Thunder at Sunrise

A History of the Vanderbilt Cup, the Grand Prize and the Indianapolis 500, 1904-1916
Erscheinungsjahr 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7864-7712-8
Verlag: McFarland

Buch, Englisch, 279 Seiten, Paperback, Format (B × H): 178 mm x 254 mm, Gewicht: 532 g

On a bright October morning in 1904, thousands of people flocked to Nassau County on rural Long Island to witness the first international motor sports competition in America: the newly created Vanderbilt Cup. By 1906, the number of spectators multiplied to a quarter million and America's place in motor racing history was assured. In 1908, the Vanderbilt Cup was joined by a second international competition, the International Grand Prize, the first grand prix held outside France. By 1913, the Indianapolis 500 would supplant the Vanderbilt Cup and Grand Prize as America's preeminent race, forever turning mainstream America's attention away from road racing and toward the oval tracks then proliferating around the country. <br><br>Concentrating on the years between 1904 and 1916 and featuring a wealth of photographs, this book examines the early and relatively unknown history of American motor racing. Beginning with an overview of motor racing history, it covers the French origins of the sport and the first international competitions such as the annual Gordon Bennett Cup and the ill-fated Paris to Madrid race. The primary focus is on America's first three races of international stature: the Vanderbilt Cup, the International Grand Prize and the Indianapolis 500. Compiled in great part from contemporary sources such as newspaper accounts and automotive journals, the book covers not only these races, but also the ways in which each spurred development of the American automobile industry, making it at last a true competitor for that of Europe.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Burns, John M.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Table of Contents<br><br>Preface 1<br>Introduction 5<br><br>1. A Cloud of Dust 7<br>2. The Invasion of Nassau County 18<br>3. Devil-Wagon Holiday 39<br>4. A Miracle That Hundreds Weren’t Killed 54<br>5. An Appian Way for the Motorist 70<br>6. Once a Year I See the Sun Rise 75<br>7. Showdown at Savannah 83<br>8. The Predictions of an Invisible Man 89<br>9. Last Dance on Long Island 98<br>10. The Young Master 109<br>11. Mr. Harroun Was a Fine Gentleman 116<br>12. You Would Have Weeped Today 128<br>13. Oh Boy! Let Her Ride 135<br>14. Dago Luck (Part One) 142<br>15. Dago Luck (Part Two) 152<br>16. Dago Luck (Part Three) 161<br>17. The Reason for Multiple Valves 166<br>18. My All-Time Thrill 187<br>19. A Triumph of American Grit 193<br>20. A Bad Day for America 198<br>21. As Dangerous a Drive as Has Ever Been Seen 211<br>22. The Most Remarkable Performance 219<br>23. The World’s Best Race 223<br>24. Dago Luck Revisited 230<br>25. Return to Santa Monica 238<br>26. Winners and Losers 243<br>27. Epilogue 248<br><br>Chapter Notes 257<br>Bibliography 261<br>Index 265

Über Autor(innen)

Retired lawyer <strong>John M. Burns</strong> is a freelance writer who lives in Yardley, Pennsylvania.