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For over 10 years now, the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), has been partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), to present the annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History. This years Keynote Address was given by legendary race car driver: Lyn St. James
The Symposium established itself as a unique and respected scholarly forum and has gained a growing audience of students and enthusiasts. The symposium is named in honor of Michael R. Argetsinger (1944-2015), an award-winning motorsports author and longtime member of the Center’s Governing Council.
The symposium provides an opportunity for scholars, researchers and writers to present their work related to the history of automotive competition and the cultural impact of motor racing.
Papers are presented by faculty members, graduate students and independent researchers. The history of international automotive competition falls within several realms, all of which are welcomed as topics for presentations, including, but not limited to: sports history, cultural studies, public history, political history, the history of technology, sports geography and gender studies, as well as archival studies. Catch all the presentations from this weekends Symposium, now available on YouTube.
How to beat the Mercedes-Benz W196: Alternative History Accelerates the Mid-Engine Revolution
The new 2.5-liter F1 of 1954 raised the bar for engineering excellence and cost of entry to the pinnacle of motor racing. With Mercedes-Benz leaving the shadows of WWII and ...becoming an accepted participant in motor racing again, the Grand Prix community had to anticipate a full-out effort of a new generation of Silver Arrows. Indeed, new standards were set with a series of W196 variants born out of vast corporate resources, supported by component suppliers like Continental, Bosch, and Esso.
In this story, the imaginary Italian “Unione Automobili”, previously formed of national legacy manufacturers other than Fiat, takes on the role of the Auto Union AG of the 1930s as an antagonist of Mercedes-Benz and promoter of the mid-engine layout. A probabilistic SWAT analysis reveals what it will take to beat the mighty opponent from Stuttgart. This is the start for a motley crew of Austrian and Italian engineers lead by Robert Eberan-Eberhorst to create a victorious challenger. The prescribed engine configuration is a compact V6 in homage to the Lancia brand. Breaking with Italian traditions, emphasis is put on chassis development where innovations in tires, brakes, and aerodynamics will provide decisive competitive advantages.
The new 2.5-liter F1 of 1954 raised the bar for engineering excellence and cost of entry to the pinnacle of motor racing. With Mercedes-Benz leaving the shadows of WWII and ...becoming an accepted participant in motor racing again, the Grand Prix community had to anticipate a full-out effort of a new generation of Silver Arrows. Indeed, new standards were set with a series of W196 variants born out of vast corporate resources, supported by component suppliers like Continental, Bosch, and Esso.
In this story, the imaginary Italian “Unione Automobili”, previously formed of national legacy manufacturers other than Fiat, takes on the role of the Auto Union AG of the 1930s as an antagonist of Mercedes-Benz and promoter of the mid-engine layout. A probabilistic SWAT analysis reveals what it will take to beat the mighty opponent from Stuttgart. This is the start for a motley crew of Austrian and Italian engineers lead by Robert Eberan-Eberhorst to create a victorious challenger. The prescribed engine configuration is a compact V6 in homage to the Lancia brand. Breaking with Italian traditions, emphasis is put on chassis development where innovations in tires, brakes, and aerodynamics will provide decisive competitive advantages.
E-Motorsports is less than two decades old. However, the roots of electric vehicle design date to the birth of the automobile when nearly 38% of vehicles in 1900 were electric. ...Electrics are now competing in many traditional racing events including the historic Pikes Peak Hill Climb and the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The focus of this presentation is to provide a brief overview of E-motorsports with a look at Formula-E (conceived in 2012 and sanctioned by the FIA during the 2020-21 season) and Extreme-E (conceived as a project in 2018 led by Formula E founder Alejandro Agag and former driver Gil de Ferran; it was launched in January 2019).
Highlights of recent developments and related projects will also be included, particularly those with electrification and clean energy connections
Roberts and her husband received a collection from a Canadian race driver’s estate. David Crowther, the driver, competed from the 1960s through the late 1980s in various events, including autocross, ...rallying, and ice racing, participating almost every weekend from January to October. The collection comprises extensive race results, news clippings, programs, and even race banquet menus, offering a remarkable glimpse into the life of an everyman driver.
Roberts’ presentation discusses how the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) supports both researchers and race enthusiasts while preserving the legacies of drivers like Crowther. Visual accompaniments will include Crowther's race helmet, photographs of him in action, and his rallying clipboard. Through these artifacts, Roberts will highlight the IMRRC's role in keeping motorsports history alive and accessible.
This presentation will not only celebrate Crowther's extensive racing career but also emphasize the importance of archival research centers in maintaining motorsport and driver heritage.
While “Studebaker” is rarely the first name one thinks of when discussing motorsports, the company had a strong yet brief presence at the Indianapolis 500 in the early 1930s. Studebaker ...laid the groundwork with the introduction of the President’s inline eight-cylinder engine in early 1928. The advent of the Indianapolis 500’s 1930 rule changes opened the door for production- based entries, and the President’s rugged eight powered a pair of private entries. These Studebaker-engined specials showed promise and led to the development of Studebaker’s corporate team.
This program will detail the origins and evolution of Studebaker-powered racers beginning in 1930 with a special emphasis on the company’s factory-backed campaigns in 1932 and 1933. Additional focus will also be placed on the technical development of the Studebaker racers as well as the post-Studebaker disposition of the team cars and their present-day status. Sources include Studebaker’s corporate archives and image collection at the Studebaker National Museum plus period publications and race accounts. Additional data is drawn from secondary sources profiling the Studebaker team plus owner research compiled during their stewardship of the cars.[+] Show More
***Forged in Print: John Bond, Road & Track, and the Formation of “Car Guy” Culture. Luke Chennel
John Bond (1912-1989) and his wife Elaine bought the faltering magazine Road & Track ...in 1949. Over the course of his ownership and editorship, Bond built the magazine into a major cultural force. This presentation examines the dimensions that Bond engaged with his editorial viewpoint from a wholistic cultural lens. Bond built a durable version of car culture, the practices and values of which remain in many forms today, though under challenge from old and new trends in the automotive industry. Bond’s version of car enthusiasm stemmed directly from two sources: his education at the General Motors Institute and his enthusiasm for European racing. Road & Track’s coverage of the foreign motorsports scene for some time was the only widely available source material for an American audience.
This presentation argues that Bond’s two decade editorship (1951-1972) of Road & Track created the foundational dimensions of traditional “car guy” culture, with its familiar and clubby atmosphere familiar to those “in the know,” but also acted in an exclusionary way to women, casual automobile and racing enthusiasts, and those who might have appreciated automobiles from other dimensions than their mechanical design or performance on certain tests.
Finally, the presentation examines Bond’s version of car culture in a contemporary light, considering the roles of the changing nature of racing and its relationship to road vehicles, the renaissance in electric vehicles, and debates about mobility in the contemporary climate.
***An Anthropological Perspective: John Bond, Road & Track, and the Formalization and Transmission of Car Culture. Ken Yohn
This presentation will explore car culture from an anthropological perspective, as a complex whole combining both behavior and the material objects integral to the behavior. This formulation of culture thus includes material artifacts, rituals, customs, language, beliefs, institutions, and techniques, among other elements. This presentation will address two main questions. As presented in Road & Track, what are the essential elements (behavior and artifacts) of car culture? Second, can we learn anything, or draw non-obvious conclusions about car culture by adopting this type of anthropological perspective?
***Woman’s Place (in Car Culture): John Bond, Road & Track, and the Evolution of Gender Representation. Kristie Sjoka
This presentation will explore the progression of gender representation within the time that John Bond owned and edited Road & Track magazine. It will examine all aspects of the publication between the years of 1951-1972, including cover art, article content, photographs, and advertising. The presentation will compare and contrast the first ten years of Bond’s editorship with the last ten years to identify any potential changes in female representation. With the historical perspective of developing gender politics of the time period, the presentation will consider whether these societal shifts had any impact on women’s representation within the pages of the publication.
As George Orwell once penned, “sport is war minus the shooting”. International sport is not immune to governmental political motivations and plays, but instead serves as a site to demonstrate ...a nation’s power and prestige.
This presentation explores how British racing attempted to combat a decline in British engineering through the promotion of Empire and British successes. It focuses on the British Empire Trophy, a motor race that began in 1932, and the life of British Mercedes-Benz driver Richard Seaman. With the connection between civilization and motorsport, any shortcomings were witnessed as a sign of weakening British imperial power. It became essential that both British prestige and success was showcased and defended by every possible means. Ultimately, however, Britain could not match the continental teams, British prestige was not developed, and the lure of Empire was not enough.
Throughout its storied history, motorsports has been unwelcoming to women. Consequently, it has been necessary for female racers to develop unique strategies to enter what has long existed as an exclusive ...masculine enclave. While entry can be facilitated through a familial relationship with a male driver, women without such connections often get their start through participation in women-only racing events. Although these races have provided women with the opportunity to enter the track, they have not been without controversy. Detractors argue that women will not be considered legitimate racers unless they compete on the same track as men. Proponents view women-only racing not only as a way to attract more women into the sport, but also as an important source of skill development, support, and community building.
This paper investigates the evolution of women-only racing, from its early introduction as a media stunt, to its current incarnation as a proving ground for serious female open-wheel racers. Informed by archival resources and motorsport scholarship, it considers how women-only racing complicates, facilitates, and liberates women’s entry, participation, and recognition in the masculine world of motorsports.
This presentation, part of an ongoing, larger body of research, explores the long, complicated, and often controversial relationship between NASCAR (the National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing) and the ...American political system. From NASCAR founder “Big Bill” France’s campaign support of then-presidential candidate George Wallace, to former NASCAR Grand National driver Tighe Scott’s arrest for allegedly attacking police officers during the Capitol Riot on January 6th, 2021, the road to Washington, D.C. has often taken a detour (usually a hard right) through Daytona Beach.
Part of this paper looks at NASCAR’s connection to various political candidates, both during campaigns and after votes have been counted (and certified). Another section of this presentation examines the use of race cars as campaign promotional “vehicles” over the years.
This paper explores the very public and very strategic alliance between political candidates and NASCAR Nation. From Jimmy Carter welcoming Grand National drivers to The White House to Ronald Reagan sharing Kentucky Fried Chicken with Richard Petty, the relationship between stock car racing and politics presents itself as a calculated combination of regional identity and popular culture-driven stereotypes.
While men have taken the lion’s share of media attention across motorsport, there have been women who would gain substantial coverages. From Brittany Force to Hailie Deegan, women in motorsport ...have hit sport headlines on various networks and modalities. While coverage of women in motorsport may be more positive, in terms of quantity and perception (driver talent versus overt sexism, etc.), has academia had any sort of focus on women in motorsport?
The purpose of the current literature review is to summarize the current academic literature across two repositories (EBSCO Host & Google Scholar) to gain a broader understanding of this academic realm of inquiry. Various search term including Women in Racing and variants were included in the search. Initial results suggest that women in motorsport are often a part of academic research, but are less so the main focus. Using the PRISMA methodology, articles were selected from relevant criteria and reduced from a larger sample. Methods and themes from articles will be discussed.
World War II in Europe left both victorious and vanquished countries devastated; yet within weeks of the end of hostilities on September 9, 1945, an automobile race was held in ...Paris’ Bois de Boulogne. This presentation addresses the questions: where did the financial and material resources for an active post-war racing program come from, and perhaps even more importantly, why were they expended in what many might regard as a non-essential—or perhaps even frivolous—activity?
Nazi Germany turned the automobile’s high speed into a propaganda tool for its technical and industrial supremacy. With its domestic motor industry having fallen behind the US and France, the ...political establishment pushed for dominance in Grand Prix racing, launched an automobile for the masses, and developed a wide network of motorways. Connecting racing cars, high speed, and the motorways was the Rekordwoche, an annual event launched in 1936 to conquer the highest speeds on a motorway.
The last edition in 1939 was a relatively low-key event, shadowed by the prior year’s sensational Mercedes-Benz speed record and Bernd Rosemeyer’s death. Nevertheless, the propaganda machine aptly broadcast the speeds reached on an arrow-straight, level and wide 10 km motorway stretch north of Leipzig, purpose-built for the Rekordwochen and the conquest of the World Land Speed Record by a German driver on a German car on German soil.
After a quick recap of the 1936-1938 editions, I will discuss the cars shown in 1939 by Daimler-Benz and Hanomag, as well as clear some mysteries left unsolved throughout the decades. It will also cover the records established by an Italian and a British driver, three months before WW2 began.
This presentation examines the unanticipated outcomes of government regulations, mainly focusing on tobacco and alcohol regulations and their profound impact on the motorsports industry. Originally instituted to mitigate the promotion ...and distribution of harmful substances, these regulations inadvertently fostered a new era of sponsorship and revenue streams for motorsports. By analyzing historical context, regulatory changes, and the strategic adaptations of motorsports organizations, we uncover how these laws fundamentally transformed the economic landscape of the sport. In the early 20th century, Prohibition in the United States catalyzed the rise of stock car racing,as bootleggers modified their vehicles to evade law enforcement. This phenomenon laid the groundwork for the widespread popularity of motorsports in the U.S. Subsequently, tobaccocompanies leveraged the sport's high visibility to advertise their products, providing substantial financial support for racing teams and events. The 1970 Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act, which banned tobacco advertising on television, aimed to protect public health but inadvertently led to a sponsorship windfall for NASCAR, resulting in the creation of the Winston Cup Series and the Camel GT series, further entrenching tobacco's financial influence in motorsports.
By examining these developments, this presentation looks at the interplay between public health policy and commercial interests, understanding how government regulations designed to protect public health can have far-reaching and sometimes unforeseen effects on industries like motorsports.
A huge shoutout to the team that made the 8th Annual Argetsinger Symposium on Motorsports History a success (left-to-right, below) Break/Fix Podcast Executive Producer Tania, Chris Lezotte & Bob Barr from The Society of Automotive Historians with Crew Chief Eric from and front and center: Duke Argetsinger!
Without your efforts this wasn’t possible – great job! See you all next year. Special thanks to The Motoring Podcast Network for carrying the live feed and Watkins Glen International Raceway for hosting us again!
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