While on assignment last month in Charlotte, North Carolina, I had the opportunity to take-in some Legends car racing at the famous Charlotte Motor Speedway. Legends car racing is a style of race car, designed primarily to promote exciting racing and to keep costs down. The bodyshells are 5/8-scale replicas of American automobiles from the 1930s and 1940s, powered by a Yamaha motorcycle engine. The car and racing series originated at the Speedway back in the early 90′s, and has spread to other countries including Canada, England and Scotland.

It’s a fairly inexpensive car to race, costing around $13,000 to purchase, and they are raced by kids, who are as young as 12, and adults (in separate divisions, of course). They have a 140hp engine, and can get up to speeds of 140+ mph!

It was fun to mingle in the pits (the very same ones used for NASCAR), and to be right in the thick of racing culture. Just imagine being 12, and racing on the same track as your heros! The energy was pretty amazing, and I look forward to my next motor racing experience.

This is DJ, a Bandolero car driver. He’s 8. The Bandolero’s are an entry car for the Legends series, and can reach in excess of 70 mph!