2011-07-13 05:06:55
The rich history of the 1982 Oldsmobile Bandit that starred in the book "Fast Guys, Rich Guys, and Idiots" resumes, with a dominating comeback win at the Portland Rose Cup last weekend, driven by local hotshoe Ronnie Swyers.
After I drove this wonderful beast at Daytona in 1983, it sat in the mud behind a North Carolina shop for 20 years, before being restored. I was invited by its new owner to drive it in a 3-hour historic race at Sebring, and we won. In 2008 I acquired the Bandit as my own, without an engine and transmission, and for three years I’ve been restoring it to “period correct” condition.
The Rose Cup was the Bandit’s fifth comeback in its long life, and it’s better and faster than ever. Ronnie smoked the 45-car vintage field, and the Bandit ran out front “like a freight train,” acccording to the track announcer, who also suggested it must be “diabolical” to drive, LOL. We qualified on the pole, won the Saturday race, and swept the Wemme Trophy Race on Sunday. My thanks to Ronnie Swyers, a driving instructor for the Cindi Lux programs, and the great crew of John Swyers and Ben Ochs. Could never have done it without them.
Next race is the Portland Historics on July 10. I’ll be driving the Bandit this time, for the first time since Sebring.
See below for a gallery of photos.
Sam Moses
Previous Blogs:
Hero Card
2011-07-12 21:52:07
1982 Skoal Bandit Oldsmobile Cutlass
Star of the book "Fast Guys, Rich Guys and Idiots," named one of the 5 Best motorsports books ever written.
...
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Rose Cup Gallery
2011-06-22 08:32:44
Photos by Doug Berger, Jeff...
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Rose Cup Day One
2011-06-22 08:09:13
It was a great day of practice for the Portland Rose Cup. The Bandit hadn't been on the track since it won its class and finished 10th overall in the 3-hour Historic race at Sebring in 2005. But it's sitting on the front row for the vintage race on...
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Return of the Return of the Bandit
2011-06-15 22:42:51
For the last three years the Bandit has been licking its wounds after blowing a head gasket in practice for the Portland Rose Cup. A lot of good work has been done since then, and the car is better than ever--even faster...
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Shakedown Run
2010-09-21 04:11:52
Lots happening with the Bandit. Videos coming soon.
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Concours de Maryhill
2008-06-17 07:48:56
Over the weekend, in less than 24 hours, the Bandit shot from show car to contender, and I soared from resignation to rejuvenation.
Because this blog is episodic, the back-story is in the previous posting. But...
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Lightning Strikes Bandit at Rose Cup
2008-06-16 10:27:00
So much has happened since my last blog entry that I haven’t had time to do this update. Nor much enthusiasm, because mostly what happened is I blew a head gasket at the Rose Cup at Portland International Raceway on June 1.
Sometimes...
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1958
2008-05-17 07:30:30
I couldn't believe it when I got my copy of Vintage Motorsport magazine and read my father's name, from a race he ran in 1958. I had to write the editor, Randy Riggs (whom I've known since 1972, when he was an editor at Cycle World magazine and I...
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Engine and Tranny Go In
2008-05-14 12:32:25
Weekends are long in racing. For example, I just spent a four- or five-day weekend working on the Bandit. There was a moment there, when Pat Boyle and I were working 12 hours a day to get the engine and transmission installed, that I thought: I...
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Challenges, not Problems
2008-05-13 12:59:39
Thanks mostly to Barbara Signore, the engine arrived in April, weighing 750 pounds in its crate. The car was in the trailer (moved from my yard to the driveway when the snow melted), and the engine was in the garage;...
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