Jordan Priestley Finishes His Race Tour with a 1st Place Victory in the Optima GT Class

Jordan Priestley made his way to Bowling Green, Kentucky for an Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car only to return to the West Coast the following weekend for another race.

The 2016 Camaro SS, better known as Evilynn, has seen quite a few miles over the past month while traveling across the country in the JPD Motorsports trailer.  This is prime race season and AIRAID driver Jordan Priestley has made sure to keep Evilynn busy.

After placing second at NCM Motorsports Park, Priestley raced the AIRAID equipped 2016 Camaro at the NMCA West Hotchkis Auto-X in California, taking second overall in the Hotchkis Cup standings.

Priestley was recently in Bowling Green, Kentucky for the Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car Series at NCM Motorsports Park.  After placing second in the GT class, Priestley made his way back to the West Coast to compete in the NMCA West Hotchkis Auto-X, where he placed second in the overall standings for the Hotchkis Cup.

South Dakota was next on Priestley’s schedule in junction with the Sturgis Camaro Rally.  Sturgis brought out fans from all over the country to watch and participate in the four-day event.  Camaros lined the streets for the annual cruise through the breathtaking Black Hills only to return for some autocross action, hosted by JDP Motorsports, and drag racing.  Evilynn shinned in her moments of glory at the event, taking first on the autocross and helping attract attention towards the booth when she was not in action.

Immediately following the NMCA Autocross, Priestley attended the Sturgis Camaro Rally with his JPD Motorsports and AIRAID booth, featuring product displays, literature and free stickers.

The JDP Motorsports and AIRAID display at the Sturgis Camaro Rally was well received.  Attendees had the opportunity to check out JPD Motorsport’s latest products alongside some AIRAID air intake displays with free product literature and decals.

Just before heading to Pikes Peak International Raceway, Evilynn was fitted with a new set of Detroit Speed/ JRI Shocks coilovers along with a Centerforce DYAD Clutch.

One the four-day event came to an end, Priestley returned home with just enough time to make a couple more changes to Evilynn before hitting the road again.  The 2016 AIRAID equipped Camaro was fitted with a prototype Detroit Speed/ JRI Shocks coilover package that also included front adjustable camber plates.  Priestley also installed the new Centerforce DYAD Clutch, which was not only lighter, but outperformed the stock clutch, making a significant difference in how the Camaro handled out on track.

Priestley and the ’16 Camaro finished strong on day one of Optima’s Search for the Ultimate Street Car Pikes Peak International Raceway.

Upgrades were completed with enough time to load Evilynn back on the JPD trailer and make their way to Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR) for another Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car Race.  Priestley already has an invite to compete at this year’s Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but he had yet to place first at one of this year’s Optima events.

Priestley stayed ahead of his competition in the GT Class; taking home his first 2016 Optima win at PPIR.

Not knowing what to expect after the recent changes, Priestley could only hope for the best and make changes on the fly throughout the duration of the Pikes Peak race.  The Powerstop Speed Stop Challenge would be the first segment for Priestley and the ’16 Camaro.  Though challenging, this gave Priestley and the JPD crew some time to dial-in the new Detroit Speed/ JRI Shocks coilovers in addition to some suspension upgrades.

Priestley surprised himself after taking second at the Speed Stop, but he knew that he still had four other segments to complete before the final results were tallied.  Next was the Detroit Speed Autocross.  Unfortunately, oversteer problems pushed Priestley into fourth place throughout most of the segment.  It was not until the last run at the autocross, when the JPD crew adjusted the setup, where Priestley ran his fastest time resulting in a second place finish.

Though the third segment of the day may sound easy, there have been several competitors over the years that do not make the journey, losing points and the possible win in their class.  The Lucas Oil TV Road Rally tests a competitor’s vehicle off the track as they navigate through local streets and venues to see if the vehicle is truly a “street car.”  Evilynn had no problems keeping up, completing the rally and earning the maximum amount of points for that segment, helping her stay in the top of her class.

Sunday marked the final segment, the Falken Tire Hot Lap Challenge.  If Priestley pulled off the win in this segment, he had an exceptionally good chance of taking the overall GT Class win.  After the first session out on the road course, Priestley had a two-second lead on his fellow competitors.  With four sessions left and the car experiencing understeer problems, Priestley knew necessary changes were needed in order to stay ahead of his competition.  By the fifth session, the car was handling like they had hoped and Priestley was able to run his fastest lap of the day.

When awards came, it was no secret that Priestley fought hard to stay ahead of the other drivers, earning him a first place GT Class finish.  This would make Pikes Peak International Raceway the first Optima event where Priestley would take home the win in the GT Class.  With five more Optima Races to go before the final showdown, Priestley will continue to shake down the 2016 Camaro while more modifications are made throughout the next couple months

We wish AIRAID driver Jordan Priestley and the JPD Motorsports crew a huge congratulations for their victory at Pikes Peak International Raceway and will be following them throughout the rest of their journey to OUSCI in November.