Chris's 1968 Pontiac Firebird with APEX EC-7 Wheels

APEX: Tell us some details about yourself & your car.

Chris Hall: My name is Chris Hall, I was born and raised in London, England and moved to Phoenix, AZ in 2003. I bought my 1968 Pontiac Firebird in London. It was originally built in Antwerp, Belgium, it’s painted Jaguar Gunmetal Grey.

APEX: What is your track day wheel setup?

Chris Hall: I run APEX Race Parts EC-7 in Hyper Silver, 18×9.5” front and 18×12” rear (18×10” widened 2” by Weldcraft Wheels) with Falken Azenis RT-615k tires in 275/35/18 and 315/35/18. The suspension is Ridetech’s single adjustable coilover system with their 4 link rear suspension and TruTurn bumpsteer correction in the front.

Here are some photos of the 2″ rear wheel width increase by Weldcraft Wheels and the bolt pattern correction going from 120 to 120.65mm with a 60 degree valve seat cutter and up turned 19/64” drill bit as a guide (valve seat cutter has a hollow stem).

APEX: Why did you choose APEX Wheels over the rest?

Chris Hall: I chose the APeX EC-7 for its looks, weight and price. I really wanted a deep dished mesh style wheel and the EC-7 in Profile 3 has a beautiful curve to the spokes and were designed for cars at least as heavy as mine (3,330 lbs.) for autocross/road course and could be easily modified to fit GM’s 120.65mm bolt pattern.

APEX: What other upgrades have you done to your car?

Chris Hall: It has a modified Pontiac 400” V8 with Aluminum heads making about 500 HP at the crank, a Centerforce Dual Friction clutch feeds a Tremec TKO 600 5 speed transmission through an aluminum driveshaft to an 8.5” 10 bolt rear end. The Big Baer Racing Brakes 14” 6 piston front and 13” 4 piston rear really stop it on a dime! Braum Racing Elite-X seats look great and hold me in place on the track.

APEX: How did you get into track racing & for how long?

Chris Hall: GoodGuys Rod and Custom Association back in 2012 started an autocross series at their events across the country and I got hooked at the first event in Scottsdale, AZ, I’ve been running it twice a year ever since. I have also started an autocross at our local Pontiac Heaven cars shows which have been a lot of fun.

What is your favorite memory or entertaining story from the track?

Chris Hall: Getting on the leaderboard (top 5) is always a good feeling, but giving fun runs to family and friends has to be the most fun!

APEX: How many events do you participate in each year, care to share any track results?

Chris Hall: Only 3 per year, 2 Goodguys and Pontiac Heaven, hoping to add more as more tire money becomes available, I’ve had a second place and a 3rd place finish in the Street Machine class at Goodguys Spring Nationals, they share the same rules and points as SCCA CAM classes.

APEX: If you could give one tip to a new racer, what would your tip be?

Chris Hall: Have a fast driver ride with you to give you pointers, most of all have fun!

APEX: Where can we follow you?

Chris Hall: You can follow me @pontiac_chris

APEX: Do you have any clubs, shops or racing buddies you want to give a shout out to?

Chris Hall: Check out Baer Brakes and Ridetech Suspension on Instagram

Cory has been Domestic Fitment Expert at APEX since 2018, helping owners figure out the proper wheel fitments for their Camaro, Corvette, Mustang, Challenger, Charger, Cadillac, and Tesla vehicles. Prior to joining APEX, he worked as Service Advisor at an automotive performance shop. Never one to sit at a car show, Cory has had a lifelong passion for performance driving. His extensive track experience began with HPDEs in 2015. He soon got the itch to start competing in time trials, which he has been doing ever since. Among the cars he has tracked are three Mustang GTs (2005, 2006, 2011), a 2016 Fiesta ST, and his current ride, a 2010 Corvette Grand Sport with APEX SM-10RS wheels. Fun Fact: Apparently Cory’s love of speed isn’t limited to the racetrack; after not training at all, he recently ran a 5K and placed 7th out of 210 competitors.

Have questions about wheels for your domestic vehicle? Use our contact form and ask for Cory