A person might think Hayabusa powered Mini’s and GSX-R Smart cars are what you get when you think about motorcycle power. A reader of The Kneeslider reminds us that the land of NASCAR has its own version of things called Baby Grand Racing. These 2/3 scale cars are replicas of Nextel Cup racers and use Yamaha XJR1300 engines with about 125hp. Bodies are just like their big brothers, plus they have full roll cages and tube chassis, you get in through the window, 5 point harness, the whole deal.
They’ve been racing since 1996 and they run ovals and road courses. New cars are constructed in Bowling Green, Kentucky and are available as a roller or complete car.
All of these race replicas on a mini scale give you a chance to get on the track at considerably less money than full size allows. Bet they’re a lot of fun, too.
see also: motorcycle powered cars
{ 4 comments… add yours below ... }
That’s interesting. XJR1300, huh? A guy who lives in my apartment complex races a “midget” car powered by an FJ1100 engine (the grandfather of the XJR1300’s mill).
Wow, how cool to see the NutDriver Racing BG on the front page of your site. Thanks. Hope to have it Hayabusa powered in the next year or two. Look forward to learning more through your site and your readers.
Sincerely,
Scott “Righty” Franklin
http://www.NutDriver.org
I like that car how can get its I looking for a Baby Grand race car for 2008 season start.
Dan:
Contact Roger Austin, Austin Legends, at
roger@austinlegends.com. A group of us use Roger
to service our Baby Grands, which have been converted to 2004-2006 R-1 Yamaha engines. We are making a spec class for SCCA with these engines. Roger can prepare a ready-to-race car at much less than new car would cost from the factory. We choose the R-1 because it is available for $2,000 on e-bay, it is the lightest, lowest profile engine available and reliable, it is water-cooled, and has a 6 speed.
We have four of these in class now, so we should have a separate class for SCCA Washington, DC this year. I won the SPU class for 2007. This weekend at Summit Point, two of these cars were under the lap record for a non-SCCA event on a cold track.
The engines are robust, as is running gear. Tires and brake pads last at least a season of racing, and 5 gals of gas will get you through a 25 lap race!
The Hayabusa is a wonderful engine, but it is larger, more expensive, and requires more modification than the R-1. Righty Franklin will have a quick car with the ‘Busa, but we think the R-1 is the proper engine for a new “spec” class.
These cars cause quite a sensation, as they are very quick and impressive to watch.
Phil