Put yourself behind the wheel of an MC racer at Laguna Seca in three weeks. It's a fun class with DNA from the original 1960's/'70's Trans-Am muscle cars. 3200 pounds, 375 rwhp, 100 tread wear tires and a great group of racers. Drop me an IM about rentals and purchases of fully prepped cars or drop by the MC paddock area during the Laguna Seca weekend. We'll be there Friday to Sunday. Join in the fun.
[Excerpted from Grassroots Motorsports, Full article at https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/radwood-race-track/ ]
... Pete Mansolillo, a longtime racer and owner of Muscle Car Jr., an Atlanta-area specialty dealer, reiterates how yesterday’s race cars are today’s deals. “In their time they cost quite a bit to build and be competitive, like any race car,” he notes. “Today, they can be had for pennies on the dollar. If you kept an actual log on what it takes to build a car, most people would pass out; it’s the little things that really add up.” ...
Why reinvent the wheel? he asks, as the recent past contains some excellent engineering. “The ’80 and ’90s were the epitome of Speed Channel racing; the Escort and Firehawk series were in full swing.”
We've got several of these ready for a new owner!
Next up for MC is the Cal Club Regional Races at Buttonwillow May 1-3. This is going to be an exciting race weekend for the group as we'll be racing on the new THE CIRCUIT track at Buttonwillow. Stop by the MC group in the paddock and check out the cars and chat about the class. We'll be there for the May 1, Friday open track ($150 for the whole day!! That's almost free compared to what other regions charge for testing days) with several cars. Ed Charnock is considering the class having sold his stock car and will be testing an MC racer on for size on Friday. He and Joe Montana had some great races but with Joe having a fun time in MC it's time for Ed to join in. Cars are available for rent and purchase if you like the idea of a recreation of the legendary Trans-Am series of the '60's. Inquire within. See you at Buttonwillow.
Thank you, Kathryn Hayworth... I'm stuck in February again. Now if I can only remember the next 3 weeks' winning Lottery numbers. But it gives me the opportunity to re-attend the SFR Drivers' School in two weeks with David Pacheco in a Muscle Car. Stop by our paddock space and pick up some MC T shirts and hats and check out the class. Four new drivers for 2026 already and you can be number 5. We have a great schedule for MC lined up at your favorite tracks including the new "The Circuit" at Buttonwillow with Cal Club SCCA May 2-3. It's going to be fun.
Muscle Car is always on the lookout for ways to save the competitors money. One of the recurring replacement parts for the 1994-2002 Camaro and Firebird MC racers is the front wheel bearing hubs. Like many replacement parts the front hubs are no longer made in the USA but are manufactured in China. The Chinese Timken last from one to three race weekends and cost around $160@. We've been testing C7 Corvette hubs are made in the USA and they are of a similar but stronger design. With the addition of an adapter plate, they bolt right up to the F Body suspension. A test set has been on my Camaro for nine full race weekends and they are as tight as the day they were bolted up. Cost is $185 each. We'll have adapter plates for 4th gens prior to the first April Laguna Seca event. Our cost should be around $150 per set of two. MC+cost saving parts=more fun.
We still have $1500 in our travel fund from 2025, and we plan to distribute the entire amount at the Laguna Seca event. Out of state entrants will receive $250 each and California based entrants will receive a proportionate to the total number of entries amount. Ten California entries would mean $100 each to spend foolishly. In addition, the discounted entry fee for over 100 minutes of track time will be only $400. MC+rebates+discounts=more money to blow foolishly (on more car parts).
On the Muscle Car front our schedule is still waiting for confirmation on the two Laguna Seca dates, however, we expect to have these soon. In the meantime, here's what the MC 2026 Championship schedule looks like. We have 15 MC cars ready to race in 2026 and our goal will be to get at least 10 to each event. If you're thinking of a class that offers V8 power, handling and braking similar to the 1960's TransAm racing, MC is for you. Cars are available for $15,000-$20,000 fully prepped and ready to race. The rules keep the expenses down and the competition up. Drop me an IM for full details about the class.
So my #27 Camaro has been sitting in my garage waiting for Gary Ludlum to have time to swap out the broken engine. When Gary started pulling off the exhaust manifolds he found that mice/rats had entered through the tail pipe (3" diameter made it plenty inviting) and trekked to the heads where they started storing their winter's supply of acorns. All four exhaust ports on the driver's side were crammed with acorns. Needless to say a new downtime procedure is putting plugs in the end of the exhaust pipes! It might be a worthwhile protective measure if you live in an area with acorns and rodents. Even in a secure garage they have their ways of slipping in. This gives a new meaning to winter prep. See you in the New Year. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and New Year!
After a year of back and forth in the MC points between Robert Luster and Gary Ludlum only 2 points separated them. Both came ready to win but Gary claimed the 2025 MC Championship with three straight wins. Congrats, Gary, and all the other MC drivers who participated this year! We're all winners with the fun times we enjoyed together.
2026 will see the MC Group focusing on a core of six races including the new "The Circuit" at Buttonwillow with CalClub May 2-3. This open and fast track will be perfect for the MC crew. And John Taylor won't have as far to come from Las Vegas. Add in two more Laguna Seca events, two Sears Point race weekends and the SFR Thunderhill finale and we'll have six great opportunities to focus on everyone showing up at similar race events. It's always fun with more cars on the track. Currently we have 12 drivers and 15 cars ready to race.
If you'd like to join in the MC fun in 2026 drop me an IM and I'll send you all the details about the three cars for sale. Off season Muscle Car Monday postings will feature each of these cars as well as a "Meet the Drivers" series of postings.
Muscle Car is definitely one of the most fun classes out there with rules that emphasize cost containment and close preparation specs. The glory days of the 1960's and '70's Trans-Am racing are echoed in the 375 horsepower V8s balanced with brakes, suspension and tires that equalize competition and preparation without breaking the wallet.
There is one element of MC we haven't noted previously...once you have one Muscle Car you are likely to need expanded garage space as many MC racers end up with a second car. There's something addictive about racing MC and it apparently spills over into owning the cars, too. I have two 4th gen Camaros, Darryl Seefeldt has 3rd and 4th gen Camaros, Mike Sawyer has a Firebird and a Camaro, both 3rd gens, Matthew Insley has two 3rd gen Camaros, Robert Luster leads the pack with two 3rd gen Camaros and a 4th gen Firebird. If you're thinking about MC for 2026, several of these cars are for sale but beware; you might end up with an extra MC in the garage, too.
It's not too early to begin planning for the Muscle Car 2026 racing season. The goal of the MC Directors for 2026 is to provide the MC Group with a variety of options for racing with different organizations in multiple venues. MC will have six Premiere events where we hope everyone will be able to make the grid and have fun racing in numbers that continue to grow.
Tentatively MC will be running two events each at Laguna Seca and Sonoma with single events at Thunderhill and at Buttonwillow on the new Circuit track. As soon as SCCA and NASA release their schedules for 2026 we'll firm up the dates. Besides the "everyone show up at the same race" core dates there are always more weekends from NASA, CalClub, SFR and various HPDE organizations to add to track time.
Muscle Car brings back the days of the classic Trans-Am with a non-classic Trans-Am budget. Cars are available for $10,000-$18,000 depending on model and prep. Rules keep expenses down with 100 tread wear tires ($1100 set good for 5 full race weekends), mechanical limitations and other cost stabilizing factors. MC is designed as a fun class to enjoy the V8 power and have fun with likeminded people. Come and join the fun in 2026.
There will be MC cars at the SFR Thunderhill races September 20-21 so stop by and chat about the class and racing. SFR has used their extra track time to allow you to bring your street car and drive it on the race track for only $150 for several on track sessions. Check out the full information and register at Motorsports Reg. Instructors are available and all you need is a helmet (SA2020 or newer), a Driver's License and a car. But be aware open track experiences often lead to the desire for more and more track time and eventually wheel-to-wheel racing. And when you reach that point, MC is a great place to experience it.
See you at the track!