I worked a flag station on the Big Bend Open Road Race again this year. About 150 cars and trucks were entered ("Trucks?", you ask? This is Texas, after all.)
Here are the pics, so it did happen:
Oh, yeah, there were some Corvettes, Mustangs, and the like as well. 
I'm digging the Cobra's paint job!
Also, there need to more retired NASCAR racers at all events. Those cars are wasted on doing exclusively circles. I like to see, and hear, them everywhere.
The NASCAR car appears to be a Saturday night Late Model rather than the TV racers' hardware. Still, it's always interesting to see them away from their natural habitat.
Curious to find out how fast that El Camino got up to
EDIT - how fast those El Caminos got up to
It's a shame that sort of racing doesn't really lend itself well to still photography. It must be a lot more exciting in person.
So how fast were they going, roughly, at your photography point?
At some point I will have a built car and the cash to make the trip at the same time, I need to do this at least once!
In reply to gjz30075: It would depend on what class they were in. You're allowed a 20 mph +/- (IIRC) over you're class speed. The 23 car may be from the Team Texas driving experience at TMS, if it is then it was a former Cup car. I was thinking it was the one that ate the buzzard in 07, but that was a different car. Hopefully they'll update the website with the results soon.
The unlimited cars like the V8 Corvair average around 170 MPH over the course. A serious wind (20's, gusting to high 30's) may have held speeds down this year.
The '65 El Camino had an 85 MPH target speed. I'm not sure if this was by choice, or if he was running as a rookie.
The '70 El Camino ran in the 110 MPH class. For years, it was driven by Bud Powers. He passed away in the last year, and his granddaughter drove it in tribute this year.
My station this year wasn't the best for photography. For safety reasons, we are assigned to ranch gates, and are encouraged to set up on the inside of the turns just in case. I prefer to be away from the fancier fences, and would love to see some of the more interesting terrain further south, but ... gotta earn my T-shirt and run the flag station right there.
As far as excitement, it's something of an acquired taste. Open road racing is to road racing what bracket racing is to drag racing. Not exactly nailbiting to watch, but I like it.
There are some moments with high pucker factors for the drivers and navigators. A Corvette in the 130 MPH class had a tire failure, spun, and wound up backing into the scrub shortly after passing my station. No one was hurt, but the cows seemed a might confused ...
Slantvaliant, is that your car in the How to be a Course Worker section on the BBORR website?
Folks need to be aware that the high speeds are real - I believe that Charlie in the unlimited V8 Vair was radared at 207 last year - and the danger is real. The last time I went, several years ago, a fellow was killed when his Mercedes went off near the finish down by Sanderson. He was entered in the 145 mph class, and the car was well built. It's a great and well run event, but as in all racing, personal safety equipment comes first. By all means, plan to run, but run safe.
Also the last year I was there, someone had a full-on ex-Tony Stewart Cup car.
My comment could be taken badly. What I meant was - I'll bet that's exciting racing, it just doesn't come across in pictures. A car hauling ass in a straight line looks a lot like a car doing 30 mph in a straight line. I'm not sure I'd have the nerve to do this kind of racing.
Keith: I knew what you meant. It's not as photogenic as WRC, TNF, etc. 
It's tough for me to get really attention-getting shots, but I'm really just taking photos for my own amusement. I ought to get a DSLR, and maybe ask for a more visually interesting spot on the road. The corral across the road is a particular distraction at Flag 6.
The southern end of the course has more concentrated turns and elevation changes. The north end has longer straights and bends. I'm usually in the middle.
Judging by your driving in Targa Newfoundland, you'd do just fine in ORR. Especially since you can choose your target speed, from 85 to 160, to suit your car, your skill, and your nerve. You're even already trained to listen to you navigator!
Every form of motorsport takes a somewhat different set of skills and disciplines.
Jim: Yes, those are old photos of my Valiant in the article. There's one in the "apaloosa" stage, and one in white with mismatched rims. I'll be updating and modifying that article in the coming months, BTW.
Several of the unlimited cars exceed 200 on the straights. Unfortunately for the photographers, that doesn't give much time for a shot. They only come by twice, hours apart, so you have to be quick!
AAAAANNNND I'm Spent.... Someone hand me a towel.
I was planning on coming out to run, but did not register in time and simply ran out of time to make it happen. I have to get out there and run.
A couple of things that I noticed in these pictures.
the cars aren't in the middle of the road. Was there a turn coming up? Only the stock car is straddling the center line. Personally, I'd want as much pavement on each side of me as possible.
mirrors! fold the mirrors in guys, frontal area is the enemy 
I'll pull the antenna off that 350Z as well, probably before taping up the nose. When we ran in the Superfour Challenge a few years back, part of the test included a blast up to 140 and then down to a stop. We showed up with a hardtop on our Miata and with the passenger mirror removed and covered with a plate. Other competitors had wings and similar addenda. As the day went on, the pile of discarded wings and high-drag high-downforce devices in the pits got bigger and bigger as other teams learned first-hand about the relationship between air speed, drag and acceleration :) I think playing with aero would be the funnest part of building an ORR car.
Yep - witness the modified nose and chopped top on Charlie Friend's V8 Corvair (top picture above).
Keith wrote: Was there a turn coming up?
Yes. I was at 30.526335N,102.55542W (Well, actually across the road, on the East side, so as to be on the inside of the curve.) You can see a bridge at Escondido Draw and the curve. (I love Google Earth!)
The only "off" in the area happened about 3/4 mile North of my station, probably from a blown tire. The 'Vette wound up in the cedar / mesquite / scrub.
Keith wrote: - mirrors! fold the mirrors in guys, frontal area is the enemy
Mirrors hurt the top end, but are handy for passing. Passing is allowed, and does happen. It's more common on the return leg as teams try to make up or use up time based on the results of the first leg.
But, I do agree that playing with the aero would be a blast!
Az doin' good til the back end started cummin round, acted like a dern 911.
Thanks for sharing the pics!
Dan
Kids... "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" Dad... "I swear I'll turn this van around!!"
hrdlydangerous wrote:Kids... "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" Dad... "I swear I'll turn this van around!!"
Don't those things have some unreal amount of power for something of their class? Or am I thinking of the Oddity?
Here's some mediocre VIDEO of the faster cars.
Even with the wind noises, I like the sounds of the various engines.
BTW, stock Corvettes are entirely too quiet for this kind of racing. 
