Racing
Consider that the magic of a live music concert lies in the sights and sounds of the performance itself. The same can certainly be said for historic automobile races. The sights, sounds and smells of meticulously maintained and thoroughbred racing machines at work is a true sensory experience.
The world's greatest historic race cars are best appreciated while at speed on legendary circuits. For that reason, Legends of Motorsports puts a premium on providing generous amounts of track time racing against like-minded participants and comparable cars. The result is an even more exciting show to the benefit of participants and spectators alike.
Of course, the race tracks themselves are the stages on which all Legends of Motorsports events are performed. And they are hand-picked for their quality and individual racing legacies. By the exceptional nature of the venues, participants and cars, Legends of Motorsports races are the equivalent of Carnegie Hall performances.....at speed!
2.0 Liter Sports Racers - Ever so agile, ever so quick, 2.0-liter Sports Racers are purpose-built, closed-fendered race cars-essentially Formula 2 cars fitted with a body. Cosworth 4-cylinder engines typically power these cars, the most popular chassis being Chevron and Lola T-series. With about 250hp on tap, driving one at top speed will get you religion, and the racing is as close as it gets.
Historic Grand Prix - The Formula One era between 1966 and 1983 is fondly remembered as the "golden days" of F1, a time when rules makers allowed more freedom for engineers and designers, creating great mechanical diversity in the cars along with melodious exhaust notes never to be forgotten. Constructors included Tyrrell, Lotus, Ferrari, Williams, March, Penske, McLaren, Alfa Romeo, Wolf and many others. Today, its wonderfully revved-up grandeur is exciting as ever.
Can-Am - Imagine a race series with virtually no limitations, where almost any innovation would be allowed in car design with no ceiling on engine power. That was the original Can-Am series, the wildest and most powerful group of racing vehicles ever seen. Faster than Formula 1, BRM, Bryant, Chaparral, Ferrari, Ford, Lola, March, McLaren, Porsche and Shadow showed up to take the green flag in Group 7's earth-shaking display of horsepower and bravado. Nine memorable seasons of Can-Am roar in rage again today, as "Big Bangers" take to the track.
F.I.A. Championship of Makes - This was the world series for sports car racing run by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile). The amazing cars prepared for 6-, 12- and 24-hour drama-filled battles had unimaginable variety and included Ferrari Prototypes, Ford GT30, Lola T70, Chaparral, Alpha Romeo 33, Porsche 906, Porsche 908, Porsche 917, and Shelby Cobras. They battled for supremacy on classic circuits such as Sebring, Nürburgring, Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, Targa Florio, and Lemans. Over the years the technical formulae changed but the series often remained at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Formula 5000 - Between 1969 and 1976, the open-wheel Formula 5000 series attracted a dazzling variety of cars and competitors. With approximately 500 hp from a 305 cubic inch stock block, F5000 cars were just as quick as Formula 1 cars of the era, thanks to front and rear wings and big, wide tires. Manufacturers included McLaren, Eagle, March, Lola, Lotus and Chevron and the racing was a wondrously intense affair. Nowadays, it still is.
Formula Libre - Known in some circles as the B.O.S.S. class of open wheel race cars, Formula Libre is a compilation of Indycars and Formula 1 machines, Indy Lights, Formula Atlantic, F2 and F3000-all modern high performance open wheel cars that are no longer eligible for professional competition. It's the only class where you'll see Indycars competing against F1 machines.
GTP/Group C, LeMans-style Prototype Cars - Arguably the most exciting sports-car racing series ever, IMSA's Grand Touring Prototypes and Europe's Group C (with broadly similar rules) featured innovative technology and cutting-edge aerodynamics. Between 1981 and 1993, they were the fastest and most powerful road-course racers and attracted competitors from every corner of the racing world and manufacturers like Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan, Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet wanted in.
IMSA GT/Production Cars - GT classes have always offered an amazing variety of cars from the world's most well known manufacturers, along with an international cadre of the world's best drivers. Here's where you'll find familiar and popular sports cars the likes of Cobras, Corvette Sting Rays, Mustang GT350s, Porsches and Mazdas. Spectators love watching these cars compete because they so much resemble cars they see on the street and brand rivalry fuels the cheering sections.
Trans-Am - The slam-bang Pony Car wars from 1966 to 1972 featured many of the greatest names in American racing, driving some of the most popular cars of the era battling it out for the manufacturer's championship—Camaro, Barracuda, Javelin, Mustang, Challenger and Firebird. With legendary drivers Parnelli Jones, George Follmer, Mark Donohue, Sam Posey, Dan Gurney and many others, the SCCA Trans-Am was one of the most popular road racing series ever. In historic form, it is every bit as exciting, because the very same cars are still going at it nose-to-tail.
Thunder and Lightning Production Cars - The mainstay of American sports car racing during the Golden Years of the sixties, the production car classes were the spawning ground for many of the top professional teams and drivers who came to glory in the seventies and eighties. Teams such as Group 44, BRE, Sharp Racing, Huffaker, Shelby American, Brumos and their multitude of driving talents emerged as forces to be reckoned with in the various categories that HMP embraces.
USRRC Sports Cars - Predating the Can-Am period, The USRRC was the first professional series for sports cars in America. Many of the great racing specials and “modifieds”, pure European sports cars, and even a few “production” cars competed in this exciting over and under 2.0L series. Various models by Lotus, Elva, Brabham, Porsche, Ferrari, Cooper, Cobra, Corvette, Alfa Romeo, Scarab, Lister, Genie, Sadler, Chaparral, Maserati, McKee, McLaren, Lola, Merlyn all appeared in the USRRC (United States Road Racing Championship) between 1963 and 1968.
Classic Monoposto - Formula cars are considered the truest form of motor racing. There is nothing on the car that doesn’t contribute to the mission of winning races against cars built to the same “formula”. There were always different levels within the formula structure of any era, such as F1, F2, F3 or FA, FB, FC. The HMP Classic Monoposto category embraces the period ending circa 1972, when new technologies (e.g. slicks, wings, ground effects, etc.) began to take hold.
Fabulous Fifties - An exquisite mix of premium sports car brands and models auto enthusiasts have long loved comprise the Fabulous Fifties category. Glamorous names like Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar, Alfa-Romeo and more, all from the post-war era. These are the cars that came into being when engineering and technology shifted away from manufacturing war machinery and toward performance sports cars. Driven by the titans of motorsports, Fangio, Moss, Hill, Shelby and others, this breed of autos sparked a generation's passion for driving.
