Sigur Whitaker Articles

Sigur Whitaker is an acclaimed auto racing history book author. First Super Speedway and Sigur are collaborating with this platform for her articles. You can receive her articles directly by subscribing to her e-mail newsletter. If you would like to be added to my subscriber list, please let her know at sigurwhitakerbooks881@gmail.com.

1910 Aviation Week

By Sigur Whitaker.
 

Tire Wars in the 1960s

By Sigur Whitaker.

Rickenbacker By Whitaiker

By Sigur Whitaker.
 

Roger Penske Sports Car Driver of the Year

On May 30, 1951, Jay Penske and his son, 14-year-old Roger, watched Lee Wallard win the Indianapolis 500 from their seats on the outside of Turn 4. That experience would change the course of his life. After the trip to Indianapolis, all young Penske could dream about was becoming a race car driver.
 
During his teenage years in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Penske rebuilt and sold 34 cars. Already interested in auto racing, Penske would ride his bicycle to the stock car races in Cleveland to watch Mike Klapac, his favorite driver.
 

Little-Known Duesy Story

By Sigur Whiaker.
 
Duesenberg tested all of its cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before they were shipped to either a Duesenberg dealership or to the customer placing the order. These cars were highly desired by Hollywood elites, such as Gary Cooper, and gangsters because they could easily outrun any car on the road. One day in May 1929, things went terribly wrong.
 

Little-Known Duesy Story

By Sigur Whiaker
 
Duesenberg tested all of its cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before they were shipped to either a Duesenberg dealership or to the customer placing the order. These cars were highly desired by Hollywood elites, such as Gary Cooper, and gangsters because they could easily outrun any car on the road. One day in May 1929, things went terribly wrong.
 

Fred Duesenberg

By Sigur Whitaker
Long before he gained fame as a three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 or the Duesenberg automobile, Fred Duesenberg was already setting speed records.
 
He was born in Lippe, Germany, in 1876. After his father died, the Duesenberg family moved to a farm near Rockford, Iowa. As a child, he showed mechanical ability. At age 17, he went to work for a farm implement dealer repairing machinery and setting up windmills. When he was 20 years old, he started building bicycles and began setting records in bicycle races.
 

Fred Duesenberg

By Sigur Whitaker
 
Fred Duesenberg had a love affair with racing. It didn’t matter if it was bicycles, speed boats, or automobiles. His racers obtained great success.