21 replies to this topic

[DCapps]

Here is information regarding the launch of the Journal of Motorsport Culture & History.

 

##################################

 

The Journal of Motorsport Culture & History aims to provide quality motorsport-based academic research based on cultural or historical inquiries. Issues will be released bi-annually in April and October, starting in October of 2019. Manuscripts will be subject to a desk review for fit, and a double-blind peer review for quality and rigor. Student authors are encouraged to submit their research as one article per issue will include a manuscript featuring student author(s).

Call for Papers!

The Journal of Motorsport Culture & History is currently accepting academic papers on cultural and historical inquiries on motorsport. Papers may include, but are not limited to, motorsport research on sociology, cultural studies, communication studies, and history. We invite all works to enter into our peer review process!

 

JMCH Aims & Scope

The Journal of Motorsport Culture & History aims to provide quality motorsport based academic research based on cultural or historical inquiries. Issues will be released twice per year in April and October, starting in October of 2019. Manuscripts will be subject to a desk review for fit, and a double-blind peer review for quality and rigor. Student authors are encouraged to submit their research as well.

 

The scope of JMCH includes, but is not limited to, motorsport research or interpretive essays within: sociology, cultural studies, communication studies, and history (books & newspapers, films, movies, radio & television, museum exhibits, resource guides).

 

#############################

 

(https://ir.una.edu/j...culturehistory/)

 

############################

 

The Journal of Motorsport Culture & History is the academic, scholarly journal that many of us have long discussed and wished for and dreamed about for ages. The editor-in-chief, Dr. Mike Stocz, is a faculty member at the University of North Alabama, located in Florence, Alabama, USA. Whereas others have toyed with this idea and gotten nowhere, Mike and the others -- managing editor, Dr, Alonzo Maestas, University of New Mexico, associate editors Dr. Mark Howell, Northwestern Michigan College and Timothy Robeers, University of Antwerp -- have pushed forward and are making this a reality. Mike, Mark, and Timothy have all been presenters at the Michael Argetsinger Symposium at Watkins Glen, Mark being one of our stalwart supporters and a longtime friend.

 

This is a For Real Journal.

 

There are no end of people here on this forum who have research efforts that should be in the journal. In addition, there are those her who could assist as referees for submitted articles, assisting with the peer-review process.

 

I cannot thank Mike, Alonzo, Mark, and Timothy for the hard work it has taken to just get it to this point. They persisted where the rest of us faltered.

 

Full disclosure: I am a member of the editorial board of the JMSCH.

Edited by DCapps, 21 March 2019 - 23:09.

[Afterburner]

Thank you so much for sharing this–it sounds really, really cool. I will have to keep an eye out this October.

[Vitesse2]

Don, a question - I'm somewhat confused by this passage in the General Submission Rules:

 

Submitted articles cannot have been previously published, nor be forthcoming in an archival journal or book (print or electronic).

Does this preclude any subsequent publication of the same - or substantially the same - material at any time in the future? Or does it refer only to already accepted, commissioned or contracted publication? In my experience 'forthcoming' can mean anything a publisher wants it to mean!

 

In explanation - I have a couple of already-written pieces which (with a few tweaks) I think are possibly suitable, but they are part of a much larger project which I would hope to get published in book form; from my point of view, it would be a way of actually getting my research noticed and maybe attracting the attention of a commercial publisher. I also have a third, which has been circulated to some friends and acquaintances in PDF form, but which - although already cited in at least one other writer's work - has not been commercially published.

[DCapps]

Richard,

 

That statement refers to an article already published or awaiting publication in, say, The Racing Nostalgia Monthly, or The Journal of Scholarly Nostalgia or as a chapter the book/monograph, Bernie: Poison Dwarf or Merely Poison?

 

It is also the sort of the commonly used "boilerplate" language that academic/scholarly journals inevitably use in their submission criteria.

 

One of the reasons that these sorts of journals exist is to allow researchers to have the opportunity to present new or revised interpretations. What they are stating is that it is not going to be a "reprint" publication of work already in print elsewhere and already generally available,

 

 You have a number of excellent pieces that would seem to readily lend themselves to the journal. In other words, have at it, Richard!

 

The same goes for a number of the other of you here.

 

Keep in mind that the JMSCH is truly unique and breaking new ground within the Academe. It will never challenge the circulation of journals from the AHA or OAH or even NASSH, but it will open doors for opportunities for scholars to present their work that really does not exist at the moment. It will take time to establish the journal, but Mike, Alonso, Mark, and Timothy are in it for the long run. They have set it in such a way that it has the institutional support necessary to give it the time to establish itself, perhaps the one factor that previous efforts did not have.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Postscript.

 

Also, keep in mind: Footnotes, Citations, And Bibliographies Are Your Friends.

 

I think that it is also evident that articles being submitted will be using either the University of Chicago (Turabian) or the MLA (Modern Language Association) format, with either one being fine.

[Vitesse2]

Okay, understood. I was obviously overthinking it!

 

So, having learned how to do Harvard citations for my Open University courses I'm now going to have to tackle MLA ...

[DCapps]

Okay, understood. I was obviously overthinking it!

 

So, having learned how to do Harvard citations for my Open University courses I'm now going to have to tackle MLA ...

 

Stick with Harvard and you will definitely be okay, believe me. It is an accepted and effective system so there should be no problems with it at all. Don't sweat it, you are good to go.

 

As for MLA... Well, I have used it, but having used the Turabian (Chicago) system since St. Kate was still around, the edition of St. Kate's Opus that I used for my research papers in high school being the 2nd., my comfort zone with MLA is still very small. It certainly works, but St. Kate or something similar (Harvard for one) works better for me.

[Vitesse2]

MLA actually looks simpler - and the Open University's version of Harvard isn't exactly standard. Every institution seems to have its own version of Harvard - even some of the OU's tutors get it wrong, often because they were brought up using some other system.

[DCapps]

MLA actually looks simpler - and the Open University's version of Harvard isn't exactly standard. Every institution seems to have its own version of Harvard - even some of the OU's tutors get it wrong, often because they were brought up using some other system.

 

Actually, the MLA is pretty easy, I am just a creature of habit and what was accepted in my field.

[tsrwright]

How is 'motorsport' defined?

 

Is it only 4 wheel stuff?

[DCapps]

How is 'motorsport' defined?

 

Is it only 4 wheel stuff?

 

There is far more to the study of the culture and history of motor sport than simply thinking of it in terms of whether or not it is "four-wheeled stuff," of course. So, no, it not "only 4 wheel stuff."

[tsrwright]

Thanks, but why be so snotty about it?

[DCapps]

Thanks, but why be so snotty about it?

 

Terry.

 

Sorry, please rest assured I certainly did not intend to be "snotty" in my response. My sincere apologies if it came off that way.

 

Don

[tsrwright]

Ok, forgiven, Don, and I am sorry too for being grumpy.

 

It is a pity there isn't a word to cover 'motorized wheeled sport' (on land and ice too) but in its absence I guess 'motor' will do, such as in the recently established 'Australian Motor Heritage Foundation'.

 

Perhaps if the journal title used 'motor sport' that would usefully distinguish it from 'motorsport' as in 'Motorsport UK'.

 

Either way I don't expect much 2/3 wheeled interest but it would be good if there was.

 

 

 

T

[DCapps]

Terry,

 

I did not name the journal, definitely preferring "Motor Sport" over "Motorsport" for many reasons.

 

I continue to think that there is still a plethora of topics within what you correctly suggest is the vague subject area known as "motor sport."

 

The need for more on two/three-wheeled sport is simply one topic deserving far more attention that it is getting.

 

While there continues to be the perception of considerable tension at times between -- for lack of better words -- hobbyists/enthusiasts/historical writers and academics/scholars (not necessarily the same thing, surprisingly enough) that is correctly deemed as being largely both unnecessary and highly counterproductive, it is encouraging that more than a few folks are looking at the sport in ways that are not only refreshing, but fascinating in many instances. More times than not, the symbiotic relationship between the two rather nebulous groups (academics/scholars have an enthusiasm, restrained it might appear to be others, otherwise why would they devote some much of their attention and even lives to such topics) begins with one or the other raising a topic and the other then following it in some fashion.

 

Speed events -- record speed trials, drag racing, sprints, hill climbs -- deserve more attention, regardless of the number of wheels being used.

 

Reliability contests of the various sorts also deserve far more attention than they have gotten so far, especially in the early years of the sport.

 

Of course, how/why the sport adapts to geographic areas is yet another topic area that lends itself to some thinking out of the usual boxes.

 

Plus, I have to admit that despite so much being done regarding the 500cc F-3, there still seems to be questions out there regarding various aspects of this particular niche.

 

Not to mention, for example, that inquiries into the history of motor sport -- in its various guises -- in Australia alone would exhaust even the hardiest of researchers....

 

As always, best regards,

 

Don

[tsrwright]

How's it going?

[DCapps]

How's it going?

 

Terry,

 

I am in Melbourne (the one in Victoria, not Florida) at the moment for the AHA conference and will seeing Mike at the Argetsinger Symposium on either the 7th or 8th of November. In our last exchange, they had several submissions and doing the editing and peer review. Coordinating class schedules and conferences is causing the usual headaches, of course, with all this. Plus, it is a bit more challenging getting the thing out than most realize.

 

As soon as I get an update, I will let everyone know.

 

Don

[GMiranda]

It seems quite interesting. Motor sport works in academic style?

[Vitesse2]

Terry,

 

I am in Melbourne (the one in Victoria, not Florida) at the moment for the AHA conference and will seeing Mike at the Argetsinger Symposium on either the 7th or 8th of November. In our last exchange, they had several submissions and doing the editing and peer review. Coordinating class schedules and conferences is causing the usual headaches, of course, with all this. Plus, it is a bit more challenging getting the thing out than most realize.

 

As soon as I get an update, I will let everyone know.

 

Don

Well, without wishing to pre-empt Don, here it (finally) is!

 

https://ir.una.edu/j...culturehistory/

[DCapps]

I somehow managed to somehow let this slip by me, so thanks to Richard for bringing it to everyone's attention.

 

Richard, by the way, has an excellent article of the very sort that we truly need more of regarding the sport. Well done, Richard!

 

That said, each and every one of the articles are excellent and the sort of material that is usually presented at the Symposium -- which we fervently hope will return next year.

 

Mike and the journal crew did an excellent job pulling it all together and ready in time for the original date of this year's Symposium.

 

Without the Argetsinger family this symposium would never have seen the light of day. Duke is carrying on things at the IMRRC and I appreciate all the hard work and support that he and the others at the IMRRC have performed over the years to make the Symposiums possible.

 

Along with my great longtime friend, co-conspirator, fellow rabble-rouser, and co-founder of the Symposium, Dr. Pat Yongue formerly of the Univ. of Houston, we have stepped into the emeritus role regarding the Symposium. We believe it is in good hands and hope that it brings racing historians together for many years to come.

[nexfast]

I took advantage of the link to read the article on Cuban Motorsports by Tom Adamich. I developed an interest in the subject since I read "Caribbean Cappers", an excellent book (in my modest opinion) about the 50's races in Cuba. I was even surprised it was never quoted in the footnotes since it covers a lot of ground both about the sport and political environment of the time. Nevertheless, the paper was quite informative not only about the earlier years  - and I must confess I was unaware of Carricaburn's exploits and Amador's string of victories - but in particular about the current inventiveness of the car-minded cuban population. The Havana Motor Club endeavours also deserve a mention and I was pretty surprised someone is able to own a Porsche in the island. So all in all a very deserving paper that is not stained buy a few typos when using words in spanish. Now, about a certain "Sterling Moss" that pops up a few times I'm not sure how forgeteful this forum might be...

[Michael Ferner]

Heads must roll...

[Darren Galpin]

The Cuba paper was interesting, but I think is a little light on the earlier years. It mentions Oriental Park, but misses road races such as Artemisa-Cayajabos in 1920, the Havana-Quanajay-Havana road race in 1923, as well as other venues such as Vedado, which attracted drivers from Australia. It fails to mention the high rate of injury and death in these events - for example, in 1926 an event was held in Havana on a 1.2 mile street circuit in honour of President Machado in which 17 people were injured and four killed. There is much more to be uncovered about this era and how it was seen locally - generally it was only reported abroad if there were fatalities, or if an American did well or won.

 

It should be noted that it was common in the winter months for there to be a southern tour amongst the drivers - they would often head south and race in Mexico, Cuba, even in Argentina, usually on horse tracks just as they would in America. Obviously politics put the final stop to this, but it wasn't the complete reason as to why it died out. The paper is a stake in the ground - it needs someone with access to better sources than I to move it on.