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ARE SPORTS CARS STOCK CARS?

Bill Hupp
@bill-hupp
15 years ago
32 posts
Having been a fanatic for all motorsport for better than 4 decades now, I was instantly in lust for this site. I immediatly joined here, as well as drag and open-wheel sections, and jumped right in uploading some of my favorite pics to share.My question now becomes, would European makes, Touring cars, rally cars, etc., be acceptable on this site? They aren't drag cars or open-wheelers, and there is as yet no "Road-Racers Reunion" section.The admin kindly accepted my Porsche 917 shot, but I want to hear from other members opinions on seeing things other than traditional stock cars on this site.
updated by @bill-hupp: 12/03/16 05:48:10PM
Jeff Gilder
@jeff-gilder
15 years ago
1,783 posts
Bill,I will gladly provide a "SPORTS CAR RacersReunion"...or "ROAD RacersReunion" site if there is interest. We recently added an OFF Road RacersReunion...hasn't been much interest there yet...planning to add a DIRT RacersReunion. We want to accomodate all forms of racing eventually. We appreciate your interest!!Jeff


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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®
Jeff Gilder
@jeff-gilder
15 years ago
1,783 posts
Also want to add this...we are very much interested in accomodating all forms of vintage racing and would like to get that word out to the vintage sports car groups as well. Just tell me which name you think best fits a site for sports cars and I'll put it on the list of "to do" things.Jeff


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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®
Bill Hupp
@bill-hupp
15 years ago
32 posts
Well we both know that motorsport, like music, has it's share of crossover. I'd offer that "Road Racers Reunion" would fit just fine, allowing for F1, endurance, SCCA, even rally. A nice rounded meal seems to me.
Jeff Gilder
@jeff-gilder
15 years ago
1,783 posts
Then I will add Road RacersReunion to the "to do" list...stay tuned.


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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®
Henry Jones
@henry-jones
15 years ago
31 posts

Bill, I am with you on this and plan to discuss with Jeff while he is in Augusta.World wide, which is where Racers Reunion is headed, sports car racing is much more popular than stock cars. Not being negative toward stock cars just trying to look into the future for Racers Reunion.I love watching race cars turn left and right, shifting gears and different speeds on track at the same time. NASCAR could learn something from the "sporty" cars.
Bill Hupp
@bill-hupp
15 years ago
32 posts
And you have 2 of my favorites in your illustration, Henry, although most of the top of my list are red with the Prancing Horse.I also always loved the early 60s "kits", Cheetah, Bocar, and the like.
Bill Hupp
@bill-hupp
15 years ago
32 posts
Ask and ye shall recieve. It was 1994.
Leon Phillips
@leon-phillips
15 years ago
626 posts
Ya Guys i found out about the Mitty at Road A T L and went from there to V I R to Sebring F L to Robeling Road in Sav G A I hate i did not pay more ati to trans am raceing and outher forms of raceing than what i did i missed a lot now i am trying to catch up with the help from Gean Felton and Dale Phelon and Henery and Gary Jones
Henry Jones
@henry-jones
15 years ago
31 posts
Check out the sports cars that visited the Augusta 3 mile road circuit that is being developed into Diamond Lakes Regional Park.You will need to copy and paste this link into your browser. http://www.augustainternationalraceway.com/cobras.html For those coming to Augusta you will still be able to hear these cars 45 years later as they zoom past the Diamond Lakes Community Center!Henry
Bill Hupp
@bill-hupp
15 years ago
32 posts
Thanx for the pics Henry I especially liked the color shots of the Cheetahs.
Henry Jones
@henry-jones
15 years ago
31 posts
Bill, the Cheetah was one bad race car.Several times between 1995 and 2005 I was on track with these monsters while doing the Historic Racing thing.They had issues in the turns because of center of gravity and all that stuff they covered in school while I played hooky, but going in a straight line they passed me many, many times.
David Alfred Bayer
@david-alfred-bayer
15 years ago
9 posts
My Answer is they can be. But I think they should be at least loosely based on or at least resemble a street car. To put it into persepective, as you must be a Porsche guy go a great extent, I would think 911 race cars, 930 Widebodies, perhaps even production class 914's, Paul Smith's 924 Trans Am GT I SCCA car would be acceptable stock cars. I've always seen them as such be they road race or Rally. I think most Rallye cars are very akin to stock cars and acceptable. 917'S AND 956'S however aren't even sillouette cars. They are purely big time racing prototypes, more or less Can Am cars with roofs and they just don't have that stock car feel to them as the Trans AM cars, GTO or early Imsa type cars did, or GT I , super GT types do. Not to say I didn't love the Can Am but they weren't stock cars. Touring cars, Australian Super Touring, oh yeah, I think they're stock cars.And those of you who would question then, should Nascar cup cars since say 2001 and especially the Cot's then qualify as Stock cars? And I would say, that is a very good question! lol but true. What in the heck are they? Do they fit in any catagory?
Bill Hupp
@bill-hupp
15 years ago
32 posts
Excellent points Dave, I certainly see the angle you're taking. Actually, the topic will become moot when Jeff finally gets off his duff and creates "Road Racers Reunion ( Just kidding Jeff ).I think I would still call the COT a stock car, if nothing else because of it's family tree. Besides, those radical wedge dirt lates from the 80s were "stock cars", as are modifieds.By the way, have you seen a German touring car recently? They're durn near approaching prototype level.
Bill Hupp
@bill-hupp
15 years ago
32 posts
By the way...anyone reading this I'd appreciate checking my other post called "What the Heck"......the situation is still a real mystery to me.
Henry Jones
@henry-jones
15 years ago
31 posts
I personally have an issue with spec racing and a lot of the series fall into this catagory.But, the unique thing about sports cars and the thing I love, is that even if sports car racing developed into a spec series (it is not there, at least not yet) there would be different classes on track at the SAME time providing enjoyment for the fans and drivers, while going left and right, uphill and downhill, up and down the gearbox and hours of action packed racing when the Enduro's kick in.There is nothing like being at a track providing 3, 4 or 5 days of car racing in the lesser series while getting ready for a 12 hour Sebring or a 24 hour LeMans event.I love it!
David Alfred Bayer
@david-alfred-bayer
15 years ago
9 posts
You and I are definatley on the same page Bill. I worry that the Cup is becoming a spec series, but agree now, they are still in the family tree.
Henry Jones
@henry-jones
15 years ago
31 posts
Again, not being negative but fans must understand that on a global scale NASCAR is not a player. There is a lot of racing going on out there beyond our shores and it is all very exciting. The F1 group has issues but it is very impressive to me that they compete all over the globe and each team uses three 747's to haul their equipment around.
Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
15 years ago
3,259 posts
old sports cars are really unique to look at and the people that raced them i have sympathy for them because very little protection was provided back in the day mainly because most were open cockpits ---i dont think think they be compatible on the same track together because if they touch wonder what would happen--ive always thought sportscar racing was a gentlemens spot where one driver holds the door for another or pulls over when a car comes up behind him --thats my spin but as usual we will be be bumping and running on answers to this question---------------------------------memories
Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
15 years ago
3,259 posts
well if you are describing the cars that todays drivers use in sprint cup,they are cookee cutter cars,one stamp fits all,otherwise known as Cars Of Tin (cot) you cant tell a toyota from a chevy or a ford from a dodge --if you take the decals off them they are clones --all the bodies are the same,window nets,wings(left over bleacher seats),front spoilers,even the wheel openings are all the same.if they wreck you cant tell who from whoever go back to the day and cars had personality,unique motor sounds,shapes like women,each different but all pretty and you didnt need to write in big letters what kind of car it was because you could tell------------------------------------------memories
Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
15 years ago
3,259 posts
robbie you are harsh on your talking but you are right on your description of our sport unless something changes and fairly fast our sport will become just a local tier arena sport with no global shine.shoemaker and montoya are names known world wide but gordon and johnson are only known in the states,why they have won races just like others --would it be the cars?surely our sport is as physical as f1 maybe more ,at least ours can touch without wheels flying off or a complete nose assembly shattering in the wind but maybe thats the catch --destruction all at once vs junk yard wars----------------------------memories
Bill Hupp
@bill-hupp
15 years ago
32 posts
Johnny my friend, road racing USED to be much more polite, but nowadays if you look at GrandAm with the battles that Pruett and the Gainsco boys have, you can see just how impolite it has become. Maybe because GrandAm is in cahoots with NASCAR?
Henry Jones
@henry-jones
15 years ago
31 posts
Bill, when I was out and about with the Grand Am series they were in face a France organization, kind of a coursin of NASCAR.
Kevin Andrews
@kevin-andrews
15 years ago
12 posts
Take a look at the Grand American cars back in 67-72. Those were sportscars racing on Dirt oval, Road Course, and Paved oval.
Henry Jones
@henry-jones
15 years ago
31 posts
Yes, they actually had one event here in Augusta on the 1/2 mile paved oval.
Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
15 years ago
3,259 posts
Maybe this is an answer-- you dont see motors out of a jag in a Volkswagen or a rear end out of a Mercedes in a Porsche or a front axle or a 3/4 ton rear out of a truck under a Volvo and I may be wrong but ive never seen a quick change under a European sports car and most of all they have tendency to go the wrong way on tracks,maybe thats the reason driver is located elsewhere in cockpit . Other than that that they are race cars with unique sounds and are fickle to work on.But I think if enough interest was shown im sure the Master of sorts would apply his magical powers to the site and --poof-- your sports car page would appear,just watch for the sparks to appear and wait for the smoke to clear before attempting to -----------------------------------------------memories