[Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2008 issue of Grassroots Motorsports.]
Imagine an office packed full of employees who are hopelessly infatuated with cars. Magnify the horror by making it an office that produces a pair of sports car magazines, then throw in some Florida humidity. You’re visualizing the home of Grassroots Motorsports, and it’s no place for …
Get Ready to Rumble
As we begin our 25th year of publishing, we’re starting to think back on how this all started. If our publication’s entire existence could hinge on one car, you could say that the Datsun 240Z got it on track—literally and figuratively. If it weren’t for the Datsun 240Z, there would be no Grassroots Motorsports magazine.
A little history lesson: Before launching the magazine, Publisher Tim Suddard ran his first-ever autocross in 1982 at the wheel of his beloved 1966 Shelby GT350H. He did very well, but came in second to a Datsun 240Z.
Realizing that the Datsun was the car to have, he soon picked up his own. Then he decided that he already knew enough about autocross to launch a magazine dedicated to the sport. The 240Z came to signify the magazine; it was our first project car and even appeared on our debut cover, back when we were still known as Auto-X.
One of the first real challengers to the 240Z was the then-new Mazda RX-7. While there were some obvious differences between the cars—one had a rotary engine, the other a straight-six—the Mazda did a good job of picking up where the original Z-car left off. In the little world of our magazine, this was the first changing of the guard.
A few years ago, Tim picked up another 1970 Datsun 240Z and, lo and behold, we now have a first-generation RX-7 in the fleet. The time had come to move this rematch from the lunch table to the track. We shoed each vehicle with identical Nitto NT01 tires and headed to Central Florida’s Ocala Gran Prix for another face-off.
In the Yellow Corner: The Killer Z
We all tease Publisher Tim Suddard about his fickle car loyalty: Whatever he’s purchased most recently is also, coincidentally, the best car ever made. It’s the curse of being an open-minded car guy. While his current passion depends on which day you talk to him, there’s no…
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