Legend car racing

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Legend Car racing is a style of race cars. They are 5/8-scale replicas of American automobiles from the 1930s and 1940s once raced in the NASCAR modified division. The rule book committee for Legend car racing is called INEX. INEX which stands for "INEX"pensive.

The cars have very tight specifications to ensure cars are quite similar with each other. All cars utilize the same parts, engine, tires. The only variable (in theory) is the body style.

1 History
2 Race Locations
3 Engine specifications
4 Part requirements
5 Available body styles
6 Cost
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

In 1992, the officials at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway) began noticing a great need all across North America. This need was very simple: an affordable racecar with a unique design that requires little maintenance time and cost. This was brought about because many short tracks have allowed the cost of their competing racecars to escalate out of control with “loose” rules.

Car counts began to drop drastically, and at that moment, track officials estimate that 30% to 40% of the racecars in North America were not in competition because of cost. After further research, track officials noticed that when car costs went over $20,000, participation dwindled. Tracks featuring cars in the $10,000 to $15,000 price range with low maintenance expenses (cost of racing a car per race) had significantly increased car counts.

As a result of this research, in January 1992, 600 Racing, Inc. was launched and so began a highly-accelerated R&D program of a new racecar that would be affordable, race on smaller tracks and have low maintenance costs.

It was then in April of 1992 that the first Legends Car was unveiled at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The concept of creating a fun and affordable “spec” class of racing for anyone to participate in was born. President and General Manager of LMS, H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler and Elliott Forbes-Robinson, famed road racing champion, designed these 5/8-scale fiberglass full-fendered versions of the famed NASCAR modifieds driven by legendary drivers such as Fireball Roberts, Buck Baker, Curtis Turner, Speedy Thompson and Banjo Matthews.

Since that time, the Legends Cars have become one of the fastest growing segments of motorsports today. With drivers being classified into four different divisions, Legends Cars is THE racing opportunity that is available to anyone! The Pro Division is for the experienced drivers. The Masters Division features drivers 40 years and older. The Semi-Pro Division is the novice class, featuring the drivers that are new to the sport or have been inactive in other forms of racing for a while. Then there is the Young Lions Division which is designated for the drivers between the ages of 12 and 16. While the car stays the same from division to division, it is the driver that makes the difference!

The Legends Cars continue to be produced by 600 Racing, Inc. in Harrisburg, North Carolina. Currently they are the largest mass producer of racecars in the world. Presently, there are more than 3,500 Legends Cars in existence.

As we look ahead it is worth repeating the Mission Statement of the Legends Car Series:

“Legends Cars are created by 600 Racing, Inc. and sanctioned by INEX, Corp. to provide a fun and affordable racing opportunity in which anyone (experienced and inexperienced) can compete. This series is an attempt to fight the high costs involved in racing and the rules will be strictly enforced to ensure safety and cost control.”

The above statement is the foundation that the Legends Cars have grown from and will continue to grow from in the future. It is also very important to note, that while we are undertaking the task of advancing the sport of Legends Car racing, we will not forget that we are promoting a “family-oriented” sport.

[edit] Race Locations

INEX is the International Sanctioning body of the Legends, Bandolero and Thunder Roadster Cars. It's is the 3rd largest sanctioning body behind NASCAR and I.M.C.A. INEX annually sanctions over 1,700 races at over 200 different tracks. To locate a track near you, log on to 600racing.com

INEX Legends group websites and track schedules in the USA and Canada:

MICHIGAN: www.michiganlegends.com

TEXAS: etxms.com, lonestarlegends.com

CALIFORNIA: legendsforce.com

IOWA: drttrak.home.mchsi.com

MINNESOTA: greatnorthlegends.com

MISSOURI: dlra.net/index.htm

PENNSYLVANIA: blacksracing.com

UTAH: legendscars.com/index.htm

VIRGINIA: littleracecars.com

WISCONSIN: legendsracing.com,wismotorsports.net,

ONTARIO: ontariolegendsracing.tripod.com

[edit] Engine specifications

The series had a $4300 (U.S.D.) engine claim rule in 1996. ^[1]

Yamaha FJ 1200, XJR1200, or XJR1250 motorcycle engine
compression ratio is 10:1 maximum
power is approximately 122 hp (90 kW)

[edit] Part requirements

Tires: 205/13-60 BF Goodrich Comp TA HR4 (Legends spec)
Wheels: 7” wide, 13" diameter
Suspension: Coil-Overs with Bilstein shocks
Frame: Full tube frame with integral roll cage
Safety: five point harness,fuel cell,firewall,race seat, helmet,fire retardant suit,

[edit] Available body styles

34 Chevy Coupe
34 Ford Sedan
34 Ford Coupe
37 Chevy Sedan
37 Dodge Coupe
37 Ford Sedan
37 Ford Coupe
37 Chevy Coupe
37 Dodge Sedan
40 Ford Coupe

[edit] Cost

The cost of any style of legend car when it is brand new is approximately $13,000. Because the cars are required to be very similar, little money is spent upgrading the engine, which can easily overpower the required tires. The cost of maintenance is significantly less than midget cars and sprint cars.