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Pigeon Forge Annual Run Through The Hills - Speed Freaks
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 Last time we saw this stunning...  Last time we saw this stunning two-tone '69 Camaro it was posed at the Columbus Goodguys show, so we were surprised to see it pounding it's way though the cones. We were all set to do a photo shoot on Mr. McGilton's killer Camaro, but late-day rain killed that idea.  Brad Coomer clips a few cones...  Brad Coomer clips a few cones while his passenger hangs on for dear life. Coomer's Camaro rides on a Ridetech air system and features a supercharged small-block under the flat hood.  Another Camaro running primer...  Another Camaro running primer with pride was Michael Tucker's '68. Tucker thought his Camaro was too ragged to make the magazine, but we're more about cars getting driven and his certainly was.  Another regular attendee of...  Another regular attendee of this, and other driving events, is Steve Moore of Rock Hill, South Carolina. But of all the events this is his, and his wife Darlene's, favorite.  Going into one of the course's...  Going into one of the course's tighter elements, Chris German experiences a little rear brake lockup. Tire smoke was always welcomed by the crowd, estimated at around 300.  Patrick Branner brought his...  Patrick Branner brought his gorgeous '68 all the way from Maitland, Florida, for the event to celebrate 15 years of marriage to his wife MaryAnne. "I didn't really think she would be into the whole 'car thing' for our anniversary, but she really had a blast," recalled Branner. Rupp stole MaryAnne as a passenger for one of his last laps in Bad Penny, and ended up nailing down his best time of the day. The couple also won Vintage Air's Cool Custom award.  Jim Grayson and Jeff Tate...  Jim Grayson and Jeff Tate are two guys who prove you don't need to spend a ton of cash to have fun with your Camaro. Each ride was built on a budget and driven as much as possible. Which are attributes we can firmly get behind.  Another sweet Camaro on our...  Another sweet Camaro on our "must feature" list is Brad Granger's orange '67. It features a host of upgrades including a supercharged LS engine underhood.  Mark and Holly West brought...  Mark and Holly West brought this clean '68 out to dodge cones at the event. For many of the participants this was their first time doing the orange cone dance, and we're pretty sure every one of them loved it.  Jim Grayson and Jeff Tate...  Jim Grayson and Jeff Tate are two guys who prove you don't need to spend a ton of cash to have fun with your Camaro. Each ride was built on a budget and driven as much as possible. Which are attributes we can firmly get behind.  Newer cars were also allowed...  Newer cars were also allowed to compete at the event. Here autocross veteran Ryan Jarrard of Knoxville, Tennessee, winds his way between the orange pylons. His '01 SS has a host of upgrades including a modified 6.2L LS3 engine underhood and a tricked-out suspension.  Jake Parrot came to the party...  Jake Parrot came to the party in his track-prepped '69. He's not a huge fan of autocrossing, but managed a best run of 37.344 seconds. Unfortunately, he creamed a pylon and got slapped with a one-second penalty. He was also not in the lap time competition since he was running "out of spec" Toyo R888 R-compound rubber.  The top-five cars were ran...  The top-five cars were ran in reverse order from fifth to first. With everything on the line, the cars were pounded through (and over) the cones with little mercy. Huber ran a 37.864 in the Sonoco Camaro. Not bad considering it still runs on a stock subframe and leaf springs.  Fourth-place qualifier, Brian...  Fourth-place qualifier, Brian Finch, brought his freshly finished '71 to the party and flung it around like a man on a mission. His ride features just about every part from the DSE catalog. He managed a best qualifying time of 37.433 seconds. In the run-offs, he bettered that to 36.112, but it wasn't enough to move him up in the standings.  In second place, Licata had...  In second place, Licata had his work cut out for him in our Bad Penny project car. He was trailing Kyle Tucker, of Detroit Speed, by a hair over a tenth of a second, so he knew he had to go all out for his final runs. After two laps, he became the first car to break into the 35-second territory with 35.771 and 35.776-second runs. This moved him into first place, but could he stay there?  Bret Voelkel's '68 Camaro...  Bret Voelkel's '68 Camaro has been done for a while now, but it wasn't until recently that the team at Ridetech really sorted the car out. Their efforts paid off since the Camaro, known as Velocity, simply tore up the track, proving that air-sprung cars can carve corners with the best of them. Voelkel improved his qualifying time of 37.123 to a third place retaining time of 36.042 seconds.  As the number one qualifier,...  As the number one qualifier, with a best lap of 36.422, Tucker had been leading the pack all day, and as he lined up for his last runs, the crowd went quiet. On his first lap he became the second car to get into the 35s with a 35.841-second run, but Tucker clipped a cone on his second lap, giving Licata the win. One certainly couldn't have asked for a more exciting end to a day of friendly competition!  Another sweet ride that made...  Another sweet ride that made our list of cars we need to feature was Terry Neuville's red and silver '68. Terry had just finished the Camaro back in mid August, but was confident enough to drive it on the 1,760-mile round-trip journey from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "This was our first time at the RTTH and by far it's the best event we've ever done. It was also my first time autocrossing, now I am hooked on both," remarked Terry.  Ron Schwarz was guaranteed...  Ron Schwarz was guaranteed the hard luck award when he scattered his Mustang's engine all over the autocross course. Before you all start crackin' wise about a broken Ford, just know that it was running a GM LS1 underhood. Turns out, the carnage was caused by a failed rod bolt.  Ron Schwarz was guaranteed...  Ron Schwarz was guaranteed the hard luck award when he scattered his Mustang's engine all over the autocross course. Before you all start crackin' wise about a broken Ford, just know that it was running a GM LS1 underhood. Turns out, the carnage was caused by a failed rod bolt.  Howell awards Licata his hard-fought...  Howell awards Licata his hard-fought award. In addition, Licata also picked up a set of BFG tires sponsored by Ridetech. We were all looking forward to the drag racing action on Sunday, but our luck ran out when the sky opened up a few hours later, in turn, ending the weekend. With no more performance events to run, the autocross and people's choice car show determined the winner of the King of the Hill award. Licata was removed from the running due to a technicality, so the award went to fourth-place autocross winner Finch and his sweet second-gen Camaro!
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