2011 OUSCI Preview - Brian Finch's '71 Camaro

In our continuing coverage of the field for the 2011 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI), presented by K&N Filters and Wilwood Brakes, today we're taking a closer look at Brian Finch and his 1971 Camaro. Finch punched his ticket to the OUSCI, by winning the Run to the Coast event earlier this year and his rise to prominence in the pro-touring community is especially impressive, considering the fact that he's only just begun running on road courses and autocross tracks in the past few years.

Finch was the top finisher in several qualifying events last year, even defeating eventual 2010 OUSCI champion, Mark Stielow, along the way. However, Stielow was able to step up his game at Spring Mountain, when it mattered most. Finch's Camaro follows a similar pattern found in many of the other top pro-touring rides, in that it features suspension upgrades from Detroit Speed Engineering. He has also found a 376-cubic inch L92 motor to provide a solid combination of power and reliability. Anvil carbon fiber products have netted him approximately 200 pounds worth of weight savings and six-piston calipers off a 2008 ZO6 help provide extra stopping power up front, with four-piston calipers in the rear.

All of those modifications and a few more don't seem all that unusual for cars of this genre, so what is it that makes Finch amongst the favorites every time he pulls into a venue? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that Brian Finch pulls into venues with his Camaro a lot more often that just about anyone else out there. Finch is a fixture at pro-touring events and is very familiar with both the format of the OUSCI and this specific venue.

There is no doubt Brian Finch has benefited from the copious amounts of time he and his Camaro have spent on autocross tracks and road courses around the country. That will certainly be a factor in his favor in Nevada, but will it be enough? Only time will tell. If you'd like to see more on Brian Finch's Camaro, check out the OPTIMA Network on Roku, to see TV coverage of Brian at the OUSCI.