Second Annual Pony Wars - Ponies Declare War

Not since 1974 have the Big Three all been competing in the ponycar market. When Chevy brought back the Camaro (a seven-year task, apparently) in 2010, the trifecta was complete. This corporate "pony war" sparked a consumer-fueled feud that has surprisingly brought more camaraderie than warfare.

Last year, members of Modern Mustangs of Jacksonville (Florida), with the help of Steeda Autosports, organized an event at South Georgia Motorsports Park (SGMP) in Adel, Georgia. Aptly named Pony Wars, the event was intended to settle the score between Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers.

The event was a great success, and plans were made to continue the event in 2011. Held the first Saturday in April, pre-event Internet banter contributed to the suspense. Four classes of heads-up drag racing were scheduled, along with a car show, a tour of Steeda's Georgia facility (only minutes from the track), and a cruise to the track.

The morning of the event started with a behind-the-scenes tour of Steeda's new state-of-the-art facility in Valdosta, Georgia. Led by Steeda's president, Dario Orlando, the tour provided all a sneak peek into the inner workings of the company, from the design and engineering to packing and shipping. Staff members were even on hand to showcase their skills and answer questions.

After the Fifth-Gen Camaro guys and gals paused for a 30-minute photo session (which was super-lame and equally hilarious), everyone lined up for the cruise to the track. Escorted by Valdosta Police Department's '10 GT cruiser (modded by Steeda), the 100-plus cars made the short voyage to rural Adel, home of SGMP. When the group arrived, there was already plenty of action. Cars were backed up in the staging lanes, and the car show lot was filling up.

By early afternoon, after participants had taken advantage of unlimited time trials, classes were formed and eliminations began. The Quick 8 class, consisting of the quickest eight cars throughout the day's trial runs, was dominated by Fox-body Mustangs, but also featured a pesky '99 Corvette driven by Howard Wolf. The cars were whittled down to just two. Left standing was Wolf and his Vette, and Steeda's own Scott Boda and his '90 LX hatchback. The nitrous-fed Fox of Boda ran a 9.21 at over 150 mph to the Vette's 10.10 at 113 mph.

Attendance was up 50 percent over last year, and plans are already in motion for next year. So if you have any unsettled scores with your irritating neighbor with a 4,000-pound Camaro, or just want to come out and have some fun in beautiful South Georgia, then check out next year's event. We'll be there!