Pedders Camaro was the fastest Camaro at the Optima Challenge!

[red_racer2]

Originally Posted by dms

To give more data, wqe do not want to run our Pedders Camaro on a high speed coarse. The Pedders Camaro has the ability to fly to 175mph. But she does not have a 5 point harness nor a role cage. So we will choose coarses that are very technical. 135-140mph arem a drop in the bucket and easy to handle and deal with. Keep in mind, the Pedders Camaro is a daily driver, used to pick up the kids at school. Most of the vehicles at the Optima Challenge cannot say the same. Many competitive vew3hicles there were not suppose to shavew the tires but it is blatantly obvious thsy did. Many were running the Hoozer tires that are in fact DOT rated, bgut if you go to their site, they will say they are all out track tires and are not to be driven on the street. The top 2-3 vehicles were flat out full role cage race cars and in no way were streetable cars like the Pedders Camaro. But the tests were what they were. The Pedders Camnaro qwas by far the fastest Camaro there by over 7 seconds and it was a farily low speed track that was more technical than high speed. Therefore power was of little influence, but suspension and tire set up was critical. a 6-7 second advantage is a lifetime on a race coarse. Without a doubt, our numbers will priove that the Pedders setup, direction, and influence is by far second to none in the Camaro Community

mike
dms

Mike,

I dont want to rain on your parade but the pedders time for the road coarse I believe was 1:54 with a professional driver and I believe there was a camaro that ran 1:56 without a professional driver and alot less HP and less suspension upgrades than yours... YES you were the fastest but you also had the most HP, full suspension setup and a professional driver did help too. Just my 2 cents....

[DarkNight]

Originally Posted by red_racer2

Mike,

I dont want to rain on your parade but the pedders time for the road coarse I believe was 1:54 with a professional driver and I believe there was a camaro that ran 1:56 without a professional driver and alot less HP and less suspension upgrades than yours... YES you were the fastest but you also had the most HP, full suspension setup and a professional driver did help too. Just my 2 cents....

Just the facts................

I believe that the Camaro that ran 1:56 was also driven by a NASA National winner in 2008..........IMO, No supercharger and only drop springs & swaybars, on stock PZeros...........

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by red_racer2

Mike,

I don't want to rain on your parade but the Pedders time for the road coarse I believe was 1:54 with a professional driver and I believe there was a Camaro that ran 1:56 without a professional driver and a lot less HP and less suspension upgrades than yours... YES you were the fastest but you also had the most HP, full suspension setup and a professional driver did help too. Just my 2 cents....

You can't rain on our parade and may I ask why you would want to?

Our lap times were 1.50s. based on what you posted, that make use 6 seconds faster, not two. You should also know that the track is a technical track that rewards handling and not RWHP. We don't need more RWHP to be faster, we need race style slicks to put down the power out of the turns and to show off how much more capable the car really is.

The ONLY modifications to the Pedders car were Pedders suspension, ProCharger off the shelf kit, brake pads for the OEM caliper and rotors, tires and wheels.

Paul Tracy did not run in the general competition. Pedders ran in the exhibition class -- as in NO RULES. As for Paul not being involved in the build per the rules, Stan Chris and Paul are all people that I use for R & D for both technical and driving expertise. All three are part of the Pedders technical TEAM and the Pedders car is our R & D car. It was built for no other reason than to take the car well past the limits of the most capable amateur driver. That is why we use professionals for our testing. They are better than we are or at least they are better than I am.

Our limiting factors are tires and wheels. There is easily another 4 seconds in running Hoosiers and a good big brake package would be worth at least another second. When the times are available I believe we will be the fourth or fifth fastest car at the event with EVERY car in front of us running a Hoosier like tire and holding at a minimum a 200 RWHP advantage as well as weight advantages as high as 1,800 pounds.

Bruce ran his 1966 Cobra with the largest rubber I have ever seen on a Cobra. Bruce has been racing since the 1960s and is the original owner. His NASCAR engine showed 850 HP on the dyno at 5K. The dyno only read up to 850 so the next 2,500 RPM were not measured. His guess is his car is 950 at the rear wheels. His time was I believe 3.5 seconds faster than our 1.50. Changing tires on our Camaro and nothing but tires, we should be faster.

As far as drivers, there are no real amateur drivers at this event. Many run their cars at Pro Touring events around the country. Many of the guys trailer their cars to and from the events and prep them like race cars. The top pro touring cars are more race car than street car. The drivers at this event are dialed in as are their cars.

I have never claimed to be a race car driver and have no intention of racing in NASA or the SCCA. I have a full time job running Pedders and doing R & D. I drive at a level that is sufficient to develop our suspension parts. When I need to take a car past my skill level I call upon one or more of my friends that are top flight race car drivers. I use Stan Wilson, Chris Brannon and Paul Tracy. I am rather pleased to say I have known them all for many years and they are more than willing to lend a hand when I need them.

Our Camaro is lethal fast street machine / race car. It is FAR MORE CAPABLE ON THE TRACK THAN I AM or dare I say most want-to-be race drivers like me. The key for us at the challenge is that we WERE NOT COMPETEING WITH THE OTHER 2010 CAMAROS. We came for the FTD on the track against cars tare far more valuable, have far more RWHP, have been dialed in on race track for years that run race car parts. We failed in that effort -- less than four seconds off the pace.

If you would like to know why we don't run D.O.T. legal slicks, it is because we have a relationship with Bridgestone. When I have a partner I support my partner. Since we ended up some where in between 3rd and 5th on the road course I'll take my lumps for not winning the event flat out. I'll also take pride in hearing words that no builder or crew chief ever has from a driver as skilled and successful as Paul Tracy.

After the practice session.

Pete: Paul, how was the car.
Paul: The car is good.
Pete: Is it pushing?
Paul: No.
Pete: Is it oversteering?
Paul: No.
Pete: Do we need to adjust the damping or tire pressures?
Paul: The car is good.
Pete: What a minute. I want everyone to here this because it has never happened before in the history of Indy car racing. Did you just say the car needs no adjustment? That it is good as is, the way my wife drives the kids to school?
Paul: The car is good.


The guys from Pfadt are first class people. I want no part of any forum flames with them. They make a fine product. If you like it, buy it and know you bought high quality goods. That said, at Spring Mountain on Saturday, November 7, 2009 the best handling 2010 Camaro on the track was the Pedders Camaro by a substantial margin. It was the most controlled and composed car of the 2010 Camaros, just as we have said on this forum. Paul Tracy drove the wheels off it. Paul Tracy jumped corners, jumped the strip on the front straight at speed and stunned the crowd as the car stayed controlled and predictable. The harder you drive a car, the more likely you are to find flaws. Paul Tracy found none with the suspension.

That is why I brought Paul Tracy. He is a far better driver than I am. I never walk on a track for any but these two reasons and they are always the same two reason:

1. Continuous R & D to make our Street parts better. Development never ends.

2. Pedders will show well as defined by being the best car on the track.

We ALWAYS accomplish #1 and frequently accomplish #2. I will have Paul Tracy driving a car for me at the Optima Challenge next year. His requests for next year are simple and straight forward.

1. Get me on D.O.T. legal slicks.
2. Get me better brakes.

With no other changes we think we will be the fastest car at the event. There will be a third change for next year. Pedders will bring a a Mustang as well.

Being in a constant R & D mode to always refine and improve our product we learned from the Optima Challenge and will make a revision to our product. Down shifting hard in the corners, dropping gears into red line range as you rapidly work through the gears while braking did generate a bit of rear end step out that Paul described as slight oversteer. ONLY a driver of Paul's skill level could generate this condition -- machine gunning though the gears while braking. WELL DONE PT! We will address this with a new part number in a matter of weeks. Now had I driven the car or had Chris Brannon driven the car we would never have found this flaw. Guess what? I doubt anyone on this forum new this quirk existed, even in a fully Pedderised Camaro though light years better than stock, because I doubt anyone on this forum drives as well as Paul Tracy.

We chase excellence every time we test and test every time we track, to keep raising the bar -- FOR OUR STREET PARTS. Pedders doesn't make race car parts. We make STREET PARTS THAT JUST HAPPEN TO PERFROM WELL ON THE TRACK. Our goal is to keep about 90% of the OEM ride with 90% of race car handling. Next year, look for our street parts to be the fastest car overall on the road course at the Optima Challenge as well as the most comfortable to drive every day on the street.

[Bruce@raymondsperformance]

That was nice to see,as a new pedders dealer .We can't wait to get our Pedders SERIOUS XA TRACK EXTREM kit put on our 2010 camaro and go check out some of those nasa boys.

[RBD]

Super job Pete !

[Speed74SS]

Pete - you are first class. I love reading your posts!! Great times out of an awesome car. I can't wait to get my sway bars.

[Info@PeddersUSA.com]

There will be some substantial reasons to use Pedders parts very soon., More to come on this.

Mike
dms

[JusticePete]

Take a good look at how the Pedderised Camaro compares to the ZR1 chase car.

[fixxxer525]

That was too SIC!

[Doc]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

Take a good look at how the Pedderised Camaro compares to the ZR1 chase car.

Flat, balanced and stable...looking REAL good. Can't wait for you guys to make more parts and ship them to Mike Haddad so he can Pedderize my car!

[Info@PeddersUSA.com]

Watch this video of Paul driving on the autocross and being chased by a ZR1 on the track. Noitce the serious control and lack of body role going flat out, as well as the fore/aft balance where there is no lift or dive. Then notice the ZR!. It has more body role that the Pedders Camaro



mike
dms

[YancyJohns]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

As far as drivers, there are no real amateur drivers at this event. Many run their cars at Pro Touring events around the country. Many of the guys trailer their cars to and from the events and prep them like race cars. The top pro touring cars are more race car than street car. The drivers at this event are dialed in as are their cars.

[/I].[/B]

When Paul/Pedders Camaro was behind us in the warm up laps and out on the track he was very impressive. I can't wait to see the official times. Trailors are for queens, I drove my 1970 Ford Fairlane over 2000 miles from TN and back and competed for a total of 4752 miles. As for dialed in, we just the car complete a week before and had 3 hours of dialed time. As for my 2010 Camaro, we had a great time competing. It was great to have two car in the Challenge!!!! Thanks again for bringing the Pedders Camaro out and watching Paul Tracey drive..

[YancyJohns]

Scott from Air Ride/Ride Tech just posted this.....coooool...

[dc5-s]

any interior pictures?