The Goodguys Pleasanton, Calif., Autocross event earned a first and second for Falken AZENIS RT615K-shod and Falken-endorsed drivers Brian Hobaugh, who took first in his legendary 1965 Chevrolet Corvette, and Multiple SCCA National Solo Champion Mike Maier, who finished second in his Ford Mustang.
Halfway across the country in Dallas, Chris “Smitty” Smith from Smitty Custom Auto took the Vintage Class win in the Optima Ultimate Street Car event, earning first in all three events for the class (speed stop, timed road course and autocross). Smith was at the wheel of the “48-Hour Corvette,” built by Ridetech, the Jasper, IN, suspension specialist.
Falken Tire earlier this year announced its support of the Goodguys Autocross program in the brand’s ongoing efforts to build brand awareness and brand loyalty among drivers and performance enthusiasts. This marketing effort also was expanded to reach competitors within the Optima Ultimate Streetcar Series.
“We are very pleased to be a part of these two strong programs,” stated Jonathon Bradford, Falken’s Motorsports Marketing and Events Manager. “Those drivers and enthusiasts who are passionate about their driving and the performance their tires can offer are going to see how perfect a choice Falken is – especially our AZENIS RT615K – for their autocross vehicle and their daily driver, many of which are both.”
The Goodguys Rod & Custom Association promotes and produces some of the world’s most dynamic automotive events. It is the world’s largest hot rodding association with over 70,000 active members worldwide. Goodguys offers more than 20 events annually from coast to coast and border to border, with programs ranging from a weekend attended by 30,000 to 40,000 people to three-day extravaganzas attracting over 100,000 fans and participants.
The Ultimate Street Car Association (USCA) is a sanctioning body created to deliver safe, fun and high profile national automotive events for street legal performance vehicles.
Future Optima events include:
Jun. 6-7, NCM Raceway, Bowling Green, KY
Jun. 20-21, Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI
Jul. 25-26, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
Aug. 8-9, Pikes Peak International Raceway, Colorado Springs, CO
Aug. 28-30, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
Oct. 10-11 Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA
Nov. 8-9, Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational, Las Vegas, NV
Future Goodguys events include:
April 10-12, Del Mar Nationals, Del Mar, CA
April 17-19, North Carolina Nationals, Raleigh, NC
April 24-26, 2nd Florida Nationals, Kissimmee, FL
May 15-17, 10th Nashville Nationals, Nashville, TN
May 30-31, 22nd Summer Get-Together, Pleasanton, CA
June 5-7, 2nd Indy Nationals, Indianapolis, IN
June 12-14, 23rd East Coast Nationals, Springfield, MA
June 27, Speedway Motors 1st “Day in the Hay,” Lincoln, NE
July 3-5, 24th Heartland Nationals, Des Moines, IA
July 10-12, 18th PPG Nationals, Columbus, OH
July 24-26, 28th Pacific Northwest Nationals, Puyallup, WA
August 14-16, 14th Great Northwest Nationals, Spokane, WA
August 21-23, 29th West Coast Nationals, Pleasanton, CA
September 11-13, 18th Colorado Nationals, Loveland, CO
September 18-20, 4th Nostalgia Nationals, Bowling Green, KY
October 2-4, 23rd Lone Star Nationals, Fort Worth, TX
October 23-25, 22nd Southeastern Nationals, Concord, NC
November 14-15, 26th Autumn Get-Together, Pleasanton, CA
November 20-22, 18th Southwest Nationals, Scottsdale, AZ