You want to see who’s really the best driver? Put them in identical cars and have them go at it on the track. No excuses, no complaints; just pure racing. What’s better is to have those cars be something rather pedestrian, or at the very least something that isn’t some million-dollar machine far removed from any actual road-spec automobile.
What street car do you think would be good to use as a single-make-and-model racing series?
America tried this years ago with the International Race of Champions, putting drivers from different series into identical racing Camaros to duke it out on famous tracks. You might remember the Long Beach races where celebrities competed in identical Toyota Celicas.
There are plenty of other examples of same-make race series where everyday cars rubbed door handles and separated the amateurs from the pros. Renault has been especially active in this area, most famously with their Renault 5 Cup series.
These are maniacal heats that end up looking like those soccer games your five-year-olds played in where everything is just one big pack moving against each other. Either that or just an answer to the question, “what would it look like if a traffic jam moved along at sixty miles an hour?”
In America, Renault even created a series with their R9-based AMC-built Alliance.
This was surprisingly entertaining stuff, and if you’ve ever complained that some series is totally uncompetitive, then this is the antidote.
Still, what kind of car would also be ideal as the basis for a series? I’m thinking a bunch of Toyotas like a Prius (what is the plural of Prius?) might work:
Oh, how about Mitsubishi Mirages? Laugh all you want; put some good drivers in these tin cans, all looking for any kind of edge, and we’ll separate the adults from the kids in short order.
So what’s your choice? A Maverick Cup? Altima-te Challenge? Let us know!
Top graphic image: Renault
Cleetus McFarland has his spec Ford Crown Vic police interceptors series. Its more fun to watch than NASCAR, cause its actual stock car racing. Sure they are slower than even late models, but they absolutely beat the fenders off those cars on short 3/8 or 1/2 mile ovals.
He even went to Bristol one time, which was kinda a shit show cause that track is legit FAST and his group of amateur drivers really didnt have the skill set to run there. Big wreck, lucky nobody was hurt cause they were pushing 100mph at Bristol.
Also to be original to the discussion, a c5 automatic Corvette race would be a hoot. They all have the same drivetrain and horsepower so a spec series wouldnt be that hard to throw together
All Cybertrucks. Also, it’s a demolition derby.
And they are all on FSD and the worst people you know inside them.
Frankly everything I can think of already exists or has existed in some form.
We’ve all mentioned what cars we want, but what type of race would it be? My suggestion: Rallycross.
Single model? Okay. Male, corporate clothing catalog. 300,000 spectators watching a single male model from a corporate clothing catalog run the road course at Indy on foot. Cheering not allowed. Interaction with the model not allowed. Nobody knows the win condition. Nobody knows the scoring. Nobody knows how they got there. Reach down and oh my god, there’s a gun under every seat. But not all of them are loaded.
COTD
COTY
This is why I go into the Autopian comment sections: Daily Original Cosmic Horror content.
A spec race of just DCT-equipped Ford Focuses would be amusing, especially if you made it an endurance race. The same would go for CVT-equipped Pathfinders.
Sadly, I have too much mechanical sympathy for such things, so I’d actually like to watch a race of newer Fiat 500 Abarths.
Since no one is buying them anyway, I bet you could get a deal on Dodge Hornets. Bonus points if you get one without gremlins so you can pull away from the pack.
An endurance race, last car standing.
The 35 minutes of LeMans.
Peel P50. You could run the races on kart tracks.
Already 55 comments and nobody knows about the Prius PHEV Class?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQCg89mjy7E
VW Buses doing a mountain run race would be pretty funny watching them all struggle to climb up the mountain.
I feel like using any lukewarm or even cold hatches from the 80’s and 90s, think Escort, Chevette, Omni, Geo Storm, or even the 4 cyl. pony cars.
Plaster them in defunct sponsors like Service Merchandise, Blockbuster, TWA, Pan Am, Circuit City, Toys R Us, and Po Folks, and there you go!
Po Folks! Now thems some memories!
I remember so many good meals at Po Folks.
Dibs on the TWA car!
There exists a thriving, and very entertaining, Spec Hyundai Accent cup in Australia. Limited to the 2nd (I think) Gen Accent 3-doors. Large packs, and the lengths that these people go to eek out the last gasp of performance in these cars is so impressive. While climbing the front side of Mt Panorama, the back side of the mountain is all door-bangin, three-wheelin, Yahoo Serious shit. I highly recommend.
Spec Express! They already drive like that on the highway so it’s only a natural fit. Even better if loaded with tools and the pit crew.
It’s not single-model, and the idea is old, but I would love to watch Spec Land Yacht racing!
My mom had one of those Renault Alliances. It was so gutless it would barely get out of its own way. The A/C blew slightly cool air, but if you pushed the A/C button, the car would start slowing down on the highway. You’d have to turn off the A/C if you wanted to get back up to 55 mph.
I couldn’t imagine a race series of them. It’d be like watching a wreck like “The Big One” at a superspeedway like Daytona, Talladega, or Michigan in slow motion.
Since Reliant Robins already get raced, let’s carry the theme of three wheelers further, with Tuk-tuks, Polaris Spyders, or trike-converted Harley baggers… That’d make King of the Baggers even more fun to watch.
I believe the general consensus is Prioraiiusesodes:
https://www.theautopian.com/is-the-plural-of-prius-prii-priora-or-prioraiiusesodes-comment-of-the-yesterday/
NASCAR should go back to its’ roots of moonshine running.
What would you use if you needed some carrying capacity, but need to be completely inconspicuous not just in the holler but the destination city and all the ‘burbs in between? A damn crossover.
Cleetus McFarland has had a couple all Nissan Altima races at the Freedom Factory circle track.
The plural of Prius is Prii (pri-eye), there was a whole ass commercial about it.
As for one-make, if you want amusing, I’m thinking something of current year, that threatens to roll if pushed too hard, especially after adding a cage. Wranglers on Asphalt, maybe? Modify stock vehicles to be a support class for Super Stadium Trucks…which, to be fair, are mostly a support category in and of themselves but I digress…
H2 Hummer stretch limos. Pit crew has to ride along
In the 60s Road&Track proposed a one make race series in VW vans with 5 passengers moving about to provide the best center of gravity as is done in sidecar racing.
Lincoln Town Car stretch limousines.
I’m biased, but I’d love to see a BP (current gen) Mazda3 series with NA, 6-speed manual hatchbacks.
Are we keeping them stock? In that case, my vote is for crosstreks. Slow, but quick enough to be interesting. Wont roll on pavement, but can make it a rally as well. And could be had with a stick or cvt.
Modified? Lets go ecoboost mustangs. Sorry, no V8. Make due with a turbo 4 and see what happens.
Get wild? Maverick time. Ever play mario kart? Get the codriver or whatnot stationed in the bed, launching countermeasures. Paintballs, oil slicks, smokescreens, maybe timed spikestrips. And then the drivers get overboost functions, nitrous, temporary speed boosts to try to overtake. Throw in a doofwagon, because we need a madman guitarist playing the soundtrack. Call it the ‘Meaningful Advantages to Drivers Meandering Around eXcitedly, or ‘MADMAX’ series.
I’ve maintained for years it’s GM U-body vans – b/c racy – with the requirement that you carry your pit crew with you.
Let’s get stupid.
U-Haul van based box trucks. Loaded with household goods packed by the pit crew. Get the GM van based ones. Roll cages for the drivers, no suspension mods allowed, but you can do anything to the LS engine you want, but you’re only allowed 15 gallons of fuel and 1 fuel stop.
150 mile wheel-to-wheel race on a road course. Whoever crosses the finish line first it the provisional winner.
Then the back is opened. 5 second penalty for every broken or damaged item.