Has racing become too “predictable”? We hear it sometimes… Lap after lap… Left after left… Yeah…
We had an opportunity to check out a fairly new series of racing over the weekend of August 11-12 at Virginia International Raceway. “Chump Car” racing puts a lot of folks behind the wheel and on the track with real racing and, compared to NASCAR or other national series, little investment. It is grass roots racing with a “run what you brung and have some fun” attitude.
The premise is basic. Get your hands on a cheap car. Throw in the roll cage and basic safety stuff so you don’t damage yourself. Leave the engine and suspension alone for the most part. Go to a drivers’ meeting and get the rules and such for the day and “go racing”!
How simple is that? Anybody can race as long as their car falls inside the fairly loose regulations. The goal is fun, safety, and clean competition.
VIR hosted a 24 Hour Chump Car endurance event and it was an open course of variety, ingenuity, color and a fun watch. Beater Bimmers, Mostly Mazdas, Tinkered Toyotas, Funky Fords, Chunky Chevies and all other sorts of vehicle were running side by side and bumper to bumper. You couldn’t ask for a more bizarre mix of wheels on the same track for the same race.
An old pickup with “Sanford & Sons” on the doors being chased by a Bimmer with deer hooves and antlers… A topless 70’s LTD making time around a pink Saab… A Neon with heels and stockings holding the rear wing…
Mere examples out of context of the over 120 entries at Virginia International Raceway. This was a montage of a race, a party and a sideshow. For the drivers and teams, 24 hours of running was a challenge. For the spectators it was a blast of humor, speed and amazement.
“How does that thing keep going?” “What is that one?” “Can you believe they are in the lead?”
It is racing at the most basic level and it is a full-on display of why people are car fans and race fans. These are cheap cars salvaged from a rusting death for a chance at glory! These are drivers that may have a hard time with parallel parking put together as a group on a race track to challenge each other and their own skill at speed!
This is Chump Car Racing! When an event is close to you… Go! Just go and have some fun! Find some ragamuffin car that catches your eye and give them some cheers around the course.
And if you have a little extra cash and access to a car on it’s way to the junk yard you, too, could find yourself behind the wheel of a “Chump”!
Go racing!
Photos from Chump 24 at VIR – Click Here!
Chump Car official website – Click Here!
Virginia International Raceway website – Click Here!