Will it be difficult? Yup. He raced in SCCA as a professional, has a Camaro collection, practices on a driving simulator, and was the points champ at the 2014 Optima Challenge. And he's got 2014 and 2015 Z-28s.
In 2013, he started searching for the perfect collector Camaro and ended up with 25. (1969 Camaros include a JL8, a DZ 302, SS396, X77, X33, LS7, and a Yenko)
He can afford to have pros change his car for each of the challenges. Unlike a lot of the guys that come to have fun and only can afford to make to to the races with a car, Ken has his Camaro's set up completely switched to a different set up on Saturday for the Wilwood Disc Brakes Speed Stop and Detroit Speed Autocross events. Then switched over Saturday night for Sunday’s Falken Tire Hot Lap Challenge by Raymond’s Performance and Ultimate Performance, who modify and improves the car every weekend of competition to adjust and fine-tune the Camaro 1LE for each event
The challenge is simple- any newcomer to OPTIMA's Search for the Ultimate Street Car series, that can win the GT class at an OUSCI qualifying event, in a late-model Ford Mustang or Dodge Challenger wins $3,000 cash.
Winning the class would mean they'd beat Ken's Camaro, which has not proven to be an easy task so far. Ken won the GT class at the first event at Thunderhill, so the bounty now carries over to the next event at Texas Motor Speedway, where more than a dozen first-time Ford Mustang competitors have signed up.
http://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/experience/power-source/ken-thwaits-3000-bounty-optimas-search-ultimate-street-car/
To read a quick bio on Ken: http://www.themusclecarplace.com/tmcp-235-ken-thwaits-racer-camaro-collector-business-owner-and-2014-osusc-points-champion
The next qualifying event in OPTIMA's Search for the Ultimate Street Car takes place at Texas Motor Speedway on March 28th and 29th. If you have a late-model Mustang or Challenger and you'd like a shot at the ponycar bounty or you'd just like to bring your street-legal car or truck out to the track for an incredible weekend, there's still time to sign up at www.driveoptima.com.
If you don't have a car that can take down Thwaits' Camaro, but you'd like to see someone else give it a shot, you can buy VIP pit passes online as well. If you live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, you can pick up free VIP pit passes at participating Advance Auto Parts locations.
If the bounty goes unclaimed in Texas, it will carry over to the following dates and events:
Las Vegas Motor Speedway April 25-26
NCM Raceway June 6-7
Michigan International Speedway June 20-21
Charlotte Motor Speedway July 25-26
Pike's Peak International Raceway Aug 8-9
Road America Aug 28-30
Auto Club Speedway Oct 10-11
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155388343520078 to see Ken pull off the gloves and slap the opposition with his Pony Car Challenge
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