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Cuthbertson Earns First Career Autocross Win with Speedtech & Ron Sutton

 SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA (September 26, 2016) – Mike Cuthbertson debuted his 1968 Camaro with a brand-new Speedtech ExtReme subframe with Ron Sutton Race Technology geometry and promptly earned his first career Autocross win. Cuthbertson was competing in the Classic Muscle category at the NMCA Hotchkiss Cup in the parking lot of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA.

Cuthberson's Camaro also had Ridetech shocks with Ron Sutton's trademarked Track-Star Secret Sauce valving. Cuthbertson utilized Ron Sutton’s suspension setup optimization service as well.

Mikes Saturday victory was "out of the box" with the new suspension package. Cuthbertson came to Autocross with no previous racing experience and can be classified as an amateur by most definitions. He even had to borrow a truck and trailer from his friend Rob McIntosh Sr. to even get the vehicle to the track. After competing for over a year in a variety of NMCA events, winning his first event with a new set up was very rewarding for him & surprising to some competitors.

"I experienced a night and day difference (off the trailer)," Cuthbertson said. "The car felt dialed. In the past I had a bad push and could only be so aggressive. Now, with the new ExtReme Clip & Ron’s Setup I could put the car wherever I wanted to."

Speedtech's Blake Foster explained that the ExtReme subframe has only been used in competition with a house built 67/68 C10 pickup, and won its first three Autocross appearances. Cuthbertson is the first Speedtech customer with the new ExtReme clip to get his car on track. His victory right out of the box with a largely inexperienced driver speaks volumes.

"For a guy who is not a professional to come out and 'boom'...And there's still room for improvement too. The whole pro touring market has not slowed down at all since it got started and has transitioned more and more to being about high performance driving. We made an investment into this product as a commitment to raise the bar on the track and the street."

Ron Sutton designed the new ExtReme suspension & steering package from scratch, using no parts from OEM or past clips. Speedtech even went as far as changing the forging dyes for the aluminum spindles to accommodate changes that Sutton recommended.

Cuthbertson's fascination with fast muscle cars began when he worked with TMI Interiors to produce a custom 67 Chevelle for the 2014 SEMA show. The following year, they returned with this 68 Camaro. In the past Cuthbertson had only used "bolt on parts" to make improvements, but had never made such a drastic change to a car. Rob at PCH Rods handled the install of the new Speedtech subframe. The front fenders are customized one inch wider as well with carbon fiber supports. Chris at JCG Restorations made the wider front fenders and installed the front body work. Pinhead Fabrication was responsible for fabrication that widened the rear quarter-panels by 2 1/2 inches, as well as the rollcage and exhaust.

Cuthbertson enjoys the challenge of competing with classic muscle cars. He also remarked at the closeness in the times he achieved in Classic Muscle to the other competitors at the Hotchkis Cup. His Saturday average of 32.691 seconds places him within just a few seconds of the overall winners. He was not as fast Sunday as he worked to improve rear grip and rear spring rates.

Cuthbertson stated, "I'm a classic car guy. Each person produces a different build based on what they like. All the cars are very unique. It is also a nice challenge to make one of these cars go fast. Being a novice, it was very helpful to have the understanding and more knowledge. Ron laid it out in laymans terms that were easy to understand."

The success that Cuthbertson experienced has him already aiming at one of the biggest showcases of Pro Touring and Autocross, with plans to take on his first Optima Batteries Ultimate Street Car event at Fontana October 8-9.

In addition to the companies and services above, Mike would like to thank Budnik wheels and Dale at Dave's Frame and Alignment for their support.

For more information on Ron Sutton Race Technology, visit them online at http://www.ronsuttonracetechnology.com/

ABOUT RON SUTTON RACE TECHNOLOGY

Ron Sutton Race Technology is a one-stop resource for winning car building or improving performance for Autocross, Road Course Track Days & Pro Touring Cars. Ron offers suspension, brake & aerodynamic optimization services, complete chassis/suspension designs, cutting edge suspension packages, consulting services, books, workshops & an online store with 600 brands & over 90,000 parts.