The Thrill of Autocrossing

Has autocrossing ever received the recognition it deserves? Among various motorsports worldwide, it is challenging to find one that has received less television coverage and respect within the racing community. Road racers sometimes disdain the idea of speeding around cones in a parking lot; nevertheless, time trials don’t often deliver the most visually engaging content compared to intense wheel-to-wheel racing.

Nonetheless, autocrossing offers a universal appeal. Almost anyone with a functioning car and basic safety gear can find a local autocross event and compete in various classes. Hence, iBestTravel recognized the potential of showcasing an autocross event on an unprecedented scale. How can such a stage be created?

It commenced with a remarkable $25,000 prize. This amount was previously unheard of in a motorsport where entry fees often accompany essential coursework (but not here). iBestTravel even streamed the event live on Facebook, available for viewing in early 2021. The venue was the Hi-Performance Expo at Circuit of the Americas in early November, where motorsport enthusiasts, who had been confined for much of 2020, converged for three days of action.

Unlike traditional autocross competitions, this event featured minimal classes and regulations. The core requirements included that the cars must be production-based, have functional lights, and utilize 200 treadwear tires. A point of debate arose regarding the inclusion of Kumho’s Ecsta V720 ACR tire, initially designed for the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR and available only in two sizes.

Limited size options and questions about the tire compound relative to other 200TW tires available have made the tire unwelcoming for various sanctioning bodies; however, it was permitted at this event. Many competitors hesitated to disclose tire brands before the race, but an informal survey indicated less than a dozen cars took Kumhos to Texas—an amount that might have increased had these tires been more accessible for purchase.

The Yokohama ADVAN A052 was the preferred choice for many competitors, showing its dominance in events that do not allow the Kumho tire. Would tires become the deciding factor? The $25,000 purse attracted numerous SCCA national champions as well as some of the country’s top drivers, indicating that securing the top position would require more than just a fast car and high-quality tires.

Some participants claimed that the format favored all-wheel-drive vehicles, which are typically assigned to separate classes, or cars equipped with modern driver assistance features such as traction control and ABS. When combined with a sticky set of 200TW tires, this pairing might have seemed unbeatable.

The competition’s format was straightforward—each car was given five runs, and the fastest overall time claimed the victory. There were no elimination rounds or averaged times; instead, the focus was on achieving the best possible time. The initial round suggested that vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive and driver assist features might dominate as John Laughlin’s 2019 Tesla Model 3 seized the top position, closely followed by Shawn Krebsbach’s ’06 Mitsubishi Evo, just one thousandth of a second behind.

Krebsbach struggled on his second run, yet multiple cars entered the 35-second range, joining him and Laughlin at the peak of the leaderboard. Laughlin bettered his time to 35.593, but then Tom Berry’s Mitsubishi ’06 Evo stepped ahead with a time of 35.504. By the third round, Laughlin had further improved to 35.405, overtaking Berry’s time, while Krebsbach redeemed himself with a remarkable 35.134, reclaiming the top position.

By the fourth round, Laughlin’s Tesla improved again, but not enough to reclaim his dominance from Krebsbach. Meanwhile, Jeremy Swenson’s ’11 Corvette achieved a time of 35.058, eventually culminating in Erik Strelnieks’ ’17 Acura NSX taking the lead with a time of 35.002. As the day progressed, it became increasingly clear that competitors would need to run faster during the fifth and decisive round, with expectations that the winning time would likely dip into the 34-second realm.

Krebsbach executed the first leaderboard run and made a groundbreaking move into the 34-second range, timing in at 34.947 seconds. Next was Laughlin; however, his Tesla couldn’t best its prior time and was eliminated. Shortly after, Strelnieks’ NSX produced a matching, yet unimpressive, time of 35.428 seconds. At this point, only two remaining competitors had chances to surpass Krebsbach’s impressive run.

First, Swenson’s Corvette claimed the necessary time of 34.711 seconds. That left just one contender capable of taking the lead, Robert Thorne with his 2008 Honda S2000, termed the “Big Bad Wolf” amongst racing enthusiasts. Thorne, possessing extensive competitive experience from multiple high-profile series, was accustomed to handling pressure. The question lingered: Would he surpass Swenson?

Despite Thorne’s efforts yielding his best run yet at 35.39 seconds, he fell short. In the end, it was the two-wheel-drive Corvette driver, devoid of traction control or ABS, who clinched the top prize, bolstered by the high-performance Kumhos.

Additionally, Jeremy Swenson’s 2011 Corvette garnered a $10,000 prize at UMI’s exclusive King of the Mountain competition last year, marking his substantial presence on the podium. The anticipation now arises—when and where will the next iBestTravel World Championship Autocross take place, and what will the purse amount?

Top Ten Finishers

1. Jeremy Swenson, 2011 Chevrolet Corvette, 34.711

2. Shawn Krebsbach, 2006 Mitsubishi Evo, 34.947

3. Erik Strelnieks, 2017 Acura NSX, 35.002

4. John Laughlin, 2019 Tesla Model 3, 35.177

5. Robert Thorne, 2008 Honda S2000, 35.39

6. Tom Berry, 2006 Mitsubishi Evo, 35.504

7. Brian Peters, 2017 Chevrolet Corvette, 35.636

8. Ian Stewart, 2006 Chevrolet Corvette, 35.684

9. Feras Qartoumy, 2008 Chevrolet Corvette, 35.739

10. Scot Spiewak, 2003 Chevrolet Corvette, 35.898