Latest News

Jeremy McGrath has come a long way from the early days of racing. McGrath started riding at 14 years old and turned pro at 16.

If you've been following Jeremy McGrath's career you know he is one of the winningest racers in action sports. Jeremy "Showtime" McGrath is known around the world as the King of Supercross, with 12 overall Championships, over 100 wins, and 5 X Games medals to his name. He is a 2003 inductee to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and 2010 inductee to the BMX Hall of Fame. His Signature Move is the "Nac-Nac" and his list of accomplishments borders exhausting in just reading and imagining that one person has done all that Jeremy has done in his lifetime.

McGrath fully locked coming around turn 2 during qualifying. He would go on to qualify in second position with a fastest lap time of 47.858, tied with pole sitter, Carl Renezeder.

In his mid-thirties, Jeremy retired from full time, professional motocross/supercross racing. He understood that to be competitive on a dirt bike meant going faster to keep up with the 20 somethings and that meant greater risk of injuries. But he wasn't one to simply sit on the sidelines and sign autographs. Jeremy was a racer. So when opportunity knocked in August of 2005, McGrath would get his toes wet in the world of the high flying, adrenaline filled, dirt competition complete with the safety of a full cage between him and the track. This seemed like a great gig for this husband and father of two precious little girls.

We talked to Jeremy and asked him what his thoughts were on being a family guy. "I LOVE being a dad," Jeremy said. "I have wanted to be a dad and husband since I was an older teenager. I like the establishment part of it. Totally on board with it." His folks are still married and admittedly he said that has a lot to do with his family values. He said his dad was strict, but the good kind of strict. Then Jeremy paused and said, "Not all parents parent." McGrath was a good kid and all he wanted was to be the best supercross rider and that was what he focused on. He wasn't girl crazy, he just wanted to ride.

Coming out of Turn 6 McGrath's Maxxis Pro2 getting serious bite as he heads toward the tabletop.

Jeremy married the love of his life 14 years ago. When he talks about her, his emotion is palpable. You can seriously feel the love they share suck you in, it's that special. Not too long ago Kim was diagnosed with breast cancer and she beat the odds. But just about 18 months later she was diagnosed with a form of Leukemia as a result of the chemotherapy treatment. She was fighting for her life when another big name in racing would share his story. Rick Hendricks, of Hendricks Motorsports, had also been living with leukemia for several years. He would be instrumental in connecting Kim and Jeremy with Be The Match, an organization that finds donors for people like Kim. It was this connection that literally saved her life.

The family looks at this hurdle as being a rewarding experience saying that these challenges have a way of putting things into perspective. Jeremy shared that they've put on and participated in close to twenty "match drives" that have resulted in saving an additional 15 lives. He is passionate about Be The Match and having been a part of helping others. His conviction is inspired.

Jeremy McGrath clearing the tabletop with the greatest of ease.

Jeremy tweeted last week on July 27th, happy birthday to his wife. He explained that July 27th was actually her "Re-Birthday" and they were celebrating 4 years since her bone marrow transplant and celebrating life. Grateful to their donor beyond measure, this family has so many things to be thankful for. Together Jeremy and Kim share two incredible daughters, Rhowan, 10 and Bergen 8. Recently the family spent almost three weeks in Italy, for work and a little vacation, and it's plain to see the joy this dad feels getting to share this life with his McGrath Ladies!

Jeremy's come a long way from the early days of racing. What started for him at the age of 14, quickly turned into a professional racing career at the tender age of 16. A career that would go on to be, for lack of a better term, LEGENDARY. As for whether he wants his daughters to follow in his footsteps or not, "I want my girls to go to college!" he said. Sure the girls ride dirt bikes and they love going to the track with dad. Last year they even participated in Modified Kart races. But for now they do what little girls their age do; hang out with mom and dad and get a little dirty from time to time.

McGrath has seen and done a lot in his lifetime and is ready for more. In 2008 he added full time, Short-Course Off Road Race Driver to his resume when he became a member of Baldwin Racing. Ricky Johnson, one of the first Supercross legends to transition to short-course racing, helped pave the way for Jeremy McGrath. Jeremy was great for the sport, bringing awareness to the sport and spectators to the events. Then in 2014 McGrath would add Team Owner to his long list of racing accomplishments. And, he was back at Kawasaki as a Brand Ambassador where so much of his story began.

The AIRAID-backed owner-driver of JM2 (his off-road short-course truck race team) had seen a few challenges earlier in the 2016 season. However, he currently sits in second place in the Pro 2 Championship Points race going into Round 9 & 10 of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS) behind series leader, Rob MacCachren. We asked Jeremy if there was one driver in the series that made him work a little harder. He shared that secretly everyone wanted to catch Rob MacCachren. That is the racer he looks up to, because MacCachren is that good. Another fellow competitor that he keeps eyes on is Brian Deegan.

LOORRS returned to the US for Round 9 & 10 at Glen Helen Raceway, in San Bernardino, California, on July 23rd and 24th. Coming off two consecutive wins in the past month, with the first at Utah Motorsports Campus and second at Estero Beach Resort in Baja California, Mexico, Jeremy was poised to make a statement at the next race venue.

Patiently waiting to touch ground so he can get back on the throttle.

Southern California was literally a blaze with the massive Sand Fire that erupted Friday before the race and would go on to burn more than 41,000 acres in the Santa Clarita area over the next few weeks. The temperatures were well into the triple digits, but that didn't stop our racers. The drivers had two opportunities on the Friday before the event to run practice laps on the track. During practice, Jeremy would have the second fastest lap time just 3/10ths of a second behind Carl Renezeder.

During qualifying on Saturday, McGrath and Renezeder would tie with their best lap time of 47.858, recorded during Lap 2 of qualifying. This allowed Carl the pole position with Jeremy right behind him in second position.

McGrath getting air and hauling tail down the front straight.

Opening ceremonies at Glen Helen on Saturday started with honoring the 14 victims killed in last December's attack in San Bernardino. The president of Corona-based Lucas Oil, Bob Patison said, "we wanted to do something for the survivors to honor the victims of this terrible event." Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series along with 14 racers, displayed the names of the 14 who perished that day on their vehicles. Included in the ceremony were a number of the first responders to the scene. After a moment of silence and prayer, the fans gave San Bernardino's finest a standing ovation for their commitment to service and their courage. It was a moment of healing for the community of San Bernardino.

Then, the moment the fans had been waiting for, time to go racing. With Pro2 at the start line, the pace car would lead the 11 competitors for one lap then the green flag was dropped and fans were on their feet. It was in the first lap that we noticed our AIRAID-backed driver, in his Maxxis Pro2 Tundra, having what looked like some mechanical issues. There was no visible smoke or broken parts, just McGrath getting passed. Having had such a great showing in qualifying, it was easy to see that this wasn't driver related. It seemed as though Jeremy just didn't have the power he needed to stay out in front. Fortunately, a few cautions bunched the field up and this kept McGrath from getting lapped. Saturday's checkered flag afforded him a seventh place. Not the finish he'd hoped for, but still earned valuable points. Later that evening his crew discovered a kinked fuel return hose dumping extra fuel into the carburetor, causing it to flood. His motor was just running too rich to perform properly.

Sunday was a new day. But the heat wasn't showing signs of letting up anytime soon. Qualifying for Round 10 would begin promptly at 4:00 pm for the Pro2 competitors and these guys were ready to roll. It was clear in Qualifying that the mechanical issue that had plagued Jeremy in Round 9's Main Event had been put to rest. In fact, in Lap 2 of Round 10 Qualifying, Jeremy McGrath and Brian Deegan would run their fastest laps with just 4/100ths of a second between them. The field of racers in Pro2 is made up of some serious talent. After qualifying, the Round 10 main event had MacCachren in pole position, with Jeremy once again starting second. Jeremy told us that he doesn't have any particular ritual that he does before the start. He's not superstitious. But he did tell us that he gets nervous. Always has. He said, "if you don't get nervous, you're not human!" It's great to know that Jeremy McGrath is indeed human.

After the pace car left the track and the drivers got the green flag, the field was electric. And so was the crowd. Jeremy would complete the main events' 16 laps with a blown motor and having bested Carl Renezeder, who finished a lap down. Other notable drivers that encountered issues were Brian Deegan, Rodrigo Ampudia, and Bryce Menzies. Rob MacCachren finished first, with Tonka sponsored driver, Myan Spaccarelli coming in second.

Maybe it was the extreme heat that seemed to wreak havoc and create mechanical failures. Who knows. But McGrath uses his time wisely to learn more about the competition and more about what strategy he'll use in Rounds 11 & 12 at Wild West Motorsports Park in Sparks, Nevada, on August 13th & 14th. He's planning and preparing and won't back down, and AIRAID will be there rooting and cheering for Jeremy all the way.

With just 6 more Rounds before the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series Champion is crowned, we want to take a moment to thank Jeremy McGrath for not only spending time with us, but for spending time creating a positive impact on the world all around us. For standing up and being the champion for those who need a match, a voice, a hand. Congratulations Jeremy on your success during the first half of the 2016 Season. We look forward to seeing what you will do next.

OPTIMA Search for the Ultimate Street Car rolled in to Colorado the second week of July and set up shop at Pike’s Peak International Raceway greeted by host and PPIR’s owner, Bob Boileau.

OPTIMA Search for the Ultimate Street Car rolled into Colorado the second week of July and set up shop at Pike’s Peak International Raceway for the fifth event in the series taking place on July 9th & 10th, marking the halfway point for those folks chasing the points championship. This is the second year that PPIR’s owner, Bob Boileau, hosted this event and it was everything our AIRAID Race Team Driver’s, Brian Hobaugh and Jordan Priestley had hoped for! Thunder, lightning, rain, hail, and record breaking heat greeted the drivers on their way into town. Bob, the consummate host, was ready and waiting at PPIR to make his guests feel welcome.

Hobaugh and father, Steve, taking the necessary steps to fix the water pump and get back in the race.

AIRAID driver Brian Hobaugh has long been affiliated with the brand and his performance never disappoints. However, Brian had a couple of hiccups this past weekend with his 2003 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. A less than cooperative water pump pulley, only two runs in to Saturday’s autocross, had Brian and father, Steve, locating an auto parts store in Colorado Springs. Fortunately, Hobaugh was able to lay down two very competitive lap times, with his fastest a 42.310 earning him a second place finish for GTS Class in Autocross. While inconvenienced by the mechanical difficulty, that didn’t stop our AIRAID Team Driver. After the lunch break, Brian was back in the driver’s seat, kicking butt at the Speed Stop Challenge with his quickest time of 16.035, less than 2/10th’s of a second off the leader for GTS Class.

We found Brian taking a moment to get away from the heat and plan for the next race segment.

The third element in this event is the Lingenfelter Design & Engineering Challenge. Always a crowd favorite, the 2003 Corvette Z06 again pleased the judges securing Hobaugh 2nd place with 94 points behind challenger Glen Barnhouse who deservedly earned 97 points for his 2012 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport. Brian is our points leader in the GTS Class with 1391 points. Currently registered for two more events, COTA and NOLA, we're looking forward to see if he can rack up a few more points to put him in the front spot for the overall points championship!

"EVILYNN" sporting the 3-D printed prototype of AIRAID’s newest intake for the 6th Gen Camaro!

Jordan Priestley, another member of the AIRAID Race Team for the 2016 season, was behind the wheel of his 2016 6th Gen Camaro SS, affectionately named “Evilynn”. Ranked second in his class, GT, with 1350 points, Priestley has been involved in some type of motor sports for years. He bears a trusted name and for companies that sponsor him, like Detroit Speed & Engineering and of course AIRAID, his input is invaluable when it comes to Research & Development. We caught up with Jordan at PPIR and per usual he was his kind, calm, cool and collected self. He shared that at this event he would be testing some new DSE suspension pieces and running a 3-D printed/prototype AIRAID Cold Air Intake system designed for the 6th generation of Camaro’s. To say our driver had a lot on the line at Pike’s Peak International Raceway would almost be an understatement!

Brian Hobaugh skillfully maneuvering his Z06 around Pike’s Peak International Raceway oval!

In typical Priestley fashion, our driver, who qualified for OUSCI earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, swept up on the podium. He’s no rookie to the OSUSC Events and brings four years of experience with this series to Pike’s Peak. Jordan’s performance was nothing short of stellar seemingly walked away from his competition. He started Day 1 at the Speed Stop Challenge and laid down his fastest time of 16.390 securing him a solid second place finish in the GT class with 26 competitors. PPIR Driving Instructor, Mark Legg, got him by almost 2/10th's of a second with his fastest time of 16.200, in his light and nimble 2011 BMW 1M Coupe. In fact, Legg would prove to be a worthy adversary at the autocross as well earning another 1st place finish with a lap time of 42.346. Jordan answered back with his fastest time of 42.504, just 2/10th’s of this winning time! But Design & Engineering would prove to favor our AIRAID Driver. Jordan and “Evilynn” would drive away with 93 points, safely earning him a 1st place for this segment. Must’ve been that AIRAID 3-D printed prototype intake under the hood!

Jordan Priestley in his 2016 6th Gen Camaro SS, “Evilynn” killin’ it on the autocross course!

As the day's competitive segments came to a close the air was still hot and showed no signs of cooling down before the drivers would participate in the fourth element of this weekend, the Road Rally. After a quick Drivers Meeting the group rallied and would head out to Manitou, home to Garden of the Gods, to reach their check point. This element, while not competitive, is still crucial to the overall score. The Road Rally requires that each participant has a car that is capable of running on the surface streets and highway. Proving that is truly is a street car! And to see more than fifty muscle cars caravanning on the Colorado Highway was pretty impressive. And yes people were gawking and taking photos!

Jordan Priestley, center stage, accepting the overall win in GT Class with fellow competitors, Aaron Sockwell and Cliff Elliot.

The drivers returned to the track after the rally and enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner and an opportunity to share stories of the day!

Brian Hobaugh feeling great about the weekends final results, looking forward to COTA!

As the sun came up on day 2 of the OSUSC Event at Pike’s Peak International Raceway, drivers were scurrying to get their transponders installed and get ready for Hot Lap Challenge on the road course. No strangers to this type of competition or speed, Hobaugh and Priestly, ran in the Expert Run Group. Unfortunately, early on Brian experienced issues with his ABS system that had him running a little more cautious in the first run sessions. However, he and father, Steve, got everything sorted out for the Hot Lap Challenge. Brian came in with a very respectable 1.03.897 lap time earning him a second place finish. He was just one second behind Lynn Proctor in his 2005 Dodge Viper, with a lap time of 1.02.801. Jordan would continue to improve as the day went on. Considering he was running the new DSE suspension and AIRAID intake, and that PPIR was acting as the “testing” ground of said components, he was thrilled with the outcome. Seriously, who wouldn’t be thrilled with First Place! In fact, his fastest lap time of 1.03.13 was a full 2 seconds ahead of his closest competitor! Pretty impressive stuff!

These gentlemen will find themselves in Austin, Texas, at Circuit of the Americas, in just a few short weeks to battle it out with 90 other competitors at the 7th event of the OSUSC series. This could be the event for that propels Jordan to First Place in the GT Class for the points championship. And for Brian, it could be the event that increases the gap between him and second place in GTS Class. Or maybe the event that brings them closer to becoming 2016 Points Champion! No matter, these men will be competing at a World Class venue and we'll be there to watch what happens and cheer them on! Congratulations to both of you, Brian and Jordan, for your success at Pike's Peaks International Raceway.

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.

It was hard to pass on the track at Estero Beach,where McGrath holds off the 25 truck of Patrick Clark.

In his second year as owner-driver of his JM2 off-road short-course truck racing team, AIRAID Performance Filters-backed Jeremy McGrath has arrived at the midway point of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS) in second place in a highly competitive Pro2 Truck class. McGrath is 41 points behind series leader and long-time rival Rob MacCachren, and is holding off third place RJ Anderson by four points as they approach rounds nine and 10 on July 23-24 at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California.

If that intro was jam-packed, so it has been for McGrath and company, who have ridden a roller-coaster over the first eight rounds of the 2016 LOORRS. Compared with 2015, where McGrath was on the podium in four consecutive contests before hitting the whoops to conclude the series in fifth, his 2016 finishes alternated between top-fives and back-of-pack before ascending to a second and then two wins. He has steadily improved his finishes, but has had to deal with surprises that prevented better results.

JM2's pre-season testing and prep aimed McGrath toward the top three for the year. Their intention is not to play a points series, but aspire to consistent finish positions. That wasn't happening early on, but is now. In rounds 1-2 at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Ariz., he was a respectable fourth in round 1, but could not recover from surprise number one: a broken sway bar in round 2. They pressed on to rounds 3-4 on the team's home track in Lake Elsinore, Calif., and had a similar experience with another fourth place in round 3, then surprise number two: a tie rod came off its spindle in round 4. The team thought they'd prepped deeper than to have something like this happen and had never had a tie rod failure. New rule: The truck comes apart between races, and the checklist gets longer.

Jeremy McGrath and his AIRAID Pro2 Truck get some good air at Estero Beach in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series in June.

Rounds 5-6 at Utah Motorsports Campus in Toole, Utah, were great confidence-builders for everyone on the team as McGrath had excellent speed in round 5 to finish second. He then qualified on pole for round 6 and led every lap to top the podium. The momentum carried over to round 7 at Estero Beach, Baja California, Mexico, with another win and no mechanical failures. Then came round 8, where he was running up front until surprise number 3: the "mud eater" visor tear-off mechanism stopped working, and with low vision he had to settle for a back-of-pack finish.

It is gratifying that the surprises are not coming from the engine bay, and in its second full year of support for JM2, AIRAID has kept the Pro2 truck, and McGrath protégé Brock Heger's Pro Lite truck, well stocked with intakes and filters. Team manager Lew Lewis said, "These engines are carbureted and they need maximum air flow and maximum protection. AIRAID makes the best air filters for our needs, and we really appreciate that the company has engineering expertise and advice available to us at all times."

McGrath celebrates his second consecutive win in Pro2 Trucks at Round 7 of the LOORRS

There is no real down time during the LOORRS, and the brief four weeks between round 7/8 and 9/10 are being spent rebuilding the truck. While there are eight more races between now and October, they will approach each one individually. It was satisfying to have two recent wins and confidence is up. The truck is sound, despite the surprises. They are not making any overall changes, and will not over-think the rest of the season.

The venues are established and don't change that much. McGrath describes the courses as sort of supercross truck tracks where drivers pick their lines, and if they can link them together right, they can go faster. Weather and track prep are the biggest influences on race conditions. Everyone knows one thunderstorm or uneven watering of a corner will change everything. It makes for great spectating, and as a short track, fans get to see lots of action.

They can also get close to the competitors and see the details of the trucks. "There are many knowledgeable people who show up regularly and talk to us, tell us what they've learned by watching us," Lewis said. "This series is great in that there can be so much interaction with the fans." And McGrath is accessible as well, usually in the pits all day, and posting regularly to Instagram. He does this organically and writes all his own commentary. Social media has added a genuine, and valuable, connection to race fans and enthusiasts.

The crew at JM2 numbers 12 on race weekends and six day-to-day at the shop, except in summer when school is out and impromptu "take your kid to work days" for the gaggle of team children, ages 7-11, often take place. McGrath, with two youngsters, is big on family involvement, and the kids also attend the races. They understand their dads are working during the day, and make the venue their home for the weekend. Everyone rinses off the day's dirt while he cooks dinners on the grill.

This family-team spirit will continue to infuse JM2 as they pursue that fine line that will get them to the top of the Pro2 class. There were 12 series contenders entered and racing through round 3/4, and nine through 7/8. MacCachren has had no problems to date, but that could change at any time. Each of the top five competitors has had a first-place finish, with Bryce Menzies hauling down three wins. It will be a hard-fought second half that, after Glen Helen, includes Wild West Motorsports Park, Sparks, Nev., August 13-14, a return to Lake Elsinore, September 23-24, and the finale, back at Wild Horse Pass, Chandler, Ariz., October 22-23.

AIRAID driver Ken Thwaits has dominated the GT Class this season with three first place wins

Three AIRAID drivers know all too well what it takes to be declared “The Ultimate Street Car.”  AIRAID drivers Ken Thwaits, Brian Hobaugh, and Jordan Priestley have all competed at the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway each November.  The Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) is a race that is not only growing in popularity, but in competition.  OUSCI is an invitation only event.  Several drivers will race their way into OUSCI by wining their class at one of ten events held across the country during the 2016 race season.  While many drivers set out to claim an invite at the upcoming Pikes Peak International Raceway, only four will go home victorious.

As Thwaits heads to Pikes Peak, tough competition waits ahead in the GT Class

Ken Thwaits has already claimed a spot into OUSCI with his AIRAID sponsored 2014 Camaro Z28.  Thwaits has won three of the four Optima events in the GT Class this season.  The multi-time champion knows what is needed to secure the title as Ultimate Street Car.

The Showtime Motorsports Z28 is not the only vehicle Thwaits competes in throughout the race season.  Thwaits’ extensive car collection includes Camaros of various years though there is one car that sticks out among the rest.  Thwaits’ 2006 Mitsubishi Evo RS, built by RS Motors, has also seen the pavement.  Thwaits has been known to jump between two cars, racing both the Camaro and Evo during a single event.

Brian Hobaugh claimed the title of Ultimate Street Car at the 2013 OUSCI in his 1965 Corvette

While Thwaits is already on his way to Pikes Peak International Raceway, another AIRAID racer is coming back out for his third Optima event of the 2016 season.  Racer Brian Hobaugh has also secured his invite into OUSCI during the Optima Thunderhill Raceway event this past February.

Hobaugh overall victory during the 2013 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational earned him the title of having the “Ultimate Street Car.”  Unfortunately, the following year marked a new driver as having the Ultimate Street Car, leaving Hobaugh to question if his 1965 Corvette could keep up with the aggressive competition.

Hobaugh set his ’65 aside in exchange for a 2003 Z06, which won the GTS Class at Thunderhill Raceway in February

Eventually it was time for a change as Hobaugh parked the ’65 Corvette in exchange for a 2003 Z06.  Hobaugh raced the Corvette during the 2015 season, which earned him an invite to compete at the 2015 Invitational last November.  Throughout the winter Hobaugh made some necessary changes to the car before the first Optima event took place at Thunderhill Raceway this season.  Whatever was done to the car was a huge improvement from the previous season, earning him an immediate win in the GTS class and securing a spot to compete at this year’s OUSCI.

Both Ken Thwaits and Brian Hobaugh have won at least one Optima event this season, but there is a third driver that quite possibly wants the title of the Ultimate Street Car more than any other competitor.  AIRAID driver Jordan Priestley and his 2016 Camaro have had a very busy race season, not only competing in the Optima Series, but in NASA, NMCA West and several other events across the country.  Though based out of Utah, Priestley has traveled from coast to coast on more than one occasion.

Priestley’s support team includes his wife and daughter, who have been traveling to several of the race events throughout this season

Priestley spent the first half of the season sorting out the newly purchased Camaro and making small upgrades before each event.  Priestley’s first event out in the 2016 Camaro was back in February at Thunderhill Raceway.  With a completely stock Camaro, Priestley did exceptionally well, placing third overall in the GT Class.  In addition to his third place win, Priestly was also racing his 2011 Camaro SS, in which he placed second overall in the GT Class.  With a second and third place win at the first event for the season, Priestly long term plan for the 2016 Camaro was just getting started.

During the Optima Las Vegas Motor Speedway event Priestly placed second once again, just behind driver Ken Thwaits.  Since Thwaits already received his OUSCI invite at the Thunderhill, Priestley was automatically awarded the invite though placing second.  Securing an invite meant that Priestly could focus on the Camaro for the rest of the season, continuing the modification process and dialing it in before November’s big event.

Jordan Priestley is trying to claim his first win of the season at an Optima event in his 2016 Camaro

Though Hobaugh typically competes in a GTV or GTS class in the Optima series, the final event will not divide competitors into a class structure.  OUSCI is the battle to see who will be the ultimate street car regardless the make and model.  All three AIRAID drivers will be competing against each other at OUSCI for the overall win.  Brian Hobaugh, who was once declared the overall winner at OUSCI, has what it takes to win the title once again.  Ken Thwaits has a team dedicated to helping him achieve his goal of becoming the Ultimate Street Car at OUSCI.  Jordan Priestley’s vast amount of seat time in 2016 Camaro is irreplaceable as he continues to dial-in his new ride for the big event.  All three drivers will be attending the Pikes Peak event with the hopes of winning their class, but also to get seat time before November.  Though winning their class at Pikes Peak International Raceway is the ideal way to end the weekend, all three drivers have the same end goal of being declared the “Ultimate Street Car.”

For more info on any of the AIRAID drivers sign up for the AIRAID Newsletter.  We will continue to watch all three AIRAID drivers throughout the next four months as they prepare their cars and mental state for one of the most competitive races of the season, the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational.