For anyone not familiar with what a Legends Car is, think of a shrunken, old school, jalopy-style circle-track car powered by a motorcycle engine. They are exceptionally cooler than that short explanation would lead you to believe. The NHRA has seen fit to add a class and rules for the cars to compete on the strip. Normally they are run on short ovals and an occasional road course. Now they are legal at the digs!
While this is cool news, we can say for certain that these cars have seen a drag strip before in organized competition. A Legends series in New England had, for two years, a drag racing event as part of their season long points chase. Our vivid recollection was that the guys driving the Legends Cars hated the hell out of it, but we got a kick out of watching. These guys were running in the low 13s and high 12s with short-track gearing in the cars.
The truly bitchin’ event would be held at a place like zMax Dragway, where the competitors could make laps at the short oval located on the infield of Charlotte Motorspeedway and then (with a police escort) drive across the way to the strip and duke it out there, all in the same day. That would be a hoot to see!
Here’s the full release from the NHRA:
NHRA officials, along with INEX, the international sanctioning body of Legend Cars manufactured by U.S. Legend Cars International (formerly 600 Racing Inc.), announced the addition of rules allowing the Legend Cars to compete at NHRA member tracks across the country.
More than 5,000 Legend Cars, Yamaha motorcycle-engine-based small coupe or sedan-bodied race cars, have been manufactured by U.S. Legend Cars International, a subsidiary of Speedway Motorsports Inc. The affordable vehicle, mostly found on short tracks around the country, will now have the opportunity to compete at NHRA’s 140 member tracks across the country.
“Drag racing has generally had a class for just about everyone’s interest, so the addition of the Legends Cars to NHRA Drag Racing at our member tracks is another great opportunity for a new group of racing enthusiasts to enjoy our sport,” said Jay Hullinger, NHRA North Central Division director. “Some of our multiuse facilities have been running Legends Cars on their oval track or road course, and now they can offer grudge or bracket racing on their dragstrip. NHRA and INEX’s goals are the same in that we both want to provide fun and affordable racing.”
INEX conducts racing on oval tracks and road courses across the United States and in more than 12 countries. U.S. Legend Cars, along with INEX, have worked to provide a fun and affordable racing opportunity in which anyone (experienced and inexperienced) can compete. The series and vehicles were created to fight the high costs involved in racing with rules that strictly enforce and ensure safety and cost control.
“The introduction of Legend Cars to full-fledged drag racing with the top drag racing sanctioning body, NHRA, is way overdue. I am excited about providing another opportunity for our racers to have fun with their Legend Cars,” said INEX Executive Director Darrel Krentz. “The Legends Cars will be fun cars to drag race and should be very exciting to watch.”
I have been dragracing my 34 ford Legends for 11 years, slowly digging into the 10 second bracket,122 mph with the factory FJ motor. Ford 8″ rear, engine by Schnitz, 68 h.p. shot N2O on a Schnitz controller, air shifter, Webb cams, Makuni flat-slides(40mm), 2 step, M.T. 81/2 ” drags, 4″ M.T. frontrunners. Darrel told me 10 years ago “You’llnever see a Legends car on the dragstrip, and you’ll Never see one in the 10’sWell, I did it with my idea of dragracing 10 years before Darrels “blessings” and His “Proud Pappa” idea of an N.H.R.A. sanction.—Looking for other FJ powered legends that think they can best me. IF IT’S NOT FJ POWERED, IT”S A FLUB-A-DUB!!–Nitrous Mike