If the idea of a MkII Toyota Supra lining up on the starting grid opposite a Mitsubishi Starion gets your motor going, then this is the race series for you. The new Motor Racing Legends JD Classics series will pit touring cars from 1977-1985 against each other, running period correct specs.
Unfortunately, this will take place in Europe only. However, that means the field will be populated with cars like the BMW 635csi, Merkur/Sierra XR4Ti. The organizers are looking to include production cars from the American IMSA as well, which means Mazda RX-7s and Datsun 280ZXs!
The organizers believe that “a lot of the genuine race cars still exist, sitting in garages, but they’re not being brought out en masse as there isn’t a series catering exclusively for them… It’s a time that many of us remember clearly, and even more of us would like to see revived as a historic race series.” The inaugural checkered flag drops at the Donington Historic Festival, April 29 to May 1, 2011.
Sounds awesome. What’s the blue car?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_SD1
> What’s the blue car?
Rover SD1.
There are a lot of drivers here in Canada with cars for this class just waiting for for a class to open like this, now that it is official maybe we will see some here.
Or even at the vintage races. Mosport and (I’m thinking Mazda Raceway).
Nice! 🙂
Might want to go and visit it this year then! 🙂
Only if they manage not to screw it up like the SCCA. 1980-1985 was the rise of the turbocharger in Japan. SCCA has historically banned turbochargers from all competition. The exception is the new Super Touring class, where they require something ridiculous like a 3/4 inch intake restrictor or a 3,000 pound minimum weight penalty. Most people interested in racing these cars don’t even consider that as an option, and by the time the diehards prove the restrictions are keeping the cars from being competitive, the series has already died. Who would have thought pushrod-rednecks run the SCCA too.
MA61/70 Supras, Starions, AE86 and AE82 corollas, even a HR31 GTS-R ran in various European/UK group A formulas. Plenty of scope for historic Japanese tin to be involved!
Australia has loads of races for cars from this period (in different classes/forms of modification), unfortunately we didn’t get some models from different manufacturers (ie the Sierras)
Cool. I wish we had that around the states. I’d like to try my 87 S12 Silvia at that race. 🙂