Bob Sobey wins his first OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational title with his 2013 Nissan GT-R after three seasons of competing
MILWAUKEE (Nov. 10, 2022) – OPTIMA Batteries, a leading brand of Clarios (NYSE: BBU) (TSX: BBU.UN), crowned Bob Sobey and his 2013 Nissan GT-R as the winner of the 15th annual OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) presented by Advance Auto Parts last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Sobey, a three-time competitor, finished third last year but returned this season and won the 2022 title over incumbent champion Jake Rozelle by seven points. The OUSCI event was first established following the 2008 SEMA Show after OPTIMA Batteries Director of Marketing Cam Douglass created an event to pit the cars on display at the show against each other to determine their overall street-worthiness and outright performance potential. Fifteen years later, it has become one of the most competitive street car racing series in the nation.
“We did not expect the win. We had a huge lead all the way until the very last day in Vegas, but the car caught fire during warm up,” said 2022 OUSCI winner Bob Sobey. “We made a diaper for the engine to catch the leaking oil and hoped for the best. Thanks to my crew member Brian, my family and the other competitors who helped me out. If somebody in the series needs a hand, there are lots of people willing to help. That’s what’s great about the OPTIMA series.”
Throughout the 2022 OUSCI championship, competitors and their vehicles faced a series of five challenges – the Lingenfelter Design and Engineering Challenge, Lucas Oil Road Rally, Peak Performance Challenge, QA1 Autocross and the Falken Tire Road Course Time Trial. Competitors received points as they competed in the challenges and scores were totaled to determine the winner in each category. This year, 2021 OUSCI champion Jake Rozelle finished in second place in his 2003 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, and Dave Schotz finished in third place with his 2020 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
“It was an intense season with great showings and incredible racing by everyone involved,” said Cam Douglass, Director of Marketing for OPTIMA Batteries. “It makes me proud to know that 15 years after we started the series, the builds continue to get better, and the culture continues to grow. We are really proud of Bob Sobey, and you can see his passion for the sport in his GT-R. After the scare on Sunday, we’re glad everyone is safe and that he was able to earn the title.”
OUSCI winners are awarded commemorative jackets and are the first to be invited to the following year’s event. All competing vehicles had to be licensed, registered and insured for street use to be eligible to compete. OUSCI television coverage airs every Friday at 8 p.m. (EST and PST) on MAVTV. The championship episode airs on December 16, 2022.
About OPTIMA® Batteries
OPTIMA high-performance automotive, marine, heavy-duty AGM and lithium batteries are manufactured by Clarios, LLC, the world’s largest manufacturer of automotive batteries. OPTIMA REDTOP, YELLOWTOP and BLUETOP batteries feature state-of-the-art SPIRALCELL TECHNOLOGY. This patented design allows OPTIMA batteries to deliver superior performance in both starting and deep cycling applications. OPTIMA ORANGETOP batteries are the newest additions to the legendary line of reliable performance batteries with six sizes available that utilize HYPERCORE LITHIUM technology. This new offering allows for more than 95% of the powersports market to experience the power and performance of OPTIMA Batteries. The OPTIMA product family also includes a line of Digital Chargers, with advanced multi-stage charging to charge and maintain a variety of 12V vehicle batteries, maximizing battery life and performance. To learn more or to purchase OPTIMA products, please visit www.optimabatteries.com, call 1-888-8OPTIMA (1-888-867-8462) or find @OPTIMABatteries on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About Clarios
Clarios is the global leader in advanced, low-voltage battery technologies for mobility. We power progress through ever-smarter solutions for virtually every kind of vehicle. With 16,000 employees in over 140 countries, we bring deep expertise to our aftermarket and OEM partners and reliability, safety and comfort to everyday lives. We answer to the planet with a rigorous ESG focus – advancing best-in-class sustainability practices and advocating for them across our industry. We recover, recycle and reuse up to 99% of our battery materials. Clarios is a Brookfield portfolio company.
