Cobra R Street Stock Racing Videos on YouTube

[CobraR77]

I have finally got around to uploading my collection Street Stock race videos to YouTube. These videos feature several real Cobra R’s racing against Firebirds, BMW’s, Supra’s, Rx-7’s, etc. I’m only part way through my collection at this point so check back for updates. My YouTube page is:

CobraR77's Channel - YouTube

Below are a few examples of races I have uploaded.

1995 SuperCar Pikes Peak Hill Climb
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqMEJSzxz50"]1995 IMSA SuperCar Pikes Peak Edit 1 - YouTube[/nomedia]

1996 IMSA Endurance Championship Daytona
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3q6JQ7O7-o"]1996 IMSA Endurance Championship Daytona - YouTube[/nomedia]

1996 IMSA Endurance Championship Texas World Speedway
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNgvTBKiQqQ"]1996 IMSA Endurance Championship Texas World Speedway Part 3 - YouTube[/nomedia]

1996 IMSA Endurance Championship Sears Point
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP6vYFI2VBY"]1996 IMSA Endurance Championship Sears Point Part 1 - YouTube[/nomedia]

1997 Speedvision Cup Road Atlanta
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnGzG6mSDhg"]1997 SportsCar Speedvision Cup Road Atlanta Part 3 - YouTube[/nomedia]

1998 Motorola Cup Daytona
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPtYPSIJkv4"]1998 Motorola Cup Daytona Round 1 ESPN Broadcast Part 2 - YouTube[/nomedia]

1998 Speedvision Cup Road Atlanta
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7suA8Oi1ZEA"]1998 Speedvision Cup Road Atlanta Round 6 Part 2 - YouTube[/nomedia]

 

[1995COBRA-R]

Todd,
Nice job. Thanks for doing the hard work. I've already watched a few of them (word got out fast ;-) ).

I was at the 1997 race at Atlanta (yea, it was really raining hard). Great tap at T-7 on the last lap for the win. See p.3. 78 cars started this race. :dw:

The 1998 season highlight video was very good.

Wasn't 1997 one of the championship years?

 

[CobraR77]

Doc, thanks for the comments.

My Snipes R, piloted by Randy Pobst was awarded the win at the 1997 Atlanta Race after the Massari-Muller R failed post race inspection. Don Knowles’ diplomatic experience went a long way after getting punted out of the lead.

I think the 1998 Motorola Cup highlight video is very cool. My understanding is this video was not broadcast (note some of the language used) but was played at the Motorola Cup banquette and given to teams. For some reason it’s not getting many views on YouTube. Maybe I should adjust the title.

Hopefully the videos will generate added interest in our 95 R’s and give people confidence that they can send me their videos for conversion and addition to the collection for all to view.

 

[1995COBRA-R]

Todd,
Four of the videos show up in the first four spots in a Google search so it is showing well.

My Snipes R, piloted by Randy Pobst was awarded the win at the 1997 Atlanta Race after the Massari-Muller R failed post race inspection. Don Knowles’ diplomatic experience went a long way after getting punted out of the lead.

That's great. I didn't see the T-7 incident as I was on the fence as the cars came down the hill (after the bridge).

It is interesting to look back now on the driver's:

• Randy was an instructor at Road Atlanta back during this time. He went on to win a few pro races (~70). He won the 24 Daytona twice.
• Terry Borcheller (it was a racing paint rub ;-) -- he needed to get by that Firebird) went on to two Daytona 24 victories. He also competed at LeMans five times, won the SCCA GT championship (in a Saleen), and was a 2004 Koni Grand-Am champ.
• His Massari-Muller co-driver is a guy that I also know, Scooter Gabel. Scooter won the GT class at Daytona in 2007 by being the guy that did double-stints in the rain, in the early dark hours. He bet the factory-supported guys by posting times on a wet track almost equal to some dry times. :dw:
• Don was a former Firehawk Champion. He was much older than us (now) at this race.

There were some good drivers back then. :beer:

Hopefully the videos will generate added interest in our 95 R’s and give people confidence that they can send me their videos for conversion and addition to the collection for all to view.

I think you will be very successful.

I am having lunch with Gary next Tuesday. He is working hard to get his TF Racing Zippo #53 car done (that's one of them helping him load it). He keeps finding these small little "performance updates" on the car. I'll let him explain them. :-D

 

[1995COBRA-R]

This thread made me go back to history of production Mustang racing. It's from memory and a few notes (there may be some mis-information so please correct me).

Mustangs won the SCCA BP (B-production) championship in 1965, 1966, 1967. Those cars are worth a ton of money to a vintage racer.

Mustangs won the SCCA Trans-Am championship in 1966, 1967, and 1970. The last number for one of these was $400,000.

SCCA started allowing tube-frame cars in T/A in 1980. Some owner named Jack Roush won a bunch of races in a Capri, and then with Mustang drivers like Dorsey S. and Tommy Kendall (he won four SCCA T/A Championships, including all of the races in 1997, except for the last two).

Production car racing was then with SCCA AS (American Sedan) and the 1984-1994 IMSA Firehawk Series (from the sponsor Firestone). I think a few 1993 Cobra R's raced here?

There was the Canadian Motorola Cup that merged with the ISMA group. It was then called the (IMSA) Motorola Cup. And then Ford manufactured the 1995 Cobra R.

It wasn't easy at first (many guys picked up a car from the factory and trailered it to a race). This never works out well. ;-)

It was first called the Motorola Cup (the sponsor stayed with it). SpeedTV broadcast every race (about 10 times including re-runs). It was good racing, and the 95 Cobra R was the last Ford production car.

It was called the Motorola Cup, the Speedvision Cup, the Koni Challenge, and now the Continental Challenge (CTSCC).

Then ISMA series was merged into Grand-AM (1999-2000). The Cobra R raced (with not much success) after 1999 into 2001 (heck, it was over 5 years old then).

History is still being written here. The FR500 won in 2002 (Sheiner; driver, team, mfr.), 2005 (Maxwell and Empringham), 2008 (Foster & Maxwell), and 2009 (Wilden).

It's all documented on video. :-D

 

[tomshep]

GREAT JOB TODD!!!

That is Gary Smith steering the #53 car into the trailer.

The 93R did race in the Firehawk series. That racing is what inspired the 95R. The two greatest weaknesses found during the 93R's racing was the factory fuel tank was too small requiring additional fuel stops so they came up with the Fuel Cell and the lack of power thus the 351.

Tom

 

[Cobra R Man]

VERY good job, Todd! I've watched a couple tonight, just since I cought your e-mail.

Thanks for all your hard work and dedication.

 

[Jefe]

Very cool history

 

[CobraR77]

Doc, very good info.

Firestone Firehawk was the main sponsor of the IMSA Street Stock Endurance Championship (EC) series for 100 races 1985-1994. (Yes, there were some 1993 Cobra R’s that raced in the series. Check out the 1995 Texas World Speedway video I posted. You will see the Steeda #47 1993 Cobra R in the intro.) The series didn’t have a major sponsor 1995-1996. Around the time of the 1997 IMSA EC race at Daytona, IMSA was sold and it became Professional Sport Car Racing (PSR). Notice at the 1997 Daytona race the cars have IMSA decals. After that the series became the PSR Speedvision Cup. PSR struggled for various reasons over the next couple years and even lost a Trademark Lawsuit with SCCA. The Speedvision Cup schedule dwindled to just 6 races in 1998. Also, in 1998, the Canadian based Berman Motorsports Group (BMG), sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, started a 12 race street stock series known as the Motorola Cup. Several teams raced in both the Speedvision Cup and the Motorola Cup series in 1998. As best I can tell… After the 1998 Speedvision Cup season, what used to be the old IMSA Firehawk EC essentially dissolved. Teams switched over to the Motorola Cup which was eventually acquired by Grand Am. The series became the Grand Am Cup, then the KONI Sports Car Challenge and then the current Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

IMSA Firehawk Endurance Championship (1985–1994)
IMSA Endurance Championship (1995-1996)
Professional Sport Car Racing Speedvision Cup (1997-1998)
Motorola Cup (1998-2000)
Grand Am Cup (2001-2006)
KONI Sports Car Challenge (2007-2009)
Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (2010+)

 

[1995COBRA-R]

IMSA Firehawk Endurance Championship (1985–1994)
IMSA Endurance Championship (1995-1996)
Professional Sport Car Racing Speedvision Cup (1997-1998)
Motorola Cup (1998-2000)
Grand Am Cup (2001-2006)
KONI Sports Car Challenge (2007-2009)
Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (2010+)

Thanks Todd,
I can't find my list of championships. I know a 1995 Cobra R won in 1997 (and Mustangs in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009).

There were about ~18 Cobra R's and ~19 clones raced in those series in 1995-2001?

Anyone have pictures? Here is Harry's at Watkins Glen last summer where he won the race (I heard he was going to a vintage race in Sebring in March):

BTW, Daytona is soon (January 26-27). The Grand-Am 200 has 10 Mustangs (of 34 in the GS class) entered. The Rehagan and Roush cars look fast (go figure :-D ).
Results

 

[brianz426]

Great job Todd, thanks for your efforts.

 

[CobraR77]

Steeda Posse

George Biskup Racing 57/250

Steeda #20 ?/250

Steeda #5 ?/250

Zabinski Racing R 77/250

Snipes Motorsports Chassis #1 24/250

Snipes Motorsports Chassis #2 clone

Snipes Motorsports Chassis #3 clone

Snipes Motorsports Chassis #4 Clone

Snipes Motorsports Chassis #2, 3, and 4

Slotcar Racing/Safina Racing ?/250

Video of it crashing at Watkins Glen 1996
http://youtu.be/75Cdjvkhmv4

Triple Caution Racing

Hacker Brothers

Hacker Brothers

TF Racing 69/250

TF Racing Clone

Massari-Muller Racing

Massari-Muller Racing

MultiMatic Racing

 

[brianz426]

Wow! GREAT pics Todd. That Steeda poster is awesome. Got an extra copy you'd want to sell?

 

[Cobra R Man]

Todd,

The first pic (#22), is "Biskup Racing".

 

[JohnW#88]

Wow! GREAT pics Todd. That Steeda poster is awesome. Got an extra copy you'd want to sell?

I have a framed one I'd be willing to trade for 00R swag.

 

[brianz426]

I have a framed one I'd be willing to trade for 00R swag.

Unfortunately I don't have any 00R stuff except a 1/18 Scale Maisto Model R. PM me a $ figure if you ever decide to sell, or let me know what kind of 00R stuff you're looking for and I'll keep my eyes open.

 

[birdman941]

Great thread.
Some of the pics explain why I am such a fan of STEEDA parts.
They were there at the beginning, and still there.
Lots of their stuff was developed and proven back in the day.
Gotta watch more vids now.
Thanks to the OP for some great Mustang history.