Scariest, most awesome race series of old?| Grassroots Motorsports forum |

92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
1/12/12 1:59 p.m.

Obviously... Group B Rally has to make the list.

But if you had to come up with a Group B equivalent on road courses that actually DID exist, what would it be?

Post pictures, arguments for the series you think of, and general specs of the awesome E36 M3 that was around in days of yore.

Looking for:

1) "Production bodies"
2) Road Racing (tracks)

MG Bryan HalfDork
1/12/12 2:02 p.m.

If you go far enough back racing was just scary in general.

F1: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmlzni_grand-prix-the-killer-years_auto

BBsGarage HalfDork
1/12/12 2:02 p.m.

The old Can-Am series comes to mind.

92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
1/12/12 2:03 p.m.

MG Bryan wrote: If you go far enough back racing was just scary in general. F1: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmlzni_grand-prix-the-killer-years_auto

Ok... got me there.

I should have said i'm kindof looking for stuff on the insane side of power, aero, etc....

Like....

Super Silhouette, Group 5, that sort of thing.

ST_ZX2 HalfDork
1/12/12 2:04 p.m.

F1 in the 60's and 70's lost a lot of drivers with alarming regularity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Formula_One_fatal_accidents

ST_ZX2 HalfDork
1/12/12 2:05 p.m.

Ahhh...insane...OK. That would be Can-Am. /end thread.

RealMiniDriver SuperDork
1/12/12 2:06 p.m.

Can-Am is the first thing I think of, too. Pretty much a no-rules kind of racing.

92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
1/12/12 2:09 p.m.

What would be the "production-based" (and i use the term loosely) equivalent?

But yes... Can-Am was NUTS.

Porsche 917/30KL.

Japanese Grand Prix was interesting, too, bringing us the 1350lb 800hp Toyota 7.

JoeyM SuperDork
1/12/12 2:18 p.m.

Targa Florio

92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
1/12/12 2:18 p.m.

Knurled GRM+ Memberand Dork
1/12/12 2:23 p.m.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: I should have said i'm kindof looking for stuff on the insane side of power, aero, etc.... Like.... Super Silhouette, Group 5, that sort of thing.

Some of the old F1 cars had so much downforce that at 180mph, letting off the throttle would result in 2g of deceleration.

And they had 18" slicks. And could corner at over 5g.

Can-Am were kind of the opposite. Lots and lots of motor, not much aero. All-aluminum 494ci Boss 429-based engines, or similarly huge big-block Chevies, stuck a couple inches behind the driver in a car that came maybe up to your waist. When you were sitting in it. Too bad Porsche had to come in and ruin the fun.

oldtin SuperDork
1/12/12 2:23 p.m.

Paris-Dakar - consistently killed competitors - could fall into group b category - along with a bunch of others.

Grand Prix in the 30s-50s - cars capable of 170+ mph - skinny tires, open cockpit, no seat belts, no roll bars (much less cage).

Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Panamerica, Isle of Man TT

mndsm SuperDork
1/12/12 2:29 p.m.

BTCC comes to mind.... they're crashing everything, always.

MG Bryan HalfDork
1/12/12 2:31 p.m.

Knurled wrote:
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: I should have said i'm kindof looking for stuff on the insane side of power, aero, etc.... Like.... Super Silhouette, Group 5, that sort of thing.
Some of the old F1 cars had so much downforce that at 180mph, *letting off the throttle* would result in 2g of deceleration. And they had 18" slicks. And could corner at over 5g. Can-Am were kind of the opposite. Lots and lots of motor, not much aero. All-aluminum 494ci Boss 429-based engines, or similarly huge big-block Chevies, stuck a couple inches behind the driver in a car that came maybe up to your waist. When you were sitting in it. Too bad Porsche had to come in and ruin the fun.

All cars have aerodynamics, but that's just being pedantic. Cam-Am created some pretty damn famous solutions to the problem of down force though.

92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
1/12/12 2:33 p.m.

IMSA GT?

http://speedhunters.com/archive/2008/11/28/retrospective-gt-gt-millen-and-the-300zx.aspx

93EXCivic SuperDork
1/12/12 2:34 p.m.

oldtin wrote: Grand Prix in the 30s-50s - cars capable of 170+ mph - skinny tires, open cockpit, no seat belts, no roll bars (much less cage).

The Auto Unions of that time had over 500bhp IIRC. I am pretty sure that Gran Prix of that time takes the cake for crazy.

aussiesmg SuperDork
1/12/12 2:36 p.m.

Formula 1 has the dubious honor IMHO, so many drivers paid the ultimate price back in the day.

Aussie Sports Sedans pushing 1000hp in tin tops were pretty awesome also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQNz_vNl-kE

Maroon92 SuperDork
1/12/12 2:37 p.m.

For all out nuttiness, you cannot beat the Group 7/Can Am/Interseries days.

The Shadow is SIGNIFICANTLY smaller than the Panzer... If you want to know the Shadow...think go cart with a Chev v8...

I would also argue that Formula 5000 had something going there in the early 70s as well.

However, for ultimate go, stop, and turn, my vote is going to go to the Group C cars of 1982-1994.

(technically, there was a Group B class for sports racing cars as well)

MG Bryan HalfDork
1/12/12 2:37 p.m.

rotard HalfDork
1/12/12 2:38 p.m.

Pretty much any form of motorcycle racing that's more than 10 years old.

Joe Gearin Associate Publisher
1/12/12 2:41 p.m.

No form of racing in my mind compares to the sheer insanity of the 20s and 30s board racers. Over 120mph on giant wooden tracks with no safety of any kind. Not road racing per se, but fantastically nutty!

Anti-stance New Reader
1/12/12 2:47 p.m.

In reply to Joe Gearin:

Yeah, board racing looks pretty damn scary.

bearmtnmartin GRM+ Memberand New Reader
1/12/12 2:52 p.m.

How about early NASCAR or even before? They died on a weekly basis. I was just reading a quote from some old privateer when a driver got tossed onto the track in front of him: " it was either him or hit his car and I figured he was probably dead anyway, so I ran over him"