What is this class?: Legends

Legends Cars were created by 600 Racing in America in 1992 to provide a fun and affordable racing opportunity in which anyone (experienced or inexperienced) could compete. The shape of the car has not changed since then, meaning the car never dates and therefore keeps its value. The rules are strictly enforced to ensure safety and cost control.

The cars feature a Yamaha XJR 1250 sealed motorcycle engine which produces approximately 125 horsepower. Horsepower is not a significant factor in the Legends Cars Series, however, because the rules require the use of a control tyre and narrow wheels prevent the driver from maximising the power of the engine thus eliminating the need to spend more money for extra horsepower. The control tyre is made of a hard compound so that it lasts a full season and then some, thus keeping the tyre costs much lower than other Formulae.

A full tubular roll cage sits atop the frame rails, which are firmly braced. The cars utilize a recycled Toyota rear end, and a front disc and rear drum brakes, rack and pinion steering, Bilstein coil-over shock suspension on all found corners, and are fitted with a four-gallon fuel cell.

Adjustments may only be made to the front camber, caster, tyre pressure, spring rates and the weight distribution by setting the coil over suspension, thus keeping the cheque book out of the Formula.

Legends Cars require about three to four hours’ simple maintenance between races, maintenance that can be carried out by anyone; no special mechanical qualifications required! The maintenance programme 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.

How many cars in competition today?
To date there are more than 6,500 Legends cars in existence in the USA, Canada, Mexico, the UK, France, Spain, Belgium, Holland. Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and now Ireland, making it the largest global racing class in the world. Legends Cars can be bought and sold all over the world as they are identical in every country. Legends Cars drivers come from all walks of life and range in age from 12 to 80. The series is gaining momentum with every race. This incredible growth has made the Legends Racing Series the fastest growing form of motor sports in the world today.

What makes Legends Cars appealing?
One of reasons for the success of the Legends Car is undoubtedly the car’s appearance. These fiberglass-bodied cars are almost exact replicas of the 1934 and 1940 Ford, Chevy and Dodge cars that founded the grassroots of racing in the USA as we know it and remain extremely popular today. Don’t be fooled by the “cute” appearance; 125 horsepower of Yamaha XJR1250 will quickly dispel any notions that this race car is a mere show pony.

You can find more information here on the Irish legends Facebook page or contact Ed Meredith on 087 2488808.