NASCAR's Abandoned Street Racing Plans: The Left-Right Series 

The original Pontiac LR car is no longer a mystery. It was turned into a Winston show car and lengthened to 110" by JKS and currently wears a 95 Monte Carlo body!

I mean... That weight, near-perfect weight distribution, 600 horsepower, this thing would have been an absolute weapon on track!

That's so crazy that back in the 80's we almost had the Roval and Street courses on the schedule.

"Street racing" in the purest sense of the word (racing on actual streets) is, as many said in this video, an absolute headache to schedule and divert traffic. I have instead preferred the "street races" that use massive parking lots around arenas and airport run ways. More room, you can be more creative with track layout, and you don't piss off the entire city by being there because you're out of the way.

Just imagine if Riverside was not taken off the schedule, and everyone in Moreno Valley decided to accept the raceway and not build a shopping mall on top of its remains

Ha. “That’s the corporations taking over the sport, you don’t want that...” yeah. Look where you are now.

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal had a good run with the Busch/Nationwide/Xfinity series races. Although I guess that track might only be technically a street circuit.

Can we get a History video on the NASCAR Pintys Series? I’d loved that

Every car you mentioned--especially the Sunbird--sent a shiver up my spine. I was a manager at a rental car agency when those were were new and keeping them together and running was a freaking nightmare...

Based on this and your other video: 80s: Street course boom 90s: Cookie cutter oval boom

I hadn't seen that clip of the Buick that Bobby tested before - he was absolutely throwing that thing into the turns! Would've been great to see a full field of them.

I want a road course on the tarmac at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland. It's such a cool place to hold a race.

Very cool video! Thank you for the upload! My dad started taking me to Riverside in 1973 when I was 7. That track was perfect-very fast turns 1 and 2, perfectly shaped "esses," a bitchen uphill right handed turn 6, an off-camber turn 8, an almost one mile straightaway, and a big sweeping right handed turn 9. It got me hooked on the good old boys leaning back and forth through the esses. Petty's Charger, Allison's Coca Cola 12 Chevelle, Pearson's (Wood's) 21 Mercury, Yarborough's (Junior's) 11, Waltrip's 88, and Parson's 72. Jimmy Insolo from out here. You could walk wherever and see them at different parts of the track. The only other time you saw them on TV back then, was on Wide World of sports in short segments at Daytona and Darlington. As I got older, I realized that it was Riverside that made the experience so AWESOME! Riverside's closing was so sad for me (at 23) that I didn't follow NASCAR as closely. I am proud Sonoma was assigned it's spot in June on the calendar-keeping that spot in California, but it isn't as fast a track as Riverside was. There are many great American road courses that NASCAR could visit-Road America, Mid Ohio, VIR, Brainerd, Atlanta and others, as well as Bowmanville (Canada). They should give each track ONE date only (except for maybe Daytona) and mix in some road courses. Bring back North Wilkesboro and Rockingham and try and do a third each-super speedways, short tracks, and road courses. The money grubbing speedway conglomerates will stand in the way, but hey, I can dream. Street races are too "forced." Long Beach is an exception because of its awesome location. God I miss Riverside. Nice bit of history, thank you!

Caitlyn jenner winnning the 12 hours of sebring is not the timeline crossover i expected, pretty damn cool.

Ideal street courses: Long Beach (California) The Gold Coast (Australia) Exhibition Place, Toronto (Canada) Adelaide (Australia) Burke-Lakefront Airport, Cleveland (Ohio)

The Australian Supercars series is run partially on street courses, but it's pretty NASCAR-esque. EDIT: Added “partially” because they still mainly run on permanent tracks.

NASCAR had many good ideas over the years, but always chose the bad ones to implement

I always wondered what nascar would be like at Laguna Seca

I'm going to guess that street course logistics are a lot harder now than they were then. Higher populations in your desirable metro areas, more people/events displaced, more permits, more money needed, and that inconvenience factor creeps higher and higher with every turn. And, frankly...there are enough purpose-built road courses with good racer and fan accommodations that you don't need to be considering novel street-circuit options. The street circuits that endure are the ones with significant historical value (St. Pete, Exhibition Place in Toronto). Look at the trouble they went through trying to get a street race in Boston. Even in a largely-industrial area that wasn't going to be a massive disruption, and ignoring the financial mismanagement that spelled the event's doom, you still had the issues of track design and fan access, plus the NIMBY factors like the person who petitioned against it saying the race would "endorse illegal street racing" (wish I were making that up). I still wish they'd have done it, because that would have been a cool experience.

The Gen 7 with the even bodies and 6 gears will be a perfect fit for road racing. I say yes

We need more road courses and street courses!!

So I finally get to see this and im like blown away at how little I know the history of nascar and I been watching nascar racing since 1987...always glad to dig up more history and appreciate this video you put together...ironically, on this (today) Iracing made an announcement to do a virtual street race in Chicago on June 2nd. SO, is this the prelude to actual future events??? ...its amazing how things come to full circle. Only time will tell...

I always liked the Indy race on the old Cleveland airport

Honestly, I would love more road courses. Sometimes it gets boring to see the same cars go around an oval...

Man Ned Jarret looked good back then

I've seen the Winston/ All-Star field do a "lap" behind the pace car in uptown (downtown) Charlotte, NC and the sound, echoing off the buildings, was pretty awesome even at the slow speed they were doing. .... For anyone who knows Charlotte, they used to come south down Tryon St, left on to Stonewall, and then left and up College St.

I adore Road Course races! I believe I heard that NASCAR is trying to do a street race in the future. But how about Airport Racing? Those are extremely underrated!

Passed by Scott Pruett and w h o m s t? That's something I didn't know lmao

Hell yeah!! Would love to see street racing in NASCAR..

I'd love to see them run on street courses. The problem is the cars don't turn sharp like Indy, F1, touring series etc. The best would be to see Cleveland airport circuit with NASCAR.

Here after the first ever NASCAR Street Course race in Chicago maybe they were on to something in the 80s we will see what comes of it in the future

Anyone here from the Chicago Street Circuit iRacing announcement? Also EA actually toyed with the idea of street tracks in their NASCAR games, like the Walmart Raceway.

Wish they did this instead of the 1.5 cookie cutters

Thanks for posting this. I was watching the 86 cup race from Watkins Glen and they were mentioning the LR series. As a side note, I've been to Watkins Glen several times for the cup race and watching those cars on a road course is really fun. It's great to see those heavy cars thrown around.

Imagine a nascar race in time square during the lock down. Citys already shutdown, the engines screaming and bouncing off the buildings, people watching from their windows. Would be quite the sight, but that ship has sailed.

If only they hadn't scrapped the idea, it would've been so cool to see NASCAR stock cars racing on the street!

I agree with Ken Squire... I have been to the street race in Detroit both as an F1 and Indycar race in downtown and Bel Isle.. you cannot see anything but roof tops and roof hoops going by and yes, it does resemble a minimum security prison with the walls, fencing and barbed wire.

Cup cars at Laguna Seca would be amazing

I love the idea of NASCAR runing more road courses and maybe a street course. With todays car technology and that next gen car almost finshed being developed. I dont think that there would be a need for a "Purpose Built" race car. This new car will fo well Im sure. Great video

If NASCAR wants to race in temporary tracks, they should consider large areas like stadium parking lots and airport runways like the one in Cleveland. You can hold a race in Houston and race set a circuit up in NRG park. Indycar used to race there but NASCAR might to make some adjustments to accommodate their cars.

I love the content and style of video! Keep up the good work!

Hard to believe that was 35 years ago today. 2 astronauts from North Carolina died on that space shuttle.

My dream street course race would go right by my house so I wouldn’t have to buy a ticket

I'd love to see NASCAR Race at Belle isle in Detroit

I love the look of those L-R cars. If someone would make an actual “street legal” version, that would be awesome.

There’s is rumor we could see street racing in 2021. I love to see a NASCAR street race

The Saint Petersburg street course has always been a favorite but I wish the Tampa Bay Grand Prix street course at the Florida State Fairgrounds was still around. I'd like to see some L-R cars on that course in the 80s.

5 road Courses per year seem likes a good number - Sears Point, Road America, Watkins Glen, Charlotte Roval, Daytona RC

The Nascar races on the street circuit at Surfers Paradise in the 90's were Awesome. They run as a support category for IndyCar (cart).

My dream is for a race at Cleveland Airport

What was then called Winston West ran the same full size cars & rules as Winston Cup. They ran a number of road courses including street races. One of them in Spokane, Washington, included a tunnel & bridge crossing which they ran without problem.

Run at the circuit of the Americas. Beautiful track great access for fans. it's a permanent track won't upset locals by turning their town into a temporary track. And we get some L/R racing.

As usual, Ken Squire got it right!

The Indy cars were supposed to do a street race in Boston a few years back. I'm pretty sure the entire thing was an investment scam but the track they proposed around the WTC and convention centers looked pretty awesome.

Houston needs a street race. We have two to choose from or come up with another. Houston is the largest US city without a Nascar track nearby

With the Music City Grand Prix this year, I think if NASCAR was to ever do a Street circuit, they’d ride off the coattails of Indy, if the race proves successful. Which, considering it’s sold well, as may be the only hope.

Firstly: That Allison car looks tremendous. I generally don't like the idea of street races. I feel like there are too many good purpose-built courses that Cup doesn't run at to justify setting up street races.

I still remember the TransAm race in Minneapolis. It was actually a fundraiser for a Children’s charity. Possibly the Children’s Hospital itself.

This is a cool history I knew nothing about! Would be nice to see them run a couple of street courses. Even if just exhibition races. Pinty's Series does a couple of street courses and they are always a blast to watch.

Dream street race?... I guess the only one that I'd love to see is probably Interstate 127 from the Michigan Ohio Border all the way to 75 to the Bride but thats not even a real good idea in practice its just a dream

A short Winston-issued VHS actually prided on NASCAR not having street courses (although it does say "Left turn only" at one point, ignoring road courses).

GP3R is really the perfect track to test a new car on, it's tight, fast has elevation changes, etc.

We raced Street courses in the Australian NASCAR Championship in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1999, as the support for the Indy Car Grand Prix on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia.

I want NASCAR to come back to Spokane. To run on the street, I mean. I was born in '89 and I hear stories of when the West Series ran here, and I think it would be cool! It would be a nice addition to Hoopfest and Bloomsday. We need to somehow rekindle pride in this town.

What a great video and I never heard of this L R program. Yes bring Nascar steert race in my home town. I know that would never happen but it would be cool

Great video love the odd history of american motorsport!!! Keep up with the content

I would like a road course like in Cleveland with the airport runways

Good stuff!

Ive followed NASCAR since about '88 and never even heard of the L+R series until now. Hindsight and all, they would of been better off buying out or commandeering the Winston West series or similar and maybe slightly modifying those cars instead.

my dream street course would be something like Seaside Street Galaxy , with its diverse range of scenery ranging from built up metropolitan areas to open countryside to port docks, iconic landmarks such as the suspension bridge, as well as a mix of technical turns and elevation changes

RIP Steve Byrnes.

No matter what nascar does, nascar will be nascar.

If you have a search for Australian NASCAR and AUSCAR, When those series' was around, They raced at Surfers Paradise and Bathurst

Have you ever looked at the period when they tried the V6 engine formula in the Busch series?

The SCCA did this with Trans Am back in 1980 and IMSA did it with the Kelly cars as well. Tube frame, lighter weight, bit less power and more tire. They SHOULD have called the companies that built cars for said series at the time. Peerless, Dillon, R&S, etc..

Can you even imagine racing a Pontiac sunbird with a v8 stuffed down into it? Thing would be a rocket. Itd make the heavy rule laden stock cars seem like boats.

One correction: the 2002 ALMS race in Washington, DC was not a street course. IMSA built a road course in the outer parking lots of RFK Stadium hoping it would become a thing, but the course was right next to a residential neighborhood. Complete disaster. The course is now a training area for the DC Police Department.

I love this channel.

Street circuits are good IF they're designed right. If you look at Formula E, that has good racing. The tracks are primarily too narrow for NASCAR, but they fit the Formula E cars perfectly. For NASCAR, you'd need a circuit in a city with wide roads. It'd also need to have a variety of corners as opposed to just 90 degree ones. The grid layout of many American cities doesn't particularly lend itself to that. They'd most likely have to take place in cities that already have annual races in other series, and have NASCAR there either the week before or after to minimise disruption. But I don't think you could use a Cup car on those circuits. Just by looking at the Roval 400, you can see that they don't lend themselves well to corners. Because of the weight of the cars, and the wheelbase, the braking zones are too long and the cornering speeds too low. You'd need to bring in regulations similar to the Aussie Supercars which, thankfully (for NASCAR), are all Ford Mustangs and Holden Commodores (Buick Regals in the US, but I'm sure they could be rebadged as a Chevvy). I wouldn't mind seeing an Aussie V8 at Long Beach if I'm honest

American Stock Car racing needs to ramp it up with more actual tracks, and maybe save the Super Speedways for big events, like Daytona, Talladega, and Brickyard.

4:21 woah woah woah! They had a Roval before the Roval?! 🤯

Awesome video liked 👍🏁🏆

Wow! I can't believe I never knew this!? I say get rid of the Xfinity series and replace it with a street series. That way everyone would be happy. Have a street series for street fans, still have the trucks for fans of dirt and short tracks if trucks could get more dirt tracks and then of course the Nascar series for fans of pit strategy and long runs. How perfect would htat be in today's market. It would bring fans of all racing together. Unfortunately Nascar will only do things for their corporate sponsers, however Nascar has been shaking things up this year despite the lockdown double headers would've still taken place along with mid week races so I give them props for that. I think Nascar would grow fast in a street racing market

Now over 30 years after they first proposed the idea, the Cup Series will be racing at Road America this year along with COTA in Austin.

That little pontiac is a great looking car.

NASCARS at Bathurst 1996 : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9p-QUQFS7-k.html A rural scenic road open to normal traffic about 350 days of the year. So nearly a street.

The fact that Caitlyn jenner was a racing driver, I had no idea woah

Street races or not, I’d kill for an all road course series

I've always wanted to see a Nascar street race. Had no idea they were ever this serious about it. If I had the magic wand they would run a race at St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, Florida already has a thousand races a year on the Nascar calendar, so I think that would diminish the chances.

I’m from the South and have NASCAR in my blood, but as a young person the internet let me transition that into a love of virtually all racing. What NASCAR needs to do is create a formula for something the manufacturers could make, and sell, to the public ATTAINABLY. The equivalent of a RWD Focus ST. I’d race primarily on purpose built road courses and maybe a few good street tracks, whatever. They could have a more “open” rule book to encourage experimentation with hybrids and turbo motors. Just cap the price.

Ultimate street course would be around 4-9 miles long of winding country roads that start on Main Street of a small to medium sized town. Have it held in historic bootlegger locations and have it be a big throwback speed weeks festival.

Dream street track.... Send them down under to bathurst. The ultimate street track. Fast, committed and makes Senoma look like its flat. If nascar were to ever run a street course they need to talk to Aussie supercars. If any championship makes street tracks work its them. They have a good record of making them work and being profitable.

So close to getting a cup race in Portland, yet so far.

Nascar needs to get their head out of the sand. I wanna watch some exhibition races. Let's go to laguna seca. Let's go to Sebring. Pay the drivers 20k to show up and insure the cars for the teams and throw it on espn

They ran indycar and stock cars on the streets of Halifax, Canada back in the early 90s. The track was great as there's a massive hill that overlooks it, providing great viewing and it was a semi-narrow street track with decent elevation change, which makes things a little more interesting than Long Beach, CA which is quite flat.

"Shedding the Southern image and going national" wouldn't have sat very well with the sport's longtime core audience; however, sometimes there's just Band-Aids you need to rip off. We did it in the 90s with the cookie cutter oval boom, and now look at us. My dream street race would be to return to the Seattle area and race around the Tacoma Dome again, if not one winding around the Space Needle. That is, if NASCAR doesn't want to go the Roadkill route and do a dirt race at DirtFish

I have always wanted a street circuit in BISMARCK, ND: THE ROADS ARE WIDE!!!! AND I LIVE HERE SO, YEA!!!!!

I'd like to see Nascar do 8-10 road courses, 4 Super Speedways, 10 regular speedways, 10 short tracks, and 2-4 dirt tracks. The road courses aren't as in-person spectator-friendly as tracks, so I doubt they'll add many.

would be very nice of NASCAR raced cup cars in Tacoma,WA again !

They gotta find a way to get the cup cars on RA, its the perfect track for big power. Sears Points my home track, and I love the rhythmic nature of it, but man would it be fun watching them out at the big track