About my Firebird
The car started out as a regular 2000 Trans Am WS-6 sitting on a used car lot in 2002. I traded my 2000 Firebird convertible for it without ever having taken a test drive. Soon after, I began autocrossing it in the E Street Prepared class with the Delta Region of SCCA.
It was a mildy successful ESP car, taking several FTD (Fasstest Time of the Day) honors in regional events, and even a 2nd place in class at the 2004 Houston National Tour. At this point, the car had Koni shocks up front with Biltein HDs out back, 550lb springs up front and stock out back, an adjustable panhard rod, LS6 intake and Hooker LT headers with rear-axle dump, running on 17x11 ZR1 replicas and 315/35-17 race tires. It was around this time that the car became affectionately known as "The Red Rhino" - due to it's loud and large presence.
Then Katrina hit New Orleans. Though the car and house were relatively unaffected, I had to swtich jobs. I went from a easy 7 mile commute to a 100 mile commute. Also, I was required to occasionally take colleagues out to lunch. The Rhino just wouldn't cut it.
So, I bought a little 30mpg daily commuter Saturn. The night that the Saturn came home, the interior came out of the Rhino. I began a yearlong process of converting the car from a middle-of-the-pack autocross car to a front-running road race car. By selling off stock parts, I was able to afford most of the bits needed to compelte this process.
The car now has a full roll cage and fire supression system installed by Chris Carver Motorsports. I have built the suspension to my specifications by using an Unbalanced Engineering de-coupled torque arm (race-version), Afco split-rate shocks and 300lb springs in the rear, Koni SA shocks and 700lb springs up front, 35mm hollow swaybar up front, fully adjustable rear swaybar and custom-made rear lower control arms. The brakes are Baer's GT+ calipers, 2-piece blank rotors, with Carbotech XP12 pads up front and XP6s out back. The transmission has been rebuilt using stronger components. And, the entire car has been lightened to about 2900lbs with fuel.
I currently run the GTO class of the Grand Bayou Race Series. The GTO class consists of race-prepped, production-based cars - mainly Corvettes, Panoz GTSs, Camaros and Mustangs. Though I ran only 2 races last year, I placed 2nd in my first race and was the quickest GTO driver in the 2nd race. I've also attended multiple track days, and have beaten C6 Z06s, Viper Comp Coupes, C5Rs, and even the new Nissan GTR.