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Rear View Mirror
Volume 7, No.3

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“Pity the poor Historian!” – Denis Jenkinson

The Jacob Cohen Complex
Or, I Wonder if Mr. Peabody Ever Had Second Thoughts About the Way Back Machine?

Alas, much like Jacob Cohen1, automobile racing history gets no respect.

If one were to suggest that the study of automobile racing history is to history as military music is to music, a relationship that Marx2 suggested, there would be little doubt that most heads would nod in the affirmative. However entertaining automobile racing might be to many, it is probably fair to say that other than as trivia, the history of automobile racing gets little attention and even less respect.

Nor is it much of a surprise that little respect is given is automobile racing history. Doing automobile racing history is a bit of a muddle at best and is usually something of a shambles the rest of the time with things going downhill from there. This is a theme I will touch upon in this and future RVM columns.

Doing Automobile Racing History

While it might be something of a Blinding Flash of the Obvious to suggest that automobile racing historians do exactly what each and every other historian does, that is, study the history of their chosen field of endeavor, that particular field is somewhat ill-defined. Any aspirations to hold a chair in automobile racing history at the university level would be quite misplaced at the moment as well as far into the future given both the dearth of courses being taught along with the corresponding lack of majors being offered in the field. Then, there is the rather obvious fact that this is not a topic around all that much flows in the academic world. Any interest in automobile racing at the academic level is almost exclusively personal rather than professional it would appear.

What little automobile racing history that is being produced is being created from outside the community of scholars. It is largely from the pens of professional writers that the history of automobile racing has long resided. Their works are best described as “chronicles” rather than “histories,” however. This is not to diminish either their contributions to the history of automobile racing or the works themselves. On the contrary, it is these chronicles that lured most with an interest in the topic to the further study of the subject.

A theme that I will be thinking about as time goes on will be that can probably be expressed as something along these lines: Whither the history of automobile racing? Not that this particular subject has not been done to death, but I always seem to be missing something it seems.

Program Notes: North Randall, Labor Day 1928

From the Archives of the International Motor Racing Research Center at Watkins Glen, New York

The International Motor Racing Research Center collection of race programs contains one for the “100 Mile Championship Auto Race, North Randall, Labor Day, Sept. 3rd.” Doing the necessary crosschecks, this turns out to be for the 1928 event. The race is sanctioned by “The American Automobile Racing Ass’n,” and the price of the program is fifteen cents.

Here is the lineup given for the event:

Make of Car Car No. Driver From
Frontenac Special 1 Eddie Meyer Cleveland, Ohio
Thomas Special 3 Martin Thomas Cleveland, Ohio
Benz Special 2 Unnamed Cleveland, Ohio
Peugeot Special 6 Antone Ponikvar Cleveland, Ohio
Allied Special 25 B. E. Reister Cleveland, Ohio
Cliff – Ford 9 Harry Clifford Cleveland, Ohio
Chrysler Special 5 Bill Humboldt Harrisonburg, Va.
Bates Special 4 Red Searight Indianapolis, Ind.
Frontenac Special 7 Ernie Jones Canton, Ohio
Hal Special 8 Kling Smith Akron, Ohio
Chandler Special 10 Bennie Rousch Steubenville, Ohio
Chandler Special 11 Wylie Sanders Steubenville, Ohio
Frontenac Special 17 Johnny Barco Canton, Ohio
Hal Special 14 Whiz Sloan Akron, Ohio
Carpenter Special 15 Bill Carpenter Findlay, Ohio
Frontenac Special 12 Floyd Trevis Youngstown, Ohio
Miller Special 18 Lou Moore Oakland, Cal.
Roof 8 20 Johnny Bryan Wheeling, W. Va.
Leiber Special 23 Unnamed Bellevue, Ohio
Frontenac Special 13 Joe Catone Youngstown, Ohio
Frontenac Special 24 Jack McFadden Warren, Ohio
Front Wheel Drive Chevrolet 26 Red Kinett Alliance, Ohio
Grandall Special 32 Curly Grandall Canton, Ohio

The race officials as listed:

Flag Signals

There is also the following notation: Drivers failing to obey these flags are subject to disqualification.

Hand-written on the program is the cryptic note, “8 cars cracked up.”

Also listed below the entry list is the lineup for the “Aeroplane Races” – the “Planes furnished by Thompson Aeronautical Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio.”

Travelair Special Racing Plane Pilot Cliff March No. 1
Laird Special Pilot Ralph Devore No. 4

Note: North Randall was a half-mile dirt track located in the Cleveland, Ohio area. It operated from September 1927 until about June 1937. The track was located about three-quarters of a mile east of the Cranwood Raceway.3

The Points Scoring Schedules for the 1964 NASCAR Grand National Season

During the 1964 season for the championship of the NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) Grand National Division, a total of sixteen different points schemes were used to award points during the season. This exceeds the number of expected schemes used during the season based upon the information found in the “Official Program for the NASCAR Grand National Championship Stock Car Races 1964 Season.”4 Table 1 shows the schedule for awarding points as listed in the program:

Table 1: NASCAR Championship Point Schedule

Position Regular Schedule $2,000 $3,000 $4,000 $5,000 $6,000 $10,000 $25,000
1st 50 100 150 200 250 300 500 1,250
2nd 48 96 144 192 240 288 480 1,200
3rd 46 92 138 184 230 276 460 1,150
4th 44 88 132 176 220 264 440 1,100
5th 42 84 126 168 210 252 420 1,050
6th 40 80 120 160 200 240 400 1,000
7th 38 76 114 152 190 228 380 950
8th 36 72 108 144 180 216 360 900
9th 34 68 102 136 170 204 340 850
10th 32 64 96 128 160 192 320 800
11th 30 60 90 120 150 180 300 750
12th 28 56 84 112 140 168 280 700
13th 26 52 78 104 130 156 260 650
14th 24 48 72 96 120 144 240 600
15th 22 44 66 88 110 132 220 550
16th 20 40 60 80 100 120 200 500
17th 18 36 54 72 90 108 180 450
18th 16 32 48 64 80 96 160 400
19th 14 28 42 56 70 84 140 350
20th 12 24 36 48 60 72 120 300
21st 10 20 30 40 50 60 100 250
22nd 8 16 24 32 40 48 80 200
23rd 6 12 18 24 30 36 60 150
24th 4 8 12 16 20 24 40 100
25th 2 4 6 8 10 12 20 50

All Starters Receive Minimum as Per Schedule

Instead of the points being distributed as shown in Table 1, taken from the NASCAR program, the points were awarded according to the schedule shown below in Table 2:

Table 2: NASCAR 1964 Grand National Championship Point Schedule

Position
1st 400 500 650 700 750 900 1,050 1,750 2,200 2,300 2,450 2,500 2,550 3,150 4,400 4,850
2nd 384 480 624 672 720 864 1,008 1,680 2,112 2,208 2,352 2,400 2,448 3,024 4,224 4,656
3rd 368 460 598 644 690 828 966 1,610 2,024 2,116 2,254 2,300 2,346 2,898 4,048 4,462
4th 352 440 572 616 660 792 924 1,540 1,936 2,024 2,156 2,200 2,244 2,772 3,872 4,268
5th 336 420 546 588 630 756 882 1,470 1,848 1,932 2,058 2,100 2,142 2,646 3,696 4,077
6th 320 400 520 560 600 720 840 1,400 1,760 1,840 1,960 2,000 2,040 2,520 3,520 3,880
7th 304 380 494 532 570 684 798 1,330 1,672 1,748 1,862 1,900 1,938 2,394 3,344 3,686
8th 288 360 468 504 540 648 756 1,260 1,584 1,656 1,764 1,800 1,836 2,268 3,168 3,492
9th 272 340 442 476 510 612 714 1,190 1,496 1,564 1,666 1,700 1,734 2,142 2,992 3,298
10th 256 320 416 448 480 576 672 1,120 1,408 1,472 1,568 1,600 1,632 2,016 2,816 3,104
11th 240 300 390 420 450 540 630 1,050 1,320 1,380 1,470 1,500 1,530 1,890 2,640 2,910
12th 224 280 364 392 420 504 588 980 1,232 1,288 1,372 1,400 1,428 1,764 2,464 2,716
13th 208 260 338 364 390 468 546 910 1,144 1,196 1,274 1,300 1,326 1,638 2,288 2,522
14th 192 240 312 336 360 432 504 840 1,056 1,104 1,176 1,200 1,224 1,512 2,112 2,328
15th 176 220 286 308 330 396 462 770 968 1,012 1,078 1,100 1,122 1,386 1,936 2,134
16th 160 200 260 280 300 360 420 700 880 920 980 1,000 1,020 1,260 1,760 1,940
17th 144 180 234 252 270 324 378 630 792 828 882 900 918 1,134 1,584 1,746
18th 120 160 208 224 240 288 336 560 704 736 784 800 816 1,008 1,408 1,552
19th 112 140 182 196 210 252 294 490 616 644 686 700 714 882 1,232 1,358
20th 96 120 156 168 180 216 252 420 528 552 588 600 612 756 1,056 1,164
21st 80 100 130 140 150 180 210 350 440 460 490 500 510 630 880 970
22nd 64 80 104 112 120 144 168 280 352 368 392 400 408 504 704 776
23rd 48 60 78 84 90 108 126 210 264 276 294 300 306 378 528 582
24th 32 40 52 56 60 72 84 140 176 184 196 200 204 252 352 388
25th 16 20 26 28 30 36 42 70 88 92 98 100 102 126 176 194
26th + 16 20 26 28 30 36 42 70 88 92 98 100 102 126 176 194
Events 35 9 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1

The information from both the NASCAR program as reflected in Table 1 and from a survey of the points awarded for each of the individual Grand National events run during the 1964 season5 as listed in Table 2 clearly confirm that points were awarded according to the purse offered for an event rather than being tied solely to the distance of the event.

Food for Thought

The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the FIA, is the post-Second World War reincarnation of Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus, the AIACR, which was organized in June 1904, during the running of the Gordon Bennett Cup or Coupe Internationale. In 1922, the AIACR created the Commission Sportive Internationale, the CSI, the International Sporting Commission. It was the CSI that governed motor sport within the AIACR and then, later, for the FIA.

The FIA, to quote from its own Year Book of Automobile Sport/Annuaire du Sport Automobile6, is an international organization “through which automobile clubs from all over the world have gathered in order to improve the development of their activities and defence of their common interest: the automobile. The two main activities resulting from the tremendous development of the motor car during the last 60 years are touring and motor sport.”

The FIA, as implied, is composed of the national automobile clubs or associations (Automobile Clubs ou Associations nationals, ACN) of the countries which join the organization. While much of the focus of the FIA is on matters more concerned with Touring – tourism and related issues – than motor sport, this is perhaps its most visible activity. The FIA may allow, in some cases, more than one national automobile club or association from a country into its membership, but that nation is given only a single vote. How that is arrived at, the FIA has little interest.

In the area of motor sports, the FIA adopts a similar approach to the issue – only one vote can be cast concerning matter relating to motor sports issues by a country in an FIA forum. The club, association, or committee with the ability to cast that vote retains what the FIA terms the “National Sporting Authority” (Autorité Sportive Nationale, ASN). This implies that the ASN is responsible for the motor sports within that country.

The CSI derived its authority, the “Sporting Power” (le Pouvoir Sportif), from the “uniting of the powers detained in their respective countries by the ACNs.” In the FIA Statues, the FIA declares that, “The FIA is the sole international body governing motoring sport.” The agency within the FIA with the responsibility for motor sport was the CSI. In 1963, its President was Maurice Baumgartner, an interesting choice (he was elected in 1961) since he was Swiss and his country had banned motor sports – with the exception of the occasional hill-climb event – in 1955.

In late 1949, the CSI followed the lead of the Fédération Internationale Motocycliste and created a World Championship of Drivers (Championnat du Monde des Conducteurs) to take effect with the 1950 season. For 1964, the World Championship of Drivers was conducted under the auspices of the CSI and the events were run with cars conforming to “Formule internationale no. 1.”

Events were expected to be a minimum of 300 kilometers and a minimum duration of two hours. Points during 1963 were awarded on the basis of 9 – 6 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 for first through sixth places; points can only be awarded if the driver drove the same car throughout the entire event, that is, no car swapping. With 10 events on the 1964 calendar for championship events, a driver could count only his six best scores.

The International Cup for Formula 1 Manufacturers (Coupe Internationale des Constructeurs Formule 1) was awarded along line similar to those for the drivers’ championship, the points and the number of scores able to be counted in the final tally being identical. However, there was the stipulation that only the best-placed car of a manufacturer count score points. In addition, the definition of “make” was that of a specific chassis and engine combination.

Here is a synopsis of “International Racing Formula No. 1” in its 1963 form:7

1. Racing cars with an engine capacity superior to 1,300 cc and inferior or equal to 1,500 cc.

2. No supercharging device.

3. Commercial fuel as specified by the F.I.A.8

4. Minimum weight of the car without ballast: 450 kg in working order including lubricant and coolant but without fuel. The ballast prohibited is that of a removable type. It is, therefore, permissible to complete the weight of the car through one or several ballasts incorporated into the materials of the car, provided that solid and unitary blocks are used, and that they are fixed by means of a tool and offer the opportunity of being sealed on should the officers entrusted with scrutineering deem it necessary.

5. Compulsory automatic starter, with an electrical or other source of energy capable of being controlled by the driver when sitting at the steering wheel.

6. Protection against fire. Besides that already provided by Article 125 of the International Sporting Code, the car shall be equipped with a general electrical circuit-breaker either operating automatically or under the control of the driver.

7. Driver’s seat capable of being occupied or abandoned without it being necessary to open a door or to remove a body panel.

8. A fastening system for a safety belt is demanded, the belt itself being optional.

9. A roll-over protection bar is compulsory, complying with the following requirements:

  (a) It shall not overhang the driver’s head.

  (b) It shall exceed in height the driver’s head when he is sitting at the steering wheel.

  (c) It shall exceed in width the driver’s shoulders when he is sitting at the steering wheel.

10. All the wheels shall be exterior to the body, so that the vertical projection be contained within the figure drawn by the vehicle wheels when the front wheels are pointing dead ahead (‘not steered in the French text).

11. A double braking system is compulsory, operated by the same foot pedal and defined as follows:

  (a) the pedal shall control the four wheels in the normal way.

  (b) In case of a leakage at any point of the brake system pipe lines, or of any kind of failure in the brake transmission system, the pedal shall still control at least two wheels of one same axle.

12. Fuel tanks must comply with the following requirements:

  (a) The filling port(s) and their cap(s) shall not protrude beyond the coachwork material.

  (b) The opening shall have a sufficient diameter to allow the air to be expelled at the time of quick refueling (with particular reference to pressure filling systems), and if necessary the breather-pipe connecting the tank to the atmosphere shall be such as to avoid any liquid leakage during refueling or running.

13. No replenishing with lubricant is allowed throughout the duration of a race. The filling port(s) of the oil tank(s) and radiator(s) shall be filled with the wherewithal to which seals may be applied. The leads sealing the filling port(s) of the lubricant tank(s) may not be removed at any time during the race. The lead(s) sealing the filling port(s) of the radiator(s) shall be in place at the start of the race, but may be removed at any pit stop,

And, finally, for 1963 the rules demand a ‘catch-tank’ into which the breathers from crankcase, oil tank, and transmission are led – to avoid oil being spilled on to the circuit.

Notes

  1. The name given at birth to Jack Roy was later better known as Rodney Dangerfield.
  2. Julius Henry “Groucho” Marx, that is.
  3. Allan Brown, History of America’s Speedways Past & Present, Comstock, Michigan: Allan Brown, 1994, p. 425. This information taken from the copy of the “Official Program for the NASCAR Grand National Championship Stock Car Races 1964 Season” found in the archives of the International Motor Racing Research Center at Watkins Glen. It also carries the title “NASCAR Magazine and Auto Race Program.” This particular “NASCAR Official Program,” as it is entitled on its cover, was based upon a template provided by NASCAR Publications to individual race promoters and carries information up to and including the “Firecracker 400” run on 4 July 1964.
  4. The survey was conducted using materials made available by Ms. Suzanne Wise, the librarian overseeing the Stock Car Racing Collection at the Belk Library, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Caro-lina. The materials used for the survey were: Southern Motorsports Journal and Southern Motoracing.
  5. Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, Year Book of Automobile Sport/Annuaire du Sport Automobile, London: Patrick Stephens, 1970, pp. 15, 17, 19. Given that the “Yellow Books” – as the FIA Year Books are known, did not begin to be published until 1968, I am using the assumption that most definitions and basic parameters did not change very much from the 1964 season until the 1970 edition, which is the earliest one I have been able to obtain.
  6. Peter Garnier, 16 on the Grid: The Anatomy of a Grand Prix, London: Cassell & Company, 1964, pp. 136-137.
  7. “…by ‘commercial fuel’ to be used in motor car speed events, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile intends to designate a ‘motor’ fuel produced by an Oil Company and currently distributed at road refueling stations throughout one same country. May therefore be used, in all speed races for which the use of commercial fuel is compulsory, all commercial fuels of the country in the event takes place, and no other additive except that of a lubricant of current sale which cannot the octane number, or water. May also be used, under the same conditions, any commercial fuel(s) which – in France, Germany, Great Britain and Italy – is (are) of the highest octane rating, according to the Research Method.” F.I.A., Year Book, p. 97.