The SEMA show is everywhere the first week of November, but apart from a few events it’s mostly a walk up to a vehicle and take a look and ooh and awe. The Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational event is a different beast. Throughout 2022, the OUSCI team have been scouting for the best cars and drivers to compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and to park up at SEMA. The invitational event is judged based on five points: a road rally that establishes the street-ability of the vehicles with a 25 to 100 mile route that requires vehicles to comply with road laws, environmental laws and regulations, and safety laws and regulations. Acceleration and Braking tests the driver’s ability to manage traction, braking ability and car control in a tight turn. The Autocross section determines driver ability to negotiate tight turns and slow-speed direction changes, while the Road Course competition shows how close a street car can perform in road racing conditions. Finally, the design and Engineering brings in an engineer’s eye and judges a vehicle’s modifications versus the stock form and whether those modifications enhance or reduce the car’s comfort as a daily driver. Fit, finish, innovation, and balance is what wins this section.
Bob Sobey and his 2013 Nissan GT-R. win both the GTS and Overall win at the 2022 OUSCI. This marks the first time that a Nissan took home the gold for the event.
Leave a Reply