What is a Legend Car?
By Dan McCarthy
Legend Cars Australia is one of the most action-packed national racing categories in the country, with superb wheel-to-wheel racing on show wherever they go. The series is not only great to watch, but it is also an affordable way to go motor racing.
Legend Cars was born in the United States of America in 1992, and since then over 9000 Legend Cars or junior Bandolero cars have been sold to over 32 countries, spanning no less than six continents.
Over 150 tracks have played host to Legend Cars around the world, six of which were here in Australia in 2024 as a part of their national asphalt championship, which runs with the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series.
Legend Cars have been in Australia for over two decades but have never been as strong in terms of numbers as they are now.
Originally imported and run mainly at speedway circuits around Australia, John Dennehy, introduced Legend Cars to asphalt racing locally in around 2016. Since then, it has grown to be one of Australia’s largest categories.
“There are 160 registered cars throughout the country. There's no one else with 160 registered cars racing across Speedway and asphalt,” said Legend Cars Australia CEO Tony Ward.
Since 2016, Legend Cars Australia has gone from strength to strengths with around 30 cars regularly hitting the racetrack, in 2025 around 35 are expected at all rounds.
The Australian machines are built to American specification and to the U.S. rulebook, with a full tube frame and roll cage. The cars are then fitted with rack and pinion steering and coilover AFCO Racing Shocks.
Legend Cars in the USA is part of the NASCAR business and is a feeder category to NASCAR, it’s a huge operation owning several racetracks and race categories.
Legend Cars all run a 900cc Yamaha MT09 motorcycle engine with modifications by the U.S. Legend Cars engine shop. All engines are sealed and produce 135 brake horsepower, the six-speed transmission is operated with a sequential box.
“The motors are controlled from the States, there's no way you can cheat in these things, which is probably one of the biggest advantages we've got,” Ward said.
“We can rebuild our engines, but all the ECUs are all supplied from the States. We swap them around regularly, so there's actually nothing you can do to the engine. It won't run on the ECU if you try anything.
“You can see it translate on track too, Shane Tate won the Australian title one year, the following year, he's running around 10th, same with Brendon Hourigan.
“He won the championship last year, but can run in seventh and eighth, there can be any one of 10 people that could win a race. It's really, really close.”
No matter the track the Legend Cars are often seen three of four wide, and at tracks with lots of width, such as The Shell V-Power Motorsport Park in South Australia, even six or seven abreast.
They are often referred to as pocket rockets, and that is no over exaggeration. They really are tiny racing cars, think a go-kart with a roof.
They are 152cm wide, 320cm in length and only 137cm tall, weighing just 500kg. Despite the small nature of the vehicle, they are not slow, they can reach 240 kph.
When compared to other national categories around the nation, bang for buck, it is hard to compete with Legend Cars Australia.
“The category itself, we try and make it so you can do a whole year for in between 15 and 20 grand with the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series,” Ward explained.
“This is taking into account your entry fees, accommodation, travel, a set of tyres, the whole lot shouldn’t be any more than 20 grand.
“We've intentionally designed it so it's cheap. We don't allow all the fancy computer data stuff.
“The formula is really nailed at the moment; the U.S. have got it right. You can get a brand-new car now ready to race on the track for $42,990 a brand-new car, that's incomparable.
“It doesn't matter how much money you’ve got; you're not allowed to do anything to them. It's funny watching the go kart dads, they can't get used to it.
“One driver has run his car for three seasons, hasn’t touched it, changed the oil and the filter every second race, that's it, never done anything else, three seasons old, and it's just as it was when it came off the boat.”
A Legend Car runs on a relatively hard compound tyre at 7 inches in width and 13 in diameter. The wheel rims are supplied by Aero and Bassett.
This hard tyre can easily last an entire season according to Ward.
“Our tyres are $150 each, and they last all year,” he expressed. “Brendan Hourigan ran a set of tyres for a whole year this season, one set of tyres for a season at 600 bucks.”
The Legend Cars have several body shell Aero kits with two that are particularly popular in Australia.
The body shapes create brilliant racing with the slipstream particularly affective, as a result it teaches great race craft in wheel-to-wheel combat and planning out a successful pass.
“There's only really now a coupe or a sedan on asphalt here,” he explained. “The majority of people now go the 37 Chev or the 34 Ford, that's what pretty much the whole field this, there's only a handful of others.
“The slip stream is easy doubly as effective as an average category. Take Sydney Motorsport Park, they're doing 208km/h down the straight, the guy that got a double tow got to 220km/h.
“He got 12km/h out of a double tow, that's a massive amount of speed, that's a 5% speed increase.”
In 2025 Legend Cars Australia will continue to thrill fans in 2025.
“We will have 40 active asphalt cars this year” Ward excitedly announced. “They will again be competing at the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series, as part of the national series commencing at Winton Motor Raceway from February 28-March 2.
“This year will see the debut of a NSW and a QLD state series added to the calendar. Legend Cars Australia will also be introducing the Bandoleros to Australia this year for juniors, starting from 10 years of age. With the first licensing course scheduled for July.”
You can expect to see the Bandoleros make an appearance on the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series this year, with more information on that to be released in due course.