Northwest Legends
Touring Series

Legends race cars are created by 600 Racing, Inc. and sanctioned by INEX, Corp. to provide a fun and affordable racing opportunity in which anyone (experienced or inexperienced) can compete. Legends Cars offer a unique opportunity for the whole family to get involved in racing. This series fights the high costs involved in racing and the rules are strictly enforced to ensure safety and cost control. Legends race cars are an affordable race car with a unique design that requires little maintenance, time, and cost.

In January, 1992, 600 Racing, Inc. began a highly-accelerated research and development program into the design of a new race car that would cost under $15,000, race only on smaller tracks, be able to be towed by a light pick-up truck, have very low maintenance costs and remain simple enough so that the owner would not be required to hire a mechanic to work on the car.

In April of 1992, a revolutionary new race car, the Legends Car, was unveiled at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, President and General Manager of CMS and Elliott Forbes-Robinson, famed road racing champion, designed these 5/8 scale, fiberglass, full-fendered versions of the famed NASCAR modifieds driven by legendary drivers such as Fireball Roberts, Curtis Turner, Buck Baker, Speedy Thompson, and Banjo Matthews. The idea was to create a fun, safe, and affordable "spec" class of racing for everyone.

Competitors are not permitted to make any major changes to the original car. Add a strict set of rules including a $4,300 engine claim rule and a tough technical inspection, and you have a series that is fair for everyone involved.

The Legends Cars feature a Yamaha XJR 1250cc (sealed) motorcycle engine, which produces 125 horsepower. Horsepower is not a significant factor in the Legends Cars Series because the rules require the use of a 13-inch, 60 series BF Goodrich radial "Legends Edition" tire mounted on a 7 inch wide steel wheel. The tire is of moderately hard compound and no alterations may be made to the tires.

In test runs on both 1/4 mile dirt and asphalt ovals, the drivers found that it is almost impossible to reach the 80% power band because of the limited tire traction. Eliminating the need for the final 20% of the power band prevents a driver from being able to "stand on the gas" in the corners, thus putting more challenge and fun back into driving. This is a great cost containment program since one could spend well over $10,000 on an engine for more horsepower, which really would not make much of a difference in performance since the radial tires could not handle the extra power. The "spec" tires also last for many races (at least 30) thus keeping the cost of maintenance as much as 75% lower than late model stock cars, midgets, or sprint cars.

Legends race cars are only sold through 600 Racing, Inc. and its authorized dealers such as Shasta Legends of Anderson, California, located in Northern California. A full tubular roll cage sits atop the frame rails, which are firmly braced. The cars utilize a recycled Toyota rear end, front disc and rear drum brakes, rack and pinion steering, Bilstein coil-over shock suspension on all four corners, a four-gallon fuel cell, Simpson five-point safety belts, factory manufactured racing seat, Moog Automotive suspension components, Wagner brakes, and Belden wire and cable. Both doors are operational for easy entrance and exit of the cars.

Legends race cars require about three to four hours of maintenance between races provided that there are no serious problems. The maintenance includes cleaning the car, changing the oil, checking all fluids, cleaning the air filters, checking the tightness of all bolts, checking for broken or damaged parts, and setting up the car for the upcoming race. The only routine costs between races is for oil, oil filter, about five gallons of gas, and quarters for the car wash provided that there are no other problems such as bent bumpers or broken fenders. The fiberglass fenders are easily repaired with a simple fiberglass repair kit and the bumpers can be repaired with a large hammer or replaced for about $25. An average budget for the first year can range from $15,000 to $20,000, which includes the cost of the car, a trailer, driver's apparel (helmet, suit, shoes, etc.) a cooling system, and routine maintenance.

To-date, there are more than 4,000 Legends race cars in existence. There are car owners from 48 states, 10 foreign countries, and the series is gaining momentum with every race. Legends race car drivers come from all walks of life and range from 14-73 years in age. Legends Cars race at over 300 different tracks across the country including:

Lowes Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Road America, Texas Motor Speedway and most recently Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington.

In California, Legends are racing at:

Laguna Seca, Sears Point Raceway, Thunder Hill Racepark, Shasta Speedway, Lakeport Speedway,  Altamont Speedway, Stockton Madera Speedway,  Irwindale Speedway, El Cajon Speedway, Reno-Fernley Raceway.

Many top race car drivers have used the Legends Racing Series as a stepping stone into other forms of professional racing. Today there are numerous former Legends drivers racing the upper levels of NASCAR.

As media coverage continues to rise, we expect many up and coming drivers to use this series as a way of proving their driving ability.