2012 OPTIMA^® Batteries Ultimate Street Car Invitational

Saturday, November 3, 2012 from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM (PDT)
Pahrump, NV

Congratulations to Mark Stielow, our 2012 OPTIMA^® Batteries Ultimate Street Car Invitational Winner!

We would also like to highlight our second and third place winners, Brian Hobaugh and Todd Earsley. 

For the full list of results of the 2012 OPTIMA Batteries Ultimate Street Car Invitational winners, please click here.

The 2012 OPTIMA Invitational top 25 ranking participants are listed below:    

1.   Mark Stielow (1967 Chevrolet Camaro)

2.   Brian Hobaugh (1973 Chevrolet Camaro)

3.   Todd Earsley* (2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8 GSR)

3.   Bret Voelkel* (1933 Ford Coupe)

5.  Travis Hill (2013 Nissan GT-R)

6.   Steven Rupp (1968 Chevrolet Camaro)

7.   Danny Popp (2010 Chevrolet Camaro L28)

7.   Kyle Tucker (1970 Chevrolet Camaro)

7.   Karl Dunn (2007 Ford Saleen Parnelli Jones Mustang)

10. Brian Finch (1972 Chevrolet Camaro)

10. Jim Holloway (2013 Ford Mustang RTR)

12. Phil Gerber (1970 Chevrolet C10 Pickup)

12. Ryan Mathews (1966 Ford Mustang)

14. Bob Bertelsen (1971 Chevrolet Camaro)

15. Rob McGregor (1970 Chevy C10 Pickup)

16. Chris Smith (1967 Chevrolet C10)

17. Joey Seely (1986 Porsche Carrera)

18. Dale Akuszewski (1964 Sunbeam Tiger)

18. Jeff Cleary (1967 Chevrolet Corvette)

20. David Brandt (1969 Chevrolet Camaro)

20. Todd Foust (1965 Ford Mustang Convertible)

22. Todd Rumpke (2010 Chevrolet Camaro)

23. Curt Hill (1972 Chevrolet C5 Blazer)

24. Brad Coomer (1970 Chevrolet C10)

25. Stacy Tucker (1969 Chevrolet Camaro)                                                                            

The 2012 OPTIMA^® Ultimate Street Car Invitational Captivated a Sold Out Crowd

The fifth annual OPTIMA^® Ultimate Street Car Invitational, presented by K&N Filters and Royal Purple, brought in massive crowds with a sold out event, more thrilling moments and record times, ultimately crowning Mark Stielow and his custom 1967 Chevrolet Camaro as the 2012 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car. It was a year for close competition with the top two participants separated by a single point and a tie for third place overall. Additionally, there was a more diverse showing of vehicles this year with nearly 20 percent of the field falling under the import category.

The OPTIMA Invitational packed the grandstands with non-stop activity, something for everyone in the manufacturer midway, on-the-ground excitement of television personalities (Amanda Salas and Bill Goldberg) filming the miniseries finale of the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational broadcast series.

The main race events of the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational took place Saturday, November 3, with the BFGoodrich Hot Lap Challenge, Ridetech Autocross Challenge, Wilwood Disc Brakes Speed Stop Challenge, and the Lingenfelter Performance Engineering Performance and Design Challenge. The Detroit Speed and Engineering/JRI Shocks Road Rally occurred following the close of the SEMA Show Friday, November 2.  

The Strength of Stielow

With only a point to spare, Mark Stielow, known to some as the ‘Godfather of the Pro-Touring movement,’ claimed his second OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational title in four attempts. Stielow scored a total of 83 points, out of a total 110 possible across all events, beating second-place finisher, Brian Hobaugh.

Both Stielow and Hobaugh picked up 10 points each in the Detroit Speed & Engineering/JRI Shocks Road Rally. Stielow saw a 16-12 advantage in the Lingenfelter Performance Design Challenge and a 25-22 edge in the RideTech Autocross. Hobaugh topped Stielow 25-22 in the BFGoodrich Hot Lap Challenge and 13-10 in the Wilwood Disc Brakes Speed Stop Challenge.

“For a car I just got running four weeks ago, I felt we did better than I dreamed of in the OPTIMA Invitational. I give a lot of the credit to my partners on assembling the car, and a cast of friends that really helped out when the timing was tight. The thing that pushed this car over the top to win was its styling and the street usability of the car,” said Stielow. Finally, Stielow acknowledged how much the event has evolved saying, “This event is an incredibly fun yet competitive experience, and the versatility and performance of the vehicles are better than ever.”

Mark started auto crossing at the age of 18 in a 1966 MGB, which he purchased for $300. Now Mark, who has built seven magazine quality cars, has been featured in high profile publications such as Car and Driver and Hot Rod and has authored Pro Touring Engineered Performance.