Become A Racecar Driver with US Legend Cars 

I started racing at age 72, in my Legend sedan. I'm the World's Oldest Rookie, having never raced anything before April 17, 2021.

When my son turned 18, we went to Columbus Motor Speedway and took 20 hot laps around a 1/3 mile paved oval in a Legend. Best $100 I ever spent!

Poised and well spoken, Graham Smith handled himself admirably. A good ambassador for both the sport, and his company. Answered all of Jay's questions knowledgeably and tactfully.

I hope this series of Motorsport grows wildly! What an awesome little car ❤

At my local track, Ona Speedway, we have drivers from age 16 to age 80. I race myself, and never would’ve been able to afford racing without Legends Cars. They are a blast to drive! Check them out somewhere near you.

Love Jay because he loves cars. He's not like these new youtube idiots reviewing cars for clicks and money (we all know who they are). Jay made his living in comedy, but his passion is all things cars. Truly a legend.

Seeing those cars for the first time... put a huge smile on my face.. They look GREAT.

When I was a young kid, I remember almost every gas station had a race car sitting on the property. Although this car is much smaller than the cars I remember, the look is similar. Wow! Back then racetracks were almost everywhere. Most are gone and forgotten. This car brought back many memories for me. Very interesting!

This is one of the greatest things Jay lenos done, and he’s done a lot for us veterans!!! For him to promote grass roots racing is so amazing! This is what the sport needs!! We need to keep our local tracks open, please google your local area for any type of racing, once you’ve find one, go there and spend as much money as you are able! It’s the best entertainment for a family for the money.

I think Jay would LOVE to get a series together for his buddies in show business, to televise maybe during the Summer or Winter, with each competitor winning trophies and cash for chosen individual charities? Maybe he could race in or commentate a US version and a GLOBAL VERSION? I KNOW a few celebs in the UK would be REALLY up for it! (put the word out at the next Goodwood Revival, Festival of Speed or similar event and watch their little eyes light up!) Go on Jay! ...DARE YA!

Wow what a legendary Episode! ❤ You can feel the true love for cars and wrenching on a personal hobby level from jay. Much love from Germany/Europe where even smallest modifications is largely suppressed by the authorities, private wrenching vanishes by younger generations. I truly wish these smaller programs would spread more widely!

As a girl who is a bit of an amateur petrolhead, I love that there’s an even split of guys and girls racing! 😁

Once upon a time, 50 years ago, my friends and I thought about entering small track racing in what was called the "hobby stock" division. We discovered that even that was too expensive for 20 year-old guys. These legend cars make it closer to being affordable... _closer_ . It is still $18,000, then there is a trailer to haul it and the expense of tires and maintenance. Hoosier tires are not free. And if you get in a wreck, more money and more time. If you (or a competitor) destroys the car, kiss it all good-by. Point is, for the average working joe, it is still too expensive for just an amusement.

Cleetus McFarland needs to get his hands on a few dozen of these

Thanks Mr. Leno for another great history lesson, I’ve seen these races. I’ve been to the track when they were running, but I never knew all the dynamics behind it. Thank you for the info.🙏🏽

I just learned about the Legends Racing. I recall that in the early 50s, our Father would take us to the Tulsa Fairgrounds for the Quarter Mile Dirt Track racing on Friday night. They raced striped down cars from the 30's, mostly flat head Ford V8.

I've seen these on TV for years, but it was awesome to hear the details! Unexpected to find it here, totally loved it.

I am amazed that no one mentioned the fact that with the partially exposed tires and wheels, it is similar to open wheel racing. Not fully exposed but enough to climb tires, flipping cars over . This greatly reduces the tendency crash into each other or try to push cars out of your way. Because those Maneuvers will likely result and you yourself winding up on your top.

Super excited to learn more about these! Awesome, I have always been so curious and have always adored these cars and this series!

Jay, just wanted to say Thank you for taking such great care and preserving such great pieces of automotive history! Especially for those of us whom can't afford it, but love them just like you!

My gosh 10 yrs old to start..... but this fellow is quite knowledgeable on this vehicle...... watching this vid you are grinning the whole time you are watching. Mr Leno I'm sure would like to try one of these. Excellent video this week....

Just about finished putting mine back together for the season this year! Excited to see how the year plays out for us.

This reminds me of dirt track jalopy racing at the Pan American Speedway, San Antonio Texas, back in the fifties. I was just a kid. It was a huge treat to sit up in the bleachers with mom and dad. I usually got a snowcone or a Big Red. Got showered with dirt. Noisy. Great fun.

I can't believe they can be made street legal. I would love to drive something like that around town. I wish this guy had also brought a street legal one along to let Jay drive it around. The more I think about it, the more I want one.

I used to road race SCCA back in the late 90s/early 00s. My car was a 1972 Datsun 240Z in ITS (Improved Touring) class. (It was a faster car than I was driver.) Most of the time, multiple race classifications would be on track at the same time - including Legends on occasion. It used to be so much fun to run with these guys! They could out accelerate me from the slow corners, but my 240Z had them covered on the top end. We would trade spots back and forth all of the time. What a blast! Great memories!

I have an Australian one of these I bought at a swap meet here in Australia. Its a brand new unpainted shell of a holden FJ. The chassis is new and painted silver. The owner wanted it painted silver so if there were any cracks in the welds you could see them. I'm going to put a motorcycle engine in it eventually but I'd love to put a turbo Honda engine in it and get it registered for the road. But time will tell what I do 😎

Beautiful cars that makes organized racing much more available. Great to see and hear about this! Thanks for a great video.

$18k isn’t a bad entry cost, but I was able to start in LeMons $7,500 first race. And I can rebuild my own engine. I appreciate spec, but sweat equity is the only way to stay truly cheap. And sealed drivetrains just wrecks that.

Great content and very informational. I will be driving in my first legends race in 2 weeks. Looking forward to it!

Wow. This is very inspiring, reading one of the comments at age 72 and started racing now gives me an inspiration at 65 to try it.

I started my pro driving career with a legend car and was the first to bring them to my region of the world. I can definitely vouch for how awesome they are, some of the best bang for your buck race cars out there and a great way to take your first steps into motorsports 👏😍🔥

If a person were to build a car, from scratch, the VIN is issued by the DMV after an inspection of the vehicle. Pretty much all that is needed is lighting, seatbelts, & windshield wipers (if there is a windshield). Check out the Locost, which is still built at home, without a kit.

I love when the Legends cars come to our short track here in my city in Sweden. Always some carnage and they sound so good

Thanks jay for yet another fantastic look at something we normally wouldn't get to see so intimately! Motivation in every video. The real "legend" in this video is you!

Jay, I'm so glad you did the segment on these cars! Thanks!!

I 'raced' these way back in rFactor virtually and pretty much fell in-love immediately, light and revvy? Recipe for fun!

Me and my dad loved to watch jay leno show, especially CBN episodes. I miss it and will see if my dad would like to continue this.

1990's Vancouver island race series dwarf cars . We ran a similar car with 1988 Kawi ZX 10 motor . Great times .

Thanks for this episode Jay a class of racing I had zero idea existed until this episode.

I liked everything about this video. Many good comments as well. Thanks a million Jay Leno! ❤

Check out the Aussie Race Cars series too. Very similar, but they use 1300cc Yamaha FJR motors.

Well that was something different! But Jay ist the perfect guy to fully appreciate what this series offers. The comparison to oldschool midget race cars was spot on! 😎😎🤘🤘

Good video as usual Jay and so pleased that you look to be back to normal and still have your wonderful sense of humour.

More like this, Jay!! Great stuff. And that might be one of the best looking cars I've ever seen.

Jay definitely has a knack for asking the questions, I want to ask, too.

That's too cool! Would love to race one in the road course division!

I’ve always loved the concept behind the legend cars. I always have wondered why it never expanded into different body styles . Like why not . Just a really fun cool concept .

Great video. I started training to Scrutineer on these at the Australian dirt track title at Lismore Speedway. Love them!

My local circle track runs these awesome little rockets, I've ALWAYS wanted to give one a try. I can remember seeing them run as early as probably '95-'98 (as a 10-13-year-old). I could probably afford to get into this, I'm sure I wouldn't be competitive, but I know I'd have a hell of a bunch of fun and maybe do okay eventually. I'm 37, so my reaction time and such aren't what they were when I was a teenager, but I can drive backroads pretty well (WV is pretty and has a lot of DAMN good roads). I might just look into getting into this. I'd honestly forgotten about this series. You know you've made it in the automotive world when you've made it onto Leno's show, kinda like the comedy world back when he was at the helm of the TV show. What a cool episode, thank you! Did they ever run the V-Max motor at first, maybe? I remember them sounding a LOT gnarlier back then, but then I was a kid, and likely don't remember accurately. Also, even if they were I4s/I3s, I'm sure they were carbureted back then, which makes for a raspier, hungrier sound. Cool, COOL little racecars.

This is an interesting change of pace... always been secretly interesting in these rascals... Thanks for posting !!

my nephew raced these on dirt oval in watsonville speedway in Nor cal and it was a blast to watch these race, he's since stopped racing them and I missed watching him race dearly.

Back in the 90's I got to see a 16 year old Dale, Jr. running on the dirt track out behind Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was exciting, especially when he tried climbing the fence in front of the grandstand.

Jay, it is magic that you showcase this sport. I have looked at our South African motorsport line up and we dont seem to have them here. A real pity

These things are awesome, I remember back in the day sitting with my stepdad watching the Legend Cars from Charlotte on the old Speed channel, and we'd always get a good laugh when a really big guy would climb out of the car. 😅

I was hoping to see Jay get in and test fit it for me (about same size)! Great episode!

I saw these last year racing at Donington Park here in the UK. They’re great fun! Small, quick, Manic and loud. I seriously want to have a go in one! Would also love to see Jay get to play with one properly.

Is Cletus watching, the freedom Factory needs a fleet of these?!?

Looks like a ton of fun. Thanks for shining your spotlight on something I never would have found on my own. 😁

These things are so fun. I felt fully comfortable driving one after about five minutes only having come from 5 HP Karting and some Motocross.

Thanks for showing this Jay! I was looking to get into the sport and this is way better then carting.

Watched from Jamaica. Fell in love with them the first time I reed aout them in auto magazines bac in the days. They even came to Jamaica and raced but I don't know why the sport never catch up in my country. Motor racing is a rich man sport in this island and I'm not rich..

Awesome I learned a lot about this circuit with the video. Thank you for sharing.

Never seen one before and now know so much. Great episode 🤠

Cool jay😎👍 thanx for sharing man !!! I didnt know this car "Legend"🇺🇲

They shut down parts of my countrys capital (europe) for a grand prix with many different kinds of cars, and they had races with these things too. They were easily the most exciting races out of everything, they were intense, fast paced and could actually overtake anywhere on the track basically. Super cool little kit cars.

Another interesting video, Jay! Thanks!

I love my street legal 37 sedan. About 25 mpg and always smiling. Drove from Asheville to Charlotte and back....mostly back roads, but some highway. Fj1200 powered

my dad always wanted to be a racecar driver. it was his birthday the same day this was published. happy birthday.

Really a fantastic idea. Congratulations and wish you the best of success. If I had an extra couple of bucks I’d love to get one. Two in college and one going in four years leaves us with no extra extra to get one and go racing, but if I could we would. Maybe one day.

Fantastic video, Jay asked great questions. I'd love to take one of these cars out onto a track, just for fun. I woukd setup a track and rent the cars out, probably make a fortune.

Wow, what a great concept!

I wish Jay had climbed inside to show that it really is possible for we big people to get into one of these.

I used to work on a track in Fairbanks, Alaska! Along with the bandeleros. Great fun

GREAT STUFF !!! THANKS JAY!

another great episode. I love how you show everything automotive.

Thank you for sharing this video with us on RU-vid I’d never heard of Legends racing cars before 👍🏼amazing 🚗🚗🚗🚗🚗

Fantastic, thanks Jay, I always wanted to know about these brilliant little race cars

i go to charlotte motor speedway (the track in the first couple seconds in the video) in the summer and see these cars every week on tuesdays from mid june to the end of august. they are so cool to watch and definitely a good starting racecar

Amazing, well explained!

This is super cool. I’ve heard of people mentioning legend cars but have only seen late models and modified cars before at a local old dirt track. When Jay asked the price of the car ready to drive I was waiting to hear $30k plus. $18k to get into that car isn’t bad at all compared to most other racing.

Had a friend who's dad owned a race track. I love Sprint races I would go just to see them.

I always Love Jays shows thank you

I knew some about Legend cars and now I know a lot more. Obviously a great idea. Thanks for doing this video all about it.

What a great video Jay. I also grew up going to oval dirt track races (with full size cars) with my dad, but this is sooo cool! It makes me want to race in a Legend, but at 73 I'm still more of a motorcycle guy and I think I'd rather go 115 on a cross country road trip than trading rubber and paint with some kid who wants to be a pro some day. And who am I to stand in his way anyway? 😂

I actually raced 1/4 midgets in the late 50's. My father raced midgets and got me involved. I moved on to go karts but ended with those. Great video, Jay.

A company makes an RC car version of this as well that is intended to be a spec class. Most run carpet ovals, but some run dirt and road coarse as well.

Joey is so informed and into these cars. He is very capable and may have talked more than Jay which is something to be said.

Wish you could have driven it on a track. I'd love to seen the smile on your face. Fun stuff!

God they look huge until you see jay standing next to one! Super teeny; must be an awesome drive.

As a Motorcycle guy, its cool to see the in-line 3cyl FZ powerplant. Tons of low end grunt w/crossplane crank layout, makes sense. But would love to see one with a flat-plane 1K cc. 4 cyl screaming at 16K 😁 Not practical for what these are intended for. But would be a fun exotic toy to own.

If you have a local circle track, you can buy a 4 cylinder junker from the scrap yard, put in a roll cage, and pretty much start racing. Cheaper than karts even. And can move up to better classes when you are ready.

I live in Las Vegas, love going to the Bull Ring - these cars are exciting.

My Cousin and a Good Friend back in the Mid Late 60's raced Go Cart's. What a Kick that was, Never made it anywhere, Probably due to the Cost's even Back then. We had a Margay Kart with a B Bomb, a King Kart with a Pirelli, and a Tec na Kart with a Comet. These things were FAST!!! The Margay also had 3 West Bends On it, Totally a MONSTER Back then. We race with Linda and Gary Emmick. Gary was something Else behind the Wheel, Rest his Sole. A Great man and Fantastic Go Karter. "LINDA" She Beat nearly everyone. Our Friend back then was Steve Johnson, He would Drive with One Hand and tune the Carburetor In and Out of the Turns to 4 Cycle the Engine going Into the Turns and then Bring it back to Screaming Right outta the Turns Never Lifting on the Throttle. He was an Unbelievable Driver and Won probably 99.9% of his Races. Literally ROOM'S FULL of Trophies at his Home in Saratoga California....

What a nice young man Graham is! This was uplifting to watch! Thank you Jay!

This reminds me of "One Design" Sailboat racing. We keep the cost down. Measure and weigh each boat before every major event. Try to make sure that everyone competes based on skill and not checkbook.

Graham is a well spoken confident young man, who knows his product inside and out.

Man it looks like great fun!

If I knew there was SAE or f600 races when I was younger I would have jumped in. But these guys. I've wanted one for a long time.

I'd love to try that! That looks like fun!

They are very loud and sound great. What kind of exhaust do they use?