2014 Solo Nationals, how it went + Video
09-23-2014, 01:03 AM
#1
Supporting Vendor
Thread Starter
2014 Solo Nationals, how it went + Video
I need to stay more in touch with the Corvette guys, since I've been pretty deep into them since 2011... This is my way of attempting to stay more "in touch" since my days leave me little time on forums anymore. Hence why I'm doing this @ 12:30 AM. 
I don't think I could have asked for results much better than we got overall. Pretty well dominant in SSR and the street class Corvettes, which makes me very happy.
I wrangled the ProSolo title in SSR, which was a good start.
Nationals speaking--I ended up 2nd in SSR up from 4th on day 1. Losing by .3 or so to a GT3 (which won for the 3rd time in a row). Since 2011 I've been 2nd, 3rd, 3rd and 2nd. And three of those 4 years been the fastest Corvette in the class (the other time I was trying so hard to catch 1st I didn't care that I coned 2nd away and maybe should have, oops). Been in both C6 Z06's and Grand Sports (2 years in each type of car, but 4 different cars and ever other year in each).
I did the complete setup on my car (duh) but also the 3rd place car of Josh Luster (being a Grand Sport we use the 8530 solid 35mm bar on it vs. the 8472 hollow 33mm bar we use on the other cars), 5th and 8th place car running on my 33mm bar, and all the hard parts on the 9th place car. I want to note here that 8th and 9th, Vivek and Grant, both managed those spots carrying completely dirty runs from one day. Both had raw speed to be at the top, but cones got in the way. 10, 12-15, 20, 22-25, and 29th all customers of mine. I'm pretty proud to have a good enough reputation and results that 16 of the 29 cars were running parts of mine, and/or complete setups. And thank you.
East Course:
West Course:
Shelly Monfort won her 5th Championship in a row in SSL/SSRL the last 3 in my C6's, along with being bestowed with the Driver of Eminence Award, which women have rarely won... and couldn't have gone to a more deserving or better person.
Lane of course won B-Street adding to his previous A-Stock title, and as you probably know by now is looking at STU. We were IMing today about STU stuff (and I might be picking up an FRC myself for a driver and maybe STU project to dabble with).
ASR (A-Street R) was kind of fun for me because all the C5's there were running my setup. Same bars, same shocks, same shock mounts, everything. It is as close to a spec class as you will ever see in Solo... Congrats to Brian Coulson for his win in such a class! Well deserved. 7 of the 8 entrants there were in, basically... the same car. And it's one of those I'm thinking of buying. When the previous year's winner is 4th and less than .4 out of the win, that's brutal competition.
AS was interesting and rain kind of played in as it was spitting on day 2 as they moved to the east course. Mark Daddio and I played with his C6Z quite a bit over the previous days and ended up basically duplicating my SSR setup on his car. Ryan Otis battled back from a rough 1st run on day 2 to make a fight of it. And Mike Johnson struggled with the BFG Rivals he's on (most know they have compound issues with the Lincoln surface but that is likely to change for next year) but battled back to the trophies which is odd to think but the tires are less than ideal, it's my opinion they aren't helping him. And Manny Ruiz... in a Z51 C6 taking 7th for his first Nationals Trophy in what is not as "good" a car as others running on 8.5 and 10" wheels. Great job there.
ASL... Lacey Otis won there with Kandy Johnson in 2nd, and Carla Russo in 3rd!
Had some other great successes that aren't Corvette related. A car I was heavily involved with and running one of my sway bars, coil-overs and springs won STX and STXL both. Same thing in G-Street with Mark Scroggs winning there (and as a rookie to Nationals) with a custom 22mm bar I have for the Focus ST. And fastest time on the west course and 3rd in F-Street went to a Shelby GT I setup.
To all those who trusted me to help, thank you. And I've very proud to have been given the chance to help, and I hope I get the continued chances to do so!
I don't think I could have asked for results much better than we got overall. Pretty well dominant in SSR and the street class Corvettes, which makes me very happy.
I wrangled the ProSolo title in SSR, which was a good start.
Nationals speaking--I ended up 2nd in SSR up from 4th on day 1. Losing by .3 or so to a GT3 (which won for the 3rd time in a row). Since 2011 I've been 2nd, 3rd, 3rd and 2nd. And three of those 4 years been the fastest Corvette in the class (the other time I was trying so hard to catch 1st I didn't care that I coned 2nd away and maybe should have, oops). Been in both C6 Z06's and Grand Sports (2 years in each type of car, but 4 different cars and ever other year in each).
I did the complete setup on my car (duh) but also the 3rd place car of Josh Luster (being a Grand Sport we use the 8530 solid 35mm bar on it vs. the 8472 hollow 33mm bar we use on the other cars), 5th and 8th place car running on my 33mm bar, and all the hard parts on the 9th place car. I want to note here that 8th and 9th, Vivek and Grant, both managed those spots carrying completely dirty runs from one day. Both had raw speed to be at the top, but cones got in the way. 10, 12-15, 20, 22-25, and 29th all customers of mine. I'm pretty proud to have a good enough reputation and results that 16 of the 29 cars were running parts of mine, and/or complete setups.
And thank you. East Course:
Shelly Monfort won her 5th Championship in a row in SSL/SSRL the last 3 in my C6's, along with being bestowed with the Driver of Eminence Award, which women have rarely won... and couldn't have gone to a more deserving or better person.
Lane of course won B-Street adding to his previous A-Stock title, and as you probably know by now is looking at STU. We were IMing today about STU stuff (and I might be picking up an FRC myself for a driver and maybe STU project to dabble with).
ASR (A-Street R) was kind of fun for me because all the C5's there were running my setup. Same bars, same shocks, same shock mounts, everything. It is as close to a spec class as you will ever see in Solo... Congrats to Brian Coulson for his win in such a class! Well deserved. 7 of the 8 entrants there were in, basically... the same car. And it's one of those I'm thinking of buying. When the previous year's winner is 4th and less than .4 out of the win, that's brutal competition.
AS was interesting and rain kind of played in as it was spitting on day 2 as they moved to the east course. Mark Daddio and I played with his C6Z quite a bit over the previous days and ended up basically duplicating my SSR setup on his car. Ryan Otis battled back from a rough 1st run on day 2 to make a fight of it. And Mike Johnson struggled with the BFG Rivals he's on (most know they have compound issues with the Lincoln surface but that is likely to change for next year) but battled back to the trophies which is odd to think but the tires are less than ideal, it's my opinion they aren't helping him. And Manny Ruiz... in a Z51 C6 taking 7th for his first Nationals Trophy in what is not as "good" a car as others running on 8.5 and 10" wheels. Great job there.
ASL... Lacey Otis won there with Kandy Johnson in 2nd, and Carla Russo in 3rd!
Had some other great successes that aren't Corvette related. A car I was heavily involved with and running one of my sway bars, coil-overs and springs won STX and STXL both. Same thing in G-Street with Mark Scroggs winning there (and as a rookie to Nationals) with a custom 22mm bar I have for the Focus ST. And fastest time on the west course and 3rd in F-Street went to a Shelby GT I setup.
To all those who trusted me to help, thank you. And I've very proud to have been given the chance to help, and I hope I get the continued chances to do so!
__________________
Sam Strano
Strano Performance Parts
www.stranoparts.com
814-849-3450
More options than any other single company out there. More parts than any other single company I know: Brakes to Safety, Wheels to Exhaust. Suspension to Air Filters: Girodisc, Hawk, Raybestos, Essex Racing/AP, Ferodo, Wilwood, Penske, Koni, Borg Motorsport, Ridetech, Viking, After Dark Speed, Hotchkis, Bilstein, KW, Forgestar, BC Forged, Forgeline, MRR Wheels and on, and on, and on it goes.
Sam Strano
Strano Performance Parts
www.stranoparts.com
814-849-3450
More options than any other single company out there. More parts than any other single company I know: Brakes to Safety, Wheels to Exhaust. Suspension to Air Filters: Girodisc, Hawk, Raybestos, Essex Racing/AP, Ferodo, Wilwood, Penske, Koni, Borg Motorsport, Ridetech, Viking, After Dark Speed, Hotchkis, Bilstein, KW, Forgestar, BC Forged, Forgeline, MRR Wheels and on, and on, and on it goes.
Last edited by strano@stranoparts.com; 09-23-2014 at 01:26 AM.
09-23-2014, 10:35 AM
#2
Thanks for all of your help with setup and 'coaching'...it's helping, even if it doesn't show in the results.
I'd post my videos, but apparently a gopro is too complicated for me to use properly and I didn't actually record any footage. :/
I'd post my videos, but apparently a gopro is too complicated for me to use properly and I didn't actually record any footage. :/
09-23-2014, 11:10 AM
#3
Melting Slicks
Thanks for posting Sam, great results for you and your customers! I'm looking forward to running with you and the rest of the National SSR guys at Toledo again next year, and hopefully Wilmington as well.