Motorsport Quiz

[Gerard C]

You can also look for centerlock wheel…

[E.B]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

I’m terrible with trivia but assuming the word play was intentional, ID and 4 stood out to me in your wording (ID.4) reminds me that a VW beetle briefly raced in NASCAR.

Or am I just thinking of that Herbie movie?

We have one of the 4..... A Volkswagen Beetle was entered in the July 1953 race at Langhorne Speedway, piloted by Dick Hagey.


No, this wasn’t a scene out of The Love Bug, but it definitely could have been the influence for that film, in which Herbie coincidentally wears the number 53, like the year of that race. Influence or coincidence.... I dont know.

Out of 35 vehicles on the field, the Beetle miraculously finished 18th, despite only being powered by 30 horsepower on its rear bumper. It remains the only Beetle to run in a NASCAR Grand National race, now known as a Sprint Cup race.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by E.B

OK I actually think this will be relatively easy to solve, and to make it less so I have added a bit from what I sent Gerard. Here goes:

We all tend to think of NASCAR as being a haven for Big American V8 powered, until we had a foreign interloper in the form of Toyota join in earlier in the millennium.

However back in the days of the first decade or so after NASCAR was born it wasnt always that way. A few non American cars popped up in a few NASCAR events. There is one particular car I want you to ID for me, but I am asking for the names of all 4.

So, 4 foreign interlopers to NASCAR back in the fifties, 3 of the 4 unique in some way. It would be all 4 are unique but two share the same uniqueness so I want those 4 names plus bonus point for what the three unique ones did or were.

OK so as not to be accused of misleading info I have just discovered another three foreign cars that fit the bill, so seven brands or marques if you prefer.

As a clue one race had all bar two of the seven brands I am thinking of, racing.

[rbs]

I have notes that in 1953 Alfa Romeo, Porsche & Aston Martin took part, Jaguar stayed until 56. MG from 54-62, Triumph in 1960 and Austin Healey in 61 & 62.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by rbs

I have notes that in 1953 Alfa Romeo, Porsche & Aston Martin took part, Jaguar stayed until 56. MG from 54-62, Triumph in 1960 and Austin Healey in 61 & 62.

In that case you have found another three marques not on my list. I had Jaguar Porsche MG and Austin Healey on my list but not Triumph Alfa or Aston. Thats not to say the last three didnt run.

But no one has yet mentioned the one car I particularly wanted, despite me dropping in clues.

So we have from my list
Porsche
Volkswagen (Beetle)
MG
Austin Healey
Jaguar

Plus Triumph Alfa and Aston from 'rbs' records not on my list.


So still 2 to go in the names / marques.

Plus the side questions which I will be more specific about.

Two of these races that included foreign cars included 'firsts' as far as Stock Car Racing goes. (And first race to include foreign cars is not one of the answers.)

Three of the cars/drivers had something unique that were also first.

One is very obvious and was to do with the first car mentioned (by Chillibowl) although another car mentioned enjoys the same 'quirk'.

[Gerard C]

See that EB, you look for two cars, add some and… wahoo, RB comes and fills a gap we knew nothing about. What thread!

[rbs]

VW & Porsche 356 would be the only rear engined cars.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

See that EB, you look for two cars, add some and… wahoo, RB comes and fills a gap we knew nothing about. What thread!

I might have him on one of the side questions though!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by rbs

VW & Porsche 356 would be the only rear engined cars.

OK thats the obvious one.....

Still the couple of ID's left and also the side questions.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by rbs

VW & Porsche 356 would be the only rear engined cars.

OK thats the obvious one.....


Still the couple of car ID's left and also the side questions as follows:

Two of these races that included foreign cars included 'firsts' as far as Stock Car Racing goes. (And first race to include foreign cars is not one of the answers.)

Two of the cars/drivers had something unique that were also first. 'rbs' got the 3rd one with the fact the Porsche / Beetle were rear engined.

[Gerard C]

Rear engined and air cooled.

[rbs]

Surpised you did not have the Aston in your list Chris, It was in the same Langhorne race as the VW, as was the 2 Porsches and the mass of (6)? XK Jaguars.

The Alfa was 1962 at the Winston-Sale 0.25 mile oval driven by Bill Block, this race also had 4 MG & 4 x Austin Healey in the listings.

[Gerard C]

Yes but its not the race/track he's looking for… Once you get the race, everything will become crystal clear. Looking for a win in category could help.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by rbs

Surpised you did not have the Aston in your list Chris, It was in the same Langhorne race as the VW, as was the 2 Porsches and the mass of (6)? XK Jaguars.

Hmmmm, on rechecking, it seems Aston was listed on my source document. I can only offer as an excuse too much Xmas cheer must have clouded my vision.

[Gerard C]

RB, you're looking for non US cars, brand and model, coming from a country you do know. It works for chillibowl too. Hope Malcolm will join and others too! C'on guys!

[crmalcolm]

June 13, 1954, International 100 at Linden Airport in New Jersey.
NASCARs first road race.
Keller's win in the Jaguar XK120 was the first import win.
Keller became the first NASCAR pilot to win on both a road course and an oval in a single season.

A fourth milestone might have occurred. Because sports car luminary Bob Grossman drove, it might have been the first appearance of Gucci loafers at a NASCAR event. Experts opinions are divided on this. [credit to Racers Reunion]

Twenty-one import makes started at Linden, including Jaguar (13), MG (five), Austin-Healey (one), Morgan (one) and Porsche (one). The Morgan finished 41st.


June 1, 1958, Crown America 500 at the Riverside International Raceway.
Four import makes started at Riverside, including Citroen (2), Goliath (1) and Renault (1).

[Gerard C]

Another unexpected but very good answer. You can go on with Riverside 500…

[E.B]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

June 13, 1954, International 100 at Linden Airport in New Jersey.
NASCARs first road race.
Keller's win in the Jaguar XK120 was the first import win.

A fourth milestone might have occurred. Because sports car luminary Bob Grossman drove, it might have been the first appearance of Gucci loafers at a NASCAR event. Experts opinions are divided on this. [credit to Racers Reunion]

Twenty-one import makes started at Linden, including Jaguar (13), MG (five), Austin-Healey (one), Morgan (one) and Porsche (one). The Morgan finished 41st.

June 1, 1958, Crown America 500 at the Riverside International Raceway.
Four import makes started at Riverside, including Citroen (2), Goliath (1) and Renault (1).

Morgan and Citroen were the two I was after.... the Goliath and Renault were late discoveries on my part and I decided another update of the question wasnt in the interest of the quiz at that stage.
.
I tried my hardest to give clues for the Citroen.... repeatedly asking for an ID (The Citroens were ID19's)

Of the side questions, the two for track / race quirks, indeed Linden was the first ever Road Race. (Albeit at an airfield Well done CRM for that. (@CRM I didnt include the Gucci Loafers as an answer due to the doubt factor involved.)

So their is one first for a foreign car NASCAR race yet to be mentioned.(See below in bold)

Yes, Keller's Jaguar win was the first foreign car to win (A NASCAR race outright), and that is what I was looking for but I have also read elsewhere it was also the last foreign car to win a NASCAR race outright..... until Toyota came along some 50 years later. (Keller remains the only winner of a NASCAR race in a British car)

Actually one of the mentioned cars were classified as class winners in a race, so that is up for an answer.

Well done Chillibowl, RBS and CRM for all providing some correct answers. Also thanks Gerard for his non competing input

We still have quirk of a car properties to be a first... that should be easy looking at the cars.

However we also still have one race 'first' for a NASCAR race that happened to occur at a foreign car included race. Any takers for that?

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by E.B

Well done Chillibowl, RBS and CRM for all providing some correct answers. We still have quirk of a car properties to be a first... that should be easy looking at the cars. However we also still have one race 'first' for a NASCAR race that happened to occur at a foreign car included race. Any takers for that?

And we both thought the answer was coming straight forward! Watta thread again!

[crmalcolm]

Just while the last parts of the NASCAR question are being contemplated - I'll jump in with the next question:

During Lap 47 of the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix a new record was set for F1. The previous record was almost broken at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, but not quite. What was the previous record, and how long did it stand for?

[E.B]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Keller became the first NASCAR pilot to win on both a road course and an oval in a single season.

I did not count that or include in my initial thoughts as looking online I only found Keller to have won two NASCAR "Cup Series" wins... one in 1954 (Linden) the other 1956 on an Oval. I confess to not having searched beyond this page on his career summary table...
https://frcs.pro/nascar/cup/drivers/al-keller


Edit: From the same source on looking closer I now find conflicting info.... The same page on the same website, in the career highlights up the page, before the table indeed shows 2 wins in 1954, one at Linden and one at Oglethorpe Speedway. Still talks of 2 wins but shows his first and last wins to both be 1954 as below.

FIRST WIN
1954-05 at Oglethorpe Speedway on March 28th, 1954.

LAST WIN
1954-18 at Linden Airport on June 13th, 1954.

So conflicting info from the same website unless Im reading the summary wrong.

2nd edit... it might be me misreading the table.... initially I noticed two "1"s one in 1954 and one in 1956 and thought that was wins. It seems not and related to something else. Perhaps a Christmas cheer /senior moment issue on my part

[rbs]

Is one of the the Firsts to do with the Citroens being Front Weel Drive or even the only FWD time

[E.B]

Originally Posted by rbs

Is one of the the Firsts to do with the Citroens being Front Weel Drive or even the only FWD time

Yes, thats the one..... although I would have accepted Hydro-Pneumatic suspension as well!
Citroen did also manage to achieve something else as well in that Crown America 500 on June 1, 1958 (at Riverside)

Pretty much the only other part left is the final question relating to a race 'first' for a NASCAR race that happened to occur at a foreign car included race.

[Gerard C]

The ID model, which was cheaper, simpler and lighter was wise because the DS had a semi auto gearbox. And the ID has centerlock wheels but dunno if this helped much. The hydro pneumatic suspension allowed to adjust the ride height but from the pics it seems this feature has not been ued.


Thank you EB, and congrats to the players who all won!
Un joli cadeau en ces temps de fête.

[E.B]

No problems Gerard and also my thanks to those who took part...

Originally Posted by E.B

However we also still have one race 'first' for a NASCAR race that happened to occur at a foreign car included race. Any takers for that?

A clue perhaps.... it has been a feature of other category races prior to this first time it occurred in a NASCAR race. What is it ?