Archive for the 'AUTO RACING' Category
19
Aug
FIRST SPEEDWAY RACE HELD ON THIS DAY
On August 19, 1911, the first race was held at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway, now the home of the world’s most famous
motor racing competition, the Indianapolis 500.
Built on farmland five miles northwest of Indianapolis, Indiana,
the speedway was started by local businessmen as a testing
facility for Indiana’s growing automobile industry.
The idea was that occasional races at the track would pit cars
from different manufacturers against each other. After seeing
what these cars could do, spectators would presumably head
down to the showroom of their choice to get a closer look.
Ray Harroun won the race in his Harmon Wasp with an
average speed of 74.6 mph.
22
Jul
FIRST-EVER AUTO RACE ON THIS DAY IN 1894
On July 22, 1894, the world’s first-ever automobile race took
place, with 17 of 21 entrants completing the route from Paris
to Rouen, France, covering a distance of 78.3 miles.
The Concours Paris-Rouen—better known as the Paris-
Rouen Trial—paved the way not only for Le Mans, the
Indianapolis 500, and all the car races to come, but also
heralded the dawn of the motor age by showcasing the
automobile’s reliability.
The first-place prize of 5,000 francs—a value of around
$40,000 today—was shared equally between the French
manufacturers Panhard & Levassor and Les Fils de
Peugeot frères for hewing closest to the competition’s
ideals.
The real winner of the Paris-Rouen Trial, however, was
the automotive industry itself.
18
Jul
OLDEST LIVING NASCAR CHAMP HAS DIED
(FOX NEWS) – Rex White, who was NASCAR’s oldest living
champion and a 2015 inductee into the Hall of Fame, has
died. He was 95.
NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame confirmed White’s
death on Friday. No additional details were provided.
NASCAR chairman Jim France said, ‘Rex epitomized the
formative days of NASCAR – a true pioneer whose
contributions helped shape the foundation of our sport.’
29
May
FIRST WOMAN TO LEAD THE INDY 500
On May 29, 2005, 23-year-old Danica Patrick became the first
female driver to take the lead in the storied Indianapolis 500.
Having previously distinguished herself in the Toyota Atlantic
series, Patrick had qualified fourth—another best for a woman,
for the 89th Indianapolis 500, only her fifth Indy Racing League
event.
Danica Sue Patrick (43) is the most successful woman in
the history of American open-wheel car racing. She retired
after the 2018 season.
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