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Fred Luther and one of the world's first (if not the first) automobile powered motorcycles

21-Jun-23 historicracing.com

Fred Luther was a pioneering motorcycle rider who had been competing since 1915. By 1934 his life must have become somewhat mundane as he came up with the idea of building a motorcycle to break the Land Speed Record....continue reading

LEGENDS SERIES

Grover Bergdoll

08-Jul-23 historicracing.com

Grover Cleveland Bergdoll was a wealthy early aviator, racing driver and notorious World War I draft dodger who fled to Germany to avoid service....continue reading
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The Donington Grand Prix in 1937

21-Apr-23 historicracing.com

The Donington Grand Prix in 1937. The first chance the British public had to see the Mercedes and Auto Union cars racing and, what a spectacle it proved to be! Though the reputation of the machines preceded them, no-one was prepared for that first lap. ...continue reading

Valdir Fauirin twin engined special

19-Apr-23 historicracing.com

Now then! The history of motoring has seen any number of twin-engined adventures, usually to nobody’s worthwhile benefit. But this wonderful little, Brazilian, home-build race car from 1971, was a bit special. Even for that sphere of novelty....continue reading

Behold the GAZ-TP

17-Apr-23 historicracing.com

Built in 1954, under official approval from the Supreme Presidium of the Soviet Socialist Republic, it’s claimed to have been the world’s first car ever jet-driven land vehicle, loaded, as it was, with the motivational extracts of a MIG-17....continue reading

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Events on February 22nd


Interesting and notable events from the history of motor sport.

1911

Bert Dingley drove a Pope-Hartford to victory in a 163.84 mile road race on the streets of Oakland, California.

Bert Dingley drove a Pope-Hartford to victory in the featured 163.84 mile AAA road race on streets and roads in Oakland. Charles Merz won a 152.9 mile race in a National and Charles Bigelow drove a Mercer to the win in a 98 mile race.

1926

Pete DePaolo won the inaugural race on the 1.25 mile board Miami-Fulford Speedway.

DePaolo's Duesenberg averaged 129.29 mph in the 300 mile AAA Championship race on the track, which had 50 degree banking. Tommy Milton turned a lap of 142.93 mph in qualifying. The track was designed by Ray Harroun, winner of the first Indy 500, and financed by Carl Fisher, who was involved in building the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It would be the only race on the speedway as it was destroyed by a hurricane in September.

1959

the inaugural Daytona 500 won by Lee Petty's in a photo finish with Johnny Beauchamp.

The inaugural Daytona 500 ended in a photo finish. Lee Petty's Olds and Johnny Beauchamp's T-Bird split the lapped Chevy of Joe Weatherly as all three crossed the finish line. Beauchamp, the Harlan, Iowa IMCA star, was declared the unofficial winner and went to victory lane. It took newsreel footage viewed 61 hours later for Bill France to declare Petty the victor. The race was also open to Convertibles with Joe Lee Johnson's Chevy the highest placed ragtop in 16th. 7 drivers swapped the lead 33 times in the caution free event at an average speed of 135.521 mph.

1959

Alec Mildren won the 50 mile Victorian Trophy race at Fishermen's Bend in a Cooper-Climax.

LOST THIS YEAR

Basil van Rooyen

19/4/1939 - 14/9/2023

Ken McAlpine

21/9/1920 - 8/4/2023

Craig Breedlove

23/3/1937 - 4/4/2023

Slim Borgudd

25/11/1946 - 23/2/2023

Jean-Pierre Jabouille

1/10/1942 - 2/2/2023

Ken Block

21/11/1967 - 2/1/2023

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