Forgeline customers dominated the 2024 OPTIMA Search for the Ultimate Street Car competition at Summit Point Motorsports Park, where they claimed all three spots on the overall podium, swept the popular GTV class, and won five of the seven classes. This effort was led by Chris "Smitty" Smith, who took both the overall and GTV class wins, in his 1970 Chevrolet Camaro known as "Angry Smurf"!
Smitty finished near the top overall in each of the four competition segments, including first place overall in the Lingenfelter Performance Design and Engineering Competition, first place overall in the Peak Performance Acceleration/Braking Challenge, second place overall in Falken Tire Hot Lap Challenge, and seventh place overall in the Autocross. His performance throughout the weekend competition placed him at the top of the GTV Class, and the sum of his performances earned him 493 points and the overall win out of all 52 competitors.
Smitty’s “Angry Smurf” pro-touring 1970 Chevrolet Camaro was built as an in-house project at Smitty’s Custom Automotive and painted in GM’s PPG Rapid Blue. It’s powered by a 720HP Holley fuel-injected 427ci Kurt Urban LS7 mated to a Pfitzner Performance Gearboxes six-speed sequential transmission and rides on Speedtech Performance suspension, Motion Control Suspension 4-way adjustable remote-reservoir coilovers, Wilwood disc brakes, 315/30ZR18 & 335/30ZR18 BFGoodrich g-Force Rival S tires, and 18×11/18×12 Forgeline forged three piece AL305 wheels finished with Satin Race Gold centers & Black Pearl outers.
In addition to Smitty’s overall and GTV class victories, other top finishers included GTV class runner-up and second place overall finisher Jason Smith in his 1987 Chevrolet Camaro on Forgeline forged three piece GF3 wheels, GT class champion and third place overall finisher James Thomas in his 2016 Ford Mustang GT350 on Forgeline one piece forged monoblock GS1R wheels, GTT class champion Stephen Dorrick in his 2005 Nissan Frontier on Forgeline forged three piece FF3-Truck wheels, GTS class champion Tony Prutch in his 2021 Chevrolet Corvette on Forgeline one piece forged monoblock NW105 wheels, and GTL class champion Ryan Mathews in his 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 on Forgeline forged three piece GA3R Open Lug wheels.
It was a great weekend for the Smith family and the Smitty's Custom Automotive team. In addition to the top two overall finishes by Chris and Jason Smith, the newest driver of the Smith family, Collin Smith, also finished his first ever Optima weekend, finishing fourth in the GTS class and earning the First Timer award in his 2000 Chevrolet Corvette on Forgeline one piece forged monoblock VV1R wheels. And Smitty's Custom Automotive customer Ron Scott joined Chris and Jason at the top of the GTV class, where he earned third place in class with his 1963 Chevrolet Corvette on Forgeline forged three piece VX3C wheels.
Congrats to all of these top finishers, and thank you for putting your trust in Forgeline!
For more information about the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational and the OPTIMA Search for the Ultimate Street Car Series, visit DriveOPTIMA.com.
Smitty finished near the top overall in each of the four competition segments, including first place overall in the Lingenfelter Performance Design and Engineering Competition, first place overall in the Peak Performance Acceleration/Braking Challenge, second place overall in Falken Tire Hot Lap Challenge, and seventh place overall in the Autocross. His performance throughout the weekend competition placed him at the top of the GTV Class, and the sum of his performances earned him 493 points and the overall win out of all 52 competitors.
Smitty’s “Angry Smurf” pro-touring 1970 Chevrolet Camaro was built as an in-house project at Smitty’s Custom Automotive and painted in GM’s PPG Rapid Blue. It’s powered by a 720HP Holley fuel-injected 427ci Kurt Urban LS7 mated to a Pfitzner Performance Gearboxes six-speed sequential transmission and rides on Speedtech Performance suspension, Motion Control Suspension 4-way adjustable remote-reservoir coilovers, Wilwood disc brakes, 315/30ZR18 & 335/30ZR18 BFGoodrich g-Force Rival S tires, and 18×11/18×12 Forgeline forged three piece AL305 wheels finished with Satin Race Gold centers & Black Pearl outers.
In addition to Smitty’s overall and GTV class victories, other top finishers included GTV class runner-up and second place overall finisher Jason Smith in his 1987 Chevrolet Camaro on Forgeline forged three piece GF3 wheels, GT class champion and third place overall finisher James Thomas in his 2016 Ford Mustang GT350 on Forgeline one piece forged monoblock GS1R wheels, GTT class champion Stephen Dorrick in his 2005 Nissan Frontier on Forgeline forged three piece FF3-Truck wheels, GTS class champion Tony Prutch in his 2021 Chevrolet Corvette on Forgeline one piece forged monoblock NW105 wheels, and GTL class champion Ryan Mathews in his 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 on Forgeline forged three piece GA3R Open Lug wheels.
It was a great weekend for the Smith family and the Smitty's Custom Automotive team. In addition to the top two overall finishes by Chris and Jason Smith, the newest driver of the Smith family, Collin Smith, also finished his first ever Optima weekend, finishing fourth in the GTS class and earning the First Timer award in his 2000 Chevrolet Corvette on Forgeline one piece forged monoblock VV1R wheels. And Smitty's Custom Automotive customer Ron Scott joined Chris and Jason at the top of the GTV class, where he earned third place in class with his 1963 Chevrolet Corvette on Forgeline forged three piece VX3C wheels.
Congrats to all of these top finishers, and thank you for putting your trust in Forgeline!
For more information about the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational and the OPTIMA Search for the Ultimate Street Car Series, visit DriveOPTIMA.com.