Finally an official story: “Charlotte Motor Speedway has taken the first step, studying whether it would be possible to start a series for racing convertibles. Two-time defending Grand National series champion Randy LaJoie turned about 20 laps on Charlotte’s 1.5-mile, high-banked trioval in a Grand National car that had no roof. The car’s NASCAR-mandated steel-tubing roll cage was left intact, but LaJoie was clearly visible inside the driver’s compartment as he circled the track at about 170 mph. Track officials might be interested in starting a series of support races for Charlotte’s Winston Cup events, but only if they could limit speeds of the convertibles to something in the range of 120-130 mph. Smaller engines than those used in Grand National cars would be a likely option”(SpeedNet)(10-31-97)
