Speed News vol. 1 Issue 4-May : Page 53
an MR2 Spyder. It’s a mid-engine car and very twitchy, very unforgiving. I decided it wasn’t the best platform for me to go racing in. Plus the PT class it would fall in doesn’t really have a big following here. Spec E30 was growing, and I liked the draw of a spec class. I’m also a taller individual, so fi tting into a Spec Miata was a challenge,” he explains. He now has three E30 BMWs. One is the Spec E30 racer. Another is one he and a few friends bought for $400 and built in fi ve weeks to race in ChumpCar endurance events and will see some duty in GTS-1 and TT. The third is a nicer one that will serve as both a street driver and a track car for Shawn’s wife, Christina. “I really enjoy the E30s. I love the way they’re made and I love the aftermarket support. And within NASA, both in Southeast and overall, the Spec E30 group has been fantastic,” Waggoner says. His next project is to get some endurance races going in Florida Region. A recent survey indicated a high level of interest, and the region is aiming to do its fi rst endurance event at the end of summer, probably a two-hour race. Waggoner says he loves sprint racing, but really appreciates the challenge that endurance events provide. “It takes away more than just the individual and the car. Things like strategy play a much bigger role. Teamwork, planning ahead, planning your fuel, where you’re going to challenge…. It’s a lot more involved and it really brings in the team aspect. I’ve always valued the importance of teamwork and bringing that aspect into racing is really appealing,” he says. Waggoner recently did his fi rst Southeast Region event, at Roebling Road in Georgia. He loved how everyone did a great job of making him feel welcome, and how many people offered to show him the way around the track and let him follow their lines. “It’s a great community, and damn good racing.” SN 53
Publication List
Using a screen reader? Click Here