Sema Goes WildIt's that magical time of the year again where industry insiders, and those sly enough to sneak in, attend the automotive event known as SEMA. The Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association's show in Las Vegas has something for everyone-from the really cool, to the truly bizarre. It's a week of booth girls, killer rides, and hanging out with other gearheads. It's like automotive heaven with heaps of neon. Here are just a few random shots from the miles of aisles. Be sure to check out www.popularhotrodding.com for more Sema images.
Schwartz Finishes First In 0-200-0 ChallengeOne of the old standbys for measuring the overall performance of a car is the 0-100-0 run. From a standing stop, to 100 mph, and back to zero, is one of the ultimate tests of a car's power, brakes, and overall setup. The ever-adventurous guys at the Silver State Challenge decided to kick it up a bunch of notches, 100 to be exact. Sponsored by Baer Brakes and V-Box USA, the 0-200-0 Speed Stop Challenge is not for the faint of heart. Add in that the event is held at well over 6,000 feet of elevation, and the number of cars that have a remote chance of getting it done drops to a handful.
This year, the Optima Batteries-sponsored Schwartz Extreme Performance Ultima GTR, driven by Jeff Schwartz, finished in First Place in the challenge. The competitive field included cars such as R.J. Gottlieb's famed "Big Red" '69 Camaro, a twin-turbocharged Viper, K&N's Supercharged Viper, and a Supercharged Ford GT. Schwartz reached a top speed of 190.2 mph in one mile, the highest thus far in the history of the Z2Z event. Total time for Schwartz to reach 190.2 mph and stop was 39.8 seconds.
The Schwartz Ultima GTR features a Schwartz-built, twin-turbo LS2-based 6.6L engine that pumps out over 1,000 hp and manages 24 mpg on the highway. Jeff also competed in the Silver State Classic Challenge where he came in 28 seconds later than his targeted arrival time. He had an average speed of 148.0544 mph over the 90-mile stretch of Route 318. This was good for 16th in a field of 26 cars in this class. "Since I ran the event without a navigator and was holding my stopwatch in one hand and looking for mile markers while driving 165 mph, I'm pleased that I beat my goal of being within one minute of my target," said Schwartz. You can find out more about this event, including results, at www.sscc.us, and more about the Ultima GTR at www.schwartzperformance.com.