Motor State Challenge is coming up July 14th –16th and it’s not too late to register. This event is one of my favorite events. Our 1972 Dodge Dart, Project Orange Crush, ran the event is 2016 and 2017 and I have run the event the last 2 years in my 1970 Super Bee and excited to be back on the track again this year.

I will be competing in the QA1 #goDRIVEit class, which is designed for participants who drive their vehicle to the event, race it, then drive it home. It also features an unscored/untimed touring class designed for those wanting the on-track experience without the competitiveness. If you have a transponder, you can time your laps if desired. Classes also break up the vintage cars from modern cars.

The event will kick off Thursday with a 40+ mile cruise led by the Berrien County Sheriff’s Motorcycle Unit with a specified end location where everyone can eat dinner. It is also a great time to meet other participants and bench race a little before the racing starts Friday.

On Friday we meet in South Haven’s Michigan at GingerMan Raceway for timed lap sessions. This is a fun and forgiving 2.14-mile long road course. The track has a little bit of everything including some long straights, sweeping curves, tight apexes, and large run offs. The changing elevations also make the track eventful.

This track is great track for anyone wanting to try their hand at a real road course. Talking with other racers, GingerMan Raceway is known to be one of the safest in the Midwest. After a full day at the big track, Saturday morning everyone will head to Tire Rack’s South Bend headquarters test track for the autocross event. Drivers will navigate the twisty and complex course as they compete for the quickest time without hitting any cones.

The day will wrap up with the awards ceremony and door prizes from sponsors like Allstar Performance, Motorstate Distributing, Lane Automotive, Detroit Speed, Ace Racing Clutches, ARP, Eaton Performance Products, Hawk Performance, Optima Batteries, MSD Ignition, Pro-Touring G-Machines, Lateral-G, QA1, Tire Rack , Holley , Baer Brakes and more. There is also one invite given out to the Optima Ultimate Street Car event.

This is one of my favorite event to push the 1970 Super Bee and its cool seeing classic cars compete on the track and doing more than blasting down a straight line. So, dust off that ’Cuda, Challenger, Charger, Dart or any other Mopar and come hit the track. Registration for the 2022 Motor State Challenge has now opened and there are still spots available. To register click here, you can also view Motor State Challenge’s past events here.