Showing posts with label SCCA racecar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SCCA racecar. Show all posts
Thursday, April 09, 2026
Sunday, November 30, 2025
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Thursday, October 30, 2025
an extensive and terrific list of all the cheating methods and devices in racing, some are pure genius, some are incredibly imaginative innovations. I posted just my favorites, the rest are at the link
https://www.facebook.com/groups/808547945893612/posts/24926999833621753/
titanium hubs sprayed with metallic paint so the magnet would stick.
traction control chip in the MSD box.
frame rail and fire extinguisher filled with nitrous
Pro stock would run weak oil rings and loose guides so they consumed oil. Then used Used Top Fuel Oil contaminated with Nitro Methane
Alan Johnson Top Fuel car using huge amount of connection wiring from ignition control unit changing the rev limiter ceiling
Ryan Newman engineered a carburetor that didn't go against NASCAR rules but was ultimately banned because it had lower CFM to optimize fuel mileage with only a 2 HP loss. Hence gaining 7 extra laps on a tank of fuel
Gary Nelson’s pumps inside the gas dump cans to speed up the fueling time, had mercury switches so when can was upside down it turned on
SCCA late 50's into the 60's cars with tail light cut out switches to suck competitor's deeper into the corners, causing them to spin
Jim Hall’s Chaparral had a switch mated to the accelerator, which activated when the throttle pedal was deactivated. The tail lights came on before the brake pedal was ever touched, giving the impression that the brakes were applied before the brake pedal was depressed. The following car would therefore brake before the Chaparral.
Penske’s TransAm Camaros and Javelins with two gallon filler necks on the fuel tanks, because the rulebook only specified the size of the tank
Smokey's extra tall front bumper that effectively was an air dam
Stirling moss actually synchronized his watch with that of the starter. Other drivers watched for the flag to drop, Stirling was watching the second hand on his watch.
the Lancia rally team manager paid for a bunch of salt spread on roads overnight, then next morning Lancia were the only team on proper tarmac tires, everyone else expected snow on the roads.
SCCA spec racer w/ spec chassis and suspension. An accident 'repair' led to a narrowed chassis that added negative camber. Took a while for inspectors to catch it.
Knaus/Johnson getting caught drilling 1/128” holes in valve stems so the tires could be filled to the “hot” psi and as the tire heats up it bleeds off excess pressure to maintain optimum pressure.
Penske used 25kg, 55lb mufflers, to move the weight lower in the can in Australian touring cars.
My favorites are:
cars that picked up the start clock signal and released the cars from the stage start with zero drivers reaction times, but the FIA had a hunch they were doing it so just before the actual start signal, they broadcasted a fake one that got all of the cheaters to jump the start at the 1999 European grand prix
Skip the first 45 seconds
Skip the first 45 seconds
titanium hubs sprayed with metallic paint so the magnet would stick.
traction control chip in the MSD box.
frame rail and fire extinguisher filled with nitrous
Pro stock would run weak oil rings and loose guides so they consumed oil. Then used Used Top Fuel Oil contaminated with Nitro Methane
Alan Johnson Top Fuel car using huge amount of connection wiring from ignition control unit changing the rev limiter ceiling
Ryan Newman engineered a carburetor that didn't go against NASCAR rules but was ultimately banned because it had lower CFM to optimize fuel mileage with only a 2 HP loss. Hence gaining 7 extra laps on a tank of fuel
Gary Nelson’s pumps inside the gas dump cans to speed up the fueling time, had mercury switches so when can was upside down it turned on
SCCA late 50's into the 60's cars with tail light cut out switches to suck competitor's deeper into the corners, causing them to spin
Jim Hall’s Chaparral had a switch mated to the accelerator, which activated when the throttle pedal was deactivated. The tail lights came on before the brake pedal was ever touched, giving the impression that the brakes were applied before the brake pedal was depressed. The following car would therefore brake before the Chaparral.
Penske’s TransAm Camaros and Javelins with two gallon filler necks on the fuel tanks, because the rulebook only specified the size of the tank
Smokey's extra tall front bumper that effectively was an air dam
Penske used 25kg, 55lb mufflers, to move the weight lower in the can in Australian touring cars.
Friday, September 26, 2025
The 77-year-old law professor, who was former karate instructor in his 50s and a SCCA race car driver in his 60s, recently decided to enlist in the police academy. He's the oldest police recruit / rookie ever in California
But Myers did make it. After 10 months in the academy, Myers graduated with the rest of Class 5724 in November.
After a lengthy background check, Myers recently began working on the UOP campus. In doing so, Myers is now the oldest known law enforcement rookie in California history.
He is working the overnight shift and still teaching during the day.
“You can call this retirement if you want,” Myers joked. “It's my version of retirement."
He is working the overnight shift and still teaching during the day.
“You can call this retirement if you want,” Myers joked. “It's my version of retirement."
Saturday, August 23, 2025
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
rarely seen Cross Boss manifold with the top cover removed, a factory over the parts counter option, the retail example of Ford’s SCCA Trans-Am-winning homologation effort, manufactured by Buddy Bar Casting in California
SCCA tech inspectors ruled the Inline Autolite four-barrel illegal.
Fortunately, Mustang team owner Bud Moore had been developing his own intake setup simultaneously with Ford’s efforts—Moore’s intake being known as the “Mini-Plenum.” Moore’s setup used a traditional Holley carb, so he wasn’t pushing the rules in the same manner as Ford. After the Inline was DQ’d, the Ford team made a quick switch to Moore’s intakes, and the rest is pretty well history—Bud Moore Boss 302s won the 1970 Trans-Am manufacturer’s championship.
Friday, May 23, 2025
There is a free online driver development program that offers advice from the very best and most successful drivers completely for free, the Road Racing Drivers Club. (thank you Judy!)
About 300 contributors from Formula 1, IndyCar, IMSA and other top-level championships have been featured in video tutorials to bring together drivers, team bosses, engineers and other motorsport professionals who want to give back to the sport
The Mark Donohue Foundation was created by the RRDC in 2017 to support the SAFEisFAST initiative. https://rrdc.org/mark-donohue-foundation.
The Club's membership is by invitation only and includes champion race-car drivers, leading industry professionals and race officials
Friday, April 25, 2025
Saturday, April 19, 2025
Saturday, April 12, 2025
the Performance Research Racing (PRR) team entered this Challenger in the 1970 Trans-Am SCCA
Notably, the factory dashboard, interior door panels, and quarter panels remained untouched. Due to regulations prohibiting the modification of the car’s body to accommodate larger tires, the rear quarter panels were instead flared to provide additional clearance for the tires. Finally, clips and straps were added to secure the front and rear windows.
Sheet metal was welded between the back seat area and the trunk. The battery was relocated to the trunk. A chin spoiler, crafted from aluminum, was bolted on to assist with front downforce. For the rear spoiler, a Camaro spoiler was used due to the unavailability of a Mopar spoiler in time.
Initially, only corporate race teams received funding due to company politics, but by the end of 1970, even this support ceased. Independent teams like Performance Research Racing lacking factory sponsorship, couldn’t afford an engine. Consequently, their car was sold without one.
The new proprietors procured a Keith Black engine to complete the car and prepare it for racing. Feeding through a single Holley 730 cfm carburetor, the racing engine would produce around 450 hp.
Behind the engine, an A-833 4-speed manual with NASCAR gearing replaced the 727 3 spd auto. The rear axle was a stock 8¾ with 3.55 gears.
The car resurfaced on October 3, 1971, to race at Riverside Raceway in California, once the green flag dropped, the Challenger ran 13 laps but succumbed to engine failure.
This de-stroked 340 cid engine proved to be unreliable for racing. Originally not designed for racing, the 305 cid suffered from oil starvation issues going through corners at speed.
SCCA regulations prevented the use of dry-sump lubrication, which would have been an instant fix.
Raced for the 1974 season until engine let go, plus the car was ill-handling in the turns due to the fact that it was so nose-heavy. At this point, the new owner decided to move the firewall back to distribute the weight more evenly and help run on the oval track. He started on the project, but he just did not have time. The car was covered and put in the corner.
His son, in 2005, after looking at the car for 30 years, decided to restore it as it raced in Riverside back in 1971, the last attempt by an independent team.
Friday, January 10, 2025
David Tom, the founder of the Historic Trans-Am Registry and the author of The Cars of Trans-Am Racing
collects and restores historic race cars in his Apache Junction, Arizona, shop.
He has owned 15 vintage Trans-Am cars, including the 1968 Smokey Yunick Camaro, the Jerry Titus Firebird/TG Firebird, a Bud Moore prototype Cougar, a Jim Hall Chaparral Camaro, and one of the 1968 Penske/Donohue Camaros
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Tuesday, June 04, 2024
Parnelli died today. Last of the bullring ironmen racers. Winner of the Indy 500 as a driver and team owner, 100 jalopy races, the Motor Trend Riverside 500 and 4 other USAC stock car races, the 1970 Trans Am championship, Pikes Peak, 4 sprint car championships, Baja 1000 and Baja 500 in the Big Oly, member of 8 Hall of Fames. He retired over 50 years ago from driving... but he's going to be legend forever.
Robin Miller said it best: U.S. motorsport’s Mount Rushmore would feature A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney and Parnelli.
Parnelli was among those elite sports stars Shaq, Fangio, Stirling, and Shelby, etc who require only one name for everyone to know the subject of the conversation. There is only one Parnelli, and yes, he was the all-time leader of the Broke While Leading category. But winners are often the ones pushing their equipment the hardest
But Parnelli wasn't really his name, he was born Rufus Parnell Jones. And he raced a car called Ol Calhoun! That's cool, very cool, to THIS car guy!
He grew up poor—and poorly educated—and did a long, painful apprenticeship running jalopies on Southern California bullrings. Yet despite racing during what was statistically the most dangerous era in motorsports history, he was never seriously injured, and he ended up as one of the wealthiest drivers in the world.
Parnelli was the first driver at Indy to ever qualify over 150 miles per hour in 1962 and participated in the Baja 1000, raced midget cars, stock cars, sprint cars, ORVs and more during his career.
the best write up of Parnelli is at https://racer.com/2024/06/04/parnelli-jones-1933-2024
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Saturday, August 06, 2022
do you want the final racing car built by Frank Kurtis? It's got a 327, Halibrands, and Airheart Disc Brakes
When Frank Kurtis was ready to retire in 1962, he and his renowned staff designed and built a small batch of beautifully styled two-seater sports racing cars, and this car in particular, chassis 62-S1, took the concept one step further.
It was commissioned by a Houston auto parts distributor and motorcycle racer turned race car driver. He thought an Indy-type car would be an excellent basis for SCCA competition, and Frank Kurtis suggested that one could be built for both open-wheel Formula 366 and sports car races by designing a car with quickly removable fenders via Dzus fasteners.
It is the only Kurtis-Kraft racing car built with a dual-purpose body.
Sunday, July 17, 2022
playing with an SCCA race car, but on the streets and in the parking lots, and looking over the build design of it
for example, the way the hood isn't flush with the nose piece
was intended to get a little bit more air feed under the hood to either cool the engine, or supply the carb
Friday, February 04, 2022
Donna Mae Mims, the first woman to win a Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) national championship
As executive secretary at Yenko, in 1960, Mims started racing cars with friends from Yenko. She quickly became one of the top amateur race car drivers in the country, and Manager of Hi-Performance at Yenko Sports Cars.
Her career and involvement in Yenko led her to racing such cars as the Camaro, Austin Healey, MG, Corvette and Corvairs.
She worked for Yenko Chevrolet and Yenko sports car division as executive secretary for both and was the liaison for design and production with the Yenko sports car division. They worked on performance for cars such as the Duece, Camaro, Nova, Chevelle, Corvair, and Yenko Stinger.She worked closely with Zora Arkus-Duntov, Ed Cole and the pioneers of Chevrolet Racing. She coordinated parts delivery and car development of Corvette Race Cars in Canonsburg PA.
Mims freelanced as a writer for several car magazines, including Competition Press, Corvette News, SCCA’s Sports Car, and Sports Car Graphic magazines, among others.
She was a member of her SCCA Region’s Board of Directors, a driving instructor, and editor of the award-winning Region magazine, “Drift.”
She raced in the 12 hours of Sebring, and the 24 hours of Daytona with Suzy Dietrich and Janet Guthrie, in a Sunbeam Alpine
And, she was pivotal in creating the first corporate sponsored Corvette racing program, as explained in the video below, when she met the VP of Gulf Oil, Grady Davis
In November 1972, Mims participated in the third running of the official Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, as part of an all-female team in the Cannonball Run with teammates Judy Stropus and Peggy Niemcek.
Monday, November 01, 2021
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)