American Auto Racing: The Milestones and Personalities of a Century of SpeedAs soon as there were automobiles, there was racing. The first recorded race, an over road event from Paris to Rouen, France, was organized by the French newspaper Le Petit Journal in 1894. Seeing an opportunity for a similar event, Hermann H. Kohlsaat--publisher of the Chicago Times-Herald--sponsored what was hailed as the "Race of the Century," a 54-mile race from Chicago's Jackson Park to Evanston, Illinois, and back. Frank Duryea won in a time of 10 hours and 23 minutes, of which 7 hours and 53 minutes were actually spent on the road. Race cars and competition have progressed continuously since that time, and today's 200 mph races bear little resemblance to the event Duryea won. This work traces American auto racing through the 20th century, covering its significant milestones, developments and personalities. Subjects included are: Bill Elliott, dirt track racing, board track racing, Henry Ford, Grand Prix races, Dale Earnhardt, the Vanderbilt Cup, Bill France, Gordon Bennett, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Mercer, the Stutz, Duesenberg, Frank Lockhart, drag racing, the Trans Am, Paul Newman, vintage racing, land speed records, Al Unser, Wilbur Shaw, the Corvette, the Cobra, Richard Petty, NASCAR, Can Am, Mickey Thompson, Roger Penske, Mario Andretti, Jeff Gordon, and Formula One. Through interviews with participants and track records, this text shows where, when and how racing changed. It describes the growth of each different form of auto racing as well as the people and technologies that made it ever faster. |
Contents
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THE FIRST SUPERSTARS Oldfield DePalma and Mulford | 16 |
A FULL DAY OF RACING Twice Around the Clock on a Dirt Oval | 20 |
THE GREATEST FIELD IN THE HISTORY OF RACING 1967 Indianapolis 500 | 105 |
IF YOU CANT BUY EM BEAT EM Ford Takes Le Mans | 107 |
THE EAGLE FLIES AT SPA | 111 |
RICHARD PETTY BECOMES KING RICHARD 1967 | 113 |
UNLIMITED DREAMS DOMINANT REALITY CanAm | 115 |
MOVIES Go RACING AND A FEW GET IT RIGHT | 119 |
SPRINTS AND MIDGETS | 121 |
SPORTS CARS OR STOCK CARS? TransAm | 124 |
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY | 22 |
MERCER Americas First Great Race Car | 26 |
STUTZ The Car That Made Good in a Day | 27 |
UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX Prewar | 28 |
THE BROTHERS DUESENBERG | 31 |
DUESENBERG WINS AT THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX | 33 |
HOLY TRINITY AND THE MIRACULOUS MOTORS Miller Offenhauser Goossen | 35 |
FRANK LOCKHART | 38 |
LAND SPEED RECORD To 1939 | 39 |
STICKS INSTEAD OF BRICKS Racing on the Boards | 40 |
THE VANDERBILT TROPHY ROOSEVELT RACEWAY REVIVAL 19361937 | 42 |
HIGH SPEEDS IN THE HlGH DESERT | 44 |
BILL FRANCE BUILDS NASCAR | 46 |
BLUE CROWN SPECIALS | 49 |
HAULIN SHINE AND RACIN HELL Good Ole Boys | 51 |
HE DID IT His WAY Cunningham Challenges Europe | 53 |
IT SURE SOUNDED LIKE A WINNER Novi | 56 |
WILBUR SHAW The Man Who Owned Indy | 58 |
DRAG RACING From Main Street to Mainstream | 62 |
THE BEST REVENGE Is REVENGE The Mighty 300s | 65 |
TONY HULMAN IMS and USAC | 67 |
THE TWEEDY JACKET SET Sports Car Club of America | 69 |
CARRERA PANAMERICANA The Pan American Road Race | 71 |
THE RACE OF Two WORLDS Monza 19571958 | 72 |
RUN WHAT You BRUNG Formula Libre at Lime Rock | 74 |
ALL AMERICAN SPORTS CAR Corvette | 75 |
AJ FOYT Winning Was Everything | 79 |
REAR ENGINE REVOLUTION | 81 |
WHEN HOLMAN AND MOODY MEANT FORD | 84 |
GARLITS GOES TO THE REAR | 86 |
AMERICAS FIRST WORLD CHAMPION Phil Hill 1961 | 88 |
TOTAL PERFORMANCE Ford Takes on Everyone | 90 |
THE WHITE WINGED WARRIORS Chaparral | 93 |
KARTING If You Dont Have Kart Experience You Dont Have a Prayer | 96 |
CARROLL SHELBYS GREATEST PRODUCT AND THE COBRA | 97 |
LINDA VAUGHN Racings Big Sister | 101 |
ANDY GRANATELLI AND THE WHOOSHMOBILE STP Turbine | 102 |
EVERYONES MR SPEED Mickey Thompson | 127 |
IT SURE SOUNDED GOOD ON PAPER Formula 5000 | 129 |
RECORDS WITHOUT LIMITATIONS Land Speed Record Postwar | 131 |
WERE JUST RACING FOR TROPHIES The SCCA Runoffs | 134 |
MORE THAN ACTING LIKE A RACER Paul Newman | 136 |
WINGS AND WIDE TIRES EXPLOIT THE WIND McLarens and Eagles | 137 |
IMCA Racing Within Limits | 141 |
NEW TRACKS BUILT 19491971 | 142 |
THE UNFAIR ADVANTAGE Roger Penske and Mark Donohue | 145 |
I CAN GO SLOW FASTER THAN YOU CAN Bracket Racing | 150 |
THIS TIME WITH MORE RULES AND MORE COMPETITION CanAm Reborn | 151 |
DIRT ON DIRT | 152 |
A GREAT IDEA SOLD OUT International Race of Champions | 154 |
AMERICAN FORMULA ONE Shadow Penske and Parnelli | 156 |
A TRUE WORLD CHAMPION Mario Andretti | 158 |
ROAD RACING GOES PROFESSIONAL John Bishop and IMS A | 162 |
UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX POSTWAR | 165 |
UNSER THE FIRST CLAN OF RACING | 168 |
AWESOME BILL FROM DAWSONVILLE Bill Elliott in 1985 | 173 |
WORLD OF OUTLAWS | 175 |
TRACKS LOST 19711986 | 177 |
EIGHT IN A Row NISSAN GTPs | 178 |
THE NEW FUEL OF RACING Sponsorship | 181 |
ITS MORE THAN JUST AN OLD CAR THING Vintage Racing | 184 |
THE OPEN WHEEL SCHISM CART the IRL and All Those Egos | 186 |
GORDON DOESNT TAKE LANIER | 191 |
THE VIPER STRIKES FOR DODGE | 193 |
WHOS THIS GUY PANOZ? | 194 |
THE LUCK OF BEING EARNHARDT | 196 |
SPORTS CAR SPLIT IMSASportsCarUSRRCALMSGrandAm | 200 |
THE NEW SPEEDWAYS 1986 On | 202 |
LOTECH WITH HIGH EXCITEMENT NASCAR Trucks | 204 |
A DAY FOR HISTORY John Force Kenny Bernstein and Shirley Muldowney | 206 |
EPILOGUE | 209 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 211 |
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