photo by RPM 360
Story by Chris Roy
This race season will mark Bob Weymouth’s 21st year behind the wheel in a legend car. “I started legend racing in 1997 after breaking my knee racing dirt bikes.” Bob has racked up a total of 22 different championships, throughout his career.
Right now, here in New England there are a number of different oval race tracks, 2 road course tracks, and 2 touring series, NELCAR and the Granite State Legends that race legends cars. The question is there enough drivers racing in legends to support all these events? “Legends will only grow if everyone gets on the same page up here. If not there will be small car counts at all events. The tracks, organizations, individuals need to put their egos aside and do best for the sport. But as we see in other divisions and tracks can’t make same rules packages.”
photo by RPM 360
INEX sets the rules on the U.S. Legends cars and there are only two types of engines that the drivers can use in the car. “There are 2 motors we are allowed to use 1200 open vs 1250 sealed. The differences are 1200 has a lower compression rule with smaller displacement. But is able to be worked on by yourself or by a local bike shop. 1250 is basically a no touch motor. You can’t fix as easy but puts out slightly more power at certain rpm’s.”
The MOAT Mnt Legend Series, races on the road course at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “I absolutely love road course racing, it’s more like dirt bike racing. That’s where I came from before getting into legends. Really wish they could slow the cars down a bit so special parts weren’t involved. more may try it, if price was more affordable.”
The road course at NHMS is 1.6 miles with 12 different turns with long straightaways, hills and valleys, and hair pin turns. So what is the key to getting around this unique style track? “Having a good, not great car, a bit of ability, and pay attention to the faster drivers, go slow to go fast.”
Thompson Speedway also has a road course where legends compete. “Both NHMS and Thompson are very different, which is part of the attraction to road course for me. Ovals are all very similar, road course are never the same.”
On the road courses there are long straight aways where the legends cars reach speeds in excess of 100+ mph. As the cars race down the straight away they make a whole in air resistance and, if two cars get lined up together they split the resistance, which allow the 2 cars to go faster than one. “The draft is huge, speed differences are big on a road course because of the ability differences. Add the draft and you can subtract 1 second off the lap times of cars involved.”
NHMS is the home track of the Granite State Legends, it is turns 1 and 2 of the 1 mile track, which consist of the high backing. Then the track cuts across the flat infield to make up the ¼ mile race track. “Mini mile was a great thought of a couple people and designed by a few of us from up here in Maine. It was designed as a exhibition race track to show/sell legends at cup events. It became a series because the track is owned by the sanctioning, manufacturing, and they have a retail store there also.”
This race season the Granite State Legends is becoming a touring series going to Lee Speedway as well as Monadnock Speedway. ”Think it’s a good thing for GSLC to have a small touring series. When I started you didn’t have choices where to go racing, there was MALCAR, or go to Ct. Now there’s mid-week, Friday or weekend shows. If you want to tour you can, want to just go to a track you can do that. Like I said earlier if they can get together we could have a great series and plenty of great legends racing.”
2 time Semi-Pro Maine State Champion
2 time Pro Maine State Champion
9 time Master Maine State Champion
4 time NELCAR Champion
2 time TNT Champion
2014-2015 Golden Masters National Champion
2016 Golden Masters World Champion