Auto Racing 9781422284186, 9781422234563

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INSIDE THE WORLD OF SPORTS AUTO RACING BASEBALL BASKETBALL EXTREME SPORTS FOOTBALL GOLF GYMNASTICS ICE HOCKEY LACROSSE SOCCER TENNIS TRACK & FIELD WRESTLING 2

by Andrew Luke

mason crest

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Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, Pennsylvania 19008 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll free)

Copyright © 2017 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. First printing 987654321 ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-3456-3 ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-3455-6 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-8481-6 Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress

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CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8

Auto Racing’s Greatest Moments ............... 6 The History of Auto Racing ...................... 16 Open Wheel Racing: F1 ............................ 22 Open Wheel Racing: IndyCar ................... 30 Stock Car Racing ..................................... 38 Modern-Day Stars ................................... 44 Auto Racing’s Greatest Drivers ................ 54 The Future of Auto Racing ....................... 66 Glossary of Auto Racing Terms ................ 72

Chronology.............................................. 74 Further Reading, Video Credits, & Internet Resources................................ 77 Index....................................................... 79

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England's Lewis Hamilton is a three-time World Champion in Formula One, the world's most popular auto racing series.

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CHAPTER AUTO RACING’S GREATEST MOMENTS For as long as there have been automobiles, there have been drivers willing to race them. The essence of racing has been the same for centuries, whether in chariots, on bicycles, or in cars: the search for speed. Drivers have pushed not only their own talents but also the limits of their vehicles to eke out the most speed possible, even at considerable risk to life and limb. It is that ever-present element of danger that initially made auto racing a spectacle not to be missed for fans of speed. As the sport has developed over the decades, it has become more sophisticated, and fans have evolved along with it. Auto racing is now so much more than the union of man and machine to maximize the speed that can be coaxed from the vehicle. An incredible amount of proverbial blood, sweat and tears goes into preparing a vehicle for a race. Fans have come to understand and appreciate the nuances that determine when it is time for a driver to pamper or push the vehicle at crucial points in a race, realizing that part of what encompasses a driver’s skill is knowing how to maximize the vehicle’s efficiency, not just its speed. The pit crew comes into play in this regard as well, helping the driver make crucial decisions that impact the race beyond the aspect of simply driving the vehicle. And then there is luck, sheer, unforeseen, unavoidable happenstance that can wipe out the best-laid plans, preparation, and strategy. Fans know that the day of their favorite driver can be ambushed by chance at any turn. An unintentional touch in close quarters can cause body damage that affects the aerodynamics and, therefore, the efficiency of the vehicle. A collision between two other drivers balloons into a four- or five-vehicle pileup. Debris or oil on the track can send your driver into the wall instead of through a turn. All of these are examples of how unpredictable the sport of auto racing can be, which is a large part of its appeal. Drivers being able to overcome these elements, or becoming ensnared by them, are among the greatest moments that auto racing has produced.

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GREATEST MOMENTS

Fangio Wins German Grand Prix Argentina’s Juan Manuel Fangio came into the 1957 German Grand Prix at Nurburgring with three wins under his belt for the season. He needed a fourth victory to clinch the Grand Prix driving championship. The course was just over 14 miles (22.5 km) with 172 turns, the toughest race on the circuit. English drivers Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins led Fangio by 51 seconds with 11 laps of 22 left to go when Fangio put his foot down to close the gap. In a courageous effort where he pushed his car to the limit, barely keeping it on the treacherous track, Fangio was just a second behind Collins and three behind Hawthorn with two laps to go. On that 21st lap, Fangio and Collins battled, passing each other until Fangio pulled away in a straightaway. That left Hawthorn, who Fangio overtook on a dangerous, unguarded corner on the last lap. This championship-winning drive was the final victory of Fangio’s brilliant career. 8

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Daytona Dustup The 1979 Daytona 500 was the first 500-mile (804.7 km) race ever to be broadcast live on U.S. television, and CBS got their money’s worth in more ways than one. First, viewers got an exciting finish to the race. Donnie Allison led Cale Yarborough coming down the backstretch on the final lap. When Yarborough tried to pass on the inside, the cars bumped, and Yarborough lost control. The two cars hit each other, and then the wall, before coming to rest in the infield.

That is when CBS got an unexpected bonus as Donnie’s brother Bobby stopped to see if he was okay. Yarborough, angry about the crash, approached the brothers and hit Bobby in the face with his helmet. On live TV, a melee ensued with the three drivers throwing punches and swinging helmets. Yarborough said, “I think it made a lot of fans. I think it was one of the biggest things ever to happen in the sport. It got people’s attention.” Incidentally, superstar driver Richard Petty won the race. 9

GREATEST MOMENTS

200 NASCAR Wins That 1979 Daytona 500 win was the 186th of Petty’s career. Five years later, Petty was back at the Daytona International Speedway sitting on 199 career wins as he sat in his famous blue and red number 43 Pontiac at the starting line of the 1984 Firecracker 400. In attendance that day, in anticipation of a Petty victory, was U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Petty had won nine career races at this track, after all, so the president was playing the odds when he decided to become the first sitting president ever to attend a National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) race. Petty did not disappoint, prevailing over Yarborough with a pass coming out of turn four on lap 158 of 160 to win by the nose of the car. The last two laps were run under a caution flag. Petty met with President Reagan before heading to victory lane to celebrate the record 200th and final win of his career. 10

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Fittipaldi Beats Unser In auto racing, when two drivers battle on the track, if neither is willing to back down, bad things can happen. Just ask Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough. At the 1989 Indianapolis 500, Brazil’s Emerson Fittipaldi and Albuquerque native Al Unser, Jr. faced just this situation.

With four laps to go, Unser was riding Fittipaldi’s tail and seized the opportunity to make the pass and take the lead. Fittipaldi stayed close, and with two laps left, he made his move on the backstretch, dropping to the inside to pull even with Unser. Neither man blinked as the cars ran side by side along the bottom of the track for 10 seconds. As they went into turn three, they touched wheels. Fittipaldi kept control of his car, but Unser spun into the wall. Fittipaldi won his first Indianapolis 500 under caution, with Unser giving him the thumbs-up from the infield.

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GREATEST MOMENTS

Senna Helps Comas Crashes like the one suffered by Unser, Jr. in 1989 are a part of auto racing, and drivers anticipate the possibility during every race. When accidents happen, drivers are primarily concerned with preserving their own race, letting rescue workers come to the aid of fellow drivers. This is what makes the events in the qualifying runs for the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix extraordinary. French driver Erik Comas crashed heavily into the wall during his run. The first driver to come up on the wrecked car was Brazilian champion Ayrton Senna, who realized Comas was in trouble and stopped immediately after passing him. Senna got out and ran to Comas, avoiding at least two other cars on the track as they drove around Comas’ car. In a remarkable show of compassion and sportsmanship, Senna stopped Comas’ engine and stayed with the unconscious driver until rescue workers arrived on the scene. 12

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Michigan 500 Fireworks It has been called one of the greatest duels in the history of open wheel racing, and it took place at the Michigan International Speedway in 2000. That year’s Michigan 500 race came in the middle of the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) series season and turned into a showdown between second-year driver Juan Montoya and racing royalty, veteran Michael Andretti.

Fifty thousand fans watched as the two former series champions raced to one of the closest finishes in history. Montoya, who won the series championship in his rookie year, battled Andretti at close quarters over the final 17 laps of the 250-lap race. In those 17 laps, Andretti, himself a series champion in 1991, was never separated from Montoya by more than 0.7 seconds. Each driver led for at least part of each of those final 17 laps, with Montoya making the final pass in turn four of lap 250 to win by less than a car length. 13

GREATEST MOMENTS

Another Andretti Comes Up Short In 2006, it was Michael’s son, Marco Andretti, who suffered a similar fate but on a much bigger stage. The 2006 Indianapolis 500 was the 90th edition of the most famous auto race in the world and turned out to be one of the most thrilling. The 19-year-old Andretti is son of former series champion Michael and grandson of the legendary Mario Andretti, one of the greatest race car drivers who ever lived. True to his pedigree, Marco was Rookie of the Year that season but botched the series’ biggest race. Sam Hornish was right on Andretti’s tail going into turn four of lap 199 and tried to pass the rookie, but Andretti blocked him, and Hornish had to slow down, losing his momentum. Hornish put his foot down and drove a blazing lap to get right behind Andretti in the final turn. He dropped to the inside and swung past Andretti to win by 0.0635 seconds, the second-closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history. 14

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Hamilton Claims Glory More last-lap drama was on display in 2008, when England’s Lewis Hamilton became the youngest driver ever to win the Formula One championship. Hamilton had battled Brazilian rival Felipe Massa in the standings all season and came into the final race, the Brazilian Grand Prix on Massa’s home turf in São Paulo, with a seven-point lead. Massa knew he had to win at home in Brazil and hope for Hamilton to finish worse than fifth. The weather was an issue from the beginning as the course was beset with rain. On lap 67 of 71, rain was falling again when both Massa and Hamilton pitted for rain tires. Coming out of the pits, Massa was first with Hamilton in fifth. On lap 70, however, Sebastian Vettel passed Hamilton to put his championship hopes in jeopardy. On the last lap, fate intervened, as German Timo Glock could not maintain speed as he had not changed to rain tires. Both Vettel and Hamilton passed him just 17 seconds from the finish line to give Hamilton fifth place and the championship by a single point over Massa.

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Marcel Renault, seen here driving in the 1903 Paris to Madrid race, co-founded the French automaker Renault with his brothers Louis and Fernand in 1899.

Words to Understand: rapidity: a rapid state or quality, quickness, or celerity quadricycle: a vehicle similar to the bicycle or tricycle but having four wheels disciplines: types of an activity, kinds of knowledge

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CHAPTER

THE HISTORY OF AUTO RACING

Automobiles themselves may be a fairly modern invention, but the idea of automobiles has been around for centuries. Roger Bacon, the 13th-century English philosopher and proponent of experimental science, insisted in his writings, “Cars can be made so that without animals they will move with unbelievable rapidity.”

SELF-PROPULSION EMERGES

From Nicholas Cugnot’s three-wheeled steam carriage in 1769 to Etienne Lenoir’s first internal combustion engine in 1878, initial attempts at self-propelled vehicles were crude and inefficient. Horsepower still ruled the day. Toward the end of the 19th century, however, the Germans began to take meaningful steps forward. Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler attached engines to small vehicles like tricycles and tiny boats. Frenchman Emile Levassor attached a motor to a buggy in 1891. The French, who had Europe’s most advanced road system, took over the lead in early automobile design and production in the early 20th century. The Benz Patent-Motorwagen Number 3 of 1888, used by Bertha Benz for the first long-distance journey by automobile (more than 106 km or 60 miles)

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AUTOMOBILES IN AMERICA

American inventors picked up the auto-making bug from their European counterparts at the turn of the century. Many tried, and most failed, to come up with a vehicle with mass appeal. By 1908, 60 percent of new American automobile companies went bankrupt. Those that survived, however, made impactful changes to the way Americans traveled. Most of the successes came out of Detroit, Michigan. In 1896, Henry Ford drove a Albert Lemaitre finished second in the1894 Paris to quadricycle through the city streets. In Rouen race in his 3hp #65 Peugot but was named the 1899, Ransom Olds opened the Olds Motor winner after the first-place car was ruled ineligible. Works in Detroit and began production of Oldsmobiles, gas-powered cars with a top speed of just 14 miles per hour (22.5 km/h). The public, however, wanted more speed, and auto-making entrepreneurs came up with ways to show that their make of vehicle was the fastest.

THE FIRST RACES

At the inception of auto making, the purpose of speed was to test the qualities of new vehicles. Engineers would test their designs against each other, assessing how certain features performed while being able to outperform their competitors. Quality tires and brakes, as well as seat harnesses, are standard life-saving safety equipment in modern cars that came out of early test race results. The first “race” occurred in France in July of 1894. The event was actually a road test organized by Journalist Pierre Giffard among 21 entrants from Paris to Rouen, a 78-mile (125.5 km) distance. The first event officially organized as an actual race took place in 1895 between Paris and Bordeaux, with 15 vehicles powered by gas, 6 by steam, and 1 by electricity. The Levassordesigned Panhard won the 732-mile (1,178 km) race, averaging 15 miles per hour (24.1 km/h) while firmly establishing the superiority of gas engines.

AGAINST THE CLOCK

Racing evolved around France as contests against the clock. Routes were chosen from town to town, and the competitors would leave the starting line in one-minute intervals, with the fastest to complete the distance declared the winner. Races became longer as engines got better: in 1898 from Paris to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands; in 1902 from Paris to Vienna, Austria. In Britain, a well-publicized 1,000-mile (1,609.3 km) race from London to Edinburgh and back illustrated what these new machines could do, and sales boomed in its aftermath. 18

At the turn of the century, long-distance, city-to-city racing thrived. A 10,000-mile (16,093.4 km) race between Peking (now Beijing), China, and Paris took two months in 1907, with a winning margin of three weeks. In 1908, drivers raced west from New York to Paris, crossing three continents and an ocean to finish in five and a half months.

INHERENT DANGER

As thrilling as these events proved to be for spectators, they were also, even more, dangerous. Tragedies in city-to-city races became commonplace. Cars that lost control would spin directly into the crowds lining the streets, causing injury and death. The French government eventually banned city-to-city races.

Le Mans race course

This ban led to the popularity of designated race courses, where the course could be cleared and spectator safety could be more closely regulated. These types of races had already had success in places like Le Mans, where what is now considered to be the first Grand Prix was held in 1906 and won by a Renault sporting the newest innovation: detachable rims. 24 Heures du Mans is the world's oldest active sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, France.

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U.S. RACING

Frank Duryea won the first race in America in 1895, with an average speed of 5 miles per hour (8 km/h). That was three times slower than the event in France. American racing evolved quickly, however. In 1896, the first racetrack opened in Cranston, Rhode Island. In 1904, hoping to emulate European events, organizers staged the Vanderbilt Cup road race on Long Island in New York. Like the first race in Europe, a Panhard also won this one. American racing would develop differently than it did in Europe. Instead of city-to-city events or races on road course loops, Americans built dirt tracks and ovals with banked sides. One of the favorite courses of early racers was a dirt track in Daytona Beach, Florida. The first race there was between Ransom Olds and Alexander Winton in 1902. It ended in a tie. Winton would become the first driver to break the 60 mile-per-hour (96.6 km/h) barrier at the Daytona track in 1903. These different types of racing would eventually evolve into the specialized racing disciplines that are prominent in the sport today, at the pinnacle of which is the singleseater, or open wheel, series known as Formula One.

Panhard et Levassor vehicles won both the first race in Europe in 1894 and the first Vanderbilt Cup in America in 1904. Panhard is now a French military vehicle manufacturer that stopped making civilian cars in 1968.

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Text-Dependent Questions: 1. The first event officially organized as an actual race took place in 1895 between which two cities? 2. Automobile sales boomed in the aftermath of which race? 3. Who won the first race in America in 1895?

Research Project: Watch some videos online of various races not only in the United States but internationally. How are they different? What type of racing is most appealing to you?

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A Renault AK 90CV driven by Ferenc Szisz won the first-ever Grand Prix race in 1906.

Words to Understand: sanctioned: something with a binding force, such as to an oath or rules of conduct hiatus: a break or interruption in work, a series, or an action aspirated: material removed by aspiration, or by air

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CHAPTER

OPEN WHEEL RACING: F1 The 1906 race at Le Mans, won by Hungarian Ferenc Szisz in a Renault, was the first of its kind organized by the Automobile Club de France (ACF). The ACF staged the race annually at different locations (1907 was at Dieppe), and it became known as the French Grand Prix. Grand Prix (the term is French for “large prize”) races were run adhering to a formula of loosely defined rules based on engine size and vehicle weight. The first Grand Prixsanctioned race to run outside of France was held in Savannah, Georgia, in 1908.

BMW Sauber participates in the Spanish Grand Prix in Montmelo, Spain.

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THE GRAND PRIX

The ACF was a member club of the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR), which in English means “International Association of Recognized Automobile Clubs.” The AIACR would be renamed the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), or International Automobile Federation in English, after World War II. In 1922, the AIACR designated a commission to regulate GrandPrix racing, which was the Commission Sportive Internationale (CIS). The CIS determined the regulations for holding Grand Prix races. As the closed-circuit street course races became more popular, Grand Prix races were sanctioned first in Italy in 1921 and then in both Belgium and Spain by 1924 and Britain in 1926. In 1928, however, the CIS rules formula was dropped by race organizers, and Team Bugatti at the 1922 French Grand Prix this allowed the number of Grand Prix races to grow from 5 at the time to 18 by 1934. The cars became single seaters, doing away with the passenger seat that had been used to carry mechanics on the course. In 1934, German engineering came to the forefront, with Mercedes and Auto Union (now Audi) dominating the Grand Prix results.

SILVER ARROWS

In 1935, the AIACR instituted a European Championship, which was a system that awarded drivers points based on their results in certain designated Grand Prix races. Unpainted German cars known as Silver Arrows won all but three of the designated Grand Prix races between 1935 and 1939. Either Rudolf Caracciola for Mercedes-Benz or Bernd Rosemeyer for Auto Union won every title.

AFTER WORLD WAR II

Grand Prix racing understandably went on hiatus during World War II and was slow to recover once the fighting ended. Only four Grand Prix races were held in 1946. That year, the AIACR devised a new rules formula to govern Grand Prix racing. In 1947, the newly named FIA announced a plan to create a World Championship using this new formula and a points system similar to that previously used for the European Championship. The new formula was quickly dubbed Formula One.

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FORMULA ONE

Today commonly known as F1, the Formula One devised in 1946 by the FIA was intended to be the premier racing category in the world. The lower-tier Formula II was also created in 1946, with Formula III being created in 1950, giving the sport three divisions. The first race using the new formula was the 1946 Turin Grand Prix, won by Italian Achille Varzi in an Alfa Romeo. The new F1 formula sought to bring a balance between normally aspirated John Surtees (Bowmaker Racing, Lola Mk4, and supercharged cars. Cars with #19) leads defending World Champion Phil Hill normal 4.5- or supercharged 1.5-liter (Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari 156, #1) during the engines were permitted to race. 1962 Dutch Grand Prix at the Zandvoort circuit. Three-liter supercharged cars were not. With the three division formulas in place, the first World Driver’s Championship season occurred in 1950. The championship consisted of just seven designated races, although several more F1 races were run that season. Italian Nino Farina won the championship driving an Alfa Romeo. Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari won two of the next three. The other five titles went to Argentine driver Juan Manuel Fangio.

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THE BRITISH ARE COMING

The late 1950s and 1960s saw Britain’s rise as a force in F1. The biggest change in 1958 was the shortening of races from about 300 miles (482.8 km) to about 200 miles (321.9 km). That same year also saw F1’s first female competitor, Maria Teresa de Philippis, who raced in the Belgian Grand Prix. Englishman Mike Hawthorne won the 1958 title driving a Ferrari. British drivers would win 10 championships between 1958 and 1973, fueled mostly by two innovations.

Mike Hawthorn drove his Ferrari at the 1958 Argentine Grand Prix.

The first development was the rise of the rear-mid engine, the first to be located behind the driver. British manufacturers like Cooper, Lotus, and BRM pioneered it, and soon the Italians were scrambling to copy the design. The second innovation was the development by Lotus of the single-shell chassis, which proved much lighter than the truss-like spaceframe chassis that was popular at the time.

A BUSINESS OF BILLIONS

In the 1970s, F1 transformed into a multibillion-dollar enterprise, primarily due to the leadership of Bernie Ecclestone, the British businessman who gained control of the sport’s commercial rights and negotiated a series of agreements as chief executive offer of the series’ management arm to gain control of television contracts. He founded the group that is now known as Formula One Management, the main operating company of Formula One. Teams now operate with budgets in the hundreds of millions of dollars (top teams spend more than $400 million each season), and top drivers make between $15 and $48 million per season.

Lotus 33 Climax

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TURBOCHARGED

The groundwork for these riches was laid in the 1980s, with the dominance of British automaker McLaren and turbocharged engines. With stars like Austria’s Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna of Brazil, and Alain Prost of France driving for the team, McLaren won eight of nine championships starting in 1984. Through the 1980s and 1990s, either Williams or McLaren won all but two driver’s championships and all but three constructor’s championships. Turbocharged engines were banned in 1989, but the well-funded Brits continued to dominate. Debates arose over the role of technology versus drivers in the cars. Into the 1990s, smaller private teams could not compete with the big four of McLaren, Williams, Ferrari, and Renault. V10 engines became the dominant configuration in F1 due to the balance provided between fuel mileage and power. By 1998, everyone was running on the V10, but Ferrari’s was the best. The Italian automaker, led by Michael Schumacher, dominated into the next decade, winning five straight championships.

NEW RULES

A new points system and other rules changes were implemented in 2003 that were designed to rein in Ferrari and its German driver, but it was not until 2005, when the switch was made from the V10 to the 2.4-liter V8 engines, that Ferrari lost its grip on the F1 driver’s championship. Renault and McLaren were the dominant cars, with Spaniard Fernando Alonso winning backto-back titles for Renault.

McLaren M1A

The only race Schumacher won in 2005 was the U.S. Grand Prix, which neither Renault nor McLaren ran in. Red Bull Racing bought out the last of the small manufacturers that year as well, meaning F1 was officially a sport for high-stakes players only. On the track, however, officials wanted a more competitive product. In 2009, several more rule changes were implemented to encourage more competitive driving and to reduce costs in the face of the global economic recession. 27

RENAULT RULES

The changes appeared to most benefit the team at Red Bull Racing, who, powered by a Renault engine, won the next four constructor’s and driver’s championships behind Sebastian Vettel. Their cars had better trim, better traction control, and an advanced aerodynamic diffuser that made them superior. Renault took a back seat to Mercedes when new engine regulations kicked in for 2014, limiting teams to the use of a single turbocharged 1.6-liter six-cylinder engine. Revolutions per minute (RPMs) were capped at 15,000, and weight regulations were raised. The beneficiary of these changes was Mercedes, who developed the best new engine and won two championships behind driver Lewis Hamilton.

A driver performs a burnout in his Red Bull Racing Formula 1 car at the Race of Champions.

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Text-Dependent Questions: 1. The first Grand Prix-sanctioned race to run outside of France was held in which city and state in 1908? 2. What kind of racing was devised in 1946 by the FIA and intended to be the premier racing category in the world? 3. A new points system and other rules changes were implemented in what year?

Research Project: Follow the money! F1teams now operate with budgets in the hundreds of millions of dollars (top teams spend more than $400 million each season), and top drivers make between $15 and $48 million per season. Do some online research to discover which teams spend the most and pay their drivers the most. How is all that money spent? Do the teams that spend the most money win the most races? What does it take to become a top-earning driver? 29

Indycar Iowa Corn 250 race at the Iowa Speedway

Words to Understand: chassis: the frame, wheels, and machinery of a motor vehicle, on which the body is supported detriment: loss, damage, disadvantage, or injury boon: something to be thankful for, a blessing or benefit

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CHAPTER OPEN WHEEL RACING: INDYCAR

There are two main differences between Formula One and the other open wheel racing series now known as IndyCar: technology and budget. At a glance, F1 and IndyCar cars look pretty similar, but there is a lot going on under all the paint and sponsor decals.

CHECK THE CHASSIS

Judging the cars on the two circuits by the speeds they post in qualifying runs or races alone would lead the uninformed fan to think that IndyCar had the superior vehicles. That would be wrong. Unlike F1, IndyCar races mostly on ovals, which allow for faster lap times than on the twisting road courses used in Formula One. In fact, it is the IndyCar cars that are similar to each other, whereas F1 cars are often quite different from those they compete against. This is because, in IndyCar, all the teams are required to have identical chassis, which are manufactured by Italian automaker Dallara and cost $345,000. Each driver will usually require three chassis per season. Teams can also buy different aerodynamic packages at an additional $150,000 each. Therefore, an IndyCar team with two drivers will spend around $3 million each season on the shell of the car. An F1 team can spend up to five times that amount, plus additional tens of millions of dollars on research and development trying to come up with design improvements that will get them that extra split second. It is not unusual for an F1 team to spend $100 million for chassis manufacture and research and development. Verizon Indycar Series Indyfest ABC 250 at the Milwaukee Mile

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UNDER THE HOOD

F1 teams spend about another $100 million on engine development, with manufacturers like Ferrari and Mercedes footing the bill to have their names associated with the F1 circuit, which is the most watched annual sporting event in the world, attracting approximately 500 million sets of eyeballs per season. IndyCar engines are made by Honda or Chevrolet and are sold in packages that allow teams to use eight engines per season per driver. IndyCar teams spend about $2 million per season on engines.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

The financial discrepancy between the two circuits exists in the driver’s seat as well. F1 drivers are some of the highestThe Judd AV engine (ver. 1989) paid athletes on the planet. Ferrari team driver Fernando Alonso is at the top of the scale, with a salary of about $40 million in 2013. In contrast, top IndyCar drivers earn about $2 million per season. Drivers supplement this salary with prize money that is available for each race, unlike on the F1 circuit. Top IndyCar drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya and Scott Dixon earned more than $10 million in 2015 or about one-half to one-third of the earnings of the top F1 drivers. IndyCar teams spend about 20 percent of their total budget on drivers, compared to about 35 percent in F1.

MONEY MATTERS

All told, in 2015, the top F1 teams like Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes spent nearly $500 million on their season. In contrast, the top IndyCar teams spent about $15 million. This disparity is just one indicator of how the IndyCar circuit has struggled to keep its place in the motor sports hierarchy, despite having one of the crown jewel events in all of sports. 32

Juan Pablo Montoya sits on the nose of his Williams FW23 car

THE INDIANAPOLIS 500

The Indianapolis 500 was the most prestigious race in the sport for a long time. The pinnacle of American open wheel racing, it was first run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Memorial Day 1911. Eighty thousand spectators turned out to watch 40 competitors (the field was limited to the current 33 starters in 1912) vie for the unprecedented purse of $25,000. The annual race at the track known as “The Brickyard” became the race of the season as open wheel racing grew. The event’s fame and prestige led to American open wheel cars being known as “Indy” cars. The Indy 500 has been held every year since 1911 (except for the World War years 1917–1918 and 1942–1945) and has long been the signature event in the Indy car racing season, but the development of the IndyCar championship series has seen many bumps in the road.

THE TRIPLE A

An Indy car racing championship was first sanctioned by the American Automobile Association (AAA) in 1905, but this championship was staged sporadically in the early years, with the next being held in 1916 and then 1920. Since 1920, however, the championship has been contested every year except for the World War II years (1942–1945). Under the AAA, drivers like Louis Meyer and Ted Horn emerged as top competitors. Meyer won three championships between 1928 and 1933, whereas Horn won three in a row from 1946 to 1948. The number of races that comprised championship seasons was not set, ranging from just 3 in 1939 to 10 in 1955. In 1955, the AAA decided to give up its association with racing, and sanctioning of the championship transferred to a group formed by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman.

UNITED STATES AUTO CLUB

Hulman formed the United States Auto Club (USAC), and this group exclusively oversaw the Indy car series championship for the next two decades. Drivers like A. J. Foyt and Mario Andretti pushed the sport to new heights of popularity. Key developments in this period included the elimination of dirt tracks from the circuit in 1971; road racing teams like McLaren, Penske, and Gurney became dominant on the circuit as the costs to be competitive increased.

Louis Meyer at the 1914 French Grand Prix

By the mid-1970s, these teams clashed with USAC over what they saw as mismanagement—there was no television contract outside the Indianapolis 500, and attendance was falling due (according to these teams) to poor promotion by USAC management. 33

THE FIRST SPLIT

When Hulman died in 1977, and eight other USAC officials were killed in a plane crash that same year, most team owners formed the CART circuit. The CART series began racing in 1979. From 1979 to 1984, both USAC and CART ran championship series, and separate championships were awarded. With CART having the top teams and top drivers, however, the CART championship was considered more prestigious, and by 1982 CART was effectively running the championship. By 1984, the USAC was only sanctioning the Indy 500, and CART was the true championship circuit.

THE IRL AND THE DECLINE

Mario Andretti From 1984 to 1995, the sport thrived under CART management. In 1984, there were 49 teams and more than 80 drivers attempting to qualify for the 16 championship races on the circuit. By 1995, there were 17 races on the circuit, it was televised with increasing ratings, and sponsorship and attendance were growing. Nigel Mansell, the 1992 F1 champion, had defected to the CART circuit in 1993, one of many F1 drivers to make the move to Indy cars. Every bit as popular as NASCAR, CART was poised to challenge F1 as the number one racing platform in the world. Things could not have been better, and then suddenly, the wheels came off for U.S. open wheel racing.

In 1994, Hulman’s grandson Tony George created his own open wheel series, called the Indy Racing League (IRL). George had inherited his position as head of his grandfather’s Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1989 and had tried to implement some changes that caused conflict with his CART counterparts. Failing to have his wishes met, George quit CART to start the IRL and run it in direct competition to CART, beginning with the 1996 season. It was the beginning of a civil war that leveled Indy car racing.

THE SECOND SPLIT ERA

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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George all but excluded CART teams from the Indy 500, which he still controlled. From 1996 to 2003, CART and IRL ran separate series and championships, with IRL having the Indy 500 and a few star drivers and CART having mostof the top drivers and teams. But not having the Indy 500 was a huge detriment to CART, and the split confused sponsors and fans.

As sponsors and fans began turning to NASCAR, television ratings and driver recognition plummeted. Within five years, the Indianapolis 500 was the only event with any meaning or brand appeal in the sport, and sponsors and teams left CART for the IRL. So did Honda and Toyota, the Indy car engine manufacturers. In 2002, CART filed for bankruptcy and reorganized as the Champ Car series, but this too was a dismal failure. In 2007, it merged with IRL to form a single circuit, but much damage had already been done.

A FRESH FACE

One of the bright spots in Indy car racing came in 2005, with the emergence of rookie driver Danica Patrick on the IRL circuit. The female phenom was a marketing boon for the series as the Wisconsin native became just the fourth woman ever to race the Indianapolis 500, qualifying in fourth position. That year, she also became the first woman ever to lead the race on the way to a fourth-place finish. The best previous finish by a woman was Janet Guthrie’s ninth-place effort in 1977.

Indy cars are covered with sponsor decals, and sponsor banners line the tracks. Corporate sponsorship is essential for both teams and the IndyCar circuit itself.

Patrick also set a record for women by winning the pole at three races, which also tied the record for rookies. Sarah Fisher is the only other woman to win an Indy car pole. Patrick was named Rookie of the Year in 2005, and the media storm around her was at its height. On June 6, 2005, Patrick was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine—the first Indy car driver so honored since Al Unser, Jr. in 1987. In 2008, after the merger had created the single series known as IndyCar, Patrick became the first woman ever to win an Indy car race with a victory in Japan. Only drag racer Shirley Muldowney had ever won a race at the top level of motor sports. In the 2009 season, Patrick finished third at the Indy 500 and fifth overall in the series standings. She was not just a marketing force but also an undeniably talented driver. Like for all successful drivers in North America, however, the lure of NASCAR and its dollars proved too much, and Patrick left IndyCar after the 2011 season.

INDYCAR

With Patrick’s departure, the series has once again become a one-trick pony: the Indianapolis 500. Outside this marquee event, IndyCar is almost invisible on the North American sports scene. Patrick was its one nationally known brand. Many of its star drivers have either died in

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accidents (Dan Wheldon) or retired (Dario Franchitti). Now the series will lean on new sponsorship to promote IndyCar to a generation of auto racing fans who grew up with it as an afterthought.

Danica Patrick, driver of the #7 Team GoDaddy Andretti Autosport Dallara Honda, races during the IndyCar Series Toyota Grand Prix. Danica Patrick

36

Text-Dependent Questions: 1. Name the two main differences between Formula One and the other open wheel racing series now known as IndyCar. 2. What race is called “The Brickyard”? 3. Who is the female driver who proved to be a marketing windfall for the series, becoming just the fourth woman ever to race the Indianapolis 500, qualifying in fourth position?

Research Project: Anyone familiar with 21st century IndyCar racing has heard of Danica Patrick. Take a closer look at her success and compare it to the short list of other female drivers over the years. What does it take to be a successful female driver in this male-driven sport? Why do you think there are so few women who make it as top drivers? 37

The green flag flies on the 2015 season of NASCAR. .

Words to Understand: pedigree: derivation, origin, or history lucrative: profitable, moneymaking, remunerative notorious: publicly or generally known, i.e. for a particular trait

38

CHAPTER STOCK CAR RACING Unlike open wheel racing, stock car racing has a different pedigree. Far from the street courses of France and the speedway at Indianapolis, stock car racing was born in the hills of Southern Appalachia, from Virginia and Tennessee into North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Stock car racing lore has the practice of racing stemming from moonshiners. Moonshiners made illegal liquor in the 1920s and 1930s and often needed to outrun the law while transporting their illegal wares. To keep ahead of federal tax agents, they perfected driving their super-modified sedans at speeds up to 120 mph (193.1 km/h) over twisting dirt roads in the dead of night.

FROM CHASE TO COMPETITION

Gradually over time, competition grew among the booze runners to see who could put together the fastest car, and weekend races sprung up, taking place without any liquor in the cars. Dirt tracks were built in cornfields and pastures, and actual organized events began happening in the early 1930s. Decades passed, and the popularity of the events grew. Local champions traveled to regional tracks to compete, but disputes often arose over the different ways that rules were applied or ignored at the different tracks.

Jeff Gordon (24) takes to the track for the GoBowling.com 400 race at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA.

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ORGANIZING THE MAYHEM

In 1935, Bill France, a driver and mechanic from Washington, D.C., decided to move to Daytona Beach, Florida, to set up a repair shop close to the nearby track that was famous for land speed record attempts. Speed-record drivers abandoned Daytona for Utah later that year, so Daytona city officials began to promote the track for races to preserve the city’s source of summertime income. France drove in the first-ever sanctioned (by the AAA) stock car race, held at the Daytona Beach track in March of 1936, and finished fifth. By 1938, France had taken over as race promoter for the track, where he held two to four races each year. Racing halted during World War II, and when it resumed, France heard stories from drivers about getting cheated by crooked promoters. He began having talks with car owners, their drivers and mechanics, and on February 21, 1948, France announced the formation of NASCAR.

Daytona International Speedway

NASCAR

The association began with three divisions: Strictly Stock, Modified, and Roadster. Over the years, the original Strictly Stock division emerged as the fan favorite (the first event for the series was run in 1949), and the series evolved from racing unmodified factory model sedans to purpose-built racing machines by the 1960s. As the sport grew, bigger and bigger tracks sprung up around the South and Midwest. Many of these new tracks hold more than 100,000 spectators, making NASCAR the largest spectator sport in the country. The fans who come to watch live NASCAR events have proven to be fiercely brand loyal to the sponsors of their favorite drivers, making car and driver sponsorships highly lucrative for the series and its drivers.

MARKETING FORCE

To make these sponsorships really lucrative, however, NASCAR worked on shedding its image as a bunch of good ol’ boys turning left on Sundays. The France family worked to get the series on TV and hit the jackpot with the 1979 Daytona 500, the first nationally televised broadcast of a live 500-mile (804.7 km) race. Star driver Richard Petty won, which was good, but only because the two drivers who were leading crashed in the homestretch and then proceeded to have a fistfight in the infield, which was even better. This notorious exposure was the platform for growing the regional sport into the mainstream. Drivers like Petty and Cale Yarborough in the 1970s, Dale Earnhardt and Darrel Waltrip in the 1980s, and Jeff Gordon in the 1990s were big personalities in the sport that the series promoted heavily. No longer a Southern boy pursuit, drivers from every walk of life aspired to race in the Daytona 500 rather than the Indy 500. 40

TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY PEAK

In 2001, a multimillion-dollar agreement between NASCAR and TV networks NBC Sports and Fox Sports was reached to bring the sport into more living rooms than ever before. TV ratings justified the big dollars, and NASCAR was truly competitive with Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. All of this had happened on the watch of Bill France’s son, Bill France, Jr., who took over from his father as head of NASCAR in 1972. After a 30-year run of overwhelming success, France, Jr., in failing health, handed control of NASCAR to his son Brian in 2003. One of Brian France’s first moves was to introduce the Chase for the Cup, which was intended to be a 10-race playoff system to determine the champion.

Darrel Waltrip

CHASING SUCCESS

For the 2004 season, TV ratings peaked as fans tuned in to see how the new system would work. Reaction to the new system was mixed at best. In the mid- to late-2000s, amidst flat ratings and attendance numbers, France implemented another change, rewarding winning over consistency to determine drivers’ places in the Chase. It was a system that many fans found needlessly complicated and confusing. Coming hard on its heels was the introduction of new car rules designed to increase driver safety. Fans were not impressed, calling the cars “flying bricks” and saying that the clunky design took away from the quality of the racing. NASCAR fans have been attending races in dwindling numbers since the late 2000s.

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THE DECLINE

France secured a new sponsorship package for the Chase to go along with a more than $4 billion TV rights package. NASCAR has plenty of money. TV ratings and attendance, however, have declined. NASCAR stopped releasing attendance figures in 2012. Critics say fans are disgruntled by the cookie-cutter nature of the sport, as from the cars to the tracks, the diversity is gone. They generally dislike a points system that punishes consistency to reward streakiness. Despite the financial successes, if ratings and attendance continue to slide, the next sponsorship and TV deals will not be as lucrative. Fans will continue to stay away if they feel their sport is being turned into a spec series.

Tony Stewart leads the pack down the front stretch at the Texas Motor Speedway for the running of the Samsung Mobile 500 race, Fort Worth, TX.

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Tony Stewart brings his Office Depot Chevrolet down pit road in the Brickyard 400 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Text-Dependent Questions: 1. NASCAR is the largest spectator sport in the country. Many new tracks hold more than how many spectators? 2. When was the first nationally televised broadcast of a live 500-mile (804.7 km) race? Name the race. 3. NASCAR stopped releasing attendance figures in what year?

Research Project: In 2013, a multibillion-dollar agreement between NASCAR and TV networks NBC Sports and Fox Sports was reached to bring NASCAR into more living rooms than ever before. Investigate the financial commitments behind major TV deals for America’s top sports such as baseball, football, and basketball. Compare and contrast the agreements with those for NASCAR. Which networks have the most deals to air these top competitions? Assess the viewership numbers and demographics for each network, and share your thoughts on how they all stack up. 43

Lewis Hamilton

Words to Understand: dominant: ruling, governing, or controlling; having or exerting authority or influence eluded: to avoid or escape by speed, cleverness, or trickery; to evade coveted: to wish for especially eagerly

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CHAPTER MODERN-DAY STARS No matter the discipline of racing, from F1 to drag racing, the world’s best race drivers have one thing in common: speed. From funny cars to single seaters to souped-up family sedans, we cannot keep our eyes off of today’s star drivers as they fight to keep their cars on the track. Jimmie Johnson (48) makes his way back into victory lane, winning the AAA Texas 500 race at the Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth, TX.

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FORMULA ONE

Three-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton may be the most dominant driver in the sport. In the 2014 and 2015 seasons combined, the Englishman finished in the top three in 33 of the 34 races he completed, including 21 wins. Since his rookie F1 season in 2007, Hamilton has never finished lower than fifth in the year-end standings. Only in 2013, his first season with Mercedes after coming over from McLaren, did he fail to win a race. Hamilton wrested the title of most dominant driver from rival Sebastian Vettel. The German found success after switching from a Ferrari to a Renault engine in 2009. Beginning with that season, Vettel won four straight world championships. In 2013, Vettel tied the single-season record set by his countryman Michael Shumacher by winning 13 races, including a record 9 in a row. Vettel was only 21 when he won his first Grand Prix in 2008, becoming the youngest-ever F1 winner. In 2008, Spain’s Fernando Alonso had his fifth straight season finishing in the top five in the standings, including world championships in 2005 and 2006. He left Renault following that 2006 season and has driven for McLaren, Renault again, Ferrari, and McLaren again in search of that elusive third title. Three championships would put Alonso in rare company as only 10 drivers in history have won as many. Only three other drivers have more career F1 starts than Alonso. Nico Rosberg is Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate and knows well what it is like to be in the shadow of an F1 world champion. Rosberg’s father Keke Rosberg won the F1 title in 1982. In both 2014 and 2015, Rosberg finished second to Hamilton in the F1 points standings. Rosberg is a bit of a late bloomer, not winning his first Grand Prix until his 111th race. The German, however, made the podium in 33 of 40 races from 2013 to 2015. Kimi Räikkönen of Finland has been no stranger to the podium in his brilliant career. This was especially true in 2007, when he won four races and made 12 podiums to claim the championship for Ferrari. Räikkönen ranks in the top 10 in all-time F1 race starts, and one of his most impressive races came in 2005, when he won the Japanese Grand Prix from the 17th position. Only Shumacher has recorded more fastest laps in his career than Räikkönen.

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Sebastian Vettel

Fernando Alonso

Kimi Räikkönen

Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas

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Scott Dixon

Will Power

Helio Castroneves

IndyFest race at the Milwaukee Mile at Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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INDYCAR

New Zealand’s Scott Dixon has done it all when it comes to North American open wheel racing. He was CART Rookie of the Year in 2001 and won his first championship with the IndyCar title in 2003. His second of four career championships came in 2008, the year Dixon won the Indianapolis 500. Between 2007 and 2015, Dixon has finished no worse than third in the season-ending point standings. He also won championships in 2013 and 2015. Dixon’s countryman Will Power won the championship in 2014 to make it three Kiwi winners in a row. Previous to his championship, Power had come close three times in a row, finishing second in the standings from 2010 to 2012. Power won at least one race every season from 2009 to 2015. The series’ crown jewel has eluded Power, who finished second at the Indy 500 in 2015, his best result at the famous race. Winning at Indianapolis came easily for Juan Pablo Montoya. The Colombian star trained as an F1 driver but got his big break in the CART series in 1999. Montoya won the championship in his rookie season. In 2000, Montoya won the Indy 500, a feat he repeated 15 years later after successful stints in F1 and NASCAR. Montoya returned to North American open wheel racing in 2014 and has 14 wins in Indy cars to his credit to go along with seven F1 victories and two NASCAR wins. Helio Castroneves of Brazil has more IndyCar wins than Montoya has combined wins. In fact, only Dixon has more wins among drivers of the IndyCar era. And when it comes to the Indy 500, only three drivers in history have more wins than Castroneves. The Brazilian won the coveted 500 in back-to-back seasons in 2001 and 2002. He also won in 2009 for a career total of three victories. The series championship title has eluded Castroneves, however, as he has finished second four times. Castroneves came extremely close to a fourth Indy 500 win, but Ryan Hunter-Reay was finally able to check winning the Indy 500 off of his career to-do list after 11 seasons. He at long last won at The Brickyard in 2014. The Dallas native beat Castroneves by just 0.06 seconds, the second-closest finish in Indy 500 history. Hunter-Reay is also the 2012 IndyCar series champion. He won 4 of his 14 career victories that season. 49

NASCAR

Jimmie Johnson dominated NASCAR in the last half of the 2000s, winning four straight series Cup championships from 2006 to 2010. He added another title in 2013 as well. The California native has racked up more than 300 top-10 finishes. Johnson is one of only eight drivers in NASCAR history with more than 75 career wins. In both championship seasons of 2006 and 2013, Johnson also won NASCAR’s most prestigious race, the Daytona 500. With the domination of Johnson and Tony Stewart in the 21st century, there were few other titles left to share. These two drivers won nine championships from 2002 to 2013. Brad Keselowski is the driver who managed to interrupt a string of seven straight seasons with the title going to either Johnson or Stewart with his win in 2012. Keselowski grew up in Michigan and debuted on the top NASCAR Cup circuit in 2009 at age 25. He won five races in capturing the 2012 title. After Johnson won again in 2013, it was Kevin Harvick’s turn to grab the brass ring. Harvick, who is from Bakersfield, California, grew up racing go-karts. He debuted in the NASCAR Cup series in 2001 and has racked up more than 30 wins in more than 500 starts since. Harvick’s best season came in 2014, when he won five races to win the championship. His single greatest moment, however, may have been in the victory circle at the Daytona 500, which he won in 2007. In 2007, Matt Kenseth was two seasons away from winning his first Daytona 500. Kenseth won in 2009 then again in 2012. These were not the Wisconsin natives’ best seasons, however. Kenseth’s most successful year came in 2003, when he captured the NASCAR Cup title despite winning only one race. He had nine other top-five finishes, however, to win the title over Johnson by 90 points. In 2015, Kyle Busch won the Cup series by a single point over Harvick. It came down to the last race of the season at Homestead. Harvick led in the point standings and had a good race, finishing second. Busch, however, won the race to win the title by one point. His victory is remarkable in that he crashed at the Daytona 500 to start the season and missed 10 races. The Las Vegas native is the youngest pole winner in Cup series history.

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Jimmie Johnson

Brad Keselowski

Kevin Harvick

Brickyard 400 held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana

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THE OTHERS

Formula One, IndyCar and NASCAR may be the three biggest brands, but auto racing exists in many forms that are not under the umbrella of these three. In sports car racing, Kévin Estre is the man to beat. He switched to sports cars from singleseater competition in 2008. He already had the Formula Renault Championship under his belt from 2006. In 2011, he won 10 of 12 races in the French Porsche Carrera Cup series to win that title as well. Estre, a Frenchman, added a German Carrera Cup title in 2013. Estre’s countryman Sébastien Loeb is one of the world’s best rally drivers and the most successful driver ever in the World Rally Championship series. Loeb won the title nine consecutive years from 2004 to 2012. Loeb has a record number of career wins in the series, which focuses on point-to-point races and road courses. Loeb is also a three-time Race of Champions winner, an event that pits winners from several driving disciplines against each other on the same course and dubs the winner Champion of Champions. In touring cars, the champion is Argentina’s José María López. This was the case in both 2014 and 2015, when López claimed the World Touring Car (WTC) championship. Touring cars are street cars with standard body shells but heavily modified in all other aspects. They are similar to American stock cars. The WTC uses a street and road course circuit, and López excels at negotiating the twists and turns, earning 20 wins in his first three seasons. Racing alternatives to IndyCar and NASCAR exist in North America as well. One of these is off-road racing, which has had a number of sanctioning bodies over the years. Whatever the circuit, Rob MacCachren of Las Vegas could drive it. MacCachren has won six off-road championship series title championships in his career, including the LOORS Pro 2 title in 2015. He is also a two-time champion at the Baja 1000, a prestigious desert race in Mexico. Another popular alternative to mainstream racing in America is drag racing. The National Hot Rod Association has been sanctioning events since 1951. There are five classes: dragster, funny car, pro stock, pro stock motorcycle, and pro modified. When it comes to pro stock, Houston’s Erica Enders is one of the top drivers. She started racing pro stock in 2005. Enders was the first-ever female champion when she won the series title in 2014. In 2015, Enders broke the record of the legendary Shirley Muldowney with her 19th career win, the most ever for a woman. 52

Sébastien Loeb

José María López

Rob MacCachren

Text-Dependent Questions: 1. In the 2014 and 2015 seasons combined, which Englishman finished in the top three in 33 of the 34 races he completed, including 21 wins? 2. Which Brazilian driver won the coveted Indy 500 in back-to-back seasons in 2001 and 2002? 3. Which California native has racked up more than 300 top-10 finishes in NASCAR races?

Research Project: Pick your favorite driver from each auto racing category, and check out their social network sites, YouTube videos, personal web sites, and so on. Research their philanthropic efforts as well. Are they role models to America’s youth? Are they using their fame in positive or negative ways? 53

RICK MEARS

JEFF GORDON

JACKY ICKX

DALE EARNHARDT

A. J. FOYT

AYRTON SENNA

JUAN MANUEL FANGIO

TAZIO NUVOLARI

RICHARD PETTY

ALAIN PROST

DAVID PEARSON

MARIO ANDRETTI

From F1 to IndyCar and NASCAR to Le Mans, the greatest drivers in the history of auto racing have excelled on all of racing's top circuits. These drivers are enshrined in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame located in Lincoln, Alabama. Scan the code on this page to learn more.

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CHAPTER AUTO RACING’S GREATEST DRIVERS

Some say the greatest drivers in the sport are those who race road courses and street circuits, whereas others will make arguments for the different set of skills required to maneuver in close quarters around an oval track. Most will agree, however, that the true mark of greatness is measured by one simple gauge: winning. The best drivers find a wa to get that checkered flag time and again over their careers. Critics of the sport of auto racing will argue that driver skill is not as important as having good equipment. Whereas mechanical inadequacies can certainly put drivers at a disadvantage, the truly great drivers find a way to be competitive under challenging circumstances. In 1961, for example, England’s Stirling Moss showed what a skilled driver could do. In that season, the Ferrari 156, with its new V6 engine, was the superior car on the F1 circuit. The Ferraris used their horsepower advantage to win five of the seven races the team entered. The other two were won by Moss, despite driving a far slower Lotus. Track conditions at Monaco and in Germany brought the driver’s skill into play, and he was able to beat the Ferraris. Great drivers know their cars like an old friend, understanding their strengths and limits and knowing when to push and when to pull back. The best drivers have the right mix of calmness and aggression. They seize the opportunities the race presents them but always keep in mind the old mantra: “To finish first, you first have to finish.” What separates the good from the great when it comes to winning is the difference between being a skillful driver and being a skillful racer. At the top levels of the sport, all the drivers have a high level of skill. They understand the most efficient way to navigate a course or track, where to brake optimally, and when to go for maximum speed. Good racers, on the other hand, understand what is happening not just in their cars but also in the cars around them. They study and know their opponents, anticipate rather than react to them, and choose the perfect moments to go on the offensive. For the best race drivers in history, this combination of skill and instinct has led them repeatedly into victory lane. 55

FORMULA 1

Ayrton Senna is often cited as the greatest race driver of all time. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he dominated the sport’s top circuit while driving for McLaren. Senna won three world championships between 1988 and 1991. Between 1988 and 1989, Senna won a record eight poles in a row. In 1989, he started every race from the front row. The Brazilian hero, who rivals soccer legend Pelé in terms of popularity in that country, died tragically from injuries suffered in a crash that occurred while he was leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. He was on his way to what would have been a 42nd career win. Forty-two wins pale in comparison to the career total of Germany’s Michael Schumacher. He won 13 races in the 2004 season alone. No one has more career championships, wins, or poles than Schumacher, who won his first career F1 race in the rain at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1992. Schumacher’s greatest success came while driving for Ferrari, with whom he won five straight championships from 2000 to 2004. Schumacher retired from racing in 2006 but was lured back in 2010 for three unsuccessful seasons with Mercedes for more than $20 million per year. He was nearly killed in a skiing accident in 2013, which left him comatose for six months. Before either Senna or Schumacher were born, Juan Manuel Fangio was the world’s first great F1 driver. In only seven career seasons, Fangio never finished lower than second in the driver’s standings. The Argentine held the record for career championships for 47 years until Schumacher broke it. Fangio won almost 50 percent of his F1 races, an unmatched accomplishment. Mercedes teammate Stirling Moss called Fangio “Maestro.” Fangio came to Grand Prix acing late in life, not racing his first season until 1950 at age 39. His rivals called him “Old Man.” He won his final title in 1957 at 46 and is the oldest-ever Formula One champion. Before Fangio, there was Scottish champion Jim Clark, Jr. Clark is remembered mostly for his F1 exploits. Although he died at the wheel of an open wheel car during an F2 race in Germany in 1968 at age 32, he had a then record number of F1 wins and poles under his belt. Clark was also a touring and sports car driver. He won a British Touring Car Championship in 1964. He also raced in the Indianapolis 500 five times, winning in 1965. Clark is the only driver in history to win both the F1 championship and the Indianapolis 500 in the same year. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990.

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Only Schumacher and Fangio have more F1 world championships than Frenchman Alain Prost. Prost dominated for McLaren in the 1980s, winning three titles. After his first season in 1980, Prost never finished worse than fifth in the standings over a dozen more years behind the wheel. He had a famous rivalry with Senna, while the two were teammates with McLaren in the late 1980s. He finished second in the standings to Senna in 1988 but beat him in 1989 during their tumultuous two years together. Prost retired after winning a fourth championship with Williams in 1993. At the time of his retirement, he held the record for most career F1 victories, a mark broken by Schumacher in 2001.

Ayrton Senna

Michael Schumacher

Alain Prost

57

INDYCAR

A. J. Foyt’s name is synonymous with the Indianapolis 500, which he raced in a record 35 straight years. The Texan won the crown jewel of Indy car racing a record four times. Though best known for his open wheel career, Foyt also raced stock cars. He ran 128 NASCAR races in his career, with seven wins, including the 1972 Daytona 500. He also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race in his only attempt. In open wheel cars, however, Foyt was a force. No one has more career championships or wins. His 1967 Indy 500 win is legendary for the way he avoided a multicar crash on the final turn of the final lap. The other name that immediately comes to mind for most auto racing fans is the one that casual fans of the sport in America might know best. Mario Andretti is one of the most successful drivers in auto racing history. Born in Italy, Andretti moved to Pennsylvania at age 15. His professional career started in NASCAR and Indy cars in the 1960s. He won the 1967 Daytona 500 and the 1969 Indy 500. He and Foyt are the only drivers to have won both races. In 1968, he joined the Lotus F1 team, where he won the world championship in 1978. The following year he rejoined Indy cars, racing in CART, where he won the 1984 championship. Although Andretti won the championship in 1984, he finished well behind winner Rick Mears in that season’s Indy 500. Mears, who grew up in Bakersfield, California, won the big race four

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A. J. Foyt

Mario Andretti

Rick Mears

times in his 14-year racing career. In fact, his first career win on the CART series was at the 1979 Indy 500. Mears dominated CART in the 1980s, winning 40 poles and 29 races to be named the Associated Press Driver of the Decade. Mears was just 39 when he won his fourth Indy 500 in 1991, and experts thought he had a good chance to be the first to win five, but a practice crash for the 1992 race caused a broken foot that sent him into retirement. The third of the three drivers with four Indy 500 wins is Albuquerque’s Al Unser, Sr. Unser raced roadsters and sprint cars in the 1950s, graduating to Indy cars in the 1960s. He won his first Indy 500 in 1970 and his fourth in 1987 at age 48. He famously ran the 1987 race as a substitute driver in a March-Cosworth show car that had been retired from the previous season. He qualified the car in 20th place but finished in first. He tried six more times for the elusive fifth win but quit racing after failing to qualify in 1994. Unser ran more than 300 races in his career. Wilbur Shaw grew up less than 40 miles (64.4 km) from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the turn of the 20th century. He made his boyhood dreams come true when he raced in the Indianapolis 500 in 1927 at age 24. He went on to win the race three times. Only four drivers have led more laps in the Indy 500 than Shaw’s impressive 508. Aside from being a top driver, Shaw is also credited with saving the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after the track fell into disuse and disrepair during World War II. Shaw found businessman Tony Hulman in 1945 and convinced him to buy and restore the track to its former glory. 59

NASCAR

When it comes to stock car racing, some are more accomplished, but none are more revered than Dale Earnhardt. “The Intimidator” was born and raised in North Carolina and earned his nickname early in his NASCAR career for his aggressive driving style. That style garnered Earnhardt much on-track success, from Rookie of the Year accolades in 1979 to seven Cup championships. His run came to a tragic end in 2001 at age 49 when Earnhardt was killed in a crash after colliding with Sterling Marlin’s car during the Daytona 500. The reaction to the accident was overwhelming, with everyone from Marlin to the man whose company made Earnhardt’s seatbelt receiving death threats from Earnhardt fans. Also a seven-time series champion, Richard Petty is the most successful driver in NASCAR history. Petty is the only NASCAR driver ever to rack up 200 career wins. Earnhardt may have been The Intimidator, but Petty was known simply as “The King.” A North Carolina native as well, Petty is one of four family members in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The ride to the Hall of Fame took Petty 35 years. He did not win a race in his final eight seasons, but his famous blue and red number 43 Pontiac was still a big draw for fans. A NASCAR record 160,000 fans attended Petty’s final race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1992. Petty’s final race was the very first in the Cup series career of Jeff Gordon. Gordon grew up in California racing BMX, quarter midgets, and sprint cars. Gordon finished 21st in his 1992 debut. He did not win his first race in the Cup series until 1994, but the wins came quickly after that. Gordon won the championship in three of the next four years. He remained one of the most

Dale Earnhardt

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Richard Petty

Jeff Gordon

competitive drivers throughout his career, winning at least two races in every season from 1994 to 2007. Even in his final season of 2015, he won a race at Martinsville Speedway and finished third in the standings. South Carolina’s David Pearson won the Virginia 500 at the Martinsville Speedway in 1973. It was his fourth win in a season in which he would go on to win seven more races. This was the third of four seasons in which Pearson led the Cup series in wins. Before it became the Cup series, Pearson was a three-time Grand National Series Champion. He was also Grand National Series Rookie of the Year in 1960. In 1976, he won the Daytona 500 in dramatic fashion. Pearson and Petty collided in the final turn, with both coming to rest in the infield. Pearson was able to roll over the finish line to win. That 1976 Daytona 500 race was not a memorable one for Pearson’s fellow Carolina native Cale Yarborough. It was the shortest Daytona 500 of his career, as a blown engine on lap one ended his day. He got redemption by winning the next year, his second of four career wins at Daytona. Yarborough also won the Cup series championship in 1976, 1977, and 1978. He won 28 races over these three seasons. His 1979 season started with a bang when he was involved in a crash with Donnie Allison in the homestretch of the Daytona 500. Their subsequent fistfight in the infield was the talk of the first-ever televised edition of the race.

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Jacky Ickx

Don Garlits

Tazio Nuvolari

THE OTHERS

Jacky Ickx was a Belgian driver who had a very good F1 career, with eight total wins, but was more famously an outstanding rally car driver. Ickx had won some smaller endurance races before he ran the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in 1969. Ickx and his partner won that race by a measly 120 yards (110 m), the closest finish ever. Ickx went on to win the prestigious race another five times (including three straight from 1975–1977), which is still the record. He quit F1 in 1979 to focus on rally racing. “Monsieur Le Mans” as Ickx was also known, won the Can-Am sports car race and the Dakar Rally off-road race in his versatile career. Australian touring car legend Peter Brock died tragically in 2006 doing what he loved to do: racing cars. His car left the course during a rally race and hit a tree, killing the 61-year-old at the scene. Brock was known for his dominance in touring cars in the 1970s and 1980s, winning Australia’s premier endurance race, the Bathurst 1000, a record nine times. The winner’s trophy for the race was renamed the Peter Brock Trophy in 2006. Brock was also a three-time champion of the Australian Touring Car Championship series, which in 1997 became an FIA-sanctioned series known as the International V8 Supercars Championship. “Big Daddy” Don Garlits was a drag racing pioneer. In nearly seven decades of wheeling dragsters, the Tampa, Florida, native won 17 hot rod championships and racked up 144 career wins. His impact on the sport of drag racing, however, goes beyond winning races. 62

In the 1960s, Garlits was the first to break 150, 200, and 250 mph (241.4, 321.9, and 402.3 km/h) in a dragster. He innovated the first successful rear-engine dragster. Garlits’s other nickname on the circuit was “Swamp Rat,” which he adopted for successive iterations of his dragster designs. Long after retiring from competitive racing, Garlits still tests his new designs himself. In 2014, he set a speed record for an electric-powered dragster at age 82. Another legend of American motor sports is off-road driver Walker Evans. Evans grew up in Michigan and began racing off-road in 1969 in the inaugural Baja 500 in Mexico. He finished third. Ten years later, he won the Baja 1000 in a pickup truck, the first person ever to do that. He also won the event five previous times. Evans has a total of 21 off-road championships to his credit, including a 1999 CORR Pro-4 title. He has won 136 career off-road races. Evans was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2015. Italian driver Tazio Nuvolari was one of the greatest drivers of the pre-World War II era and is considered to be one of the greatest drivers ever. Nuvolari won 24 Grand Prix races in his career but also won dozens of other races in other disciplines, including sports cars. Nuvolari won the Targa Florio twice, both in 1931 and 1932. The event was an open-road endurance race contested in Sicily, Italy, and was part of the World Sportscar Championship from 1955 to 1973. In 1930 and 1933, Nuvolari won the Royal Automobile Club Trophy race in Northern Ireland. These sports car victories are just a few examples of why Ferdinand Porsche called Nuvolari “the greatest driver of the past, present, and the future.”

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Career Snapshots Formula One

64

Indycar

JUAN MANUEL FANGIO 1947–58

WILBUR SHAW 1927–41

35 career Grand Prix podiums 24 career Grand Prix wins 5 Formula One Championships

3 Indianapolis 500 wins 51 U.S. open wheel wins 4 U.S. open wheel Championships

JIM CLARK, JR. 1956–68

RICK MEARS 1979–92

32 career Grand Prix podiums 25 career Grand Prix wins 2 Formula One Championships

4 Indianapolis 500 wins 26 U.S. open wheel wins 3 U.S. open wheel Championships

ALAIN PROST 1980–93

A.J. FOYT 1957–93

106 career Grand Prix podiums 51 career Grand Prix wins 4 Formula One Championships

4 Indianapolis 500 wins 67 U.S. open wheel wins 5 U.S. open wheel Championships

AYRTON SENNA 1984–94

AL UNSER SR. 1965–93

80 career Grand Prix pole podiums 41 career Grand Prix wins 3 Formula One Championships

4 Indianapolis 500 wins 39 U.S. open wheel wins 3 U.S. open wheel Championships

MICHAEL SHUMACHER 1991–2012

MARIO ANDRETTI 1964–94

155 career Grand Prix pole podiums 91 career Grand Prix wins 7 Formula One Championships

1 Indianapolis 500 win 19 U.S. open wheel wins 1 U.S. open wheel Championship

NASCAR

The Others

DAVID PEARSON 1959–86

TAZIO NUVOLARI 1921–50

1 Daytona 500 win 105 NASCAR wins 3 NASCAR Championships

2-time RAC Tourist Trophy winner 23 Grand Prix wins 1932 European Drivers Champion

CALE YARBOROUGH 1957–88

JACKIE ICKX 1966–85

4 Daytona 500 wins 83 NASCAR wins 3 NASCAR Championships

6 24 Hours of Le Mans wins 8 Formula One wins 1 Dakar rally win

RICHARD PETTY 1958–92

DON GARLITS 1954–92

7 Daytona 500 wins 200 NASCAR wins 7 NASCAR Championships

144 national event wins 3 NHRA Championships 17 total HRA Championships

DALE EARNHARDT 1975–2001

WALKER EVANS 1969–2000

1 Daytona 500 win 76 NASCAR wins 7 NASCAR Championships

142 career wins 1999 CORR Pro 4 Champion 2 SODA Class 4 Championships

JEFF GORDON 1992–2015

PETER BROCK 1973–2006

3 Daytona 500 wins 93 NASCAR wins 4 NASCAR Championships

18 Sandown/Bathurst endurance race wins 42 Australian Touring Car wins 3 Australian Touring Car Championships

65

McLaren Honda F1 races in a training session on February 2, 2015, in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

Words to Understand: hybrid: a car or other vehicle that combines an internal-combustion engine with one or more electric motors powered by a battery glut: an excessive supply or amount; a surplus debut: a first public appearance on a stage, on television, etc.

66

CHAPTER

THE FUTURE OF AUTO RACING

Auto racing is a sport that is constantly evolving as engineers constantly work to improve the design, performance, and efficiency of cars in every discipline. Mechanical innovations and possible rule changes are the elements most likely to impact the future of the sport.

FORMULA ONE

The McLaren MP4-X concept car was unveiled in 2015, and the concepts include the following: • Enclosed cockpits to enhance driver safety • Advanced hybrid power technologies, including harnessing alternative power sources like solar • Automatic identification and communication of problems or failures • Driver helmets with a 360-degree video view that also monitor brain activity The Formula One Group and the FIA are at odds with F1 manufacturers over car engines. Officials have tried to implement cheaper alternative engines to race in conjunction with turbo hybrids and have also been trying to cap the price of engines for teams. These kinds of changes would undermine the advantage of the big manufacturers like Ferrari, Renault, and Mercedes and could push them out of the sport. McLaren Honda F1 team at Formula One Test Days at Catalunya circuit

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INDYCAR

The next-generation IndyCar is on the horizon for 2018, and the question of whether or not technical innovation should play a larger role is on the minds of fans and experts alike. Should the current spec-car model be abandoned in favor of allowing teams to build and design their own cars like they do in Formula One? Owners like former driver Michael Andretti say no, citing the explosive costs that are associated with this type of development. The idea of introducing rules that would allow aero kits produced by the manufacturers has also been part of the discussion. There is a concern from a competitive standpoint Allowing IndyCar teams to build and design their own cars may be a future development in the sport. with this issue as some fear certain manufacturers could develop kits better suited to one set of conditions (i.e., road courses), whereas another’s is suited to a different set of conditions (i.e., ovals). As carmakers become more environmentally conscious, the idea of hybrid race cars is one that could be executed in the future. The notion has already been embraced in Formula One, with the introduction of energy recovery systems. Other possibilities for change in the future include: enclosed cockpits on IndyCars; dividing races into three shorter segments; heightening the appeal of certain races by making them worth double the points in the standings; and returning to a nine-month schedule instead of a six-month schedule.

NASCAR

NASCAR stopped releasing its attendance figures back in 2012. After decades of growth, those 2012 figures showed a 23 percent decline in attendance at the sport's signature event, the Daytona 500. In 2013, several speedways removed thousands of seats, as many as 13,000 to 70,000 that they were not selling, in an attempt to bring the fans closer to the action. Even at Daytona, 58,000 seats have been removed, cutting capacity by 36 percent. On television, 2014 saw ratings fall for 18 of the 21 televised Cup series races. The trend indicates that perhaps fans have grown tired of the product or that they have noticed that the bright young stars of the late 1990s (Gordon, Stewart, Kenseth, and Earnhardt, Jr.) are now middle-aged and either retired or close to it. Where are the marketable new personalities of NASCAR? The series will need to find its way back to its marketing roots that made NASCAR such a booming success at the turn of the century. 68

As for the product, fans have complained loudly about the glut of cookie-cutter 1.5-mile (2.4 km) racetracks on the NASCAR schedule. The track companies are locked into a contract with NASCAR through 2021, so the immediate future offers little hope for change there.

FUTURE STARS

Max Verstappen is a Dutch Formula One driver who was the youngest driver in F1 history when he made his debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at 17. He drove the 2014 season on the F3 circuit. In his debut season, the teenager finished in the top 10 three times, becoming the youngest driver ever to earn points in Formula One. Verstappen finished 12th in the standings in 2015. He was named Formula One Rookie of the Year by the FIA. The 2015 IndyCar Rookie of the Year was Gabby Chaves. As a 21-year-old, Chaves won the 2014 Indy Lights championship and debuted with Bryan Herta Autosport on the IndyCar circuit in 2015. The American, who lives in Indianapolis, had two top-10 finishes in his rookie season and finished 15 of the 16 races on the season. This was good enough for 15th in the standings and predictions for a very bright future for Chaves. Elk Grove, California’s, Kyle Larson had 83 lower-tier NASCAR wins to his name before debuting full time in the Cup series in 2014. In that rookie season, he had 17 top-10 finishes, including eight top fives and three runner-ups. This was the best rookie season in NASCAR history, earning Larson Rookie of the Year honors. Larson finished 17th in the standings in 2014 and followed up with a 19th-place finish in the 2015 season that ended with the 23-year-old still searching for his first win.

Indycar Indy Lights series race, Milwaukee Mile, with #5 Gabby Chaves - Colombia, Belardi Auto Racing

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70

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis, IN

Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL

Circuit of the Americas Austin, TX

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, NV

Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord, NC

Chicagoland Speedway Joliet, IL

Max Verstappen

Gabby Chaves

Kyle Larson

Text-Dependent Questions: 1. The McLaren MP4-X concept car was unveiled in 2015. Name two of the four concepts of the car. 2. The notion of using hybrid cars in racing has already been embraced in Formula One with the introduction of which system? 3. Which Formula One driver was the youngest in F1 history when he made his debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at 17?

Research Project: Do you have ideas on how to make race cars better in the future? If so, take to the sketch pad, and draw in detail what you think should be added or changed in today’s race cars to make them even better! 71

GLOSSARY OF AUTO RACING TERMS aerodynamics: the science of air movement, for example, in auto racing, how the shape of the car helps it move through the air. aftermath: what happens after a significant event. backstretch: the part of the racetrack farthest from the start. bankrupt: a person or organization unable to pay its debts. chariots: two-wheeled carriages pulled by horses used for racing (and battle) in ancient times. circuit: a series of events, for example, car races. close quarters: an uncomfortably close situation, for example, racing cars inches apart on the track collision: a crash. combustion engine: an engine, usually diesel or gasoline, in which fuel is burned inside the mechanism. debris: the pieces left over after something has been destroyed. detachable: able to be taken off. disparity: a difference or inequality. entrepreneur: a person who takes the risk to start a new business. forefront: the most noticeable or important position. grand prix: one race in an international series for formula cars. hierarchy: an organizational system in which people or things have different levels of importance. horsepower: a measure of the power of an engine. inception: the start or beginning of something. innovation: a new idea, strategy, or invention. jeopardy: danger. 72

melee: a fight, usually hand to hand among several people. momentum: the force an object has due to movement; for example, a race car at top speed has a lot of momentum. pit crew: the team that keeps a car going during the race, for example, refueling or changing tires. prominent: important, well-known, or easily noticed. recession: a time of lower economic activity. spectacle: an attention-grabbing event. straightaway: the straight part of a racetrack. standings: status or position in relation to others in the same field. traction: the force that keeps a moving object stuck to the surface. turbocharged: having a turbocharger, leading to extra power.

Action on the track at the Verizon IndyCar Series Iowa Corn 300

73

CHRONOLOGY 1895: The first organized race occurs between Paris and Bordeaux, France. 1902: Daytona Beach hosts its first race. 1906: The first Grand Prix takes place near Le Mans, France. 1908: The New York–Paris road race takes place. 1909: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway opens for business. 1911: The first Indianapolis 500 is won by Ray Harroun. 1936: The first stock car race occurs. 1947: The World Driver’s Championship is formalized in Formula One. 1948: NASCAR is founded. 1950: The World Driver’s Championship launches with the first race at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on May 13. 1955: The USAC is formed by IMS owner Tony Hulman to fill the void left by the AAA Contest Board. USAC becomes the arbitrating body for the U. S. open wheel championship. 1958: Stirling Moss wins the first race in a rear-engine F1 car. Within two years all cars feature this design. 1950s: Juan Fangio wins five world championships in Grand Prix racing. 1962: Lotus introduces a revolutionary design—an F1 car with an aluminum monocoque chassis instead of the traditional spaceframe design, heralded as one of the most significant technological breakthroughs in the sport. 1968: Lotus carries Imperial Tobacco logos on their cars, heralding the arrival of sponsorship in F1. 1969: Mario Andretti wins the Indianapolis 500. 1978: Bernie Ecclestone becomes the president of the Formula One Constructors' Association (FOCA). 1979: Richard Petty wins a record seventh NASCAR championship. 1979: The first season of the newly created CART for Indy cars is contested. 74

1983: Richard Noble sets the land speed record of 633.468 mph (1,019.5 km/h). 1990: Arie Luyendyk sets a speed record in the Indianapolis 500 by registering 185.981 mph (299.3 km/h). Michael Schumacher signs a $24 million contract with Ferrari. 1994: Ayrton Senna is killed at the San Marino Grand Prix, a day after Roland Ratzenberger also lost his life in an accident during qualifying. The tragedies trigger a drive to improve safety standards; they are the last drivers to die during the F1 season until Jules Bianchi in 2014. 1994: Jeff Gordon becomes the youngest driver to win a NASCAR championship. 1996: The IRL is created and its first season contested. 1997: Andy Green clocks the first official supersonic land speed, driving the Thrust SSC 764.168 mph (1,229.8 km/h) at Black Rock Desert, Nevada. 2004: The Chase for the NASCAR Cup is announced, instituting a postseason format to the championship; the format is expanded in 2014. 2008: Jimmie Johnson wins a record fourth consecutive NASCAR championship. 2008: CART successor Champ Car files for bankruptcy, and its assets are folded into the IRL. This is the first time the Indy 500 and the national championship are sanctioned by a single unified body since 1978. 2008: The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), an organization representing the interests of the teams, is formed. Auto Racing Today - On February 22, 2016 Denny Hamlin won the closest Daytona 500 in NASCAR history, beating Martin Truex Jr. by one one hundredth of a second. It was Hamlin's first career win in the Daytona 500, and the 2016 race revealed intriguing changes for the future. For the first time since 1992, the number 24 car was not driven by Jeff Gordon, who retired in 2015. That car is now driven by 20-year old Chase Elliott. Also missing from the race was veteran Tony Stewart, who missed the 500 due to injury before retiring in 2016. Veteran Clint Bowyer takes over Stewart's number 14 Chevrolet in 2017.

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Kyle Larson (42) qualifies for the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, NV.

76

FURTHER READING:

Christopher, Matt. Great Moments in American Auto Racing (Matt Christopher Sports). New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company a division of Hachette Book Group, 2011. Fielden, Greg. NASCAR The Complete History 2015 Edition. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, Ltd., 2015. Worrall, Frank. Lewis Hamilton: Triple World Champion: The Biography. London, UK: John Blake Publishing Ltd., 2016. Pennell, Jay. Start Your Engines: Famous Firsts in the History of NASCAR. New York, NY: Sports Publishing, 2015.

INTERNET RESOURCES:

International Motorsports Hall of Fame: http://www.motorsportshalloffame. com/?homepage=true Formula One: https://www.formula1.com/ IndyCar: http://www.indycar.com/ NASCAR: http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series.html

VIDEO CREDITS:

Fangio Wins German Grand Prix: (pg 8) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f51wEb3CuB8 Daytona Dustup:(pg 9) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXbHQtZH8dE 200 NASCAR Wins: (pg 10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okquix_n7ps Fittipaldi Beats Unser: (pg 11) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2Q6zQNf4y8 Senna Helps Comas: (pg 12) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lpkfuzVxKI Michigan 500 Fireworks: (pg 13) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZQZ6MjtGPQ Another Andretti Comes Up Short: (pg 14) https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=GT9R8xwu6rY Hamilton Claims Glory: (pg 15) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yifQ2sqNKR4 77

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PICTURE CREDITS

Page: 3, 39, 41, 42, 43, 45, 61, 76: Action Sports Photography/Shutterstock.com; 6: AngMoKio, 6, 54:Ted Van Pelt, 6: Calzinger, F1-history, 3DMAVR/Shutterstock.com, Manningmbd, Ted Van Pelt; 7: Stuart Hepburn/Shutterstock.com; 8: Channel user fasterf1/youtube.com; 9, 14: MP4/7/youtube.com; 10: NASCAR/youtube.com; 11: indycar/youtube.com; 12: sennavive/ youtube.com; 13: jdh919/youtube.com; 15: MamasitaRecords/youtube.com; 16, 17, 18, 22, 26, 62, 63: public domain; 19: de:Benutzer:Bran, Mike Roberts; 20: Thesupermat; 21: Factor41/Shutterstock.com; 23: Domenic Gareri/Shutterstock. com; 24, 33: Agence Rol; 25: Bilsen, Joop van; 25: Spurzem, 25, 27, 34, 54, 62: F1-history; 26: Iain A Wanless; 27: John Chapman; 28: E01; 29: ZRyzner/Shutterstock.com; 30, 31, 35, 48: HodagMedia/Shutterstock.com; 32, 47, 53: Morio, 32: Neil Thompson; 34: Rick Dikeman; 36: Doug James/Shutterstock.com, Photo Works/Shutterstock.com; 37: Sportlibrary/ Shutterstock.com; 38, 51: Nascarking; 40: Jeff; 41: Ted Van Pelt; 44: ZRyzner/Shutterstock.com; 47: Ryan Bayona, Vtornet, Jeff Schultes/Shutterstock.com; 48: OmahaMH, Manningmbd; 51: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher S. Wilson, El Biffster; 53: Craig Coomans, Vincent Knakal; 54: Doctorindy, 54, 60: Darryl Moran, Peter Hamer, StuSeeger, Instituto Ayrton Senna, Royalbroil, Darryl Moran, Maserati, Agence de presse Meurisse; 57: Instituto Ayrton Senna, Chris J. Moffett, Thesupermat, Flat Design/Shutterstock.com; 58: Digital Storm/Shutterstock.com; 59: The Henry Ford, Suyk, Koen, Manningmbd; 60: John Vincent, AARPSocialMedia; 62: John Vincent; 64, 69, 71, 73: HodagMedia; 66: David Acosta Allely/Shutterstock.com; 67: ZRyzner/Shutterstock.com; 68: Bryce Womeldurf; 70: CZmarlin, Melissa Hillier, Formulanone, Chief Master Sgt. Gary Emery (US-Air Force), Nascar1996, willowbrookhotels; Stefan Brending, Daniel Huerlimann-BEELDE Chapter number illustrations: totallypic/Shutterstock.com, Valentina Rusinova/Shutterstock.com White photo frame: hellena13/Shutterstock.com Picture frames on the black bookshelf: S.V.Art/Shutterstock.com Video player: Aleksandr Bryliaev/Shutterstock.com Wood frames: Hilch/Shutterstock.com Pennant: Nicholas 852/Shutterstock.com Paper: RoyStudio.eu/Shutterstock.com, MaxyM/Shutterstock.com Vintage paper: Theeradech Sanin/Shutterstock.com, LiliGraphie/Shutterstock.com, Picsfive/Shutterstock.com

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INDEX

24 Heures du Mans, 19, 58, 62 AAA (American Automobile Association), 33 AAA Texas 500, 45 accidents. See crashes ACF. See Automobile Club de France (ACF) AIACR (Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus), 24 Alfa Romeos, 25, 25 Allison, Bobby, 9 Allison, Donnie, 9, 61 Alonso, Fernando, 27, 32, 46, 47 American Automobile Association (AAA), 33 Andretti, Marco, 14, 14 Andretti, Mario, 14, 33, 34, 54, 58, 59, 64 Andretti, Michael, 13, 13, 14, 68 Argentine Grand Prix, 26 Ascari, Alberto, 25 Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR), 24 Atlanta Motor Speedway, 61 Audi, 24 Automobile Club de France (ACF), 23, 24 automobile industry, 17–18 auto racing drivers, 6. See also specific athletes Auto Union (Audi), 24 Bacon, Roger, 17 Belgian Grand Prix, 12, 12, 26 Benz, Bertha, 17 Benz, Karl, 17 Benz Patent-Motorwagen Number 3, 17 BMW Sauber, 23 Brazilian Grand Prix, 15, 15 Brickyard 400, 43, 51 BRMs, 26 Brock, Peter, 62, 65 Bryan Herta Autosport, 69 burnouts, 28 Busch, Kyle, 50 Caracciola, Rudolf, 24 CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams), 13, 34, 35 Castroneves, Helio, 48, 49 Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina, 70 Chase for the Cup, 41–42 chassis, 31 Chaves, Gabby, 69, 69, 71 checkered flags, 37 Chevrolet, 32 Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Illinois, 70 Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texaas, 70 CIS (Commission Sportive Internationale), 24

Clark, Jim, Jr., 56, 64 Collins, Peter, 8 Comas, Erik, 12, 12 Commission Sportive Internationale (CIS), 24 Coopers, 26 costs, 31–32 crashes, 11, 12, 12, 50, 56, 59, 60, 61, 62 Cugnot, Nicholas, 17 Daimler, Gottlieb, 17 Dallaras, 31 Daytona 500, 9, 9, 40, 58, 68 Daytona International Speedway, 10, 10, 20, 40, 40, 70 de Philippis, Maria Teresa, 26 dirt tracks. See off-road racing Dixon, Scott, 32, 48, 49 drag racing, 62–63 driver skills, 55 Duryea, Frank, 20 Dutch Grand Prix, 25 Earnhardt, Dale, 40, 54, 60, 60, 65 Ecclestone, Bernie, 26 Enders, Erica, 52 engines, 17, 18, 25, 26, 27, 32, 32, 67 Estre, Kévin, 52 Evans, Walker, 63, 65 F1. See Formula One racing F1 circuit, 32 Fangio, Juan Manuel, 8, 8, 25, 25, 54, 56, 57, 64 Farina, Giuseppe, 25 Farina, Nino, 25 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), 24, 67 female drivers, 17, 26, 35, 36, 52 Ferraris, 25, 26, 55 Ferrari team, 25, 26, 27, 32, 46, 56 FIA. See Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Firecracker 400, 10, 10 Fisher, Sarah, 35 Fittipaldi, Emerson, 11, 11 Ford, Henry, 18 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, 47 Formula II, 24 Formula III, 24 Formula One Management, 26 Formula One racing: about, 20, 23–27, 23; future of, 67; future stars, 69, 71; greatest drivers, 56–57, 57, 64; IndyCar racing versus, 31, 32, 34; modern day stars, 46, 47

Foyt, A. J., 33, 54, 58, 59, 64 France, Bill, 40 France, Bill, Jr., 41 France, Brian, 41, 42 Franchitti, Dario, 36 French Grand Prix, 23–24, 24, 33 Garlits, Don, 62–63, 62, 65 George, Tony, 34 German Grand Prix, 8, 8 Giffard, Pierre, 18 Glock, Timo, 15 GoBowling.com 400, 39 GoDaddy Andretti Autosport Dallara Honda, 36 Gordon, Jeff, 39, 40, 54, 60–61, 60, 65 Grand Prix, 23–24, 46. See also specific Grand Prix green flags, 38 Gurney team, 33 Guthrie, Janet, 35 Hamilton, Lewis, 6, 6, 15, 15, 28, 44, 46 Harvick, Kevin, 50, 51 Hawthorn, Mike, 8, 26, 26 Hill, Phil, 25 Honda, 32, 35, 36, 66, 67, 67 Horn, Ted, 33 Hornish, Sam, 14, 14 Hulman, Tony, 33, 34, 59 Hunter-Reay, Hunter, 49 hybrid cars, 67, 68 Ickx, Jacky, 54, 62, 62, 65 Indianapolis 500, 11, 11, 14, 14, 33, 35, 58, 59 Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 11, 11, 14, 14, 33, 34, 43, 51, 59, 70 IndyCar racing: Formula One racing versus, 31–35; future of, 68, 68; future stars, 69, 71; greatest drivers, 58–59, 59, 64; modern day stars, 48, 49 IndyCars, 32, 35, 68, 68 IndyFest race, 48 Indy Racing League (IRL), 34–35 International Automobile Federation, 24 International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Lincoln, Alabama, 54 Iowa Corn 250, 30 Iowa Speedway, 30 IRL (Indy Racing League), 34–35 Japanese Grand Prix, 46 Johnson, Jimmie, 50, 51 Judd AV engine, 32 Kenseth, Matt, 50

In this index, page numbers in bold italics font indicate photos or videos.

79

INDEX

Kesekowski, Brad, 50, 51 Larson, Kyle, 69, 71 Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 70 Lauda, Niki, 27 Lemaitre, Albert, 18 Le Mans race course, 19, 19, 23. See also 24 Heures du Mans Lenoir, Etienne, 17 Levassor, Emile, 17, 18 Loeb, Sébastien, 52, 53 López, José María, 52, 53 Lotus 33 Climax, 26 Lotuses, 26 MacCachren, Rob, 52, 53 Mansell, Nigel, 34 Marlin, Sterling, 60 Martinsville Speedway, 61 Maserati 250F, 25 Massa, Felipe, 15 McLaren Honda F1, 66, 67, 67 McLaren M1A, 27 McLaren MP4-X concept car, 67 McLaren team, 27, 32, 33, 56 Mears, Rick, 54, 58–59, 59, 64 Mercedes team, 24, 28, 32, 46, 56 Meyer, Louis, 33, 33 Michigan 500, 13, 13 Michigan International Speedway, 13, 13 Milwaukee Mile, 31, 48 Modified division, 40 Montoya, Juan Pablo, 13, 13, 32, 32, 49 moonshiners, 39 Moss, Stirling, 55, 56 Muldowney, Shirley, 35, 52 NASCAR: about, 10, 35, 40–42; future of, 68–69, 71; greatest drivers, 60–61, 60, 65; modern day stars, 45, 50, 51 NASCAR fans, 41–42, 41, 60, 68–69 National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), 10 National Hot Rod Association, 52 Nuvolari, Tazio, 54, 62, 63, 65 off-road racing, 52 Olds, Ransom, 18, 20 Oldsmobiles, 18 Olds Motor Works, 18 open wheel racing. See Formula One racing origin of sport, 16, 17–20, 17, 18, 19, 20, 39 Panhard et Levassor vehicles, 18, 20, 20 Paris to Madrid Race, 16

80

Paris to Rouen race, 18, 18 Patrick, Danica, 35, 36 Pearson, David, 54, 61, 65 Penske team, 33 Petty, Richard, 9, 10, 10, 40, 54, 60, 60, 61, 65 Peugots, 18 Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Penna., 39 popularity of sport, 7, 39, 40, 41, 42 Power, Will, 48, 49 Prost, Alain, 27, 27, 54, 57, 57, 64 race tracks, 18–19, 19, 20, 33, 39, 40, 52, 69. See also specific tracks or speedways Räikkönen, Kimi, 45, 46, 47 Reagan, Ronald, 10 Red Bull Racing, 27, 28, 28 Renault, Fernand, 16 Renault, Louis, 16 Renault, Marcel, 16, 16 Renault AK 90CV, 22 Renaults, 16, 19, 23, 28 Renault team, 27, 46 risks, 7, 19. See also crashes Roadster division, 40 Rosberg, Keke, 46 Rosberg, Nico, 46 Rosemeyer, Bernd, 24 rules, 23, 27–28, 39, 41, 68 salaries, 32, 33 Samsung Mobile 500, 42 San Marino Grand Prix, 56 Schumacher, Michael, 27, 46, 56, 57, 57, 64 Senna, Ayrton, 12, 12, 27, 27, 54, 56, 57, 64 Shaw, Wilbur, 59, 64 Silver Arrows, 24 Spanish Grand Prix, 23 sponsors, 35. See also television contracts Sports Illustrated, 35 Stewart, Tony, 42, 43, 50 stock car racing, 39–42, 39, 42, 43. See also NASCAR Strictly Stock division, 40 Surtees, John, 25 Szisz, Ferenc, 22, 23 Team Bugatti, 24 television contracts, 9, 26, 33, 34, 40, 41 Texas Motor Speedway, Ft. Worth, 42, 45 touring cars, 52, 62 Toyota, 35 turbocharged engines, 27, 28 Turin Grand Prix, 25

United States Auto Club (USAC), 33–34 Unser, Al, Jr., 11, 11, 35 Unser, Al, Sr., 59, 64 USAC (United States Auto Club), 33–34 U.S. Grand Prix, 27 V8 engines, 27 V10 engines, 27 Varzi, Achille, 25 Verizon Indycar Series Indyfest ABC 250, 31 Verstappen, Max, 69, 71 Vettel, Sebastian, 15, 28, 46, 47 Waltrip, Dale, 40, 41 Wheldon, Dan, 36 Williams, 27, 57 Winton, Alexander, 20 women drivers. See female drivers Yarborough, Cale, 9, 10, 40, 61, 65