- Buick — not exactly known for thundering down the track in recent years — is getting its racing chops back thanks to the 2012 Regal GS and events like the Silver State Classic Challenge.
- The 2012 Buick Regal GS took 1st prize in its class in this weekend's Silver State Classic Challenge in Nevada.
- The Regal GS competed in the 120 mph class and finished the course in under 45 minutes — a near perfect time, according to event organizers.
DETROIT — Buick — not exactly known for thundering down the track in recent years — is getting its racing chops back thanks to the 2012 Regal GS and events like the Silver State Classic Challenge.
The 2012 Buick Regal GS took 1st prize in its class in this weekend's Silver State Classic Challenge in Nevada with a top speed of 137 mph.
The Regal GS competed in the 120 mph class and finished the course in under 45 minutes — a near perfect time, according to event organizers.
The Regal GS team not only won best in class, it beat 34 other rookie teams to take home the prize for the Most Accurate Rookie.
The Silver State Classic Challenge is a biannual open road rally that runs on a remote, two-lame 90-mile-long stretch of Nevada State Highway 318.
The win harks back to the Buick's often-overlooked racing heritage — a sporting life that began with the start of the marque. AAA historical records show that as early as August 27, 1904, a Buick driven by Walter Marr — the brand's chief engineer — finished 3rd in a five-mile race at Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
Billy Durant, the co-founder of General Motors, realized what a good idea racing was for publicity and deployed Buicks in nationwide endurance contests. In 1907, Durant put together a Buick racing team.
When the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909, Buick showed up with 15 cars, according to the book The Buick: A Complete History.
"In the event for machines with engines of from 231-300 cubic inches, Buick finished one-two-three, with Gaston Chevrolet, Lewis Strang and Bob Burman driving," it notes.
In those early days, Buick also came up with specially designed racecars that were officially called the Buick 60 Specials, but would be dubbed "Buick Bugs" because of their insect shape. The cars were painted red with a big ram's head insignia on the hood. "That was to show 'em we were butting back into racing," Marr said.
The book calls the Buick Bugs "disappointments."
"Although extremely fast, the cars were also found to be extremely difficult to handle on the track," it said. "Perhaps because the cars simply looked awesome, it has long been held that they were consistent winners. But it can be documented that not only were they not that, but they did not race often either."
Inside Line says: Buick butts back into racing for the new millennium.
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arthurbishop says:
12:11 PM, 09/21/2011
jadis says:
08:16 AM, 09/20/2011
Not sure you understand what this race was either. The goal is to average 120mph, if it was a race there would be no average to hold and would be a flat out for time. Do you understand yet?
Yeah I understand this race. There are lots of others that are run in the same manner where a driver must meet a specific time while maintaining a high average speed. The cannonball run (new version) is similar. They use this format I believe because most of these types of races are run on regular roads not meant for excessive high speeds, so the drivers are meant to meet a target time. Still needs skill to keep average speed up without going full out on straights.
smallfield says:
07:45 PM, 09/20/2011
This is really just a big TSD rally. Car clubs do these within posted speed limits without shutting down a road too.
Pretty hard to win these even with a lot of power. Put me in a 911 turbo and I'd still lose to this time. Takes calculations and accurate driving. Not really "sandbagging" to have a car's top speed over the average speed your supposed to get.
damaje says:
02:40 PM, 09/20/2011
This article was a little lacking...
Who did the Regal beat out? At least let us know who second and third place was.
ne_blackshirts says:
09:03 AM, 09/20/2011
OK so I have some time on my hands here at my office, but how about a race against the 2012 GLI, 2012 Buick GS, and long term Optima SX Turbo. Have to say I'm kinda surprised nobody has did any sort of test on the 2012 GLI considering there on the lots right now. I seen Motor Trend says a 2012 GLI will hit 60 in 5.8 secs not bad, o and lets get the GS and GLI on the dynos. I see the sedan market is getting kinda exciting love the fact we are seeing a lot of turbos making there way into the market.
jadis says:
08:16 AM, 09/20/2011
Not sure you understand what this race was either. The goal is to average 120mph, if it was a race there would be no average to hold and would be a flat out for time. Do you understand yet?
arthurbishop says:
08:13 AM, 09/20/2011
jadis says:
08:09 AM, 09/20/2011
I have no idea what the point of this race was. It's like doing a 30 minute race for time. What the hell is the point, it proves absolutely nothing.
I guess the point is that it was quicker than all the other cars. What else is the point of racing? Almost all racing is about beating someone else's time.
jadis says:
08:09 AM, 09/20/2011
I have no idea what the point of this race was. It's like doing a 30 minute race for time. What the hell is the point, it proves absolutely nothing.
ne_blackshirts says:
08:07 AM, 09/20/2011
I hope Insideline puts a race against the GS and the Kia Optima SX Turbo. I think that the Kia might knock Buick off it's high horse and put a set of Pirelli on the long term SX Turbo and it gets even worse for the GS.
yellowperil says:
08:04 AM, 09/20/2011
"...a bi-annual open road rally that runs on a remote, two-lame 90-mile-long stretch of Nevada State Highway 318."
--LOL--Is that a Freudian slip?
ne_blackshirts says:
07:50 AM, 09/20/2011
Maybe I'm looking at this all wrong but since the GS doesn't have a limiter from the factory and didn't it report a top speed not at this race but at the GM testing track somewhere in the 140s? So what I'm getting at isn't this kinda sandbagging going into a 120mph class when you say its faster? I know you want to push it faster in the straights to make up for the turns but isn't this kinda cheating? It would be like Porsche taking a 2012 911 Carrera and going into the 120mph class then totally killing it and claiming wow look at this were #1. Like I said before maybe its just me but not really impressed, I would be very impressed if it was say the 150MPH class.