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Fast Masters
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Fast Masters
Fast Masters was a made-for-television auto racing series, broadcast on ESPN in 1993, featuring notable drivers over the age of 50, most of whom were retired from professional racing at the time. The Fast Masters series was a summer-long elimination competition, with identically-prepared, $750,000, TWR, Jaguar XJ220s racing on Bridgestone RE71 high-performance street tires. The races took place under-the-lights at Indianapolis Raceway Park, in conjunction with ESPN's Saturday Night Thunder. The cars carried the sponsorship of Havoline, and the series was officially sanctioned by USAC.
Close and intense racing ruled each night as championship winning veterans from Formula One, IndyCar, NASCAR, NHRA, Endurance racing and more, including some who were well into their 70s, fought hard for every position. The series quickly gained a reputation for hard driving, including crashes that severely damaged, or even totaled, multiple machines.
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser won the championship, claiming the $100,000 top prize.
The races took place at the 5/8 mile paved oval at Indianapolis Raceway Park. The course was modified to include a dog-leg chicane in place of oval turn one. The cars would go down the mainstretch, divert off the oval to the infield "road course" segment, consisting of consecutive 90-degree left-right-left corners. The cars would come back on to the oval in turn two, and complete the rest of the lap.
The program was scheduled for six weeks – five preliminary rounds culminating with the final round. The Fast Master races were held in between heats of the weekly Saturday night sprint car races. The original plan called for each round to have two ten-lap heats amongst ten drivers. The starting lineup for the first heat would be determined by a blind draw. The finishing order for the first heat was reverted to set the lineup for the second heat. The drivers were to earn points based on their finishing position in each heat:
The top two drivers based on points from each round would advance to the final championship round. In all heats, caution laps did not count. A $1,000 bonus was given to the driver who led the most laps each week.
The original plans had called for three heats per week. The first 10-lap heat would utilize the full oval track and the second 10-lap heat used the "road course" (or "roval") layout. The third heat was to be a 12-lap finale that included six laps on the oval and six laps on the "roval". However, those plans were scrapped during the very first weekend when multiple cars were wrecked in high-speed crashes on the oval. The resulting damage to the cars created costly repair work, and at least two machines were said to be totaled. On opening night, the third heat was cancelled outright due to lateness and damage incurred during the earlier heats.
Starting in week 2 a retooled format was introduced, dropping the oval race and the points structure. Instead, each week would feature smaller fields and all racing was moved to the "roval" layout. Each round would consist of single-car time trials, one last-chance "Heat race," and a single "Feature" main event. The top four cars in single-car time trials automatically qualified for the Feature. The remaining four cars participated in the Heat race - with the winner of the Heat race advancing to the Feature.
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Fast Masters
Fast Masters was a made-for-television auto racing series, broadcast on ESPN in 1993, featuring notable drivers over the age of 50, most of whom were retired from professional racing at the time. The Fast Masters series was a summer-long elimination competition, with identically-prepared, $750,000, TWR, Jaguar XJ220s racing on Bridgestone RE71 high-performance street tires. The races took place under-the-lights at Indianapolis Raceway Park, in conjunction with ESPN's Saturday Night Thunder. The cars carried the sponsorship of Havoline, and the series was officially sanctioned by USAC.
Close and intense racing ruled each night as championship winning veterans from Formula One, IndyCar, NASCAR, NHRA, Endurance racing and more, including some who were well into their 70s, fought hard for every position. The series quickly gained a reputation for hard driving, including crashes that severely damaged, or even totaled, multiple machines.
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser won the championship, claiming the $100,000 top prize.
The races took place at the 5/8 mile paved oval at Indianapolis Raceway Park. The course was modified to include a dog-leg chicane in place of oval turn one. The cars would go down the mainstretch, divert off the oval to the infield "road course" segment, consisting of consecutive 90-degree left-right-left corners. The cars would come back on to the oval in turn two, and complete the rest of the lap.
The program was scheduled for six weeks – five preliminary rounds culminating with the final round. The Fast Master races were held in between heats of the weekly Saturday night sprint car races. The original plan called for each round to have two ten-lap heats amongst ten drivers. The starting lineup for the first heat would be determined by a blind draw. The finishing order for the first heat was reverted to set the lineup for the second heat. The drivers were to earn points based on their finishing position in each heat:
The top two drivers based on points from each round would advance to the final championship round. In all heats, caution laps did not count. A $1,000 bonus was given to the driver who led the most laps each week.
The original plans had called for three heats per week. The first 10-lap heat would utilize the full oval track and the second 10-lap heat used the "road course" (or "roval") layout. The third heat was to be a 12-lap finale that included six laps on the oval and six laps on the "roval". However, those plans were scrapped during the very first weekend when multiple cars were wrecked in high-speed crashes on the oval. The resulting damage to the cars created costly repair work, and at least two machines were said to be totaled. On opening night, the third heat was cancelled outright due to lateness and damage incurred during the earlier heats.
Starting in week 2 a retooled format was introduced, dropping the oval race and the points structure. Instead, each week would feature smaller fields and all racing was moved to the "roval" layout. Each round would consist of single-car time trials, one last-chance "Heat race," and a single "Feature" main event. The top four cars in single-car time trials automatically qualified for the Feature. The remaining four cars participated in the Heat race - with the winner of the Heat race advancing to the Feature.
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