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Re: Vintage ovals

To: atroz@compuserve.com
Subject: Re: Vintage ovals
From: "Edwin Smith" <EHSMITH@us.oracle.com>
Date: 31 Dec 97 09:12:45 -0800
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YESSSS!  We have vintage STOCK CAR racing on ovals.  For those of you down
under, this is NASCAR, primarily and happens most often in the S'east, where
most of the cars seem to be. NASCAR series runs two road courses a year,
Sears and the Glen and most teams have built a car specifically for road
courses.  That way they don't have to mess so severely with the suspensions
as they are offset for the roundy round stuff.  The road race cars sell used
for less than the roundy round cars and we now have a group of 'em forming
to vintage/historic road race...

In the 60's, stock cars were pretty close to factory stock.  They've evolved
into tube frame bohemoths that barely resemble the production cars they're
supposed to represent.  I got my racing start in stockers, asphalt and dirt
1/2 mile tracks in New England so I have a soft spot for 'em.  It is quite
thrilling to watch 30 of 'em on a big tri-oval going 160+mph door to door
and bumper to bumper with 700 hp each.......many road racers, especially my
Porsche friends eschew the stock car platform.  I was watching an IMSA race
last year at Sears Point and a class S2 Porsche twin turbo was leading the
pack with a GTA(stock car, 400hp)car in the same run group was right on his
butt.  We commented that there was something wrong with this
picture.....there was a $400K Porsche and a $40K stock car, nose to
tail.....and the GTA car sounded better(V8).

Also, the $$ in stock cars has brought a lot of technology to the platform. 
They track like a train on rails and drivers walk away from some incredible
crashes....  Plus, spectators can see the whole track, even Sears Point is
reconfiguring so spectators can see the entire track from almost any vantage
point.  On most road courses, you're very limited to what you can see. IMHO
this is the main handicap to spectator participation......TV has made the
touring car series and other road races palatable to spectators with a
camera on each corner, instant replay, etc.......

Ted

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Date: 30 Dec 97 17:15:16
From:Jeremy Braithwaite <ATROZ@compuserve.com>
To:Patrick Young <ply@adtrading.com> 
Subject:Vintage ovals
Cc:Vintage Race <VINTAGE-RACE@autox.team.net> 
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Patrick

<<Of course given that they race HQs on ovals too, I look forward to the
first
all-historic meeting at the Thunderdrome myself!>>

Agree entirely .... I've always thought a Brooklands Reenactment at the
Thunderdome would be a fantastic idea.  The only problem is getting a track
licence out of CAMS for 5th category vehicles.

Perhaps the other members of the list in North America may care to advise
whether there is any precedent for vintage vehicles running on ovals.

regards



Jeremy Braithwaite
Age & Treachery Racing Australia

For details of FF rentals, test days and corporate days see:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/atroz

1970 Lotus 61MX - Team Holland
1976 Bowin P6F
1983 Reynard FF83 
1986 Isuzu FVR Pantechnicon
1972 Datsun 240Z
1993 RF93 Van Diemen with 95 update - deposit paid
1997 Ford Falcon XR8 Tickford
A large collection of model cars

Investor in the Lance Ruting Collection of motorsport photographs
regards

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