Land Speed Racing Comes to Maine for 2009By Brian Lohnes Posted 01/08/09
After several years of hard work and planning, the Loring Timing Association will be hosting its first land speed racing event in Loring, Maine, during the weekend of August 1st and 2nd, 2009. This event represents the culmination of lots of time by enthusiasts and great collaboration among other timing organizations (such as the ECTA).
One of the neat things about this venue that we have been hearing is that the runs will be 1.5-mile shots instead of the 1-mile runs made at Maxton. This is possible due to the extremely long runways on the former Loring Air Force Base.
This base was home to strategic nuclear bombers that flew long missions on the Russian air space border loaded with enough boom to vaporize large chunks of the country in a single whack. Those massive planes, laden with all that ordinance, required a lot of real estate to achieve takeoff speed. The resulting runway space is a boon to racers.
The base is actually located in a town called Limestone, Maine, some 400 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. Essentially, if you make a wrong turn in Limestone, you better have a passport, because you’ll be crossing into Canada. Its right up on the border with New Brunswick.
LTA leaders Bob Wanner and Bob Jepson were able to put on a demonstration event for local media, government, and other decision makers back in August of 2008 and that show proved to be a smashing success, paving the way for the August date this coming summer.
There are some “threatened” bird species that restrict when events can be scheduled, but the fact remains, this is huge news for any gearhead in the Northeast or Eastern Canada who has ever had a thirst for speed.
We’re looking forward to being at the inaugural event this coming summer and if we can get a wireless signal, providing some live results from the pits!
Comments + Post your comment!
Written by justrobby Jun 29 2009
Where can we find the rules/classes? this is new to me but we've been talking about making an effort to get up there.
Written by terry russell Jan 09 2009
[quote author=JRoberts link=topic=8807.msg172656#msg172656 date=1231466356]
[quote author=terry russell link=topic=8807.msg172508#msg172508 date=1231456506]
Those are some cool racers up in Maine.If you have wanted to go to a land speed event here is your chance.They will be running E.C.T.A. rules.
I hope to make it to this one.
terry
[/quote]
Will you be racing?
[/quote]
I hope to.
terry
Written by THUNDERBIRD86 Jan 08 2009
I had wondered if any one had ever thought about that at the Oscoda Michigan former Airforce base, Car and Driver have done high speed testing there
Written by Caveman
Jan 08 2009
Looks sweet on GoogleMaps... plenty of cement on the old A/C parking ramp for pits... Can't wait to see this place!
Anyone with connections at the New Hampshire Nascar track? It would be cool to borrow a track-dryer truck to blow rocks/dirt/debris off the runway. It'd take forever with a tractor sweeper...
Written by fahrenschnell
Jan 08 2009
Hopefully "Red Hot Racing" will be there and setting some records.
8)
Seth
Written by JRoberts Jan 08 2009
This is only a couple of weeks before Bonneville. I fear that some folks will have to choose between the two. I hope it works out alright. I know the racers from Maine are supper folks and for them being able to race in their own back yard will be a new experience.
Written by JRoberts Jan 08 2009
[quote author=terry russell link=topic=8807.msg172508#msg172508 date=1231456506]
Those are some cool racers up in Maine.If you have wanted to go to a land speed event here is your chance.They will be running E.C.T.A. rules.
I hope to make it to this one.
terry
[/quote]
Will you be racing?
Written by fahrenschnell
Jan 08 2009
1.5 miles!!!!! Will that be the length for the first year? Could make for some really crazy speeds.....Hmmmm.
No Maxton Event that month either......Might be able to manage that one.
Seth
Written by mlcraven
Jan 08 2009
Not so very far from Ottawa...there may be a new dimension to my funded auto interests. And a great excuse for a 2nd hobby car ;D ;D
What's a good starter LSR vehicle?
I'm goading the brother-in-law with the RX7 FD twin turbo to mount a trip there (he's from Dartmouth Nova Scotia). He's originally from that part of New Brunswick right across the border from Limestone.
[quote author=justrobby link=topic=8807.msg261442#msg261442 date=1246290935]
Where can we find the rules/classes? this is new to me but we've been talking about making an effort to get up there.
[/quote]
It's my understanding they'll be using ECTA rules/classes guidelines, which can be found here> http://www.ecta-lsr.com/?page_id=15 Not really up to date. Or go to>>http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/board,33.0.html which is a link to the Loring, Maine section on www.landracing.com