Speed Thrills

“Wicked,” “nasty” and “righteously fast” is how one race veteran describes vintage auto racing machines. “Fun” and “family-oriented” are terms he uses for the Motor Trend Thunder Historic Road Races, the event that will feature the prized autos this weekend.

Other drivers agree.

“This is a family event, more so than any other race we do,” agrees driver Tara Beattie, 24, who’s been at the starting line all four years of the Tustin event. “It’s full of rides for kids, food stands and a paddock area where spectators can come in and talk to the drivers.”

Beattie, of Orange, remembers how she was drawn to racing as a child, watching her father, Tom, race his Corvette. Now Tom Beattie races a rare 1969 Can-Am, and his daughter drives a ’65 Corvette.

“She took to it like a duck to water,” Tom said of his daughter, the first woman to win the U.S. Road Racing Championship, in 1996. “I would sure like to take some credit, but it’s something you’re born with.”

For those of us who are born spectators, the road races begin about 8 a.m. and go to sundown, Friday through Sunday. All ages are welcome in the paddock, to talk to the drivers, look under the hoods, even sit in the race cars.

Throughout the day, other events will vie for spectators’ attention. Go-carts will take the track for the Thunder Kart Grand Prix, and radio-controlled vehicle races, better known as RC, will give spectators a chance at the “wheel.”

RC cars are one-quarter scale models of vintage race cars, offering a more interactive experience for spectators, said Dan Moynihan, coordinator of the RCs.

“Kids are more fascinated with the small cars because they’re small,” Moynihan said. “These are just a scaled-down version of the vintage cars. And you can do more with an RC on a circle track.”

Among the highlights in RC competition is the HPI Viper Cup Challenge, with the 18-inch vehicles reaching up to 40 mph.

“It’s something kids can do with their parents,” Moynihan said. “You can buy into the sport for $250, about what you might pay for Nintendo or Rollerblades.”

The main objective of the event is to show off the vintage vehicles, from ’65 Mustangs and Firebirds to classic Ferraris, said Bruce Reimer, general manager of the Vintage Automobile Racing Assn.

But don’t tell driver Tom Beattie. “We’re supposed to show off the vintage cars, but everybody knows it’s racing,” he said. “Nobody wants to be second.”

Still, the cars are not easily replaceable, so if there’s an accident, no matter who caused it, anyone involved is automatically out of the race. The drivers must navigate a 1.7-mile road course, which means right- and left-hand turns that tend to keep the race more interesting for spectators, Reimer said.

Any person with a driver’s license is eligible to compete in vintage road racing. Among the drivers who compete are doctors, lawyers and even a father and his 17-year-old son, who often find themselves competing against each other.

The cars go up to about 185 mph, which is speedy for the average Southern California driver, though not for professional drivers, said Reimer, so most are amateurs. Besides, the vintage road race winners take home flags, not cash.

Along with racing, attractions include carnival rides, a midway and the Extreme Thunder Zone, with in-line skating and bicycle demonstrations. Also check out the exhibits of past and future automobiles.

BE THERE

Motor Trend Thunder Historic Road Races, Marine Corps Air Station, Tustin. Friday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to dusk. $20 per day; under 12 and military, free; two- and three-day passes available. (323) 782-2850.