Leader Of The Pack

BLEVINS’ MUSTANG LEADS IN OPTIMA’S SEARCH FOR THE ULTIMATE STREET CAR SERIES

- Jim Mcilvaine

Eight events make up Optima’s Search for the Ultimate Street Car Series, culminating in the season-ending Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) in Las Vegas. Competitor’s battle at seven qualifying events, looking for a win in one of five classes, which includes an invitation to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas and the OUSCI. Regular season class championships are also at stake in each of those classes. Jonathan Blevins has his sights set on the Franklin Road Apparel GT Class Championship.

Like many cars in the series, Blevins’ GT500 has been heavily modified from an already-potent starting point with a laundry list of modifications that improve performance and reliability during intense track sessions. The modifications have proven their worth, as Blevins now leads the Franklin Road Apparel GT Class after the first three events, thanks to a pair of sixth place finishes in the first two events and a third-place finish at NCM Motorsports Park. Second-place Robert Weathers’ SS 1LE Camaro trails Blevins by 86 points, but the real threat comes from two-time GT Class Champion Bryan Johnson, who has not yet run three events this season.

Even if Johnson passes Blevins, his 1,231-point total has already exceeded last season’s cutoff for earning a trip to SEMA and the OUSCI. Blevins’ best finish of the year also came at the most-competitive event so far this season, so things are looking up for Blevins, who only ran one event in 2016.