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Loosenuts Legends
Info
The Original Online Source For Legends
Cars Information
What
is a Legends Car?
What
are the different fiberglass body
styles offered?
What
can I add to my Legends Car and what can I
adjust?
What
is the maintenance program for the Legends Cars?
What
keeps Legends Cars racing affordable?
What
can I expect in the way of first year expenses?
How
many cars are in competition today?
How
often do the Legends Cars race?
Do
the Legends Cars only compete on ovals?
What
makes Legends Cars visually appealing?
What
are future plans for the Legends Cars?
Where can I
find out more about Legends Cars?
What is a Legends Car?
 In April of 1992, a revolutionary new race car,
the Legends Car, was unveiled at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
H.A. "Humpy” Wheeler, President and General Manager of CMS,
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, Curtis Turner, Buck
Baker, Speedy Thompson, and Banjo Matthews. The idea was to create a
fun, safe, and affordable "spec" class of racing for
everyone.
Competitors are not
permitted to make any major changes to the original car. Add a
strict set of rules including a $4,300 engine claim rule and a tough
technical inspection, and you have a series that is fair for
everyone involved.
The cars feature a
“new” Yamaha FJ 1200 motorcycle engine which produces
approximately 125 horsepower. Horsepower is not a significant factor
in the Legends Cars Series because
the rules require the use of a 13 inch, 60 series BF Goodrich radial
"Legends Edition" tire mounted on a 7-inch wide steel wheel. The
tire is of a moderately hard compound and no alterations may be made
to the tires.
In test runs on both
1/4-mile dirt and asphalt ovals, the drivers found that it is almost
impossible to reach the 80% power band because of the limited tire
traction. Eliminating the need for the final 20% of the power band
prevents a driver from being able to "stand on the gas" in the
corners, thus putting more challenge and fun back into driving. This
is a great cost containment program since one could spend well over
$10,000 on an engine for more horsepower which really would not make
much of a difference in performance since the radial tires could not
handle the extra power. The "spec" tires also last for many races
(at least 30) thus keeping the cost of maintenance as much as 75%
lower than late model stock cars,
midgets, or sprint cars.
Legends Cars are sold
only through 600 Racing, Inc and its authorized dealers. A
full tubular roll cage sits atop the frame rails which are firmly
braced. The cars utilize a recycled Toyota rearend, front disc and
rear drum brakes, rack and pinion steering, Carrera coil-over shock
suspension on all four corners, a four-gallon fuel cell, AC Delco
battery, Simpson five-point safety belts, factory manufactured
racing seat, Moog Automotive suspension components, Wagner brakes,
and Belden wire & cable. Both doors are operational for easy
entrance and exit of the cars.
Wheelbase =
73"
Overall width = 60"
Overall length = 10' 6" (with
bumpers)
Height = 46"
Weight = 1,080 to 1,200 pounds (maximum
52% left side and rear %)
Engine = stock Yamaha FJ 1200
(compression ratio < 10: 1)
Tires = spec 205/13R60 BF Goodrich
TA Comp HR4 Legends Edition
Wheels =
Steel; 7" wide; 13" diameter; 3"- 3 1/4"
offset
What are the different fiberglass body styles
offered?
- 1934 Ford
Sedan
- 1934 Ford Coupe
(w/suicide doors)
- 1937 Ford Flatback
Sedan
- 1937 Ford Coupe
- 1940 Ford Sedan
- 1937 Chevy
Coupe
- 1937 Chevy Flatback
Sedan
- 1937 Dodge Coupe
What can I add to my Legends Car and what can I
adjust?
The official Legends
Cars rulebook is your guide as to what you can and cannot do with
the car. It tells you exactly what you can add or change on the car,
and if it is not stated, then it should be considered illegal. Some
of the things that may be added
include oil coolers, electric fans, duct work, tachometers, fire
extinguishers, mirrors, and safety related items such as roll bar
padding.
The only adjustments
that may be made are front end camber, caster, and toe; tire
pressures; spring rates; rear end gear ratios; and the weight
distribution by setting the coil over
suspension.
What is the maintenance program between the races
for the Legends Cars?
Legends Cars require about three to four
hours maintenance between races provided that there are no serious
problems. The program includes cleaning the car, changing the oil,
checking all fluids, cleaning the air filters, checking the
tightness of all bolts, checking for broken or damaged parts, and
setting up the car for the upcoming race. A recommended maintenance
program and set-ups are all explained in the detailed "New Owner
Packet" that every owner receives when they purchase their
car.
What keeps Legends Cars racing
affordable?
The strict rulebook and
the enforcement of these rules has been the method that INEX,
Corp. has used to keep the costs of the cars at a bare
minimum. With all of the cars being manufactured by 600 Racing,
Inc., all of the cars are exactly the same in terms of
suspension point locations when the cars come out of the shop. A set
of twenty technical inspection
jigs have been developed to assure that the original locations are
maintained on every car, The "hard" spec tire and narrow wheels do
not allow a driver to utilize all of the power from the engine thus
eliminating the need to spend more money for extra
horsepower.
The only routine cost
between races is for oil, oil filter, about five gallons of gas, and
quarters for the car wash provided that there are no other problems
such as bend bumpers or broken fenders. The fiberglass fenders are
easily repaired with a simple fiberglass repair kit and the bumpers
can be repaired with a large hammer or replaced for about $30.
What can I expect in the way of
first year expenses?
An average budget for the first year
can range from $15,000 to $20,000 which includes the cost of the
car, a trailer, driver's apparel (helmet, suit, shoes, etc.), and
maintenance.
How many cars are in competition
today?
To date there are more
than 2500 existence. There are car owners from 42 states, 5 foreign
countries, and the series is gaining momentum with every race.
Legends Cars drivers
come from all walks of life and range in age from 12 to 80.
How often do the Legends Cars
race?
In 1992, the first year
of the Legends Racing Series there were only 14 races in three
states. In 1993, the Legends Racing Series was comprised of more
than 50 point and non-point races in seven states. In 1995, the AC
Delco Legends Racing Series literally exploded with 680 races at 150
different tracks including events in Canada, Mexico, England and
Australia. In 1996, there have been over 950 races at 198 different
tracks. This incredible growth has made the Legends Racing Series
the fastest growing form of motorsports in the world today! Each
year all drivers, sponsors and car owners are invited to the
exclusive Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway for a year end
banquet. At the 1995 banquet over $75,000 in prize money was
distributed. Of course the banquet
is just a small part of the action at Charlotte Motor Speedway when
the Legends Cars compete in the National Championships. 250 Legends
Cars attended the 1996 AC Delco National Championships and close,
"wheel to wheel" competition was the order of the weekend, as the
Legends drivers put on a great show for the ever growing fan base at
Charlotte. With Legends Car sales at an all time high, 1997 is
assured to be even more of a success as we continue to grow and
improve on our series.
At Charlotte Motor
Speedway, the cars are divided into four divisions; the Pro,
Semi-Pro, Chargers, and Masters. The cars do not change in the
least, the drivers racing experience makes the difference. The Pro
division showcases racers who have actual racing experience and
drivers who have just moved up from the Semi-Pro division. The
Semi-Pro division features drivers who just purchased their cars and
have limited racing experience. The Chargers division consists of
drivers who have no racing experience, but this division offers them
valuable track time without the pressure of racing with the
experienced drivers. The Masters division is for drivers age 40 and
older. The various divisions offer the opportunity to race with
competition that is at your level, in order to give everyone an
equal chance of success. Another advantage of this separation is
that it allows more than one driver to compete with the same car on
any given night. For instance: a father may compete in the Masters
division while his son competes in the Semi-Pro division races on
the same night.
Do
the Legends Cars only compete on ovals?
No, the Legends Cars
are legal for competition in SCCA events. Elliott Forbes-Robinson
(EFR) has won several solo SCCA events in his Legends Car. "It
stunned everyone." said EFR about the first SCCA event that the
Legends Car competed in.
What makes Legends Cars visually
appealing?
One of reasons for the
success of the Legends Car is undoubtedly the car's appearance.
These fiberglass-bodied cars are almost exact replicas of the 1934
and 1940 Fords and Chevys that founded the grassroots of rating as
we know it, and remain extremely popular today. Every two inches of
the original car bodies were measured and reduced by computers to
insure authenticity. Unlike larger, full-size cars, the Legends Car
has a "cute" appearance at first glance. But 120 horsepower of
Yamaha FJ 1200 will quickly dispel any notions that this race car
means anything but business. Additionally, 600 Racing, Inc.
offers various colors of Legends Cars: white, black, red,
yellow, and blue gel coat finishes are standard options on every
car.
What are future plans for the Legends
Cars?
The Legends Cars are
here to stay! National television coverage for the Legends Cars was
quite extensive in 1996, with 28 races shown either live or tape
delayed on ESPN, ESPN2, SportSouth and Prime Network. A national
television summer series is also scheduled for 1997. Legends Cars
will be shown live on SportSouth and Prime Network every Tuesday
night starting in June 1997. The series will consist of ten weeks of
racing and each race will be broadcast live.
Many of the top Legends
Car drivers have used the AC Delco Legends Racing Series as a
stepping stone into other forms of professional racing. There are
numerous former Legends Car racers in the NASCAR Winston Racing
Series, two former Legends Car racers in the NASCAR Super Truck
Series and one in the Goody's Dash Series. As media coverage
continues to rise we expect many up and coming drivers to use this
series as a way of proving their driving ability.
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