The idea of stock car racing used to revolve around cars that looked, essentially, like cars you might see on the street. Back at the start of NASCAR, the now defunct Hudson Hornet dominated racing; and the cars raced by Marshall Teague weren't that much different than what you'd see on the street, saved for hotter camshafts and bigger venturis on the carburetors. In fact, a performance package available for consumers became available, based on what was raced.
A similar result came out of "King Richard" Petty's 1964 victories with the Hemi-powered Plymouths. Chrysler had to offer the second generation of Hemi-head V8 to consumers to ensure its legality in stock car racing; thus was born the 1966 Plymouth Belvedere with Hemi power.
In that spirit, there is the Historic Stock Racing (HCSR) series, founded in 1994. Its purpose as an organization is the restoration, preservation and continued competition of former NASCAR stock cars.
The members believe in the continuing competition of these cars. It is composed of owners and drivers who believe that these historic thoroughbreds belong on a racetrack and not in a museum. Call it living history.
There are just two categories for all cars: Vintage for cars aged 1948 through 1980; Historic for cars aged 1981 through 1994. Cars are not accepted for competition without a documented racing history. One cannot make a "new old race car," if you will, and expect to be a part of HSCRS.
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HSCRS is big on giving back to the community; as a result, it focuses on fundraising activities for children's charities.
HSCR brought what was literally a colorful selection of vintage NASCAR racecars to Pacific Raceways, just outside of Kent, Washington on the July fourth weekend, as part of the Northwest Historics. The Historics are a vintage automobile race, for all sorts of cars, staged to benefit Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. It generally features vintage sports cars, sports sedan, open wheel racecars (such as Formula Vee or Formula Ford) and even some vintage CanAm cars.
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ine cars came to Pacific Raceways: a 1968 Ford Torino (blue/gold) driven by Jimmy Castle; a 1980 Oldsmobile 442 silver/black) driven by John Davis; a 1987 Chevrolet driven by Gary Sousa; a 1991 Chevrolet Lumina (yellow) driven by Vic Edelbrock Jr.; a 1992 Ford Thunderbird (green/white) driven by John Scherer; a 1993 Chevrolet Lumina (rainbow) driven by Steve Schoellhorn; a 1993 Chevrolet (NACAR) driven by Dan Verstuyft; a 1994 Ford Thunderbird (blue) driven by Garland Self; and a 1995 Ford Thunderbird (blue) driven by George Fraser.
Ernie Irvan originally drove the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina, in NASCAR competition, driven by Vic Edelbrock Jr. this year.
Pacific Raceways is 2.25 miles long, with 9 turns and a straightaway that measures about a quarter mile. The straightaway dumps right into the first turn, which is a tight twist and turn-around into turn three and then down a hill at about a 35-degree angle and into two more turns. The result was the big NASCAR cars couldn't ever achieve the speeds you'd see at Talladega or Daytona. It was reminiscent of the days when stock cars raced at the great, now defunct, track down in Riverside, California.
Steve Schoellhorn in his 1993 Chevrolet Lumina got around the course with a best time of 1:36.351 minutes, in a 7 lap race on Saturday, to take the checked flag for first. Dan Verstuyft did the best time around the track, with a lap time of 1:35.124 minutes and achieved the best overall speed with just 85.152 miles-per-hour. Of course, on the straightaway, the cars could hit 130 to 140 mph, before they'd have to get on the brakes, in a big way, to make it through the turns.
Sunday's race started with a ground pounding, full throttle pounce by Garland Self in the 1994 Ford Thunderbird. His first lap around the track was done in a scant 1:34 minutes (timed by reporter's watch). But by the second go-'round, Steve Schoellhorn had taken the lead and John Davis' 1980 Oldsmobile 442 had to coast into the pits, apparently with engine problems.
On the third lap Self passed Schellhorn going out onto the straightaway. By the fifth lap, going onto the straightaway, John Scherer had managed to position his 1992 Ford Thunderbird into the lead, with Schoellhorn hot on his tail, followed by Garland and then George Fraser in a 1995 Ford Thunderbird; and on the final lap, Garland Self was in the lead with his '94 Thunderbird, followed closely by John Scherer in his '92 Thunderbird.
The following weekend, HSCRS brought its show to the Portland Historics races. There are two more races, later this year, where they will appear: the SCCA Historic at Infineon Raceway on September 19-21, and the Thunderhill Shelby Club Event on October 18 and 19. Further information can be gleaned at the series website: www.hscrs.com.
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