Jon Summers is a teaching assistant and guest lecturer at Stanford University. He’s an independent automotive historian, podcaster, and Pebble Beach Docent.
The chance gift of a small magazine archive to the SAH led Summers to research midget and sprint car racing during the immediate postwar period around his adopted home of the San Francisco Bay Area. This grassroots history charts the rise of great names in racing, such as Kurtis and Vukovich, yet was over in under a decade. Less than a century later no trace of the tracks remain. Summers’ presentation offers a glimpse into this already-lost world.
Credits
For more information on this presentation, including: notes, slides and transcription, please visit JonSummers.net.
This episode is part of our HISTORY OF MOTORSPORTS SERIES and is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family – and was recorded in front of a live studio audience.
The International Motor Racing Research Center and the Society of Automotive Historians present the Eighth Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History on Friday and Saturday, November 1 & 2, 2024, in the Media Center of the world-famous Watkins Glen International racing circuit in Watkins Glen, New York.
The Symposium is a unique gathering geared to independent scholars and historians, enthusiasts and the enthusiast media, motor sport participants and fans, and interested members of the general public. The two-day event is free and will be live streamed for remote viewing, courtesy of Gran Touring Motorsports. Both in-person and remote presentations will be made, which will be available post-event as YouTube recordings.
Presentation Topics:
Presentations on topics relevant to international motor sport history of all eras are welcome, including, but not limited to, the history, evolution, and development of race cars and motor sport technology; motor sport geography, oral history, and historiography; cultural, gender, media, and political histories of motor sport; and archival and museum studies. There are a limited number of presentation time slots available; submittals will be reviewed and selections will be made based on subject matter and perceived suitability for the Symposium.
To Submit a Presentation Abstract for Symposium Consideration:
Independent motor sport scholars and historians, independent researchers, and undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit abstracts, not exceeding 200 words, to the Symposium Administrators by August 2, 2024. Abstracts should summarize the content and thesis of the proposed presentation in a succinct and compelling manner and should include representative graphic images that the presenter intends to use as visual accompaniments to the presentation. The submitters must also indicate in their abstract whether it is their intention to make the presentation in person at Watkins Glen, or remotely by Zoom. Submission review, selection, and notification will be completed the week of August 19, 2024. Presenters selected should then expect to provide, within 30 days, an edited slide show (using PowerPoint software) of the graphics that will accompany their presentations for review and approval, and a final version of same by October 21st. Abstracts can be submitted in either Word or PDF documents. Presentations, including slides, video, film, or other visual techniques, must be limited to 35-40 minutes, including time for questions and answers. Presenters, in person at Watkins Glen or remotely via Zoom, will speak to the attendees at the racing circuit Media Center and simultaneously to the online live streaming viewers. YouTube videos of the presentations will be available post-event in the IMRRC online archives, while academic-focused presentations may be published in the SAH Automotive History Review and/or in the Journal of Motorsport Culture & History
For additional information, please visit the Symposium page of the IMRRC website, or contact Symposium Administrators Duke Argetsinger of the IMRRC, and Robert Barr and Chris Lezotte of the SAH.
Download the Call for Presentations.
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Oct. 11, 2022) – The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), in partnership with the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), will present the Sixth Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History.
This academic symposium will be held on Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5, in the Media Center at the Watkins Glen International race track. The IMRRC will host a reception, sponsored by the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, at the Research Center at 610 South Decatur Street in Watkins Glen on Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. All events are free and open to the public, who are welcome to attend any or all sessions. This year’s Symposium will be live-streamed thanks to the generous assistance of Gran Touring Motorsports. A detailed schedule, presenter bios, descriptions of presentations, and a link to the live stream are available at racingarchives.org.
The two-day program will feature a keynote address, “Moonshine and Its Connection to the American Auto Industry,” by Buz McKim, renowned NASCAR historian, on Saturday afternoon. Friday’s schedule includes a panel discussion hosted by Dr. Michael Stocz of the University of New Hampshire and other scholars on motorsports and its intricate
relationship to the media. A related presentation on Formula One and the media, “F1: From Circus to Media Spectacle” will be made by noted historian James Miller of Hampshire College. A unique perspective on motorsports will be offered by Mark Howell, Professor of Communications at Northwestern Michigan College, who will explore the connections between musicians and motorsports in his presentation “Living Loud and Living Fast.” Friday’s topics will include a presentation on lessons learned in teaching motorsports history by Professor Trey Cunningham, Chair of the Department of Sport and Motorsport Management at Belmont Abbey College. In addition to the keynote address, Saturday’s schedule features a morning presentation by Gordon Eliot White, oval track expert and author of authoritative works on Miller and Offenhauser race cars, on “Harry Miller: The Man and the Cars.” The afternoon session will feature “Fifty Years After Title IX – On and Off the Track: A Roundtable on Women in Motorsports,” moderated by Dr. Daniel J. Simone of the New
York Historical Society Museum and Library, formerly curator of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. A broad range of other aspects of motorsports history and culture will be explored in the two-day event by scholars from around the world, including presentations by experts from Australia, Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
The annual symposium began in 2015 and is named in honor of the late Michael R. Argetsinger, an award-winning motorsports author and longtime member of the IMRRC’s Governing Council. He was also a competitive driver for nearly 45 years, competing in more than 400 races at 54 different circuits in seven countries. Michael was the son of Jean and Cameron Argetsinger, who revived motor racing in the United States following World War II.
About The International Society of Automotive Historians (SAH)
The International Society of Automotive Historians encourages research into any aspect of automotive history. The SAH actively supports the compilation and preservation of papers, organizational records, print ephemera and images to safeguard, broaden and deepen the understanding of motorized, wheeled land transportation through the modern age and into the future. For more information about the SAH, visit autohistory.org.
About the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC)
Located in one of the premier racing towns in America, the IMRRC’s collection spans continents, eras, and race series, embodying the speed, drama and camaraderie of amateur and professional motor racing throughout the world. The Center welcomes serious researchers and casual fans alike to share stories of race drivers, race series, and race cars captured on its shelves and walls and brought to life through exhibitions and special events. The IMRRC is free and open to the public, no appointment necessary, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. More at racingarchives.org.
Download the Full Press Release.
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Oct. 31, 2019) – The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), in partnership with the Society of Automotive Historians and the Popular Culture Association’s Vehicle Culture Area, will present The Cultural Turn Meets the First Turn: Writing Motorsports History at the fifth annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History.
This academic symposium will be held on Nov. 8-9 in the Media Center at the Watkins Glen International race track. The IMRRC will host a reception at the Research Center at 610 South Decatur Street in Watkins Glen on Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. A detailed schedule for the weekend may be found at racingarchives.org. All events are free and open to the public, who are welcome to attend any or all sessions. The two-day program will feature a keynote address, Writing Motorsports History, by Dr. John Heitmann, Professor Emeritus at the University of Dayton on Saturday afternoon. Friday’s schedule includes three panels whose topics include an examination of the legacy of Juan Manuel Fangio; the exploits and real life of Britain’s first Speed Queen, Dorothy Levitt; and a consideration of the challenges encountered in presenting racing history to various generations, among others.
Saturday’s schedule includes the keynote address as well as two panels and a roundtable discussion entitled, Looking Forward: Writing about Motor Sports History and Culture, moderated by Col. H. Donald Capps, chair of the Society of Automotive Historians International Motor Sports History Section and member of the IMRRC Historian’s Council; and Dr. Pat Yongue, Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Houston, an expert on women in racing and a member of the Society of Automotive Historians International Motor Sports History Section.
Saturday’s panel topics will include the relationship between NASA and motorsports; moonshine and its relationship with the American auto industry; and a look at motorsports’ intricate and symbiotic relationship with media broadcasting, among others.
The annual symposium began in 2015 and was originally named in honor of Jean S. Argetsinger, a founder of the IMRRC. In 2017, Jean asked that the symposium be renamed for son Michael, an award-winning motorsports author and longtime member of the IMRRC’s Governing Council, who died in 2015.
The International Society of Automotive Historians encourages research into any aspect of automotive history. The SAH actively supports the compilation and preservation of papers, organizational records, print ephemera and images to safeguard, broaden and deepen the understanding of motorized, wheeled land transportation through the modern age and into the future. For more information about the SAH, visit autohistory.org.
The Popular Culture Association is a group of scholars and enthusiasts who study popular culture, writing, sharing and publishing in the field in a diverse array of subject areas, including vehicle culture. The mission of the International Motor Racing Research Center is to collect, preserve and share the global history of motorsports with all racing fans from the casual spectator to the serious researcher. Visitors are welcomed to the Center to see the On the Grid display car, browse the library, enjoy displays from the collection and watch 25
Years at Speed: The Watkins Glen Story with Brock Yates, a film on the early history of racing at the Glen in the Center’s theater. The staff is on hand to share their passion for motorsports with all racing enthusiasts. Admission is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 610 South Decatur Street in Watkins Glen.
“The First Turn Meets the Cultural Turn — History on the Eights” is the theme for the fourth annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History, scheduled for November 9-10 at Watkins Glen, New York.
Topics range from a discussion of the Cars animated movie — “Differentiating Between Richard ‘The King’ Petty and Pixar’s ‘Mr. The King’: Historiogrpahy in NASCAR and Why It Matters” — to a presentation by Karl Ludvigsen on his latest work, a two-volume biography, Reid Railton: Man of Speed.
The symposium is a joint project by the International Motor Racing Research Center and the Society of Automotive Historians.
“Seventy years ago, racing culture exploded,” automotive historian Don Capps is quoted in a news release. “1948 was definitely a keystone year. From the founding of NASCAR to the origin of racing in the streets of Watkins Glen and the birth of many legendary venues and marques in Europe, the post-war world was ready to embrace motorsports. The theme for this year’s symposium celebrates that.”
The complete schedule:
Friday, November 9
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Watkins Glen International Media Center
Tony Adamich of Kent State University discusses “Formula Vee: The Birth of Florida’s ‘People’s Race Car’.“
Francis Clax, host of The Motorcycle cable series, presents “Americans Enter International Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing.”
Kate Sullivan, speed-record driver and a psychologist at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, presents “From Grassroots to In-Groups: The Evolution of NASCAR Fan Identity from Accessible to Exclusionary.”
Skip McGoun, professor of finance at Bucknell University, discusses “Automobile Commerce and Competition in the 19th Century.”
Paul Baxa, chairman of the history department at Ave Maria University, presents “1928: Grand Prix Racing’s ‘Year Zero’.”
Bryan Gable, columnist for frontstretch.com, discusses “City of Racers: The Growth of the NASCAR Industry in Charlotte, North Carolina, 1949-2000.”
5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the International Motor Racing Research Center
A screening of Cars, followed by “Differentiating Between Richard ‘The King’ Petty and Pixar’s ‘Mr. The King’: Historiography in NASCAR and Why It Matters,” by automotive historian Jonathan Summers.
Saturday, November 10, at the Watkins Glen Elementary School auditorium
10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Topic: “Fair Play or Fear Play? A Comparative Analysis of Evolutions in American and European Representations of Motor Sport” including:
Timothy Robeers of Antwerp University shares his Ph.D. thesis research findings on “From Formula 1 to Formula E and Beyond: Media and Audience Representations of Electric Motor Sport in the 21st Century.”
Mark Howell, professor at Northwestern Michigan College, presents “Not my Daddy’s NASCAR: The Grand National Series, Narrative, and Collective Memory.”
Mike Stocz, assistant professor at the University of North Alabama, focuses on “Nostalgia & Today: Comparing Facebook Posts of User Interactions Surrounding Historic & Current Daytona 500 Events.”
1:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Karl Ludvigsen presents “Reid Railton: Man of Speed.”
Buz McKim, recently retired historian at the NASCAR Museum, offers the keynote lecture “The Formation and Early Days of NASCAR.”
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Roundtable discussion: “Stock Car Racing and History” featuring Donald Capps, U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.); Pat Yongue, professor emeritus, University of Houston; Scott Beekman, professor, University of Rio Grande.
All sessions are open to the public with no admission fees.
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Oct. 25, 2018) – The International Motor Racing Research Center is again partnering with the Society of Automotive Historians to present “The First Turn Meets the Cultural Turn – History on the Eights,” an academic symposium on racing history.
The fourth annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History will take place Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9 and 10. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend any or all of the sessions with no charge.
The two-day event will showcase discussions on Formula Vee, Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing, British automotive designer and engineer Reid Railton, several different presentations about NASCAR, and more. A detailed schedule may be seen on the Center’s website, racingarchives.org.
The Friday morning and afternoon sessions will be held at the Watkins Glen International Media Center adjacent to the race track. An evening reception from 5-8 p.m. at the IMRRC Visitor’s Center in downtown Watkins Glen will include a screening of the movie “Cars” followed by Jon Summers presenting “Differentiating Between Richard ‘The King’ Petty and Pixar’s ‘Mr. The King’: Historiography in NASCAR and Why It Matters.” The Saturday sessions will take place at the Watkins Glen Elementary School auditorium adjacent to the IMRRC. Buz McKim, recently retired historian at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. and author of “The NASCAR Vault: An Official History Featuring Rare Collectibles from Motorsports Images and Archives,” will be the keynote speaker.
World-renowned racing historian and author Karl Ludvigsen will speak about automotive engineer and the subject of his new book, “REID RAILTON: Man of Speed,” at the Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium. Photo: Courtesy of Karl Ludvigsen
Don Capps, chairman of the SAH International Motor Sports History Section and IMRRC Historians Council member, said that this year’s topics are particularly relevant. “Seventy years ago racing culture exploded,” Capps said. “1948 was definitely a keystone year. From the founding of NASCAR to the origin of racing in the streets of Watkins Glen and the birth of many legendary venues and marques in Europe, the post-war world was ready to embrace motorsports. The theme for this year’s symposium celebrates that.”
The symposium debuted in 2015 and originally was named in honor of the late Jean S. Argetsinger, who collaborated with her husband, Cameron, when he revived road racing in America after World War II and later brought the United States Grand Prix for a successful 20-year run at Watkins Glen.
Jean was a founder of the IMRRC. At Jean’s request, the symposium was re-named in 2017 in honor of her son, Michael R. Argetsinger, an award-winning motorsports author and a
longtime member of the IMRRC’s Governing Council who died in 2015. Among the supporters of the annual symposium is the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, which provides financial assistance. The International Motor Racing Research Center collects, shares and preserves the history of motorsports. Spanning continents, eras and race
series, the Center’s collection embodies the speed, drama and camaraderie of amateur and professional motor racing throughout the world. The Center welcomes serious researchers and the casual fans alike to share stories of race drivers, race series, and race cars captured on our shelves and walls, and brought to life through a regular calendar of public lectures and special events.
The International Society of Automotive Historians encourages research into any aspect of automotive history. The SAH actively supports the compilation and preservation of papers, organizational records, print ephemera and images to safeguard, broaden and deepen the understanding of motorized, wheeled land transportation through the modern age and into the future. For more information about the SAH, visit the website autohistory.org.
Download the Full Press Release.
Fourth Annual Michael Argetsinger Symposium Schedule – 2018
FRIDAY / 9 November
Location: Watkins Glen International Media Center
Morning Session
10am to 11am
• Tom Adamich (Formula Vee: The Birth of Florida’s “People’s Race Car)
• Francis Clax (Americans Enter International Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing)
11:15am to 12:15pm
• Kate Sullivan (From Grassroots to In-Groups: The Evolution of NASCAR Fan Identity
from Accessible to Exclusionary)
• Skip McGoun (Automobile Commerce and Competition in the 19th Century)
Afternoon Session
3:30pm to 5pm
• Paul Baxa (1928: Grand Prix Racing’s “Year Zero”)
• Bryan Gable (City of Racers: The Growth of the NASCAR Industry in Charlotte, North
Carolina, 1949-2000)
Evening Session at the IMRRC Visitor’s Center
5:30pm to 8pm
Open reception at IMRRC, including screening of movie Cars, followed by:
• Jon Summers (Differentiating Between Richard “The King” Petty and Pixar’s “Mr. The
King”: Historiography in NASCAR and Why It Matters)
SATURDAY / 10 November
Location: IMRRC – School Auditorium Annex
Morning Session
10:30am to 12pm
Panel: Fair Play of Fear Play? A Comparative Analysis of Evolutions in American and European
Representations of Motor Sport
• Timothy Robeers (From Formula 1 to Formula E and Beyond: Media and Audience
Representations of Electric Motor Sport in the 21st Century)
• Mark Howell (“Not my Daddy’s NASCAR”: The Grand National Series, Narrative, and
Collective Memory)
• Mike Stocz (Nostalgia & Today: Comparing Facebook Posts of User Interactions
Surrounding Historic & Current Daytona 500 Events)
Afternoon Session
1:30pm to 3:15pm
• Karl Ludvigsen (Reid Railton: Man of Speed)
• Keynote Speaker: Buz McKim (The Formation and Early Days of NASCAR)
4pm to 6:00pm
Roundtable: Stock Car Racing and History
• In addition to the Presenters identified above, the roundtable will include Don Capps, Pat
Yongue, Scott Beekman, and Dan Simone
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Sept. 28, 2015) – The International Motor Racing Research Center is partnering in October with the International Motor Sports History Section of the Society of Automotive Historians for an academic symposium on road racing.
The inaugural Jean S. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History will be Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Racing Research Center, 610 S. Decatur St., Watkins Glen, at 1 p.m. The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce is a sponsor.
This academic forum offers graduate students, professors and historians an opportunity to present on any subject reflecting the rich cultural history of road racing. The public is invited to attend, and pre-registration is not required.
Joe Freeman, car collector and owner of Racemaker Press, which specializes in books about vintage racing, will give the keynote address. Freeman is a past president of the Society of Automotive Historians.
Presentations will cover the topics of the 1928 Italian Grand Prix, the evolution of sports car racing in Southern Ontario post-World War II and sports car racing in the Canadian Atlantic Region.
Pat Yongue, a professor in the University of Houston English Department and an expert on women in racing, will be the symposium moderator. Yongue is a member of the SAH International Motor Sports History Section.
“This is the first step in what we anticipate to be both an exciting partnership as well as a means to develop and support scholarship in the too-often neglected field of international automotive competition. I am really delighted to see this finally happening,” Don Capps, chairman of the SAH International Motor Sports History Section, said.
The symposium, which organizers plan to be an annual event, is named in honor of Jean S. Argetsinger, who was present with her husband, Cameron, when he revived road racing in America after World War II and later brought the United States Grand Prix for a successful 20-year run at Watkins Glen. She was one of the founders of the Racing Research Center.
“The Center is not a museum, nor is it an entertainment facility. The Center collects, preserves and distributes automobile racing information, which makes for a fascinating history,” said Argetsinger, who is a member of the Center’s Governing Council. “The IMRRC welcomes the presence of these scholars of the sport.” Racing Research Center collections encompass race series and racing venues worldwide.
The Center is the repository for several organizational archives, including the Sports Car Club of America and the Road Racing Drivers Club. The Center owns the archives of National Speed Sport News and the archives of John Bishop, co-founder of IMSA. The international Society of Automotive Historians encourages research into any aspect of automotive history. The SAH actively supports the compilation and preservation of papers, organizational records, print ephemera and images to safeguard, broaden and deepen the understanding of motorized, wheeled land transportation through the modern age and into the future. For more information about the SAH, visit the website www.autohistory.org. To learn more about the International Motor Racing Research Center, visit www.racingarchives.org.