This category contains feature stories on auto racing history that have been published in Indianapolis Motor Speedway Programs and historical publications. Most of the articles pertain to per-WWI auto racing, but others cover more recent history. Among the subjects covered are: Barney Oldfield, the 1914 Cactus Derby; Jim Clark racing in NASCAR; Jim Hurtubise racing in NASCAR; an interview with John Surtees; the 1909 Motorcycle meet at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; the first French Grand Prix; the Vanderbilt Cup; the 1937 Indianapolis 500; Wilbur Shaw; Cannon Ball Baker; Holmon and Moody; Indianapolis 500 relief drivers; Ralph De Palma; Smokey Yunick; the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Harvest Classic; Rudolf Carraciola; Dan Gurney and Johnny Aitken. The articles are a mix of biographical pieces and stories of milestone events in auto racing history.

Jim Clark Does NASCAR

The versatile Jimmy Clark could drive anything - and loved to test his mettle with the best of them. Like A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, Juan Pablo Montoya and Lloyd Ruby, Clark loved to try his hand at any form of racing. Not only that but he was good, winning in a variety of cars: Formula One, sports cars and IndyCars. A footnote in his career was his foray into the world of NASCAR at Rockingham, North Carolina in 1967. Driving for John Holmon and Ralph Moody, Clark tested his skills in the big stock cars and found the adventure intriguing, albeit a struggle.
Jim Hurtubise, "Herk"

The preeminence of NASCAR on today's American motorsports landscape obscures one clear fact: numerous IndyCar drivers have won in the top ranks of NASCAR, but not one single NASCAR racer has won any race on the IndyCar circuit. The list of these great names consists of: A.J.
John Surtees

It was my honor to interview the great John Surtees for the attached article. The only man to reign as the world champion of both motorcycles and Formula One, Surtees' relationship to his father was extremely positive and inspiring. Absolutely dominant in motorcycles during the 1950's, he burst onto the Formula One scene to win the 1964 World Championship for Ferrari. A versatile driver, he won in Le Mans sports cars and won the 1966 United States Road Racing Championship.
Oldfield Vs. DePalma

Barney Oldfield and Ralph DePalma were more than rivals - they had a genuine dislike for one another. Some say it started when in 1908 young DePalma, an unknown upstart racer, beat Barney Oldfield in a best of three match race on a horse track.
Smokey Yunick

This is a bio piece on Smokey Yunick, the man behind the "Best Damn Garage in Town." Known for his creative interpretation of the rules, the article not only covers his NASCAR career, but his numerous attempts to build the winning entry of the Indianapolis 500. Yunick was a contemporary of men like Bill France Sr., Marshall Teague, Mauri Rose, Lee Moody and John Holman. Among his drivers were Jim Rathmann, Denis Hulme, Bobby Johns and Curtis Turner.

Los Angeles - 1910
The Playa Del Rey board track was the first of the great wood plank automobile speedways. For years bicycle and motorcycle races were conducted on wooden velodromes, but Playa Del Rey brought the concept to events for race cars. This speedway was designed by Jack Prince, the most renowned designer of board track facilities. Board tracks rose in popularity through the 1920’s largely due to their relatively inexpensive start-up costs, but proved excessively expensive to maintain. Blindingly fast, their appeal was self evident. The opening of Playa Del Rey came in the spring of 1910. Caleb Bragg made a big statement in his breakthrough victory over Barney Oldfield and the Lightning Benz in a best of three match race. Ralph De Palma also appeared at the track. This folder contains 10 files on the topic from the Barney Oldfield scrapbook.

Records Fall at Playa Del Rey

This collection of articles from Barney Oldfield's personal scrapbook capture some of the wonder and excitement around the unveiling of the first wood plank speedway for automobiles. The track, designed by Jack Prince (see attachment), was Playa Del Rey in Los Angeles.
Caleb Bragg Defeats Barney Oldfield

These articles from Barney Oldfield's scrapbook cover events at the opening race meet at the Playa Del Rey boad track in Los Angeles.
De Palma, Oldfield at Playa Del Rey

These articles report on events both at the world's first board track automobile speedway at Playa Del Rey and the beach of Daytona where many speed trials were held in the first quarter of the 20th Century. A much anticipated match race had been organized between Barney Oldfield and Ralph De Palma, but it was canceled when De Palma's Fiat Cyclone broke a piston. Oldfield then drove his Lightning Benz in hastily arranged match race with upstart Caleb Bragg. There is also an article on events at Daytona Beach speed trials from earlier in the year.
DePalma and Oldfield Plan Match Race

Reflecting the hodge-podge nature of Barney Oldfield's scrapbook this collection combines an article about a race at an unnamed fairgrounds track, Daytona Beach and the world's first board track at Play Del Rey in Los Angeles.
Oldfield vs. De Palma Plus Daytona Runs

This collection is more material from Barney Oldfield's personal scrapbook. It mingles articles on the new board track at Playa Del Rey in Los Angeles and the world land speed record trials in Daytona Beach. This includes a decent image of Oldfield's "Lightning Benz." These articles were published in March and April 1910.