Legends Car Specifications
History of Legends Cars
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 600 Racing's State of the Art Manufacturing Facilityexperienced 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.
Legends Car information courtesy of 600 Racing, Inc.
