What a sight to see
The bright livery colors of classic NASCAR stock cars barrelling down the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta straightaway. For a moment, you could be forgiven for thinking your favorite drivers were again battling for position.
That’s the sweeping nostalgic emotion the Historic Stock Car Racing Association (HSCRA) brings to every event. It’s also why fans came out this day to the Braselton, Georgia, road course in droves.
For you see, the mission of HSCRA is much broader than restoring and preserving stock car history. This association’s members are bringing racing history back to life for all to enjoy again.
Best of all, they’re not restoring these race cars for some dusty museum; they’re putting them on the track to relive their glory days. You could tell the fans appreciated it as they stood and cheered on their favorite car as it passed.
We needed to know more about this latest edition to “The Mitty” Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) lineup of events. So in between races, we eagerly sat down with Rodney Reston and Chris Evans from HSCRA to learn more about this association.
HSCRA Is Growing
Rod Worley – Editor – Wasn’t Gene Felton from Atlanta a part of the Historic Sports Car Race series back in the day? So, how has this organization changed in recent years?
Rodney Reston – HSCRA – You’re right. Gene Felton was one of the primary founders of the stock car group in the mid-90s. Carl Sagan, the famous astronomer, was also a member back then.
After the 2008 recession, we started picking up additional stock car participation at various events. So, we started putting together a contact list of everybody we knew who owned and raced a stock car.
As the list grew, Chris Evans formalized Historic Stock Car Racing Association (HSCRA) and formed an LLC.
Being with SVRA & HSR has allowed us to race at major tracks across the county. As a result, we’re growing our fan base with every race and picking up more drivers.
Our goal is to bring 40-plus historic stock cars to our events.
As you know, NASCAR recently purchased Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR), which undoubtedly helped our exposure. In fact, Mike Helton, Chairman of the Board for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), was here at “The Mitty” HSR event to watch our race.
Jim France from the France family was here as well.
Our schedule looks exciting coming up. First, in two weeks, we’re going to the Darlington Raceway for the NASCAR throwback weekend with 20 of our historically significant cars.
It’s going to be an exhibition and not a race. And then, we’ll go to Watkins Glen for a race in August.
We’ll be sharing the weekend with the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series.
Where Fellowship, Speed, & Adrenaline Merge
Rod Worley – Editor – Including your group in NASCAR’s Darlington and Watkins Gen weekend schedule is a significant step forward. Given the historical nature of your stock cars, it would seem like a natural move.
You have to be excited about where this exposure can take your group.
Rodney Reston – HSCRA – We’re thrilled to be asked to participate in the weekend activities at Darlington and Watkins Glen.
As you know, NASCAR purchased HSR, which undoubtedly helped our exposure. As I mentioned, Mike Helton, Chairman of the Board for NASCAR, came to The Mitty this weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta to watch our race.
Of course, having the Wood Brothers as grand marshalls for the race is exciting for fans and drivers alike. They’re one of the greats of our sport.
And at the end of the day, our group is all about the fan experience. We’re allowing NASCAR fans to see the classic stock cars they grew up with racing on America’s historic tracks again.
It’s also a chance to come down to the paddock, talk to drivers, and see their favorite cars up close. We’re bringing great memories and racing history back to life in many ways by restoring and preserving these iconic stock cars.
We do all that with a group of dedicated drivers who know that HSCRA is where fellowship, speed, and adrenaline merge.
Upcoming 2023 Schedule
The Historic Stock Car Racing Association has a full slate of races for 2023. The upcoming events span the country.
- May 26th – SVRA – Lime Rock Park, 60 White Hollow Rd, Lakeville, CT 06039.
- June 2nd – SVRA – Detroit Grand Prix, 300 Renaissance Center, Detroit, MI 48207.
- June 8th – HSR – Watkins Glen, 2790 County Route 16, Watkins Glen, NY 14891.
- June 9th – SVRA – Ridge Motorsports Park, 1060 W Eells Hill Rd, Shelton, WA 98584.
- June 15th – SVRA – Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 4790 W 16th St, Indianapolis, IN 46222.
- June 22nd – SVRA – Mid-Ohio, 7721 Steam Corners Rd, Lexington, OH 44904.
- July 6th – SVRA – Road America, N 7390, WI-67, Plymouth, WI 53073.
- July 13th – SVRA – Portland International Raceway, 1940 N Victory Blvd, Portland, OR 97217.
- July 28th – SVRA – New Jersey Motorsports Park, 8000 Dividing Creek Rd, Millville, NJ 08332.
- August 12th – HSR Monterey – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 1021 Monterey Salinas Hwy, Salinas, CA 93908.
- August 16th – HSR Rolex – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 1021 Monterey Salinas Hwy, Salinas, CA 93908.
- August 18th – SVRA – Summit Point Motorsports Park, 201 Motorsports Park Cir, Summit Point, WV 25446.
- August 19th – HSR/NASCAR – Watkins Glen International, 2790 County Route 16, Watkins Glen, NY 14891.
- September 1st – SVRA – Willow Springs International Raceway, Willow Springs International Raceway, Rosamond, CA 93560.
- September 6th – SVRA – Watkins Glen International, 2790 County Route 16, Watkins Glen, NY 14891.
- September 15th – HSR – Road America, N 7390, WI-67, Plymouth, WI 53073.
- September 21st – HSR – Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, 5300 Winder Hwy, Braselton, GA 30517.
A Passion For Racing
The smiles and cheers of the race fans said it all. The cars & drivers of HSCRA brought something special to “The Mitty” HSR event.
It may have been a chance for some to bask in racing nostalgia. Maybe it was seeing their favorite childhood NASCAR stock cars in action on the challenging Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta road course.
Either way, the smiles and excitement were genuine, the new memories lasting. So if you’re a fan of NASCAR, you owe it to yourself to take in a weekend of HSCRA racing this year at a track near you.
Also, while you’re there, stroll down to the paddock and strike up a conversation with some drivers. You’ll, no doubt, find them friendly and eager to talk about their car and their passion for HSCRA racing.
We definitely give this experience a thumbs up.
HSCRA Information
Website: Historic Sports Car Racing Association
Contact: HSCRA
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