Cinco de Mayo, “Fifth of May,” 2000, will be the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Mexican Road Race. To commemorate this historic event, known as La Carrera Panamericana, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is gathering the cars, drivers and crew for a special evening at the museum on Saturday, May 6, 2000, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The inaugural winner, Herschel McGriff, will attend with an exact replica of his winning Oldsmobile. Other famous driver/car combinations in attendance will include Phil Hill and his second place 375 Ferrari and Ak Miller with his replica Caballo de Hierro Hot Rod. Featured drivers will include Jack McAfee, Carroll Shelby, Chuck Daigh and many more.
In the post-World War II years, Mexico began a major 2,170- mile highway project connecting their northern border at Juarez with El Ocotal on the Guatemalan border. The Panamerican Highway was completed in mid-1950 and an all-out road race was sanctioned by the government of Mexico to promote tourism and commerce.
132 cars, mostly U.S. sedans, were entered in the first event, which covered nine legs over six days. Herschel McGriff of Portland, Oregon, did not win a single leg but drove a smart race in his 1950 Oldsmobile 88 to outlast the hard chargers and win the first “Carrera”. Total time was 27 hours, 34 minutes, at an average speed of 78.421 mph.
Public concern about driver and spectator fatalities during the races caused the Carrera Panamericana to be canceled after race number five in November 1954.
