Editor’s Note: In a nod to our 90 years of history, each week SPEED SPORT will look back at the top stories from 15, 30 and 60 years ago as told in the pages of National Speed Sport News.
15 Years Ago — 2009
News: Mercedes Benz will field its own team in 2010 following the announcement Monday that it has bought 75.1 percent of the reigning world championship squad Brawn.
McLaren and Mercedes, meanwhile, will realign their long-term partnership, which began in 1995.
While Mercedes will continue to supply McLaren with engines until 2015, and perhaps beyond, McLaren will buy out Mercedes’ 40-percent share of the team by 2011. It will continue to be known as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.
The announcements bring a conclusion to months of speculation and denials that Daimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz, wanted to split with McLaren and control its own F-1 team.
This marks the first time since Juan Manuel Fangio won the championship in 1955 that Mercedes will own a majority share and control of a factory F-1 team.
The new team will be known as Mercedes Grand Prix. It will carry the famous Silver Arrows silver paint scheme, as well as the nickname the Silver Arrows F-1 team.
Winners: Tragedy-weary Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, can expect to receive a symbol of perseverance, loyalty and that.
NHRA teamwork in the next week or so. U.S. Army Dragster driver Tony Schumacher will see to Schumacher earned his seventh overall and sixth-straight National Hot Rod Ass’n Top Fuel
championship Sunday at the Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, and he said he
personally will deliver the championship trophy he won by a mere two points.
“It has to be there. This is an Army Strong trophy. I don’t think there’s any question. where that belongs,” Schumacher said after edging nemesis Larry Dixon and the A1-Anabi Racing team by the slimmest margin of victory in any NHRA title chase.
The NHRA’s three-year-old Countdown to One lived up to its potential at Auto Club Raceway, as
Schumacher and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Hector Arana waited until the fmal day of the 24-race
season to earn their titles. Both Hobert Hight (Funny Car) and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) clinched their first championships by the end of qualifying Saturday.
30 Years Ago — 1994
News: The sound heard rushing through the world of Winston Cup and Busch Series racing Monday afternoon was not that of another tire going flat; it was a collective sigh of relief in response to the news that Hoosier was withdrawing from NASCAR touring series competition.
Bob Newton did what he hoped he would not have to do when he returned to Winston Cup racing at the beginning of the 1994 season — he is leaving.
Newton, president of the Indiana-based Hoosier Racing Tire, announced late Monday his company was withdrawing from competition in both NASCAR’s Winston Cup and Grand National Series, effective immediately.
“We were thrilled with the successes we enjoyed in the top two levels of NASCAR racing this season,” Newton said. “We had three wins in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, plus a win in the Winston Select, and 12 poles. We also had three wins and five poles in the Busch Series.
“Our effort In NASCAR Winston Cup and NASCAR Busch Series racing has been rewarding for us, but we remain a family-owned company that relies totally on Income from the sale of racing tires to remain profitable,” Newton said.
Winners: Mark Martin drove under the checkered flag and flicked off the lights on stock car racing in 1994.
“Do I need to make another lap, or is the race over?” he asked lightheartedly on the
radio. “This one is in the bag, baby,” Steve Hmiel, the team manager, replied. “Bring it
on home.”
Martin’s remark was an obvious reference to a Grand National race at Bristol earlier this year. Martin was the leader when the caution flag waved. As he drove off the fourth turn to take the checkered flag, he ducked into the pits, thinking the race was over. David Green, second at the time, scored his only victory of the year in the event and went on to the series title.
Martin laughed and called it the worst mental mistake of his career.
He made no mistakes on this day, winning the Hooters 500 by more than 3 seconds over Dale Earnhardt. Todd Bodine finished third, Lake Speed fourth and Mike Wallace fifth.
60 Years Ago— 1964
News: Snow finally hit the western Utah Salt Flats here, ending for this year any more record attempts.
Hardest hit by the change in the weather was Walt Arfons of Akron, Ohio, whose “Wingfoot Express” jet car was standing by for another attempt at the world land speed record. When the snow came Friday, Arlons packed up his jet cars and headed home.
One day before the snow flew, Mrs. Paula Murphy drove one of Arfons’ cars 226.37 m.p.h. to a new women’s land speed record.
She broke her own record of 161.- Bob Ross, and Bill Foster 29 m.p.h. set last year in a conventionally-powered car. The runs were made over rain-soaked flats that Mrs. Murphy said reduced the speed of the car, called the Avenger, could attain.
Winners: Parnelll Jones tool.: another step toward the USAC’s 1965 National Stock Car championship Saturday night ns he won the 100-lap main event at Ascot Park in a 1964 Mercury. Some 3,000 chilled race fans turned out in 55-degree weather for the J. C. Agajanian promoted races on the half-mile dirt track.
It was the seventh win of the year for Parnelli in the stocks and increased his lead in the fight for the title. Pamelli’s only competitor in the title race, Norm Nelson ran third.
Don White took second in a 1964 Ford, after having been spun by A. J. Foyt, with Nelson third and Lloyd Ruby fourth, both in 1964 Plymouths.