Motorheads Do Exist Outside the United States

And their events are just as dangerous as ours!

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

Yes, there are countries outside the U.S. that take their motor sports as seriously as we do. Although sometimes different than the way we show appreciation for our automobiles, it is entertaining and even enlightening to take a look at how other cultures treat their auto obsessions.

Countries from just about every continent participate in motor sports very much like ours. In addition to car shows, fairs, auctions, museums and other automobile events around the world, most all are involved in racing. Formula One, stock car and drag racing are all popular in different countries, and while they may have their own variations such as road racing, it's not without the same type of challenges and perils, including injuries, we see here in America.



Brighton National Speed Trials
in the United Kingdom



Oldest Continuous Running
Event first run  in 1905



The Brighton National Speed Trials made news this earlier this month when a man and woman racing in a motorcycle with sidecar crashed.

Sadly, the 38 year old woman died. The driver, a 63 year man, was badly injured with a head injury. Remarkably, no other vehicles were involved and no one else was hurt.

The Brighton National Speed Trials in the United Kingdom is the oldest continuous running event for cars and motorcycles, and the event attracts men and women from all over the world in competition and as spectators. The tradition officially began in 1905 even though the event was first suggested in 1902. After just two events, a ban on racing on public roadways was made, and it disrupted the race until a new club called the Brighton and Hove Motor Club discovered that Madeira Drive, where the race was run, was not a public road. When the race was able to run again in 1932 it attracted a huge crowd of more than 100,000 spectators. Speeds reached 120 MPH over a half mile course. Since 1932, the Brighton National Speed Trials have run every year except during WWII, with more types of cars and even motorcycles being added to the racing lineup. It is now considered a national event.

Injuries have been spread throughout the racing world in 2012.

In F1 Racing this July, a Spanish test driver was left with what was described as life-threatening head injuries after a freak crash with a lorry. She was driving at low speed in the pit area when the collision happened, after just completing a lap of 200 mph speeds.

Earlier this year in Dublin, Ireland, a race car went out of control during a stage rally race, crashing into a crowd and killing two people. Seven others were seriously injured. Stage rallying is the most popular form of road racing in Ireland. Competitions are spread throughout the year with racers taking turns on the same course. Spectators sit or stand roadside, which make it a danger when things go wrong.

Two South African racers died in separate crashes in events early in 2012. A multi-champ driver Curt Alchin was killed at the Victoria Raceway. Motorcycle driver Wim Pretorius died at an unrelated event at Zwartkops Raceway on the same day.

And, UK newspaper The Sun reported on an accident at Le Mans this year, "Anthony Davidson broke his back in a 200mph horror smash at Le Mans and admitted: 'It felt like I was in an aeroplane out of control.' The Brit was challenging for the lead in the famous 24-hour endurance race when he clipped another car, flew into the air and smashed down into a tyre barrier." This year's race is now aptly dubbed, "Le Crunch."

REFERENCES:
BBC News - Brighton Speed Trials Crash: Woman Killed Named
BBC News - Woman Killed During Brighton Speed Trials
HuffPost World - Cavan Stages Rally Crash: Ireland car crash kills 2, wounds 7 in race crowd
SuperSport - Two SA racers dead in crashes
The Independent - F1 driver's life-threatening injuries after freak crash
The Sun (UK) - Anthony Davidson relives terrifying 200mph Le Mans smash
VisitBrighton.com - National Speed Trials

RESOURCES (A partial list around the world):
AFOS - Asian Festival of Speed
Brighton & Hove Motor Club - United Kingdom's motorheads
Asia Motorsports - Racing in China (site is in Chinese)
Asia Racing Team - Asian Formula & GT racing
CAMS - Confederation of Australian Motor Sport
Classic Car Tours International - European Touring Holidays
Essential Africa - A Directory of African Motorsports & Motor Sport Organizations
MotorSport South Africa - Official site of all motorsports in South Africa
MSport UK - Motorsport News from the UK
NAMSC - North Australian Motor Sports Club
RT - Russian Racing
The Racing Line - Motor Racing Circuits: Databases of Races Around The World

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

The Death Of NASCAR As We Knew It

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

The death of NASCAR? "You must be kidding," you're thinking. NASCAR attendance is at all-time highs, and the sport still appears to be widely popular. Let's look at why many are mourning the loss of true stock car racing as we knew it.

Guy and I were always ready to enjoy a good NASCAR race. We’ve attended several, and rooted for the Chevy teams back in the days when NASCAR was still a true American Stock Car event.  That all changed several years back when Toyota Racing entered the field and changed NASCAR forever. Now we’ve had EFI shoved down our throats, and it’s making many fans gag. But maybe not for the reasons you're thinking!

Most long time fans are disheartened. Many are so unhappy with the change that they’ve abandoned the sport altogether. My husband and business partner, Guy Algar, is one of the die-hard old fashioned guys who is unhappy with the changes that have taken hold at NASCAR. We haven’t watched a race, or been to one, for years. Some would argue that it is just a keeping in time with changes that are happening because of the shift to global marketing (yak yak yak) since the introduction and explosion of the Internet (more yak yak yak).  To the younger generation of motorheads, the history of stock car racing and NASCAR is not well known or appreciated. To many men and women, like us, who are in their 50’s (and those older), we mourn over the loss of this history.



Stock Car Oval Raceway

 NASCAR is an acronym for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The creation of NASCAR is generally credited to Bill France Sr, a mechanic who was originally from Washington, D.C. who had relocated to Daytona Beach, Florida in 1935. The story of why and how is a complex and amazing one which is for another day. Stock car racing was already a popular sport, but there was little organization, and most races were local or regional events held on dirt tracks.

The short of the story on NASCAR's start is that Bill France Sr. was always fascinated by cars. Shortly after arriving in Florida and doing mechanic work there, he drove a race on Daytona's hard-packed sand, and shortly thereafter fell into promoting a race for the City of Daytona. This is thought to be the beginning of his ideas for racing. Apparently, France's original ideas for NASCAR were to race three distinctly different classes of cars (Strictly Stock, Modified Stock Cars and Roadsters). But, following the war, and following that we clearly saw was the audience preference, it is very clear that the vision changed to strictly stock cars all the way. He felt that the fans would want to purchase the cars that they saw winning the races, and I believe that it was this insight that really made NASCAR as big and as popular to the American fans it was designed for. By 1956 NASCAR really came into it's own, and was gaining momentum, credibility and huge numbers of fans, holding 56 events on 11 paved tracks. Clearly by 1958 NASCAR had become a national movement.

The Hollywood version of stock car racing is one of prohibition-era bootleg whiskey drivers or modern day rebels who were skilled in outrunning the law (think 'Smokey and the Bandit' of the 1970's). Yes, these drivers were so skilled that they were destined to become noticed by the race car owners and scouts, and were drafted into the sport. This is probably another reason why NASCAR has jokingly been referred to as a "redneck" sport. Whatever the reason for our love of "reckless" young men driving insanely fast cars becoming such a passion throughout America, part of that fascination was that the cars that were being driven on the tracks were ones what you could actually go out and purchase to drive yourself! This was the allure that helped fuel the tremendous success of the American car manufacturers, and it's one of the reasons that NASCAR is dead for so many die-hard fans.

In the early days, NASCAR vehicles were actual stock cars which were wrenched on by the guys that drove them. Even when you hit the big times, a car owner had a handful for a “crew” at best or even if at all. You had a single toolbox that held everything you needed to tune, repair and maintain your car, and many times the driver was in on the wrenching.

Back in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, fans were in love with the cars. There was nothing like attending a race where you stood at the fence hearing and feeling the pure power thundering in your chest as the Chevy’s, Fords and Mopars screamed by. Most fans had their favorite car, as opposed to today’s obsession with their favorite driver. Because of our love for the cars themselves, while it’s possible to appreciate the technology of the newer cars, it’s not as possible to feel the same kind of passion for the cars themselves. Most everyone will agree that they in no way resemble, or are, “stock” cars. With this year’s decision to allow EFI, they have taken yet another step further away from “stock” than ever before.

Sometime by 1972 or so, stock cars lost the “stock”. The 1970's was a decade that started the great decline of the American made muscle car, and most every car made for that matter. We were hit hard with gasoline rationing in the mid 1970's and American car manufacturers scaled down both in size and power. While NASCAR and other forms of racing continued, changes were being made that changed things forever.

Many traditionalists have turned to drag racing for the adrenaline-pumping thrill of watching “real” cars. Note the extreme popularity of nostalgia racing at the strips nationwide (bracket racing, pro-stock and more). In the 1960’s, you could walk into a showroom and actually purchase the same type of car you read about in the hot rod magazines or were lucky enough to watch in person at the stock car races! Compare this to the current batch of NASCAR vehicles, which are basically all the same bodies, with the same engines, and utilizing decals for headlights, doors and grills, and where everything is regulated from the cam to the height of the manifold.

With the new EFI systems being able to monitor everything about the engine from computers, and with the degree of differences so small they are immeasurable, the cars truly are "exactly the same". Yes, this makes the playing field extraordinarily even, but it forces you to pick one driver over the other, as this is increasingly where the race is won. In the old days, you were able to take preference one car over the next because you believed that it was a better setup, a stronger engine, more torque…in other words, you developed an appreciation for the car itself. This is where true gear heads were born and it fueled our dreams. The cars used production bumpers, grille, glass and even the trim and interiors. Young boys couldn’t wait for the next issue of Hot Rod and other magazines to hit the racks so they could follow (and drool over) the latest and greatest rides to hit the asphalt.

So, WHY has NASCAR decided to go with EFI? It was very interesting to research this and find that it began back in 2003 when the engineering director at Dodge Motorsports realized that there were carburetor issues that needed addressing. What John Fernandez found was that the carburetor experts were all gone. The last generation responsible for carburetion advances were all retired or dead, and with electronic fuel injection having taken hold by the 1990’s, the knowledge seemingly died with them, as the newer generation of racing engineers and technicians had been captivated by EFI. Teams had to call in the retirees to help, but with their numbers dwindling and their ages ever increasing, NASCAR made the bold decision to allow EFI.

In true NASCAR fashion of wanting everything fair and even, they’ve decided on a basic, proprietary EFI system which you’ll never see outside NASCAR, and never be able to buy. An Austin, Texas based chip manufacturer, Freescale, and McLaren Electronic Systems teamed up to provide the boxes, which are all the same for each and every racing team. Yes, the teams program their own ECU’s, and can tune and map themselves, but NASCAR monitors everything to ensure that everyone adheres to the same play-fair rules, and they retain control over the boxes. The configurations that NASCAR has determined allow the engine to behave the same as a single-plane, single Holley setup, which allows the same restrictor-plate system which NASCAR uses to limit speeds on the big tracks like Talladega and Daytona.

Plymouth Superbird and Hemi-powered cars were the last of the power that had dominated NASCAR and made stock car racing the super sport that created generations of young men who discovered the need for speed. We’re sad to see this era disappear, but we’re determined to share our knowledge and inspire those from today’s youth who pour over their dad’s or granddad's collection of old hot rodding magazines and get the same thrill that inspires them to own and enjoy their own piece of American stock car history.

REFERENCES:

ask.com - The Meaning of NASCAR

factexpert.com - NASCAR Facts

Freescale - Freescale Semiconductor Info by Wikipedia
howstuffworks.com - History of Stock Car Racing 
just for laughs - What Is The Funny Meaning of NASCAR 
NASCAR.com - NASCAR Website
racingreference.info - Comprehensive Racing Statistics & Info
Stock Car Racing - Stock Car Racing: The Go To Publication for Weekend Racers 

NOTE FROM AUTHOR:

Of course this article is my opinion of what may be happening with NASCAR fans. Many don't feel there's anything wrong with cheering their favorite driver on to victory, and perhaps there is not. I just miss the excitement and anticipating of what new power strategy would be revealed in a team's quest to make their car king of the track. I'm just not that thrilled with the concept of idolizing a single person. It's usually more complex than that. Watch for my upcoming article on the history of NASCAR including links to some of the sports most incredible races...and some of the most incredible wrecks! - Andrea

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.

San Antonio Speedway Set To Open October 18th With High-Speed Short Track Racing!

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

Rumors that the old San Antonio Speedway was going to be resurrected have been whirling around the local performance and racing industry for several months now, and Guy Algar and I have been paying close attention. Now, it appears that plans are indeed underway. The speedway's new owners have updated us with news that a date has been selected as the official start to their racing season! This is a date that many enthusiasts have been waiting for!

Speedway
Before
Restoration

For those not familiar with what short track racing is, think of a much smaller version of NASCAR where even street cars and trucks can compete! Short tracks are oval race tracks of less than one mile in length. Drivers do multiple laps, usually on dirt or asphalt. Short tracks are where official stock car racing got its start, and the smaller tracks, like San Antonio Speedway's 1/2 mile paved track have been instrumental in developing top racers. It is reported in Wikipedia that, "Ken Schrader, Tony Stewart, Dave Blaney, Scott Wimmer and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. all own short tracks, most of them being dirt."

San Antonio Speedway claims to be "Texas Only High Banked 1/2 Mile Paved Racing Oval", and has a great racing history. San Antonio Raceway originally opened in 1977 and successfully ran until 2007 when it was closed, many speculate due to the effects of the poor economy. Racers loved the fast track, and it drew several famous drivers to compete on it's high bank oval, including well-known driver Terry Labonte.

It has been reported that in the five years that it sat unused, the speedway fell into disrepair, with the track's asphalt surface, grandstands, and pits suffering abuse from mother nature in the form of weeds and shrubs sprouting through cracks and crevices caused by neglect. It has also suffered at the hands of vandals and thieves that have tagged buildings and damaged property. But all this is being restored by the new owners, Unique Track Solutions, who have taken on the task of saving the San Antonio Speedway from demolition with the help of many community volunteers and racing enthusiasts. Their plan is to return it to use for the enjoyment of enthusiasts from all over San Antonio and Texas. We applaud their enthusiasm and the giant undertaking they seem to be succeeding at!

Modifieds, Pro Late Models, Trucks, Street Stocks, Chargers, Grand Stocks are the classes for the 3-Day event they're dubbing Octoberfast. Event entry will start on August 20, 2012. SAS has 51 pit spots which will be sold to sponsors and 1000 Clubbers first, with the remaining stalls available on a first-register/ first-reserve basis until sold out. The event days are October 18, 19 and 20, 2012.

The official launching of San Antonio Speedway's first races begins with the pit gates opening for racers at noon on October 18. This is when racers will be subject to the technical inspection process to make sure that their entry conforms to the track's official rules and regulations. Practice sessions start at 3:00 PM and go through.  The schedule is tentative at this time, and subject to change as they move along with premiere event plans. We will bring you news as it unfolds.

Octoberfast Races will be in the following lap lengths:

100 LAPS  -  Late Models        
  75 LAPS  -  Modifieds              
  75 LAPS  -  Trucks
  50 LAPS  -  Street Stocks         
  35 LAPS  -  Chargers               
  25 LAPS  -  Grand Stocks

The San Antonio Speedway is located 2 miles South of Loop 410 on Highway 16.

REFERENCES:
Current Condition of San Antonio Speedway (Photo Gallery)
Wikipedia: Short Track Motor Racing
San Antonio Speedway Website
Motorsports by Mike Haag, for mySA.com & the San Antonio Express-News

RESOURCES: (Author Note: Watch for our complete Race Track List in upcoming article)
Corpus Christi Speedway - 1/4 mi asphalt track - Corpus Christi, TX
Houston Raceway Park - known as the Royal Purple Raceway - Houston, TX
105 Speedway - 3/8 mi clay oval - Cleveland, TX
South Texas Speedway - 1/4 mi banked dirt oval - Corpus Christi, TX
Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track - asphalt & dirt events - Fort Worth, TX
Thunderhill Raceway - 3/8 mi asphalt "D" oval track - Kyle, TX

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.