The History of Sprint Car Racing

In order to properly understand dirt racing and sprint car racing in general, you will need to look back at the rich history that comes with the sport. Sprint car racing is one of the oldest forms of auto racing, with ties back to 1915 when the IMCA was formed. The sport began at fairgrounds around the country that had horse racing tracks that were usually 1/2 mile – 1 mile in distance. The term “sprint car” did not start popping up until the early 1950s, so let’s look at what was taking place before that.

Helpful Links

• World of Outlaws History
• All Star Circuit of Champions History
• Knoxville Nationals Statistics
• Sprint Car Racing WIKI
• A Famous 1930s Sprint Car

Timeline

1915 – 1930

• The IMCA was formed (International Motor Contest Association) as a result of fairground owners and others involved in racing becoming disgruntled with the AAA (American Automobile Association). The AAA was a sanctioning body at the time and were raising fees, so the IMCA was formed to begin sanctioning their own dirt races.
• At the time, these cars were called “big cars.” Racers began cutting down Model T Fords to make them into race cars that were lighter with an 88 inch wheelbase.
• After the war, big car racing was experiencing a boom in popularity and tracks were being built specifically for dirt racing as opposed to horse racing.
• Soon, the term “speedway cars” was being tossed around, as racers were no longer using “stock cars” to build their race cars. Speedway cars were built according to the rulebook of Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the time. A rule change saw many of these speedway cars become obsolete. Dirt racers then converted these cars into “dirt track cars.” These cars would run unsanctioned “grassroots” races and the term “outlaw” would be embedded in the sport forever.

1930 – 1950

• The 1930s could be referred to as the “golden age” of sprint car (big car) racing. Races were taking place all over the country and sanctioning bodies were being created to challenge the AAA.
• In the early 1940s, the AAA began introducing standard rules and different classes. They had rules for “half-mile cars”, “championship cars,” and “non-championship” cars. They had their own championship series called the “Big Car Championship Circuits.”
• The 1940s also saw the Offenhauser Engine rise to dominance. This was the premier engine in all “big cars” at the time and was under the hood of many top contenders.
• During this time period, midget racing was on the rise and rules like “minimum wheel size” were forced into the “big cars” series.
• Due to the dangerous nature of big car racing, the average career length of a driver was only seven years.

1950 – 1970

• This is where the term “sprint car” started being used. Some would say the term started because of the short distances of the races.
• Sprint car racing began to become more expensive, and other forms of grassroots racing like modifieds were being introduced. Some would have cars that could be converted into a sprint car to adjust to the growing cost of the sport.
• These cars would soon be known as a “super modified” and were growing in popularity during the mid 1950s. Their roll cage was a safer alternative to sprint car racing.
• Knoxville Raceway officially held their first “sprint car” race in 1954.
• In 1958, Jim Cushman debuted his winged super modified at Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio.
• In 1961, the first ever Knoxville Nationals was held at Knoxville Raceway.
• In the 1960s, the AAA was officially replaced by USAC. The threat of the winged super modified or super sprint taking over the sport put them in an awkward position. USAC was not mandating roll cages at the time and were coming under scrutiny for the lack of safety involved with the sprint cars.

1970 – 1980

• In 1970, the All Star Circuit of Champions was founded by Bud Miller, Wellman Lehman and a few other businessmen. They officially went national in 1973, sanctioned the Knoxville Nationals, and then suspended operations due to the gasoline crisis at the time. The series would return in 1980 with new leadership.
• During the early 1970s, all sanctioning bodies of sprint car racing were now mandating roll cages.
• Not all series and promoters were mandating wings, but they were becoming to preferred style of car due to the speeds that caught the attention of fans.
• In 1978, Ted Johnson founded the World of Outlaws. Johnson wanted to be the true “outlaw” and fill the void of a national sprint car touring series with a championship points fund. Driving a non-winged sprint car, Jimmy Boyd won the first ever World of Outlaws race.
• Also in 1978, sprint car legend Sammy Swindell would win his first two outlaw races of his career. Doug Wolfgang would win the 1978 Knoxville Nationals. Steve Kinser would be the first ever World of Outlaws champion.
• In 1980, the All Star Circuit of Champions would return and Bobby Allen would win the series’ first championship.

From there, sprint car racing advanced into the sport we know today. Advances in technology and safety altered the cars over the years, but the overall design of a sprint car has remained unchanged. The standard wheelbase that you see on a sprint car today is just two inches shorter than it was in 1920. For more information on modern day sprint car racing, check out our sprint car education page.