GATR Atlanta 250 1980 (Part 2/4)

[ricketson001]

These guys are insane. Especially the guys driving the trucks with the flat cabs (no engine in front). Good Grief.

[jasonscottsr73]

the good ol days

[BamaBack1271]

I believe I was there. Remember it like it was yesterday.

[Mechknight73]

It's an irony that they're doing this on a NASCAR tri-oval. In Europe and Australia, truck racing is done on Formula 1-style circuits. Left and right turns, chicanes, hills, and often long straights, it makes for really entertaining racing

[ArtistWorldMedia]

Ask Hal when you see him to contact me when he has time, Thanks Lee Carnes

[DamnStraightM35A2]

look at that crazy nose on the white cabover....

[bigtarheelfan]

Thanks for sharing.

[pdennis93]

the race may not be the one shown in Smokey and the bandit 2 but the crash is.

[pdennis93]

whoever said this might not be the race from S&B II, the whole race might not be but the crash at 2:04 was definately used in that movie.

[bubba2301]

they quit this due to right front tires not holding up. but in the 80's they were bias tires. if it came back i would give my left nut to get to do this.

[vrochest]

My Dad, Gene Rochester, is the man whose idea was to cut the axel & pull the tire out and also to move the engine back in Old 97. Hes the man with the big black hat riding on the side of the truck into victory lane. If you watch 2 of 4, hes the red head who pulls the gas man Hippie off the back of the truck when Mike heads back onto the track. Good thing Dad grabbed him before those RETREAD TIRES did!! Never under estimate the bite of a JUNK YARD DOG!!!!!

[HUEY1MARS]

@vrochest yep you got that wright mike put me in the drivers seat in the late 80s and now ive drove 2 million safe driveing miles he trained me well

[hicktown13]

get nascar to sponser it id fuckin do it, id probably suck but hell it would be fun

[bduddy55555]

I can only imagine what the draft was like in these things...

[TripleZ89]

I am a race fan and can't believe I haven't seen this before!! This is epically awesome!! Can they bring this back?! Please! I love the hair, accents, and good gravy the trucks! THIS is one hell of a style of racing! Wow they have all different kinds of trucks! Wow and windshields smashing? DAMN!

[1977SOUTHERNBOY]

They showed Jerry Reed as the Snowman in one of these races in Smoky 2. I thought it was kind of a blooper that he had no helmet or safety restraints on!

[hicktown13]

and the gmc general would have gotten whooped bad by the other trucks haha

[TrophyNZ1]

@1977SOUTHERNBOY only in the 80's lol

[1977SOUTHERNBOY]

That would take some major balls!

[Hotrodx199]

and i'm guessing they were all running 2 stroke detroits?

[e521soediv]

Oh jesus....

[jamespic]

Oh My God!!!!!

[stephenrankin12345]

that is the truck crash from number 2 of smokey and the bandit

[hicktown13]

yea i think so

[DaytonaSebring]

I saw the GATR trucks race about 20 years ago in Orlando. Ken Schrader and Harry Gant had a match race in them before the actual race. One of the trucks wrecked and literally knocked down part of the concrete retaining wall.

[TheBandit77TransAm]

OMG this was in Smokey and the Bandit II this exact race along with the crash too! that was such a good film.

[NTC335]

萌え☆

[kumathebulldog]

i doubt nascar series will fail, dout the big ones will pull out.. if so japan will go in with nissa, they redy have toyota. korea will join with hyundai and the sport will change..

[kumathebulldog]

were has this series gone, if this series was still going in tha usa no one would watch nascar..

[dragonfitter]

only in america

[SPUPRR]

actually,it failed in America but is a BIG sport in europe but in Europe they race road courses.

[Lovat2]

@dragonfitter

No! Truck Racing is big in Europe!

[VooDooRocketry]

After shaving the tread off the tires to remove heat the axles were actually cut, blocked higher on the right front and had a wedge installed to cant the right front wheel so the tires would sit flat in the turns. While it helped a bunch the series still had some tar disasters. But I really miss em.

[vrochest]

My Dad and I talked about this today. He told me that after they shaved the tread off he painted 97's tires with silver paint so that he could use his binoculars from the pit to see how much the tread was wearing. He said that the next race everyone else was painting their tires.

[69nova454]

i would really like to see this event come back but i cant see how the truck and nationwide series will fail but hopefully it will come back.

[JoeytheHDK]

Maybe. They'd have to reinforce the SAFERs like nothing else... lol

[JoeytheHDK]

I wish I was around when this series was running... I think I would have gone down to see this.

[HOTROD74GremlinX]

Wow is do I hear some old school 2 stroke Detroit Diesels?? why don't they do this kinda racing anymore?

[Goldengoat23]

I wonder where all these trucks are now, Reckon they are packed away in someones barn somewhere??

[racermac1988]

Holy shit! Are we serious? Semi truck racing at Atlanta??? That is awesome!!!

[104trucker]

smokey and the bandit II beginning

[Petrooli]

Yeah that movie featured Atlanta truck race (not this one though) on the beginning of the film. Gotta love those movies and music!

[raymoundcist88]

That truck crash was in the opaning.

[Fireheart528]

@Petrooli Hope this is still going, this is cool as heck.