Dirt Track Auto Racing, 1919–1941

Prior to World War I, auto racing featured expensive machines and teams financed by auto factories. The teams toured the country, and most of the races were held in large cities, so the vast majority of Americans never saw a race. All this changed after World War I, though, and in the 1920s and 1930s there were approximately 1,000 dirt tracks in the United States and Canada. The dirt tracks offered small-time racing—little prize money and minimal publicity—but people loved it.
This pictorial history documents dirt track racing, with what are today called sprint cars, around the United States from 1919 to 1941. Information on dirt track racing in Canada during this time is also provided. Regionally divided chapters detail the drivers, tracks, and specific races of each area of the country. Some of the drivers went on to win fame and fortune while others faded into obscurity. Tracks included well known facilities as well as out-of-the-way sites few people had ever heard of. The cars ranged from state of the art machines to the more common home built specials based on Model T or Model A Ford parts. Taken together, the drivers, tracks, and races of this era were instrumental in making auto racing the popular sport it is today.

The late Don Radbruch was a former racer who wrote for racing publications. He lived in Sagle, Idaho.

Don Radbruch
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 330
Bibliographic Info: 605 photos, index
Copyright Date: 2004
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1725-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1375-8
Imprint: McFarland

“meticulously retrieves that lost history from myriad small town newspapers, race programs, team records and especially from marvelous private photo collections and scrapbooks…considerable research…pleasurable reading and scholarship”—SAH Journal; “an engaging history that is great fun to view”—Antique Automobile; “a winning combination, a book that brings together descriptive, informative text and mixes it with an amazing diversity of exciting early racing photography”—The Alternate; “a great job”—Sprintcar & Midget; “exciting features…a ‘must’ for the dirt track car fan”—Midwest Book Review.