A shooting star is an astronomical phenomenon which appears suddenly in the night sky, burns brightly for a few seconds...
The photo caption on page 31 of the November 1953 issue of Road & Track read: “A strange assortment of...
Fon de Portago Michael Andretti 1 Sarah Fisher, the first woman to compete in the Indy Racing League, is born (1980). 2 The first road races are held through the streets of Watkins Glen, New York. They are also the first post-WWII races held in the United States and the...
Part II We concluded last month’s opening segment of John Wright’s interview with Bruce Kessler as he was preparing to...
Parnelli is not his real name. Rufus Jones’ middle name is Parnell. His mother named him after a Judge Parnell whom she admired. Jones’ friend, Billy Calder, added the “i” to his middle name to make a name change when Parnelli wanted to race while underage. I remember drivers in...
Ronnie Peterson Giuseppe Campari 1 James Hunt, driving a McLaren-Ford, wins the German Grand Prix on the Nürburgring. Niki Lauda...
John Gunn, an independent entrant who contested some of North America’s most prestigious auto racing championships during a career that...
A new and exciting chapter was written in the competition history of Triumph with the Ninth Annual International Triumph Challenge held last August in Topeka, Kansas. Challengers from more than ten states and the United Kingdom competed under the watchful eye of former Standard-Triumph competition boss R.W. (Kas) Kastner on...
In addition to being a successful real estate developer, Ted Gildred was appointed Ambassador to Argentina during the Reagan administration....
Call me a jinx if you like. No sooner did I put the finishing touches on last month’s column about...
With the recent passings of Carroll Shelby, Roy Salvadori and Ted Cutting, all key players for Aston Martin’s World Sportscar Championship-winning team of 1959, it seemed reasonable to speak with another racer who worked in that fabled John Wyer-run team, Rex Woodgate. Woodgate is a notoriously detail-oriented mechanic who became...
There is a man who is not only unknown to the general public but also to much of the racing...
As accustomed as we may become to losing our racing compatriots, there remain times when a death still comes as...
Gaston Chevrolet Peter Revson 1 Mika Hakkinen wins the Japanese GP and his first Formula One World Title at Suzuka in a McLaren-Mercedes (1998). 4 Sportscar racer Bob Wollek born (1943). Become a Member & Get Ad-Free Access To This Article (& About 6,000+ More) Access to the full article...
The Canadian American Challenge Cup was co-sanctioned by the SCCA and CASC—it was a series nicknamed the “unlimited” series. Although...
The California Sports Car Club is organizing a “dream” weekend this October at Buttonwillow Raceway Park north of Los Angeles,...
Formula 5000 was a racing series for open-wheel, single-seater racing cars built to a specific set of rules. The engine of choice was the venerable small block Chevrolet V8 of 5.0 liters displacement. It started as a bright idea in 1967 and ran successfully until politics between the governing body,...
Someone once said that Indy car drivers would be lost if they had to turn right as well as left....
Quite a few younger folk seek me out and want to hear about how wonderful sports car racing was during...
A brand-new, purpose-built racing facility on the western edge of the Great Plains, an hour east of Denver, is scheduled to open its gates in late March with an appreciation event for those who have helped get the track up and running. High Plains Raceway represents the reaction of a...
The title of my column reads: “The Fabulous Fifties.” The era is one I know something about. During that time,...
Augie Pabst, described as “one of the fastest, most charismatic and popular drivers in his day” by the Motorsports Hall...
Few racing personalities have been involved in as many capacities as Lew Spencer. From herding Cobras around Sebring to managing the SCCA and major Trans-Am and Indy car efforts, Spencer has worn more hats than just about anyone. In the late 1950s to the early 1960s his famous series of...
Homebuilt or custom-made racecars were not new to America’s racetracks as they had been appearing for decades on dirt ovals,...
The 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans did not look as though it would be a walkover for Phil Hill,...
As the years pile up, I find myself learning more about people I used to know than I ever appreciated at the time. So it is with Ray Heppenstall, the brusque, raw-edged racer from Pittsburgh, PA. Pete Lyons My first impression of him was a little alarming. It was at...
Dan Gurney Biography He drove in the last great era of Grand Prix racing before the advent of tobacco advertising...
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Canadian industries of aerospace and racecar design were at the forefront of...
Formula 5000 was a racing series for open-wheel, single-seat racing cars built to a specific set of rules and powered by American production-line V-8 engines of 5-liter displacement. It started as a bright idea in 1967 and ran successfully until politics among the governing body, race organizers, and team owners...