The annual fall meeting for the MCCTA was held Oct. 5th in Thompson Falls MT. At this meeting the venue for the 2015 run was decided. White Sulphur Springs got the nod. The date will be Sunday the 21st of June for the inspection. The run will be on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. So, if you plan to attend, mark your calendar!
OH Tom, I so want to do this. Cross country trip would be long and fun just to get there. Please keep posting about the race throughout the year. Where can I find all the details about the race?
Scott, the Montana 500 website is www.montana500.com You can pay your $10.00 dues and become a member and then you will get the newsletters (about 4 a year). The old newsletters are online at the above URL. Ron Miller used to attend from the Cincinnati area.
Scott Bette:
You should go. If you do go, get in the race. It was the most fun I have ever had with a T. I raced for 12 years and really looked forward each year to heading to Montana.
@ Dave
If I do, I have some work to do. I watched about 40 different videos from the 2014 race. Was I really seeing speeds of 60 on someone's GPS app??? My top speed has be hi 40's flat on a slight down hill. It also looked like everyone had wire wheels. Why is that? There were also a lot of runabout's why? It would be one heck of a haul across country.
Scott - I attended in touring class last year. Yes, they do 60+ on a regular basis to average over 54 for the run. A radar gun on a long slight uphill grade showed 56 and 57 for several cars. Even with almost no other traffic, these folks go faster than most of us would consider sane in a T that has dead stock suspension and brakes. For safety, they now permit modern shock absorbers but everything else in the suspension must be stock T.
To attain those speeds requires exceptional tuning and fine balancing of everything. Even if I could get a car to do it, I don't think I'd want to go that fast for that long in a stock T.
26/27 roadsters are desired because they are more aerodynamic than the other body styles even if a little heavier than the 25 and earlier roadsters.
It has to be a thrill for those who run it and from what I've heard they have a great safety record.
Walt - I have a late 23 early 24 Coupe. It sure would be fun to do. Is most of the race two lane highway roads? Little intersections? I am curious if I would be able to create those conditions in Ohio to see how I would do just for a taste of the experience?
Scott,
I'm not the expert on this but they time the race in sections. They flag out to start the clock on the outskirts of a town, race the two lane highway to the next town or end of that stage. It's set so there are no traffic signals and few if any stop signs in the segment. Then they add fuel if needed, get through town, and flag out for the next segment when leaving town. The segments are all at highway speed limits so it's pull both levers down and give it all it has. The second place car this summer was a 24 roadster that would likely have won if she hadn't started last on each segment meaning that she had to pass more slower cars when conditions allowed. Cars are flagged out at one minute intervals for each segment so the don't bunch up much.
Scott- You might get in touch with Ron & BJ Miller from Shandon, OH. Ron won the 500 in 2001 and BJ came in 3rd in 2002. They might be able to coach you and share some "Speed Secrets" with you. Good luck, and hope to see you run your car in the future.
What kind of crazy would drive a T this way ???
I wIsh I could go.....
Someday I hope to go and watch (or drive if some fool would help me get a car up to that standard)....
I DID, LOVED IT!!