Runways & Racers - Sports Car Races held on Military Airfields in America 1952 - 1954

Published by Veloce Publishing, Authored by Terry O’Neil, ISBN 9781845842550

Runways and Racers concentrates on the short transitional period, 1952-1954, for sports car racing in America following the ban on public road racing in many of the States. The ban left the rapidly expanding Sports Car Club of America with a problem: where to hold races. At precisely the same time, Curtis LeMay, head of Strategic Air Command, was having problems obtaining funds from Congress to improve conditions on the many air bases located around the country. The solution was a marriage of convenience, whereby the SCCA was allowed access to active SAC air bases to hold its race programmes. In return, the SAC base would receive the net profits from the event, which would be put into the Airmen’s Living Improvement Fund. As a result of some initial financial success for the SAC bases, the scheme was also adopted by non-SAC bases together with regional clubs, with the same agreement in place.

Complaints from airmen alerted Congressman Errett Scrivner to potential irregularities, and he ordered an audit to be conducted to ascertain precisely what it was costing the air bases to host the races. His findings led to the cessation of the races, ordered by Congress.
The product of a long period of extensive research by the author, this book gives a fascinating insight into this two-year period, complemented by over 150 period pictures, many previously unpublished.

Features

• Specific subject matter covered in detail
• Diligent research leading to expansion and correction of recorded data
• Collection of scarce images exemplifies the airfield races of the era
• Many previously unpublished photos incorporated with informative captions
• Detailed year-by-year account of the races, their inception and demise
• Background to decisions made by the SCCA and the politicians
• Collection of race programme covers and entry blanks included
• Near complete race results for each event
• Supplementary material used to illustrate the book
• Transcript of Congressman Scrivner’s speech leading to the demise of the events

Table of Contens

Acknowledgements
Data sources
Foreword
Preface
Introduction

1. The beginning of the SCCA/SAC era
2. SCCA national/SAC races 1952
3. SCCA national/SAC races 1953
4. 1953 Statistical review
5. SCCA national & regional races at other military bases 1953
6. 1953 Statistical review
7. Other motor clubs using military bases
8. 1953 Statistical review
9. SCCA National/SAC races 1954
10. 1954 Statistical review
11. SCCA national and regional races at non-SAC military bases 1954
12. 1954 Statistical review
13. 1954 – end of the SCCA/SAC era
14. SCCA Championship standings

Index