photos by: the author
The California Speedway Muscle Car Event by V8 Builds is a Great Success with Autocross, Car Show, and a Wide Range of V8-Powered Muscle
Let’s face it: California is an extremely nice place—especially if you’re a car enthusiast. With over 300 days of sunshine a year, the average muscle car doesn’t spend much time hibernating in the garage. So, what’s California missing? Big, fun car shows. Don’t get me wrong, California has its share of big car shows; but there’s just only so much you can do in the perched in the local strip mall’s parking lot for seven hours. Some shows manage to keep things interesting with raffles and maybe a live band, but in all honesty, these machines were meant to be driven!
The crew at V8 Builds gets it. They are a new company who saw the need for more arenas for car enthusiasts to truly enjoy their V8-powered cars in a safe environment. With the help of Air Flow Research as a major sponsor, they put together their first event at Willow Springs Raceway in 2016, and it was a huge success! This year’s Autocross and Car Show is only their second big event, but you’d never guess it! V8 Builds’ goal is to become the “West Coast’s premier gathering of performance V8 powered vehicles of all makes and models”, and if this latest California Speedway event was any indication of their growing popularity, you can expect to see a lot more from V8 Builds!
On hand was a prime selection of some of the most diverse car enthusiasts around! Participant vehicles ranged from near-stock new 5th-gen Camaros to a full race-ready 1969 Nova—complete with a turbocharged big-block! There was something for almost everyone to enjoy, including lowriders and 4x4s. Also, inside the show n’ shine area were plenty of vendors, music, and there were even two food trucks right next to the show area!
As nice as the car show area was, it was the autocross that really provided the opportunity for the owners to really push their beloved muscle car to its limits, and beyond! The line of classic muscle waiting for a chance to run the autocross stayed busy all day. It’s obvious that Pro-Touring muscle cars that really perform represent a big part of the cutting edge right now. For the drag race fans, Gasser style still rules! Everyone seems to love the nose-high, straight-axle looks of the vintage ’60s-era quarter-milers.
With over 200 cars in attendance, this event was big and fun! We’re already looking forward to next year. Look for V8 Builds’ events to get bigger and better!
This evil-looking ’70 Chevelle has been LS-swapped and pumped up with a Holley EFI system (see below). The Pro Touring style is really evolving, and seeing a car like this with the full suspension treatment and a complete interior really represents the best of what the style is all about.
This stunning 1970 Nova is owned by Currie Enterprises employee Jon Henson. The 468ci big-block makes 900 hp thanks to the boost provided by its 78mm turbo (see below). It’s backed by a 4L80-E “manumatic” transmission with paddle shifters from Twist Machine. Do we have to tell you where the rear axle came from?
There was something for everyone there! Including this stunning 1959 Chevy Impala convertible lowrider! We know it’s not a muscle car, but it was so crazy cool we didn’t think anyone would mind if we included it in the coverage. Send all complaints to hotrod.com.
Josh Mason showed off his drifting skills as he smoked the hides of his ’68 Camaro around the entire autocross course! We know it’s not the fastest way around the cones, but the fun factor cannot be denied.
Mike Bowers put his ’65 Mustang through the paces on the autocross course. Powered by a healthy 347ci Windsor small-block, it had no problem motoring its way around the cones.
Greg Thurmond was on hand with “Scar”, his ’65 Pro-Touring Corvette! This car has been seen everywhere from LS Fest to the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational in Las Vegas. If there’s a big event out West, Greg (and his wife Jane, who also runs a killer C2 Vette) will probably be there!
Joe Parks showed everyone how his 331-powered ’68 Mustang coupe stuck like glue through the corners. We saw him at the California Mustang Parts event too…is this guy following us?
This isn’t one for the slalom course, but this pristine ’57 Chevy Gasser looks fast standing still! The autocross was a lot of fun to watch, since there were actually cars running there, but plenty of muscular drag cars were also on the grounds at California Speedway for the V8 Builds event.
When was the last time you saw a (running) mid-’70s Mercury Capri? When was the last time you saw one (running) with a fuel-injected 5.0 liter V8 stuffed under the hood (see below)?
This stunning yellow ’57 Chevy sports a blown big-block with a modern FiTech electronic throttle body fuel injection system. Shades of Hollywood Knights!
This ’66 Shelby Mustang tribute car had a lot of nice details that could go overlooked if you didn’t pay close attention. Check out the front apron that’s been opened up for more airflow, the tasteful 2-inch cowl hood, and the shaved door handles. There weren’t any mirrors or wiper blades either. Very clean car!
Living in Richmond, Texas, PJ Rentie has been in the automotive industry for more than 30 years. This former Assistant Editor at Vette Magazine also spent time with companies like NOS, Edelbrock, Hillbank Motorsports, Classic Industries, and was an automotive instructor for Cypress College for ten years. In his spare time, PJ hopes to one day bring his Fox Body Mustang out of the back yard and back onto the street!
