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Novelty races


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#1 Graham Clayton

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Posted 09 March 2012 - 10:44

The meeting at the Candlelight Speedway in Bridgeport, Connecticut on the 28th of June 1948 featured a "hot dog handicap" novelty race. Race contestants had to run from the pits to the dugout behind home plate, eat a hot dog, drink a container of milk, race two laps around the bicycles, and then travel two laps in midget cars. Bert Lundgren was first, followed by Bob Stuart and Sy Sanders.

Source: Speedway Round-Up, Billboard magazine, July 10, 1948 (yes, this is the Billboard magazine of music fame - they covered racing from after WW2 to the mid-50's).

What other funny/bizarre/unusual novelty races are forum members aware of?

Edited by Graham Clayton, 09 March 2012 - 10:45.


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#2 AAGR

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Posted 09 March 2012 - 11:46

When Ford-UK was promoting the FordSport Club in the 1970s, at one of its Fordsport 'Days' at Brands Hatch, it sponsored a (very) short race for Fordson tractors, in which some F1 drivers took part.

Trust me, it must be true, I read it in AUTOSPORT ....

AAGR

:clap:


#3 Pullman99

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Posted 09 March 2012 - 11:53

What other funny/bizarre/unusual novelty races are forum members aware of?


Well... there was the 2005 United States Grand Prix! :)

I cannot remember seeing any pics, but did John Webb promote a race for London Transport RF (single-decker) buses supporting one of the GPs there? 1968 (?)



#4 larryd

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Posted 09 March 2012 - 12:09

Well... there was the 2005 United States Grand Prix! :)

I cannot remember seeing any pics, but did John Webb promote a race for London Transport RF (single-decker) buses supporting one of the GPs there? 1968 (?)


And then there was caravan racing . . . . . . . .

:rotfl:


#5 nicanary

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Posted 09 March 2012 - 12:14

Wasn't there a bike race for drivers once at Brands?

There were regular "celebrity races" during the 50s at Goodwood, usually on a handicap basis, and sometimes with veteran cars.Does the initial "trial" production-car race at Brands count as a novelty?. It was held prior to the forthcoming new British Championship and entries included a Silver Shadow and a Fiat 500.

#6 Vitesse2

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Posted 09 March 2012 - 12:19

Caravan racing at Brands Hatch (and elsewhere?), milk floats at Ingliston ... there was also an odd pre-war one at Brooklands which involved an electric trolley. Lots in the very early years, like egg and spoon races, slow hillclimbs ...

#7 gkennedy

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Posted 09 March 2012 - 12:29

I recall an Australian Grand Prix meeting at Calder in the 1980s. Calder then was a little track with two short straights, one tight turn and a couple of wiggly bits. The AGP was for ANF2 cars, iirc, but the highlight was a 'race' with the GP drivers doing an economy run-type race in Holden Camiras. Camiras would be right up there in the world's list of bad and boring cars, and having Nelson Piquet, Alan Jones, Roberto Moreno etc. creeping around in them to see who was the last to stop was really gripping stuff. The race finished with stationary Camiras sitting silently around the circuit. I'm surprised with myself for remembering it. Maybe it was just for a thread like this.

Edited by gkennedy, 09 March 2012 - 23:49.


#8 D-Type

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Posted 09 March 2012 - 12:36

Google "Pig and Ford". I'm not giving a link as there are several sites to go to, including a YouTube one.

I have seen a race where the driver was blindfolded and had to trust his co-driver's instructions. With an intrepid observer in the back seat to ensure the driver didn't peek and disqualify them if thje co-driver panicked and grabbed the wheel..

Do the Brands Hatch celebrity races count - "House of Lords vs House of Commons", "DJ's", "Team Owners" and nowadays we could have "Top Gear Team and friends, including outed Stigs"



#9 Glengavel

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Posted 09 March 2012 - 12:54

When Ford-UK was promoting the FordSport Club in the 1970s, at one of its Fordsport 'Days' at Brands Hatch, it sponsored a (very) short race for Fordson tractors, in which some F1 drivers took part.

Trust me, it must be true, I read it in AUTOSPORT ....

AAGR

:clap:


Earlier than the 70s...here's a rare photograph (only linked because not sure about copyright violations) of someone getting some practice in...

Edited by Glengavel, 09 March 2012 - 12:55.


#10 john winfield

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Posted 09 March 2012 - 13:03

Perhaps I was part of the novelty target market because I can vouch for caravans, celebrities, tractors and bikes, many at Brands and some at Silverstone. Also at Brands, in the early 1970s, I remember a (beach) buggy race, team managers in Escorts (very competitive) and a Formula Ford 'last man standing event'. From memory this ended with the two remaining cars of (?) Frank Hopper and Syd Fox colliding on the last lap and the winner limping slowly over the line.
Monza used to feature running races in the 1970s - the ultra competitive, very fit Frank Williams often did well.

#11 Alfie

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Posted 09 March 2012 - 14:59

Could we possibly include the roller skate racing that took place during the lunch breaks at Mallory Park in the early 70s. I recall watching a number of the competitors getting very serious about it and changing wheels/bearings and all sorts. God knows why.

The tarmac burns that some incurred as a result of accidents through Devils Elbow (literally) in particular, seriously turned my stomach - and I suppose I ought to stop laughing at the memory of them!

#12 RCH

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Posted 09 March 2012 - 15:58

Fairly ordinary really in comparison to some here but at the 1961/2 (?) Silverstone International Trophy there was a race for identical standard Minis for the F1 drivers. Lined up on the grid in the same order as the main race. Just before the drop of the flag Innes Ireland (who else) was seen to get out his car and run round to talk to all the other drivers, they then all set off backwards...

#13 Stephen W

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Posted 10 March 2012 - 11:18

And then there was caravan racing . . . . . . . .

:rotfl:


They also had a class for Caravans at the Harewood hillclimb course.

Do the Brands Hatch celebrity races count - "House of Lords vs House of Commons", "DJ's", "Team Owners" and nowadays we could have "Top Gear Team and friends, including outed Stigs"


I remember the "Lords v Commons" and the "Team Owners" races at Brands.

There used to be a cycle race up Prescott Hillclimb course - usually at the September meeting.

Wasn't there a foot race round Monza for the drivers which I think James Hunt won?



#14 Graham Clayton

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Posted 17 August 2014 - 10:10

The 1963 Rebel 300 NASCAR race at the Darlington Raceway was run in two 110-lap segments with a 30 minute gap between each segment, with a points system used to determine the overall winner of the race. This is the only NASCAR race to be run in two segments. The second segment of the race also featured the only standing start in NASCAR history as well. NASCAR had axed the convertible division at the end of 1962, and without them, track promoterBob Colvin wanted to do something different for the race.



#15 Dick Dastardly

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Posted 17 August 2014 - 15:45

I remember caravans at Harewood Hill Climb...."Mad Dan" Colin Grewer, on the 180 left hander after the farmyard, got the caravan onto the grass and flipped it, so it was turned on the towbar, the car remaining right way up :drunk:

 

I remember the celebrity races....recall actor Rodney Bewes [off The Likely Lads] in one at Brands. Also a Shellsport Mexico race at Mallory March '76 that featured a young Ari Vatanen....

 

Frank Williams....pre wheelchair days obviously...used to run the circuits as well as James Hunt, and was a good 1/2 marathoner....