in order to lower the entry fee a little and use some of the proceeds to promote the event. Unfortunately it’s a chicken and egg scenario. As soon as we get some exposure sponsors will be more interested in rally. Unfortunately it takes money and time to promote ourselves.

For cheap cars I would provide a basic template with rules that discourage long build times and big money. Something with a bolt in cage, stock odometer, maybe dot tires, etc..

How do you help out at rallies when you aren’t racing?
I know this sounds bad, but I have only been to a rally one time that I wasn’t entered in. Rim of the World when it was freezing cold and raining. Huge fun!

If you could enter any WRC event, which rally would that be? Why?
Probably New Zealand or Australia. Both gravel rallies, which I prefer and the people of New Zealand and Australia have always been great fun to be around.

Your favorite Group B car?
Audi Quattro S1. Simply amazing.

We’ve all got a rally hero. Who’s yours?
Michele Mouton and John Buffum.

Do you have a local rally club? Tell us about it! (If not, why not?)
I’m not sure were a club, but Charlotte has a good rally community. Maybe I need to get us organized so we can drink together as an organized group.

How often do you get together with other rallyistas to talk shop?
As often as possible. Last year we got together a few times as a group and we spend a ton of time at the shop were people tend to drop by. I love it.

Image courtesy of NeherPhoto.com

Tell us about some people who have made your rally dream a reality.
My wife Terri has given me huge support. She worked in racing when we met and knows the obsession. She has done everything from fund the entry to scrape mud off the wheels at Sandblast. Now that’s dedication.

Mitch Barbato started helping me about three years ago and has done an amazing job on the car. I would not be able to race without the countless hours of help and the amazing ability he bring to the team. There is no problem that he can’t solve.

Certainly the two guys who have been crazy enough to ride with me more than one, Ryan Gutile and Doug Nagy. Both guys are fantastic and bring a new level of skill to the team. Ryan was an engine builder and built an Indy 500 winning engine. Doug owns Streetwise Performance and builds and maintains a wide variety of race cars including rally cars. It helps to have guys of this caliber.

Larry Bartell is another guy from Charlotte that helps us build, fabricate and prep the car.

I can never thank Sue Robinson enough for helping me get through my very first rally. She practically held my hand to get me through that first event.

Image courtesy of MotorsportMemories.com

Image Thank a volunteer (or group of them) here.
I appreciate all of the volunteers that come out and help put the events on. Recently I joined the Mecklenberg Amateur Radio Society and they brought out a group of volunteers to Sandblast for the first time. It’s great to have them!

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in the rally community?
Persistence and preparation beats luck everyday!

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John Thomas’s 2010 Chevy Camaro

17 February 2010 in Featured

http://gm.gearboxmagazine.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=312&message=10

What’s your real name? (What’s your online screen name?)
My name is John Thomas and my online name, and the name I am known in the car community is Camarojohn.

Where do you live?
I live in Lehi, Utah.

What do you do for a living?
I’m a mortgage consultant and also the proud owner of Chief the skate boarding bulldog.

What GM(s) do you currently own?
I currently own A 2009 Malibu LTZ limited, 2010 2SS RS 426 horse 6 speed manual transmission Camaro and a 1969 SS 396 350 horse convertible Camaro.

What got you into GM(s)?
Way back in High school in the mid 70’s I loved Camaros and all the neat 60’s Chevrolets that are classics today. The Camaros were too expensive to buy then because they hadn’t been out very long, so my first Chevrolet was a 1965 SS 327 Impala 4 speed for the very hefty sum of $500.00. A lot of money for a 16 year old kid.

How many Camaros have you had and how long have you been collecting them?
I have owned approximately 25 first generation Camaros! I went to a car show in the mid 80’s and met a man named Randy Young who owned A 1969 Camaro Indy Pace car convertible. It was the neatest car I had ever seen! I asked him if he would sell it and he said no, but he had another one at home. I went there, bought it and the rest is history! I have since owned three Indy Pace cars, two original Z/28’s, multiple convertibles, many hardtop SS’s and I will probably be buried in one.

What made you buy your 2010 Camaro?
I was going to wait for the convertible model to come out, but I have a great relationship with Greg Paulos and Clay Lyon at Gus Paulos Chevrolet. Clay called me one day and said another GM dealer had ordered a fully loaded red 2010 Camaro then GM canceled his franchise so he got mad and canceled the car. Clay knew if he sold the Camaro to me he would get a lot of good publicity and more sales out of it because I am well known in Camaro circles. I found out later it was the second 2SS in the state and the first 6 speed manual!

Have a favorite story to tell about your 2010 Camaro?
The car was a hit from the moment it hit the street. I would pull in to get gasoline and a crowd would surround the car. People in German luxury cars were taking pictures of it as I went down the freeway! The Camaro is well loved all across America and people were proud that such a great Icon had returned to the road! The best part was its reputation had proceeded itself and most Mustang owners would just wave as I went by knowing that I could blow their doors off!

What’s next for your 2010 Camaro? Why?
I will continue to enjoy the car and next summer I plan to show the 2010 Camaro and the 1969 Camaro together in car shows. I love to show particularly young people the cars. I had a bunch of teenage boys surround the 2010 at a show last year and they were talking about the stats of the car and knew all about the cars great performance. That was a great feeling to see American kids liking American cars instead of the Japanese tuners. That’s what it is all about!

What makes you keep buying the GM brand?
It’s the best bang for the buck in the world and Camaros are magical!

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the GM community today?
They have to become economically solvent again and we as Americans need to buy American.

Do you spend time on any GM sites? Which ones?
I spend a lot of time on RacingJunk.com, Hemmings Motor News and any sites that has Camaros or Camaro parts for sale.

Any modifications to your 2010 Camaro?
I don’t modify my Camaros, time has proven that the clean original cars end up being the most valuable. However, I know that there are a lot of fans out there trying to find all the parts that will give them street supremacy and that’s OK to. My motto has always been leave it the way the general built it!