V8 Supercars

bassbrad · #1 05-18-2013, 08:27 PM

Just home from the first 2 V8 Supercars races at COTA what a blast. Windy and Hot 95 degrees F. Wincup and Lowndes drove like mad men. The GT/GTS race was pretty fabulous as well.
http://www.v8supercars.com.au/
http://www.circuitoftheamericas.com/

Met quite a few Aussies today and one it seems had to come to America to see his first V8 Supercars race in person, even though he has been a long time fan of the series.

Love the track that I have been watching for the past few months on TV, what a beautiful facility.

Who will win tomorrow? Dunno but I will be there in my blue canopy chair between turns 18-19 to see!

Riverhead · #2 05-19-2013, 07:20 AM

With the series being opened up to more manufacturers this year, I have more interest in it than I have had for a long, long time. I think that Mitsubishi are going to join next year. Should be good.

COTA does look like a fantastic track to thrash around. Enjoy the day.

bassbrad · #3 05-19-2013, 08:11 AM

Nissan is having some good results and the Mercedes drivers have a lot of heart, every time Tim Slade passed turn 15 in the HHAR car he got cheers.

Passinwind · #4 05-19-2013, 11:22 AM

Sounds like a blast, hope to get down there for a race sooner than later.

bassbrad · #5 05-19-2013, 08:13 PM

'Twas another nice day of racing indeed.

Gonna have to get those F1 tix soon!

Icey101 · #6 05-19-2013, 10:15 PM

i was wondering

is there anyone in the states interested in V8 supercars?

is there an American version of this competition ?

Passinwind · #7 05-20-2013, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icey101

i was wondering

is there anyone in the states interested in V8 supercars?

is there an American version of this competition ?

Lots of us geezer types greatly enjoy the V8 Supercars, which tend to remind us a bit of the old Trans-Am series in the 60s and 70s, which was a fairly big deal with heavy factory sponsorship and some very big name drivers and team owners.

The crowd at the COTA appeared to be pretty healthy.

One Drop · #8 05-20-2013, 01:07 AM

I loved the Trans-Am series as a kid, got to see a few races during the 70s at Circuit Mont Tremblant and Mosport. There was virtually no security back then and my brother and I would sneak into the paddock and pits to watch the races.

There were lots of great drivers, some crossed over from Grand Prix. The Can-Am series was my favorite, though. Massive open two-seaters with unlimited engine size.

Passinwind · #9 05-20-2013, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by One Drop

I loved the Trans-Am series as a kid, got to see a few races during the 70s at Circuit Mont Tremblant and Mosport. There was virtually no security back then and my brother and I would sneak into the paddock and pits to watch the races.

There were lots of great drivers, some crossed over from Grand Prix. The Can-Am series was my favorite, though. Massive open two-seaters with unlimited engine size.

Yep, the Can-Am series was the coolest in a lot of ways. Tons of innovation, and just brutish things to drive.

Never managed to catch a Can-Am race live, although I saw a few of the cars run in lesser series. Lime Rock was only a few miles from the school I went to, so I saw a few Trans-Am races there during the iconic years.

Texan · #10 05-20-2013, 02:31 PM

I love this type of racing. I respect NASCAR and Drag racers, but can't stand to watch it. COTA, LeMans, whatever you want to call it is a great time.

Ripper · #11 05-20-2013, 06:28 PM

Honestly? Closest thing we have to it in this country is NASCAR. I try to follow V8SC but its difficult with pretty garbage coverage over here. Even this weekend they only showed the Sunday races live.

Can't say they chose the right track over here though. So many better courses over here for them (tighter, same size kerbs....)

Mike N · #12 05-20-2013, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icey101

i was wondering

is there anyone in the states interested in V8 supercars?

is there an American version of this competition ?

Sports networks in the USA are too busy ramming Football and Basketball down our throats to show anything cool, or if they do it's at 3am when no one is watching.

fjadams · #13 05-20-2013, 07:30 PM

My dad worked for John Fitch of Limerock Racetrack fame in early to mid sixties. Drove a Genie and a Lola in Trans-Am and also a Super Vee. Worked on and drove the Fitch Corvairs. Had a street legal one to use for a while, it was fast, and handled like crazy.

One Drop · #14 06-02-2013, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Passinwind

Yep, the Can-Am series was the coolest in a lot of ways. Tons of innovation, and just brutish things to drive.

Never managed to catch a Can-Am race live, although I saw a few of the cars run in lesser series. Lime Rock was only a few miles from the school I went to, so I saw a few Trans-Am races there during the iconic years.

I remember that crazy ass car, it was the Chaparral, the first to use ground effects. It was an ugly beast, for sure. IIRC the series died after a long period when no one could touch the Porsches, they were winning everything, but I'm sure there were other reasons as well. Those cars accelerated like drag racers and could still hold corners on road tracks, it was an extremely exciting series and the cars were absolute beasts.

My favorites were the McLarens that dominated for a few years, they were beautiful to look at and went like hell.

I was at the race mentioned in this article when the Autocoast flipped at Le Circuit in St. Jovite:

http://www.bruce-mclaren.com/info_pages.php/pages_id/10

Nice Wiki article on the series, it as very cool chapter in motor racing and I was lucky in that my father and uncle did some radio reporting for the Canadian races, so we got press passes ans got to meet some drivers, as well as sneaking in everywhere else we could. I remember being heartbroken when McLaren was killed, and resigned later when Mark Donahue came out of retirement and was killed soon after. The amazing thing was how many great drivers participated in the series, from Formula 1 particularly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can-Am

bluesblaster · #15 06-02-2013, 08:10 AM

The car in the photo above was probably the biggest contributer to the demise of the can am series. As some of you may be aware the can am series was pretty wide open as far rules and what you could run, if you could design it and build it and pass safety you were in. This car, I forget the manufacturer, had an extra motor to run a ground effects machine that literslly sucked the car down and held it to solidily to the ground at speed around turns, it was a brilliant design, probably too good, and it dominated can am in the last year or so of its existance. The rules had been taken to the extreme and it would seem the series was a victim of its own ingenuity.

That being said, I had the great pleasure of watching the can am and the trans am series during there heyday of the late sixties and early seventies, I still have lots of the race programs from what was formerly Donnybrooke raceway here in Minnesota.

I was in Los Angeles a few years ago and saw the Trans Am display at the Peterson automotive museum, it was fun to see those old restored mustangs, camaros and javelins up close again. Parnelli Jones was even there to open the exibit.

bluesblaster · #16 06-02-2013, 08:17 AM

Has anyone had the oppurtunity to catch the can am races at any of the vintage race car series? I've seen some stuff on you tube, sure brings back memories.

BTW, If any of you are drag racing fans from way back, do yourself a treat and go catch some nostalgia drag racing, preferably out in Bakerfield, CA. Its awesome. Sadly Im not sure it will last to many more years so go catch it while you can.

fjadams · #17 06-02-2013, 12:02 PM

A couple of pix of Limerock from the mid 60s.

One Drop · #18 06-02-2013, 11:11 PM

They did actually ban extra motor ground effects after a year, and the MacLarens continued to dominate until the Porsche 917 blew everything else off the track a few years later.

I saw a few Trans-Am races, also an exciting series.