W hile getting to know our newly appointed NSRA Autocross Director, Kevin Webb, it became clear to me he was talking about an entire new viewpoint towards autocross than I had ever considered. If you’re like me, the focus was always how to go from Point A to Point B the fastest while navigating a twisting, turning racecourse laid out with orange safety cones. It never occurred to me the same racetrack could be used for the less daring that simply want- ed to see how their car reacts when placed in uncompromising situations. Switching the need-for- speed for the need-for-safety hooked me. Offering rodders a safe environment to test ‘at their own comfort level’ not only the performance and han- dling of their vehicle, but also the driver’s skills, ties perfectly into the free Safety Inspection opportuni- ties the National Street Rod Association has been delivering for over half a Century. I doubt the NSRA will ever offer opportunities for familiarizing enthusiasts with any of the plethora of 200mph street cars in today’s world (Where do they do that and how often?), but the NSRA can offer opportunities for members to learn what might happen if they encounter a situation while enjoying their favorite pastime, cruisin’ a vehicle they have deep feelings for. “BAMM,” out of nowhere an object appears in the path ahead. The list of possi- ble objects could fill volumes. Most drivers will either swerve and/or hit the brakes, or in some situ- ations they may need extreme acceleration to avoid hitting the object. We’ve just described the essence of NSRA Autocross. The popularity of autocross events over the past couple decades has elevated it to the point of pro- fessionalism, which happens in all forms of competi- tion. But the concept of getting to know your car better, whether a new car off the showroom floor, something you built or bought or an inheritance, getting to know its manners can be both safe and fun. I’d venture to say a vast majority of us have never put our cars through a ‘stress test’ or are fully confident how our car would react in an emer- gency. NSRA Autocross is the chance to take the time to find out and adjust and test those double- adjustable, multi-position shocks you installed or get comfortable with those big disc brakes at all four corners. It’s amazing to feel the improvement from a boxed and properly braced frame with enough stiff- ness to resist twisting from those high-performance The Last Frontier?
aftermarket front and rear anti-roll bars. After several ‘spirited’ turns on the course you might decide that stock bench seat covered in vinyl is a little slippery. Or you may simply find out your original stock shocks are shot! It seems there isn’t a single aspect of our 30-year- and-older cars and trucks that hasn’t been elevated to the highest levels of craftsmanship and technolo- gy using the most sophisticated methods and mate- rials worthy of world class refinement. From after- market chassis’ including brakes, steering, rims and tires to crate engines with horsepower to spare, we have access to it all. Fabrication, paint, upholstery, electrical components and accessory systems are at the top of the game. When talking about the variety of ways we all enjoy the vast, expanded world we call rodding, there are so many different perspectives and levels of builds there is room for everyone. We have noticed the younger generation rodders love cruising their street rods, street machines and trucks, but they also want something exciting to do with them. For many, street rods and muscle cars up into the early ‘70s (at this time) are being built to unattainable lev- els and they’re expensive so we see younger rodders bringing their hot rod visions and enjoying NSRA Autocross with whatever their project might be. It's great fun learning how to navigate an autocross course with your buddies and your first walk out into the middle of hundreds of orange cones will have you scratching your head. But, with your buddies help and after a couple passes, you’ll start finding your way around and then the fun begins. Each twist and turn offers the opportunity to test your brakes, steering responsiveness, body roll, tire grip and pedal-to-the-metal-acceleration in one quick maneuver on your way to the last frontier of any serious car build. In a way, after assembling your choice of performance parts, NSRA Autocross offers you a great opportunity to ‘test-and-tune’ your pride and joy in a safe and challenging environment. As this is being written, Kevin Webb and AutoXperts Promotions are getting set for three-full days of NSRA Autocross action at the 56th NSRA Street Rod Nationals and in this issue, you’ll see some of the action that happened at the 42nd Mid- America Nationals in late May.
Tom Vogele tomvogele@verizon.net
8 AUGUST 2025
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker