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US Legend Cars, formerly known as 600 Racing Inc. is an American race car constructor. The company, based in Harrisburg, North Carolina, builds all cars involved in Legends car racing. US Legend Cars holds the title of largest race car manufacturer in the world, due to their high production volume.
US Legend Cars was launched by Charlotte Motor Speedway officials seeking a cheaper alternative to stock car racing. The target was a racing car low in purchasing price and in maintenance. The first car was unveiled in April 1992 by Charlotte Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler and former racer Elliott Forbes-Robinson. The first legends racing cars body styles were based on the stockcar modified divisions from the 1930s and 1940s.
Wheeler and Forbes-Robinson based the legends cars on a Dwarf cars racing division based in Arizona. As Wheeler was the Charlotte Motor Speedway president and Speedway Motorsports president the new company developing the cars was introduced as a subsidiary to Speedway Motorsports. [1] For 1993 a Legends racing series on road courses was introduced in the United Kingdom.
For 1998 a new car was introduced, the Bandolero model. The car was fitted with a 570cc Briggs & Stratton Vanguard Model 35 engine. In 2011 a new car was launched, the Dirt Modified. The car is similar to a regular Legends racing car. However a slightly different body and adjusted Bilstein shocks make it handle more like a midget car. Ray Evernham helped develop the new racing car. [2] The first track to run the dirt car series was East Lincoln Speedway in Stanley, North Carolina. [3]
The legend car engine was updated from a Yamaha 1250 to a Yamaha FZ-09 in the spring of 2018.
| Legend [4] | Bandolero [5] | Thunder Roadster [6] | Dirt Modified [7] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  | ||
| Wheelbase | 73 in (1,854 mm) | 70 in (1,778 mm) | 96 in (2,438 mm) | 74 in (1,880 mm) |
| Width | 60 in (1,524 mm) | 47 in (1,194 mm) | 61 in (1,549 mm) | 69 in (1,753 mm) |
| Length | 10.6 ft (3,231 mm) | 10.9 ft (3,322 mm) | 14.3 ft (4,359 mm) | 10.4 ft (3,170 mm) |
| Weight | 1,300 lb (589.7 kg) | 550 lb (249.5 kg) | 1,500 lb (680.4 kg) | 1,000 lb (453.6 kg) |
| Engine | 1250cc Yamaha/Yamaha FZ-09 | 570cc Briggs & Stratton | 1250cc Yamaha | 1250cc Yamaha |
| Horsepower | 132hp | 30hp | 200hp | 140+hp |
| Tires | Federal Tires 595 | INEX approved | 880 Racing Hoosier | INEX approved |
Motorsport, motorsports or autosports is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two-wheeled motorised vehicles under the banner of motorcycle racing, and includes off-road racing such as motocross.
Legends car racing is a style of auto racing designed primarily to promote exciting racing and to keep costs down. The race car bodyshells are 5/8-scale replicas of American automobiles from the 1930s and 1940s, powered by Yamaha XJ1250, FJ1200 or, starting in 2018, FZ09 (water-cooled) engines. The worldwide sanctioning body for legends car racing is INEX.
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Atlanta Motor Speedway is a 1.540 mi (2.478 km) race track and entertainment facility in Hampton, Georgia, 20 mi (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has annually hosted NASCAR Cup Series stock car races since its inauguration in 1960.
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MAVTV is an American cable and satellite television channel owned by the automotive lubricant company Lucas Oil, a ubiquitous presence in the motorsports world, which mainly airs programming focused around motorsports and programming for automotive enthusiasts. CJ Olivares serves as the network's interim president.
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Modified stock car racing, also known as modified racing and modified, is a type of auto racing that involves purpose-built cars simultaneously racing against each other on oval tracks. First established in the United States after World War II, this type of racing was early-on characterized by its participants' modification of passenger cars in pursuit of higher speeds, hence the name.
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Bandolero car racing is a type of entry-level racing in the United States and Canada. Many bandolero car drivers move into Legends racing. Cars can reach in excess of 70 mph, but do not accelerate very quickly. The most wins in Bandolero race cars used to be held by Joey Logano but was broken in 2016 by Clay Thompson. The cars are built like miniature stock cars, with a tube frame and sheet metal cage. Drivers enter through the roof of the vehicle. Most drivers range from 8 to 14 years old, but older drivers can also race. The cars race on 1/4 mile, 3/8 mile and 4/10 mile ovals and also road courses and dirt tracks.
Sean Rayhall is a racing driver. He competed in the LMP3 class of the European Le Mans Series, winning the championship in 2017. He has also previously raced in the GT Daytona class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, in addition to stock cars and formula cars, where in the latter, he earned a test opportunity with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Kenzie Ruston Hemric is an American former professional stock car racing driver. She last competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2015, driving the No. 4 Toyota Camry for Rev Racing. Hemric is married to current NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Daniel Hemric.
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Daniel Dalton Sargeant is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing. He was the 2016 ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year, and finished second in the ARCA point standings in 2017.
Garrett Kirk Smithley is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro for B. J. McLeod Motorsports, the No. 91 Camaro for DGM Racing and the No. 4 for JD Motorsports. He has also competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and ARCA Menards Series in the past.
Kyle Jay Weatherman is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 02 Chevrolet Camaro for Our Motorsports and the No. 96 Camaro for FRS Racing. He has also competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series in the past.