26,843 Fans at 1942 Race
 

When my dad took me to my first sprint race in 1953, he told me to watch that blue car of Tommy Hinnershitz because he was the best. He also said that his favorite driver use to be Joie Chitwood. At that time Chitwood was retired from racing, and I only knew him from his famous stunt driving show.

Years later, when my dad passed away, we found an old scrapbook with variety of newspaper clippings of interesting but unrelated subjects. Among them was this one from a race he attended won by Chitwood. It is history, but I'm positive could never be published today.

Please don't start a political debate over it, and if someone catches you laughing you may be cancelled.

https://a4.pbase.com/o12/27/4627/1/1...wood_1m20a.jpg

Re: 26,843 Fans at 1942 Race
 

Great story. I own a car Chitwood used to drive and had some success in it during this time. I would love to see any more Chitwood articles.

Re: 26,843 Fans at 1942 Race
 

Thanks for sharing this treasure, Al. An interesting look back through time, not only at racing, but the free press of the era.

I remember Chitwood's thrill shows in the 60s. There was one I got to see at the Michigan State Fair around 1968-ish. I was eight years old. Does anyone remember if they played up his Native American heritage at those shows? I sure cannot remember. All I remember is cars flying over cars and on two wheels. Seems like they ran with the heritage baton in the 1942 article above.

Once again, thanks for this contribution, Al.

Re: 26,843 Fans at 1942 Race
 

1916 CINCINNATI MOTOR SPEEDWAY
1916 was the year that the Cincinnati Motor Speedway opened for business, At two miles in length it was equal to the largest board track ever built.
The turns were banked at 17 degrees, It was reported that around 65,000 spectators attended one particular event on the 30th of May 1917. The event was a 250 mile race in lew of the Indy 500 which was dark due to WWI as indy was used as a aircraft repair facility

And that was before social media!!!
I also viewed the Hell Drivers in person, but it was in the early 50s, in Columbus indiana, don't remember where for sure, seems like it was down town, near the Christian Church, I was about 15 at the time.

Impressive! You don’t see a lot of Wednesday shows do that well.

Probably didn’t run a underclass.

In his book "The Eastern Bullrings, The History of the Eastern Big Car Championship 1945-1960 written by the late Buzz Rose, he wrote that Chitwood wasn't an American Indian, it was a pr gimmick.

I remember “ Dan Fleenor and his Hurricane Hell Drivers….. Greene county fair in Xenia, Ohio, similar to the Joie Chitwood Thrill show. Around 1959 or 60. I was 8 or 9 at the time.

Re: 26,843 Fans at 1942 Race
 

Crown Point, Lake County fairgrounds same era :22:

I read his obit yesterday, and it didn't imply anything out of the ordinary, other than his other racing and his wife telling him to quit one or the other, he had gone on to nascar and she was not happy with that.