Over the last four years, OPTIMA’s Search for the Ultimate Street Car has gained quite a following. Each year, fans of the series travel from all over the country for a chance to watch their favorite amateur drivers battle it out on world-class race tracks, time trial events, and even open road rally events.

When it comes to entering your own prized possession into the competition, there are often a lot of misconceptions about what it takes to compete in the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car series.

For those of you that have ever considered entering the series, our friends at OPTIMA Battery give us the breakdown on just what it takes to give this popular series a try.

Safety is Their Top Priority 

Every vehicle that competes in the Ultimate Street Car Series is thoroughly inspected before being allowed to compete. Are your brake pads, rotors, and tires in good enough condition to take on a full weekend of aggressive driving at a racetrack?

Another factor many people tend to overlook is proper hydration throughout an event. Something as simple as getting in and out of your vehicle during the hot summer months can lead to dehydration and is something many amateur racers tend to forget. Keeping both your car and your body topped off with fluids goes a long way to having a safe weekend of racing.

The Series is Designed To Find The Ultimate Streetcar not Racecar

OPTIMA knows that at first glance, many people think that the cars running in the series are just race cars with license plates being driven by professional drivers.

And although many of the vehicles you see running in the series are heavily modified, this simply is not the case.  Over the years, the Streetcar series has gone to great lengths to make sure the most competitive vehicles are legitimate street cars.

For the Ultimate Streetcar series, all cars are required to complete the LucasOilRacing.tv Road Rally on public roads which requires that the car must be licensed and properly insured to drive on public roads.

Even though OPTIMA’s Search for the Ultimate Street Car series is for amateur drivers, you can expect to face some stiff competition as many competitors return each year looking to grab that top prize. But don’t let that discourage you from giving it a shot.

Although the series may not be for everyone, many competitors have had their first road course experiences at some of these events.

The OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Series is a great event that not only promotes amateur drivers but also raises awareness to the automotive aftermarket and the companies and enthusiasts who support it. If you are an amateur driver interested in participating in one of the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Series events, click here to visit the official website.