Any Road Racers around here?

[Brian Lohnes]

Hey guys,

While I know there are lots of drag racers and LSR fanatics on the board I'm wondering who out there is into the road racing genre? SCCA, NASA, Open Track events, what are you competing in an where?

My foray into the world of SCCA racing lasted through my 4 college years. I was involved with a group of guys running a VW Rabbit in the ITC Category. Days of stories about that deal, but to sum it up briefly, we got the University of Massachusetts to buy us a car and give us money each semester to compete with it. We ran it all over the place from Lime Rock to Watkins Glen, even some endurance racing at events like 12 hours at the point. It was the greatest scam ever and we had a blast.

Here are some photos of a car we lovingly dubbed "Penny the Piss Rocket"

[KeithTurk]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

Tonya and I hang out with the sporty car crowd now and again... matter of fact we're going to Roebling road in Savana the weekend after the top speed shoot out... a buddy of ours is racing ... ( a lotus and another Lotus Cortina )... course the Sonoco Camaro will be there... ( the actual lightweight car )

Hmmm fun stuff

K

[Two Lane Blacktop]

Any Road Racers around here?

SCCA is neat stuff! --

Participating w/o major-$$$ is still "doable" in right class, w/right car.


Used to assist a Mazda team at Chimney Rock. Sadly, that event is no more.

The closest we've been since is subscribing to Grassroots Motorsports. ;)



(Here's 2 dedicated road-racers

http://www.csfgraphics.com/blog_stuff/november/speed_racer_capesnbabes.gif

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

I don't even like wine and cheese

[Ron Ward]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

I don't even like wine and cheese

They gave up the wine and cheese years ago. It is tea and crumpets, now.

;D


Ron

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

I spent a lot of time in my youth at Lime Rock , Bridgehampton and Watkins Glen . Fancy Food and fancy people , road racing is fun , but , on the east coast it is a rich man's sport

I can't wait until Raceway Park opens up the new road course there , the Napp family will make it cool

[fast Ed]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

Nothing current, other than instructing at open-track days, when my T-Bird SC gets thrashed on. I did do some amateur CASC (Canuck equivalent of SCCA) stuff at Mosport and Watkins Glen with the 87 5.0 Mustang I had, Showroom Stock class. Our SS rules were closer to old Firehawk rules, not as strict as SCCA SS.

Also co-drove in Longest Day of Nelson Ledges (Ohio) 24 hr. and a Firehawk 12 hr. at Sebring in a friend's 5.0L Mustang ... Tom Hnatiw, the big pumpkin-headed guy on Dream Car Garage. He wasn't quite so large in the 1990s, he still fit in most cars back then. :D

Oh yeah, a 24 hr. at Mosport in an Escort GT. Going down corner two at night there is a blast (blind drop 90 ft.). Did a bunch of crewing in Motorola Cup (now Grand-Am Cup, Koni Challenge) for a Hyundai Canada supported team running a Tiburon.


We need more road race guys on here!!


cheers
Ed N.

[Dynoroom]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

Several guy's on the forum are or have been involved with SCCA Pro or IMSA road racing. Dave, Vic and a couple others too.

Here we were with the IMSA GT/O Mustang in '93



Did some vintage racing too. Montrey Historic's around '98




Even did some stuff at Indy.....

[JRoberts]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

SCCA is neat stuff! --

Participating w/o major-$$$ is still "doable" in right class, w/right car.


Used to assist a Mazda team at Chimney Rock. Sadly, that event is no more.

The closest we've been since is subscribing to Grassroots Motorsports. ;)



(Here's 2 dedicated road-racers

http://www.csfgraphics.com/blog_stuff/november/speed_racer_capesnbabes.gif

I remember going to the Chimney Rock Hillclimb in the early '70's. It was a blast. Yes, indeed it is too bad it is no longer. It was fun weekend.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

See...now that's what I'm talkin about.

Heck of a resume dude!

I know the SCCA crowd gets dumped on as guys who can't even change their own oil, but that's truly a load of crap. As a life long drag racing guy I had the same attitude going in. It was something like this:

We're going to race a VW?
We're going to run for no prize money?
We're going to race a VW?


What I found were a group of racers just as hard core as any of the sportsman drag racers I have been around and just as accomodating. I'd have to ake umbridge withthe "rich man's game" as well. We ran a late 1970's/early 1980's VW on 2,000 a semester. We literally went dumpster diving for tires, built the motors in our apartments/dorm rooms and had a blast.

If there's ever a race going on near you, go check it out. It's a cheap ticket and you'll see just as much thrashing in the pits as you will at a drag strip match race.

Brian

[min301]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

The extent of my road racing was in autocross,
and the old AMA class-Formula Extreme.

[racepics]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

I am a big fan of roadracing especially vintage roadracing. A fellow gearhead hates
roadracing he only likes the 1/4 mi. straight line (which is cool too) but he was always knocking
roadracing so I told him terms he would understand:

Racing is like sex:
roadracing is full of tight curves long straight aways and above all endurance, some even lasting
for 24 hours!!

drag racing is short straights and you are done in 4-15 seconds!! ;D

[std]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

I'll try to find a few pics to post, But I've done a couple things.

In 1988 we came in 1,2,3 at 24Hrs at Mosport with Steve Saleen.

I have a Les Lindley T shirt somewhere. I'll have to dig it out.

We do HSR now with a Riley chassis and a Judd 5.0l V10. Wine and cheese racing. It's how racing should be. Sounds like it's similar to LSR in attitude.

Let me find some pics.

[zombie289]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

Did open track back home, and will do so here once I have one of my cars finished... Prepped and crewed on a few vintage race cars back home too...mainly Cortinas and a 63 Nova
Heres a coupla crappy pics of my ol girl....

[Darren N.]

Re: Any Road Racers around here?

Days of stories about that deal, but to sum it up briefly, we got the University of Massachusetts to buy us a car and give us money each semester to compete with it. We ran it all over the place from Lime Rock to Watkins Glen, even some endurance racing at events like 12 hours at the point. It was the greatest scam ever and we had a blast.

Awesome! So how much convincing did that take? haha

I'd love to get something going like that at my university. We're involved in Formula SAE and Mini Baja but it would be awesome to compete in a real class.