This weekend at Portland is our annual vintage races.

Several of my friends are running, and I'll spend a bit of time wandering around the pits and watching the races.

This year the featured attraction is Trans Am under 2.5 Litre. That means Alfa GTA's, Datsun 510's, and maybe a BMW 2002 here and a Ford Escort there.

I have since I was old enough to remember considered such cars to be "just right". And I think of my ITR as part of that evolutionary line. There is something just fundamentally right about this type of car.

Sure you can turbo these little cars, or otherwise fool around, and you wind up with something like an IMSA GTU car. But after some time passes up pops the same basic type of car again and you get something like World Challenge Touring Car. It just can't be coincidence.

I'm kinda excited to see John Morton drive somebody's really nice 510 - I hope he enjoys it and "gets into it".

Scott, who will just barely be able to stand being at the track without driving...but it'll still beat most other choices...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RR98ITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">This year the featured attraction is Trans Am under 2.5 Litre. That means Alfa GTA's, Datsun 510's, and maybe a BMW 2002 here and a Ford Escort there.
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How about the cheater Audi, or is that too modern? I love that car. Hoppen and Audi embarrassed the hell out of the other teams for the one year they were allowed.

Warren

 

I love these cars. I am always tossing around the idea of a BRE replica in my life... when I was in high school a cool older kid had one in BRE colors and all the goodies... "510 and Furious" . I totaled my dad's 510 a week after I got my licence...been smashing up perfectly good cars ever since. I hate cars.

vj p

 

'Back in the day...'

 

one of my best racing pals has an original BRE 510. all original, down to the paint. its in rough condition and he is restoring it. should be ready in 2 years or so for the vintage circuit. his name is Ian Carpenter, in case you guys were wondering. hopefully i will get a chance to take it for a careful spin at a racetrack near you!

 

Rinde looks exactly like Morton in this shot, except his suit looks like its made out of aluminum foil and he's skinnier.

vj p

 

I explained to someone here why I don't like Spec Miata - and the 510 is a big part of that for me. During my racing formative years, all of the really GOOD racing - not the good technology - was happening in U2L TA, touring cars, and European rallying. This left me skewed toward thinking that a real racing car has 4 cylinders, about 2 liters of displacement, 2 wheel drive, four seats, and no bloody compressor.

In my perfect world, there would be a class that was something more than IT (but less than SCCA Production) that crossed disciplinary lines - road racing, rallying, autocross, and all of the derivatives. Cars would be stock bodied but feel like racing cars, and would make about 180hp. More narrowly, it would allow someone to run under all of the sanctioning bodies in road racing, so I wouldn't have to make choices...

Maybe it's time to ressurect conversations about MT2 - http://www.it2.evaluand.com/compare.php3 - I know of at least one IT Ad Hoc committee member who is hot on the idea.



Kirk

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">This left me skewed toward thinking that a real racing car has 4 cylinders, about 2 liters of displacement, 2 wheel drive, four seats, and no bloody compressor.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Sounds about right... but rear wheel drive makes it nicer.

 

"All the hard work paid off with Pete Halsmer’s XR4 achieving its first win at Road America in July ’84. This was the first win of many for the Roush XR4 team who won the 1985-‘88 Manufacturer’s Trans-Am and IMSA GTO championships, beating out Corvettes, Camaros and Porsches. "

I would love to see one of these... Let me know, and get pictures, if you do.


And make sure the ESCORTS are REALLY Escorts.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> </TD></TR></TABLE>


haaahaa. that car is sponsored by womens deodorant.

Evan
-who would gladly be sponsored by womens deodorant.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by elgorey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

haaahaa. that car is sponsored by womens deodorant.

Evan
-who would gladly be sponsored by womens deodorant.</TD></TR></TABLE>

What is even worse is it is sponsored by Motorcraft too!
Love the looks of those old Datsun's, too.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">And make sure the ESCORTS are REALLY Escorts. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Ain't that just the name of the series, not a reference to the car model?

 

CHIT!! i'd put "powered by Massengil" or "Vagisil" or "Tampax", etc, all over my H1 car if they would sponsor me!!!

todd

PS i ain't kidding, either!!!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Todd Reid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">CHIT!! i'd put "powered by Massengil" or "Vagisil" or "Tampax", etc, all over my H1 car if they would sponsor me!!!
todd
PS i ain't kidding, either!!!! </TD></TR></TABLE>
No WAY I'd let you pass me with that all over your car!!

 

I too have always had a soft spot for these cars. In fact my first car was a 70' 2002. I rebuilt it from the ground up with my father. It was a lot of fun with it's 2 liter 4, sidedraft carbs, straight-pipe, and a big Shrick cam The car was very simple, easy to work on, and a ball to drive. I wish I still had it! But I agree, the Type R is the evolutionary progression of that theme (in FWD form). I regularly attend the Vintage Races at Mid-Ohio. I love checking out the old Alfa's, the BMW's, the Datsun 510's which domminanted, etc, etc. They always put on a good show for the fans back then and they still do that today. I still consider building an ITB 2002 from time to time.

Here's a really crappy pic of my old 2002. It was Atlantik Blue with Golf Yellow wheels (two factory BMW colors from the 70's)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by phat-S &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Ain't that just the name of the series, not a reference to the car model?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, as in the ESCORT radar detector made by Cincinnati Microwave - back when Mike Valentine was still there. I think that wink was there for a reason, though...


As for the perfect race car, I think a lot has to do with the context. For me, right now, the Spec Miata is the perfect race car. They're a blast to drive, there are lots of them, you can run them in Club and Pro racing, they're easy to maintain, they're relatively cheap to fix/replace, they're not tough on tires, brakes, gearboxes, they're relevant to street cars, etc.


Photo courtesy of SpecMiataWest.com





Modified by WebbRacing.com at 9:24 AM 7/11/2003

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by phat-S &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Ain't that just the name of the series, not a reference to the car model?</TD></TR></TABLE>
yep.. I was referring to Scott's statement about seeing some Escorts there...
but to an out of the loop observer, I guess the XRs could really be mistaken for Escorts, especially with Escort across the windshield, and Ford Motorsports backing the car.

 

No No No.

This is an Escort: http://users.skynet.be/ddddv/F...1.htm

Scott, who first saw one of these in the hands of Duane Davis at SIR in the late 70's...he was truly fast and furious...

 

yeah baby

I like blue cars

 

Scott,

I agree that Miata's are just about the perfect race car. I routinely remark on this just about every weekend.

Scott, who just can't give up the ITR for a Miata though...dammit...

 

This thread is confusing me...the title says race car but all I see is sedans!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by elgorey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">haaahaa. that car is sponsored by womens deodorant. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I think it's becuase Lynn St. James was the driver.

I'd rock Depends sponsorship, Dulcolax, or anything **** cavity related if it meant I could go race.

 

i was hoping to make it to the vintage event and the the oregon trail prorally this sat n sun. instead gotta wait for some barkdust to get delivered to the house (at least only today so i can go to the rally). anyway, any of you guys goin mind snappin some pics???

heh

frito

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by XR4racer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would love to see one of these... Let me know, and get pictures, if you do.
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Omigod that takes me back to when my dad used to drag me all over the place for sportscar races! In the mid-late 80's I saw those monsters run with IMSA at Summit Point... back when the crowds were huge and you couldn't look anywhere without seeing a "CAMEL GT" logo, banner, or sticker...

SOMEWHERE I have stacks of "110 film" 3x5 color prints from Summit, including many shots of those mean *** cars. Time to dig 'em up, and fire up the scanner...

Thanks for the flashback,

Jon

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RR98ITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">No No No.

This is an Escort: http://users.skynet.be/ddddv/F...1.htm

Scott, who first saw one of these in the hands of Duane Davis at SIR in the late 70's...he was truly fast and furious...
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Do you know if the early mark 1-3 escorts an cortinas (sp?) where released in america?