The Logbook

From the archives of the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) comes the digitally remastered version of "Land Speed Records" 2014 presentation by George Webster as part of their Center Conversations series.

As 2023 draws to a close, we thank our many fans and supporters who made our 25th year of operation a special one! Our Silver Anniversary celebration drew an enthusiastic crowd who helped us acknowledge our milestone in style.

The Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History was held at Watkins Glen International on Nov. 3rd and 4th. The keynote speaker was Rob Dyson, who presented "A Driver’s Reflections on Watkins Glen at 75."

In the roundtable, the team of Stocz, Robeers and Sullivan, explore the forgotten history of alternative power vehicles in motorsport, demonstrating that the current concerns over environmental impacts of auto racing - and the attendant hand-wringing over its future- are far from new.

Having a strong interest and deep passion for car racing, Dr. Mario Felice Tecce analyzed Formula One seasons of the last 50 years and suggests that race car driving can be a major example of general life choices between good and bad in a joint competition to pursue the best possible.

Randy Cannon's current offering, Caesars Palace Grand Prix, drills even more deeply into that nexus while also tracing the threads of history that culminated in the only Formula One events to date in that unique city.

This article critically evaluates the contribution of Jackie Stewart in making motor racing a safer sport for competitors. It challenges the validity of the popular assumption that Jackie Stewart by himself developed a ‘culture of safety’ that transformed the sport. Instead, the role of other individuals are identified alongside the importance of three social processes. These processes are identified as the changing balance of power between different masculine identities, the development of commercial sponsorship and a growth in the coverage of the sport on television.

Book Review- Racing with Rich Energy: How a Rogue Sponsor Took Formula One for a Ride. By Elizabeth Blackstock and Alanis King. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2022. Pp. V-viii, 1-195, Appendices 197-211, Chapter Notes 213-278, Index 279-284. Paperback, $29.95, Kindle $13.49.

Book Review: I Was A NASCAR Redneck: Recollections of the Transformation of a Yankee Farm Boy to a Southern Redneck in the Golden Era of NASCAR and Beyond. By Will Cronkrite, Forward by H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler. Twinsburg, OH: 48 Hour Books, 2020. Pp. 1-611, Images and Glossary. Paperback, $39.95.

Skip McGoun has presented and published on the history and culture of finance as well as automobile history and culture and served as area chair of the Vehicle Culture Section of the Popular Culture Association. He considers the two senses of the word "Sports" - competition & recreation - and their relative roles in the creation of the class of vehicles known as "sports cars."