STL All Sports

While in Europe during World War II, American military men developed a fondness for the small sports car, and when the war was over many, on their return home to civilian life, acquired these cars. As the number of sports cars grew, there naturally developed a desire to race them. Informal tests became commonplace and soon racing was held on an organized basis.

Sports car racing in this country is conducted under the international formula and rules for that type of event in Europe. The one exception is that no competition is permitted on a course in which public highways must be utilized. This exception does not apply to rallies, which use public roads.

So rapid has been the growth of sports car racing that where once all cars raced in one division there now are several classes according to piston displacement. As interest increased so did the ability of the drivers. The United States now boasts of drivers, such as Carroll Shelby, Paul O'Shea, Phil Hill and Masten Gregory, who can hold their own with their European rivals. The leading driver in the world without doubt has been Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina, who retired in 1958.

The Sports Car Club of America with more than 8,000 members is the largest of its type in this country. It has about 1,000 competitive drivers, all amateurs, as are the members. Another large one is the California S.C.C. There probably were 100 clubs in existence in 1957. Some of the top races are held at Bridgehampton and Watkins Glen in New York, Thompson and Lime Rock in Connecticut, Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin and Sebring in Florida. The Sebring race is the only one in the United States in which a driver can earn points toward the world title.

Foreign races that count toward the world championship include the Argentine Grand Prix, Monte Carlo Rally and races in Belgium, the Netherlands, England, France, Sweden, Italy and Germany. There also is a world title competed for by manufacturers of sports cars. They enter their cars at Sebring, in the Mille Miglia (Italy), the Le Mans (France) 24-hour endurance event and other tests.

The foreign races are held on public roads and sometimes accidents have taken high tolls of lives of drivers and spectators. As a result, there have been many demands to eliminate this type of racing.

In May, 1958, the United States Auto Club announced the formation of a professional sports car racing division. Plans were set up to hold professional races at courses in Danville, Va.; Marlboro, Md.; Riverside, Calif., and Lime Rock, Conn. Operators, who invested $250,000 to $1,500,000 in building courses, petitioned the U.S.A.C. for this new division because they felt professional drivers would attract larger crowds.