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FEATURED DRIVERS

Robert Benoist

20-Mar-23 historicracing.com

Benoist served during World War I and took up racing in the early 1920s. In 1927 he won the French, Spanish, Italian and British Grand Prix for Delage. He later joined Bugatti and won the Spa 24 hour race in an Alfa Romeo. He won Le Mans in 1937 with Jean-Pierre Wimille before retiring. In WWII he served in the Special Operations Executive as a secret agent. Eventually arrested by the Gestapo in June 1944 he was taken to Büchenwald where he was executed on September 9 1944....continue reading

Bob Wollek

16-Mar-23 historicracing.com

A sports car legend, Bob Wollek's career spanned over 30 years. Four-time winner at Daytona's 24-hour race and with 11 world championship titles, Wollek continued racing well into his 50s when he was killed while riding his bicycle outside Sebring on the eve of the 12 Hour Race in 2001....continue reading

We like a bit of analogue testing!

10-Mar-23 historicracing.com

Here we find part time inventor, Mr W.T. Warren in 1912, demonstrating his 'Warren Safety Helmet' at William Ewen's flying school in Hendon near London. ...continue reading

Looking like an amphibious mudskipper, this is the Rover-BRM Gas Turbine at the Le Mans test weekend in 1963

03-Mar-23 historicracing.com

The car was based on the 2.5 litre Grand Prix BRM chassis, cut in half down the middle and widened to make a two seater. At Le Mans that April, the car ran well though they discovered that body let water in just about everywhere and that the rear end had a tendency to lift at high speed! ...continue reading

Jo Bonnier’s Cooper-Maserati at Spa in 1966.

02-Mar-23 historicracing.com

The race took place in appalling conditions which today would have seen the assembled participants sitting comfortably in their motorhomes until is was safe to venture out....continue reading

Not really a racing post however the 1911 Reeves Octauto was introduced at the Indy 500 that year.

01-Mar-23 historicracing.com

Having looked at six wheel cars in the past, I thought that we would bring you a very early vision into the benefits of multi wheel motoring....continue reading

Looking alarmingly like paramilitaries, here we have Alfred Neubauer (also known as Friedl) in the 1922 Austro-Daimler Sascha.

01-Mar-23 historicracing.com

It really is Neubauer, though you'll have to take our word for that!The Austro-Daimler Sascha was the brain child of Count Alexander Kolowrat-Kratowsky....continue reading

Indiana Fairgrounds in 1968. Chuck Booth and Wally Meskowski's declaration of love!

24-Feb-23 historicracing.com

It is September 7th, 1968, Chuck Booth (Driver) and Wally Meskowski (Mechanic) at the Hoosier Hundred, USAC Champ Car race, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Photograph courtesy Raymond Golub Memorial Collection ...continue reading

The strange tale of the Bédélia

23-Feb-23 historicracing.com

This strange vehicle is a Bédélia and as strange as this vehicle looks, the design and engineering process is perhaps even stranger....continue reading

ERA driver Geoffrey Ansell, of Ansell Brewery fame, confirming that the worlds of alcohol and fast-cars don’t mix.

22-Feb-23 historicracing.com

Here he takes the wide line in 1948 at the first British Grand Prix to be held at Silverstone. Due credit should be given for the effort, but apparently he emerged from the devastated straw-bales with nothing worse than a few scratches. ...continue reading

Innes Ireland taking a unique approach to F1 passenger carrying at Spa in 1961

17-Feb-23 historicracing.com

At the wheel is Maurice 'Le Petoulet' Trintignant, the last pre-war driver to be involved in Formula One. Innes Ireland was a larger-than-life character who, as a rival team boss once said, he..."lived without sense, without an analyst and provoked astonishment and affection from everyone." ...continue reading

San Diego model Raquel Tejada, later better known as Raquel Welch

13-Feb-23 historicracing.com

Don Cameron receives his just desserts from local beauty Jo Raquel Tajada after winning a West Coast Midget race at Pamona in 1959.

Little did I know when I posted this just two days ago that she would pass away today (15th February 2023). RIP Raquel Welch....continue reading

FOLLOW HSTRCRCNG IN INSTAGRAM

Teams in the 60’s were trying to save weight and make the car as light as possible, inc. putting as much fuel in the car at the start of the race so that it lasted JUST to the end. This generally worked but a few times ran out of fuel with a few laps to go. So unbeknownst to Colin Chapman, the mechanics when fuelling the car would add an extra gallon, just to make sure it was enough, hence the ‘mechanic’s gallon’!

A firm believer that mechanics have most of the best stories, Gary Critcher set about recording a series of interviews with leading mechanics from the world of motorsport and podcasts them under this banner. We are pleased to make them available to you by clicking the links below.

For his YouTube channel, click here
For his Apple Podcast channel, click here

A list of the drivers born on this day. Note this is not a compete list, if you know of any driver who should be added, please contact us by clicking here. Thank you.

Born on May 26th

Paul von Metternich-Winneburg

Eugen Ionescu-Cristea

1938

Sam Posey

1944

Passed On May 26th

Events on this day

Interesting and notable events from the history of motor sport.

1911

1st Indianapolis 500 auto race is run

1955

Just four days after surviving his unscheduled trip into the harbour during the Monaco Grand Prix, Alberto Ascari was killed testing at Monza.

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1963

Graham Hill took the first of five Monaco GP wins on a works BRM P57 from teammate Richie Ginther's BRM P57 and defending winner Bruce McLaren in a Cooper/Climax 66.

1997

Lola Cars went into administration after 39 years of building racing cars. Their demise was largely brought about by their failed F1 ambitions. Their F1 team only competed in two events, the Australian and Brazilian Grand Prix that year, failing to qualify for either.