Random Motorsports Discussion ***MAY Contain Spoilers***

[acerogers58]

Bottom post of the previous page:

One of the first professional series will restart tomorrow night, World of Outlaws at Knoxville, sadly it’s on PPV.

[Everso Biggyballies]

This doesn't really fit anywhere else, I guess:

Whatever it is I think its gorgeous.

[MonteCristo]

This doesn't really fit anywhere else, I guess:

Whatever it is I think its gorgeous.

The front looks good, the back looks not so good.

That thing looks bloody low though.

[jimclark]

What's there, a sequel coming out........?


Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer goooooooooo!!!

edit: 'Just noticed....if it's an endurance racer, how long to change drivers?........

It's been a good rule of thumb, "If it looks right, it usually is". I guess that thing ain't right.

I know. It's a track car for some rich kids.......

[acerogers58]

What a shame..

[PTRACER]

What's there, a sequel coming out........?


Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer goooooooooo!!!

edit: 'Just noticed....if it's an endurance racer, how long to change drivers?........

It's been a good rule of thumb, "If it looks right, it usually is". I guess that thing ain't right.

I know. It's a track car for some rich kids.......

That is bloody weird looking. South America does tend to do its own thing when it comes to motorsports. They even had their own F1 series and tried to get their car into the 'real' Formula 1. Did not work very well as you can see from the picture:

[jimclark]

Looks like a Brabham......

[acerogers58]

Going to have to get used to this type of victory lane silence for a while

Anyway as a side note, someone by the name of "Tony Knight" ran the race, apparently it was someone using a fake name, and no one knows who it was as he was always wearing a mask, Finished 13th in the A-Main so it was definitely not some random non racing person.

[jimclark]

Racer X maybe...?

[DoubleFart]

Somebody called Scotty Thiel apparently.

[PTRACER]

Looks like a Brabham......

It's a Berta. And yes, it does have that 1971 Brabham look. The Argentines were planning to enter it in Grand Prix, with their own engine. The engine was about 60hp down on the DFV and blew up four times during their test, so all subsequent Grand Prix entries were withdrawn and they never tried again.

Interestingly, this chassis had an F5000 engine plonked in the back and was run with another Argentine driver until it was sold off to Indy racer Bill Simpson who drove it in America. Then one day, he decided to call up one of the drivers he was looking after and offer him a test drive. The driver he called up was a certain Rick Mears.

So, this ugly chassis actually gave Rick Mears his open wheel debut, at Riverside in 1976, in an SCCA race of mixed F5000s and Atlantics. He crashed at the first corner, but still...



Anyhow, over the years, the car has ended up in pieces and the pieces went missing. The car is undergoing restoration and the bodywork still has Mears' name on the side from all those years ago:



EDIT: More on this from Rick himself:

“So Simpson says, ‘I want to sign you up on a contract. F5000 and/or Indycar. Ten years.’ I’d never had a contract with anybody in my life, but it sounded pretty good, so I signed. Then in my first race for him the F5000 swapped ends on the first lap, and I crashed. I was mortified. Next day he calls: ‘Quit beatin’ yourself up, we found what happened.’ Between qualifying and the race they’d moved the rear suspension pickup points to try to improve the understeer. First time I stood on it the wishbones fouled the exhaust headers and the rear wheels came off the ground. After that I never cared about a crash, as long as I knew why it had happened.”

[jimclark]

Cool tidbit of trivia. Went to my monster list of drivers and no mention of that. Not surprising however. It shows his involvement in 3 USAC events; (Eagle/Offy) in '76. What was it?....a Regional or maybe Nat'l SCCA event? My list usually includes F5000 results so it weren't that..

Anywho......thanks for the Brabham look alike confirmation. My grey matter still works (somewhat).....

[acerogers58]

Sad news from Cedar Lakes Speedway, a 62 year-old track worker has been killed on the first night back after a tow rope which was righting a bus snapped, causing the bus to roll onto him.

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/more-ra ... hort-track

[Everso Biggyballies]

Looks like a Brabham......

Certainly has that 'lobster claw' look of the BT34 Brabham.

Interesting info @PTRACER... I had known of the Berta and knew of the Argentine Formula Mecanica series alluded to, but not the extended story related or the Mears connection. Thanks.
By the way the F1 Berta engine actually used the cylinder block from a DFV.
The guy behind Berta is still around, as is the Berta name.... they now represent many car makers Motorsport interests in Argentina (Renault is one I know of, as well as Porsche who are handled by Berta in South America not just Argentina.)

[jimclark]

Sad news from Cedar Lakes Speedway, a 62 year-old track worker has been killed on the first night back after a tow rope which was righting a bus snapped, causing the bus to roll onto him.

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/more-ra ... hort-track

That is sad. At the same time, one needs to use their "grey stuff"......

[acerogers58]

Kyle Larson looked incredibly fast...

but.. his brother in law once again outdid him