Race Car Definition

[ZED SLED]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver2SS

If it goes on a trailer, it's a race car pure and simple...

Well, then I saw a Smart Car race car on the interstate yesterday on a trailer behind an RV

[Rob3D]

Anytime two sports cars get beside each other that’s a race...so if you’re in a car and you’re racing someone from the light or on the highway...you’re in a race car.

[Silveradoss573]

Originally Posted by ZED SLED

Well, then I saw a Smart Car race car on the interstate yesterday on a trailer behind an RV

I'm assuming he meant if it has to go on a trailer then it's a race car?

[xstuntman]

If you've ever yelled "slingshot engaged" while passing someone, yeah, it's a race car.

[mikeman]

A pure race car is the kind they race at the Indy 500 or the Long Beach Grand Prix. The Formula-1 Indy cars are race cars. Those are the purist race cars in my opinion.

Also, the oval track cars like in Nascar are race cars. Since these days, nothing even remotely resembles a stock car anymore, yet they are sometimes referred to as "stock cars" in racing when in an earlier time they did have stock car parts on them.

Also, like what was mentioned above. Any car that is used exclusively for racing and has been significantly modified for that particular environment could be called a race car as well.

[Mr_Draco]

Originally Posted by Silveradoss573

I'm assuming he meant if it has to go on a trailer then it's a race car?

That describes most Fords then, how else do people get them home.

[BehindBlueI's]

I've always taken it to mean a car that's purpose built for racing. That's why stock car racing was 'stock car' racing, not 'race car racing' when stock cars were...stock cars. They weren't purpose built to race, they were regular ol' street legal cars used in a race. Then modified cars. Now they are race cars, as the entire car is built specifically for that type of race, only the vestigial name remains.

[Modernmusclecar]

Thank god you didn't ask what the defintion of a muscle car was haha.

[ADVMax]

Originally Posted by mickss

If it passes tech inspection then it`s a race car.

this

[Chris49066SS]

Originally Posted by Rob3D

Anytime two sports cars get beside each other that’s a race...so if you’re in a car and you’re racing someone from the light or on the highway...you’re in a race car.

Wouldn't those be "racing cars", or rather "cars that are racing"?

[Rock-It Man]

Originally Posted by mickss

If it passes tech inspection then it`s a race car.

That is the winning definition!

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by frey.199

I've been looking around online and can't seem to find the true definition of a race car. Maybe because their isn't one and everyone has their own version of race car. I'm just curious what everyone else's thoughts are or if their is actually a true definition especially when you say, "that's my race car".

Just off the top of my head . . .

A race car needs to be used in some sort of sanctioned competition, either directly against other cars or indirectly via official timing.

A race car needs to pass whatever tech inspection is applicable.

The above do not necessarily exclude a "race car" from street legality. That's more about how far you modify your car to improve its performance in that competition than it is about simply entering the competition.

Autocross, road course time trialing, and wheel-to-wheel would constitute racing.

HPDE would not, even though there are a few tech inspection requirements.


Norm

[Aqua Blue RS/SS]

Originally Posted by mickss

If it fails tech inspection the first time then passes the second or third time thru, it`s a race car.

There fixed it for you if it passes the first time thru you weren’t trying hard enough when you were prepping to race. That or you made something really obviously wrong so you could better hide other grey areas on the car