As a young man, he shined shoes in front of an Evansville auto repair shop, where he quickly learned to diagnose vehicle problems as they drove onto the lot. He was hired as a mechanic’s assistant and when the U.S. draft for WWI opened, most of the shop’s employees were called to war. As a result, Wiggins landed a job managing the shop floor.
He also, was a 2 time golden glove feather weight champ from training in the Boys Club
Around the same time, he married Roberta, a fashion model with a career on the rise. Together, they moved to Indianapolis in 1922 for better opportunities. Wiggins found work at an auto body repair shop in downtown Indianapolis, which he later purchased in 1924
Wiggins’ garage was a gathering spot for young men of all backgrounds who were enthralled by the speed of the modern automobile. This included future Indy 500 winner Bill Cummings.
Along the way, Charlie at one point had gofer help from a kid named Johnny Dillinger. Yes, that Dillinger.
Because of their association, Charlie was offered a place on Indy racer Bill Cummings’ pit crew in 1934. However, AAA officials wouldn’t go along, so Charlie took a job as a janitor at the speedway and during the days he’d sweep floors and tidy up the Cummings garage. After hours, he’d wrench as a valued team member. In 1934, Bill Cummings drove his Boyle Valve Special to an Indy 500 victory, and set a speed record. Charlie Wiggins cheered from the “colored only” grandstand.
Why? The KKK was running the state. The governor, and the mayor of Indianapolis were both members
But Wiggins never let a roadblock stop his roll. He and a group of like-minded racers and promoters realized that the starting line was equal to the finish line and so was formed the Colored Speedway Association (CSA) and a rival race to the Indy 500, The Gold and Glory Sweepstakes. Wiggins won the Gold and Glory a record four times between 1926 and 1935.
How he won the 1926 race is told at https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29253/charlie-wiggins-race-driver-history/
Wiggins' love of cars and racing was as infectious as his smile was charming, and he wooed a diverse group of mechanics and drivers into his circle. In fact, what radiated from garages like Wiggins’ across Indianapolis was an overwhelming sense of pride that the city was the auto racing capital of the United States. Being under the hood, or crammed into the rudimentary cockpits, defied color lines, and the common love of auto racing appealed to white and black spectators alike, often unifying disparate communities with a shared respect of speed and bravery behind the wheel.
In 1927, Wiggins won a race in Quakertown, Pennsylvania on a one-mile dirt track at an average speed of 81.6 miles per hour," Gould says. "One week earlier, Indycar pilot Frank Lockhart, driving a top of the line Miller racing car, had set the one-mile dirt track record at 82.826. Wiggins had come within 1.2 seconds of eclipsing Lockhart's world record, in a homemade car!
(Lockhart is famous for driving the Stutz Black Hawk, and was the next door neighbor of the Wright Brothers https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-wright-brothers-were-next-door.html )
Though his racing career was over, Wiggins continued working at his garage and training young mechanics. He finally saw one of his protégés, Sumner "Red" Oliver, become the first official African-American mechanic in Indy 500 history as a member of the 1973 Patrick Racing Team
And getting released later this year, is a documentary set in the roaring 20s and depression era 30s, Eraced will chronicle the triumphs and struggles of the once-legendary-now-little-known Charlie “Speed King” Wiggins, who worked his way from shoe shine to mechanic to star racer despite the inequities of segregation and Jim Crow laws.
The film, titled “Eraced”, has attracted first-of-its-kind brand collaboration during development from blue chip partners including INDYCAR and Firestone. INDYCAR has pledged support for physical production, marketing and promotional opportunities during production, and additional marketing resources, including media, at time of release. Firestone will be a production partner for the film.
It's being produced by Ed Welburn, you might not recognize the name, but I bet you recall him as the General Motors Vice President of Global Design, and until his retirement in 2016, was the highest-ranking African American in the automobile industry.
After watching Todd Gould’s award-winning documentary For Gold and Glory: Charlie Wiggins and the African American Racing Car Circuit, a 2002 PBS documentary, and a book available on Amazon Welburn quickly decided he had to develop a feature film.
Welburn spearheaded development of the feature film after watching Gould’s documentary. Having grown up in and around his father’s auto shop and spending his entire life devoted to automobile design and auto racing, Welburn was both mesmerized by Charlie’s story and shocked that he had never heard of him or the African American racing car circuit known as the Gold & Glory Sweepstakes.
“When approached to participate in this independently produced feature film, INDYCAR did not hesitate, as this is an important story that needs to be told,” said Jimmie McMillian, Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Corporate Counsel of Penske Entertainment which is comprised of Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), INDYCAR and IMS Productions. “Charlie was a great racecar driver and inspirational person whose racing career was sadly impacted by the bigotry and prejudice of the world around him. We’re looking forward to shedding light on Charlie and Roberta’s extraordinary achievements and take pride in ensuring that this true tale of remarkable racing achievements comes to life.”
“Our Firestone brand’s roots in racing date back more than a century, and we’re proud to provide our experience and support to ensure one of the sport’s most inspiring stories is shared in an authentic way,” said Susie Long, Vice President, Talent, Diversity and Culture, Bridgestone Americas. “As Bridgestone continues to seek partnerships that promote diversity and create awareness for change in our communities, the chance to help introduce new audiences to Charlie Wiggins’ incredible journey of adversity and triumph seems like a perfect fit.”
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