Street Life Auto Club

Cue immediate disappointment, followed by a long and pensive pause... "F-it," you laugh to yourself, accepting defeat and allowing the up-beat, friendly ambience of the event to set in. You think back on the days spent tuning your ride with your bros, driving to the track together the night before, and the friendly, familial antics of early-morning prep. More than 25 laps around Buttonwillow's CW13 configuration has taught you more about driving your car than you'd expected, and you'll be heading home tonight satisfied that you couldn't have done it any better. But above it all, you've got something to work for next year. Cracking a smile, you think out loud, "This was a pretty badass day!"

Photo Gallery: 2007 Mitsubishi Evo IX MR - Buttonwillow Raceway - Import Tuner Magazine

The event was simple: contestants were invited to CA's Buttonwillow Raceway, not only to prove their mettle around a track, but also to demonstrate how well they can receive and apply criticism from professional data-acquisitionists, survive interviews by a panel of champion drivers and corporate big-wigs, and assemble a winning sponsorship proposal or business plan. This year's applicants ranged in age from 14 to 56 years old, represented professions from competitive surfing to mechanical engineering, and hailed from all across the country. To say the competition was fierce wouldn't even scratch the surface-these were the best of the best amateur racers, each looking (fighting) for their "big break".

Photo Gallery: Hot Import Nights - Miami Florida - Import Tuner Magazine