What are the Biggest 3 Vintages Races

[Wendell #527]

I know the Mexican 1000 is the biggie, but after that, what are the next two Vintages races you guys would do if you could only run 3 races a year?

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[TRichards]

I didn't know there were any other "vintage" off road races. But if I had the right car and the $$$ it would be Laguna Seca and Goodwin festival in England

[Rory]

If we're talking about a NORRA type race, I'm thinking the Baja 500 and maybe Vegas to Reno. The MINT 400 would be awesome but i'm thinking that course will destroy some vintage race cars. There does need to be at least one more NORRA type event added per year and I'm sure it in the planning stages but maybe not for a year or 2.

[oldschool5er]

Norra 1000, Baja 500 for sure ..... but for a state side race I like the Mint just for my own nostalgia.

[Wendell #527]

I think it would be cool if we did pick another race and have all the vintage cars go to a second race besides the Mexican 1000. Heck, seems like the Baja 500 would work. Maybe we should start getting everybody onboard with that. What do you guys think?

[Bro_Gill]

I would say Parker, V2R, and the 1000, but are you saying that these should be run like the NORRA race or would you run a vintage car at an existing promoters race? I have seen promoters offer a vintage class, and a vintage car was run at MORE a few years ago, but without other vintage cars, it didn't go anywhere. Personally, I would like to take a vintage car to La Paz...in November.

[Fandango]

What do you guys think?

The Norra 1000 is a rally, the Baja 500 is a desert race. That said, I have a leaf spring class 4 that has more motor than I do. Being semi retired with a relaxed work ethic, Mexico races are not gonna happen. Not sure why anyone would want to run a big race with old iron anyway. Myself would prefer a centrally located desert race with lower miles and a smoother course. For me the event would be just as much about show and tell as a chance to race. If you really want a couple of nostalgia classes, promoters should consider who owns the bulk of them and will show up. How about a thread dedicated to finding cars and owners, how far they will tow, how often they will enter and what they will spend. Maybe the Norra Rally for the Mexico event and a desert race with once a year vintage classes for the US event. If the SS 300 ends up on county roads again next year, I will make an effort to put the honcho back on track regardless of what classes are offered.

[Rory]

The Norra 1000 is a rally, the Baja 500 is a desert race. That said, I have a leaf spring class 4 that has more motor than I do. Being semi retired with a relaxed work ethic, Mexico races are not gonna happen. Not sure why anyone would want to run a big race with old iron anyway. Myself would prefer a centrally located desert race with lower miles and a smoother course. For me the event would be just as much about show and tell as a chance to race. If you really want a couple of nostalgia classes, promoters should consider who owns the bulk of them and will show up. How about a thread dedicated to finding cars and owners, how far they will tow, how often they will enter and what they will spend. Maybe the Norra Rally for the Mexico event and a desert race with once a year vintage classes for the US event. If the SS 300 ends up on county roads again next year, I will make an effort to put the honcho back on track regardless of what classes are offered.

The NORRA Mexican 1000 is by FAR the most relaxing off road race I've ever participated in. I can tell you there is much more "FUN" going on in the evenings than any actual "Work" for the M1K. I would not really want to RACE the Baja 500 or the MINT 400 in a Vintage vehicle but would consider a Baja 500 or MINT 400 type ralley event. More realistically would be a Vegas to Reno type event held over 2-3 days. I would be tempted to run the Baja 1000 but the route would be a deciding factor. Personally I love the rough courses but if I'm racing a One-Of-A-Kind vintage race car I need to keep it mind that they can only handle sooo much abuse, especially since most of it's life was used up YEARS ago.

Any of you guys who have not spectated, pitted, chased or raced the NORRA event, you are missing something special. I can tell you from experience that I was bitten hard by the vintage bug after the 2010 event because I didn't have the slightest interest in building a vintage vehicle for that race until I was on my way home with Jeff Furrier. After the 6 hour drive we had already planned out what vehicle we were going to restore and how we were going to go about it.

[oldschool5er]

This is just my own personnel preference because of dedicating most of my life to vw base classes. I have 3 of my original class 5 vintage racers one 5/1600 and two class 5's my prerunner is also a class 5 that I used to run with. All of these are restored back to vintage race condition or better than when I raced them in the Baja races. My problem is that two of them are mild steel cages which leaves Score out but would be ok for Norra. The other problem is my age so a Norra style race is my best option. My Daughter and her fiance are capable of racing the chromo caged class 5 in Score Baja 1k although the car won't be competitive because of it's age. In my case I just want to see them race again!! competitive or not. It is important to me to keep them being used and I am not worried about damage. I really don't care because they have lasted decades with many many races on them and many wins. I can't put em in a museum and I can't bear to let them go to someone else and I am the only one who maintained them all these decades so I have nothing to lose by running them. I am not even sure if I can keep my daughter and her soon to be husband interested and quit just playing around in them and start racing vintage races. I prefer them to be raced in Baja as the multiple loop races in the US are really hard on them after the course is torn up. Believe it or not they always survived the B1k and 500 races way better than the Mint, Parker races, and always were damaged in short course.

[Wendell #527]

Oldschool5er I hear you. I am 50 and I think this next B1K is the last race in the 5 car for me. My son is 14, and I think I'm going to start racing my old Raceco with him in some of these Vintage Races.

Rory the Mexican 1000 really does sound fun, and I can't wait to do it.

Bro Gill, I'm suggesting maybe if there was a group of Vintage enthusiasts that could pick a race or two each year (besides the Mexican 1000), maybe we could all show up and shoot the sheatt and have a fun race. V2R is good and so is Parker. It would really be cool if a promoter like MORE or SNORE would recognize Vintage classes separately. Then again, the MORE race tracks are indeed rough on my old back and my old 1985 chassis. I like the discussion, and I'd be up for whatever the Vintage masses chose to race. Closer to home is easier, but the rough tracks might reduce the number of entries we get.