that's a Berkeley (with a fairing for the driver that I have not seen before) entered by the Funny Face Auto Racing Team in 1959, running in J-Production, no less.
Having the race on an island helped reduce the other big safety issue: crowd control. The people there for the race were people who wanted to be there for the race. And it’s a good thing, because there weren’t a lot of barriers, outside of some snow fencing and the hay bales in the corners and in front of lampposts, fire hydrants and other objects.
The drivers came on ferry boats to compete for silver cups in an age when there were no sponsors and no prize money.
Because it was on public roads, and shutting them down for even one day was a tall order, there was no qualifying race. Instead, drivers drew from a hat to learn their starting position.
The drivers were car salesmen, stock brokers, engineers, printers, etc. Often, the cars they raced were those they drove as daily transportation: MGs, Porsches, Triumphs, Alfas and others.
Ultimately, the 1959 Put-in-Bay race was the last. The state of Ohio had banned road racing, and it was becoming more difficult to find an insurer to underwrite the event.
There was one more race, an “outlaw” event, not sanctioned by any governing body — in 1963, but the race faded into obscurity, a curiosity from a bygone time.
There was one more race, an “outlaw” event, not sanctioned by any governing body — in 1963, but the race faded into obscurity, a curiosity from a bygone time.
I didn't even realize until researching, that this was one of the islands that the airplanes I just posted about last month were flying to and from https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2023/08/alaska-might-be-last-area-known-for.html
thank you Marc!
Nice write-up, Jesse!
ReplyDeletethank you! Couldn't have done it without your help! I've only just recently even learned of these islands when I posted about the airline in the late 30s... but never heard of the sports car racing
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