When you think about springtime in Florida what comes to mind? Maybe the warm sunshine or the palm trees gently swaying in the tropical breezes. Perhaps you think about a family vacation to visit Mickey Mouse, how about the beaches, the blue water of the Atlantic Ocean. For most people that reside somewhere other than the sunshine state, any of these things could justify the trip, if for no other reason to get out of the snow.
[media-credit name=”Cg Photography” align=”alignright” width=”187″][/media-credit]For those individuals that have a need for speed, springtime in Florida means one thing, and one thing only, Racing. Most of the racing world begins their respective seasons in Florida. Racers and fans alike make an annual pilgrimage to compete, and support their favorite series. There is a series for almost any race fan to enjoy, the high profile events like the 24Hr. sports car race, the pageantry surrounding the high banks of Daytona. Maybe you prefer the world of dirt track racing, no problem there, the sprint cars that normally run in the mid west all start their seasons in Florida, the modifides, and late models storm into Tampa in February. One of the best, but often overlooked, national series to visit Florida in February is the Inex Legends cars.
The INEX legend cars start the 2011 season with the annual Winternationals at Auburndale Speedway in Winter Haven. This is a series that offer great racing and affordable costs for the competitors and fans too. The legend cars are scaled down replicas of the old Chevy coupes, and Ford sedans. They are all powered by a factory sealed motorcycle engine; engines are sealed to allow a level playing field. Drivers range in age from twelve to over sixty, and are divided into four separate classes according to age, and experience. This series has fast become the true grassroots of motorsports worldwide. Founded in 1992 INEX had a vision of building an affordable, yet competitive series using Spec cars, and Sealed engines to allow younger drivers to develop, and older drivers to continue to race, with every racer having the chance to capture the glory. To date INEX has over 3500 members and sanctions around 2000 events at tracks worldwide.
If you plan to be in Florida in February to satisfy your speed addiction, weigh your options. Skip all the high profile events, and check out the Legend cars, five days of racing, over 100 race teams, all for less than the cost of just one ticket to those other events. For more details visit the legend cars website at uslegendcars.com or the track website at Auburndaleracing.com.