Basil "Jug" Menard Posing with a Modified Ford Coupe Race Car. Taunton, Massachusetts, circa 1946 / THF140176
Igniting a Lifelong Passion
Most of us are enchanted with competition. For those with gasoline in their veins, there’s only one way to scratch the itch—become a racer.
Things we do when we’re young often inspire a lifelong passion. Many adults involved in auto racing—as well as adult fans of auto racing—ignited their interest through early experiences. There are many avenues for kids to explore race cars and racing that can arouse a passion for the sport, and you can learn about some of them in the “Igniting the Passion” section of our new racing exhibit, Driven to Win: Racing in America presented by General Motors. There is an actual Quarter Midget race car, and kids can sit in the driver’s seat. You can see and hear stories from the people with a passion for racing about how they got started. And there are the toys (including slot cars), and a place where kids can build their own wooden kit car then race it against others on a sloped track.
Quarter Midget Racer
The Quarter Midget race car is one-quarter the size of an adult racer’s Midget Sprint Car and has much lower power output. Still, these are serious race cars, with protective systems designed to keep their young drivers as safe as possible. A Quarter Midget is powered by a single-cylinder, 7-cubic-inch engine, and they race on oval tracks that are one-twentieth of a mile around—264 feet. Speeds reach the 45-mph range, and kids learn the skills of car control, race tactics, and race strategy that are essential foundations for aspiring drivers. Many racing stars, past and present, began their careers in Quarter Midgets, including A.J. Foyt, Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano, Sarah Fisher, Jimmy Vasser, and many more.
Soap Box Derby Car
THF69252
The Soap Box Derby car, powered only by gravity, is home-built and raced by kids in downhill competitions that can be intense. Mason Colbert placed third with this car in the 1939 All-American Soap Box Derby national championship in Akron, Ohio.
Tether Cars, or Spindizzies
THF162895
A large display in Driven to Win features more than 50 gas-powered, scale-model tether cars (along with tools and parts), which were popular from the 1930s to the 1950s. Check out all of the spindizzies you’ll see on display here.
Additional Artifacts
THF176901
Beyond the vehicles highlighted above, you can see these artifacts related to igniting a love of racing in Driven to Win.
- Soap Box Derby Racing Helmet, 1935-1945
- Scale Model of Eagle #6 Race Car, Driven by Bobby Unser at 1972 Indianapolis 500
- Scale Model of Goldenrod Land Speed Record Race Car, 1966
- Round 2 "Auto World: 2019 Brittany Force Top Fuel Dragster" Diecast Model, 2019
- Hot Wheels Dragster, 1975-1980
- Hot Wheels Race Car, 1974-1980
- Lego Speed Champions Set, "2016 Ford GT & 1966 Ford GT40," 2017
- Record Album, "Men, Machines and the Moment," Recorded by Dennis Agajanian, 1976
- Record Album, "The Big Sounds of the Drags!," 1963
- Recording of 1963 Indianapolis 500 Race
- Slot Car, Ford GT Body, 1960-1970
- Slot Car, Indy Car Body, 1965-1970
- Sections of Slot Car Roadway, 1964-1968
- Slot Car Speed Control, 1964-1968
- Atari Video Game, "Indy 500," 1977
- Atari Video Game, "Pole Position," 1983
- Sega Video Game, "Daytona USA," 1995
- Microsoft Xbox Video Game, "Forza Motorsport," 2005
- Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottle, Olsonite Eagle 6 Racing Car, 1973
- Bumper Sticker, “Dan Gurney, Car and Driver Candidate for President,” 1964
- Pennant, "Jeff Gordon, #24," 1999
Dig Deeper
THF277921_redacted
Learn more about igniting the passion with these additional resources from The Henry Ford.
- Take a peek into the exciting hobby of tether car racing in our expert set.
- Watch the tether cars being installed into Driven to Win on our Facebook page.
- Visit our blog to learn more about the woman who co-designed Atari’s video game “Indy 500.”
- Discover how a student-built concept car got more than 3,400 MPG on the streets of downtown Detroit in this Maker Faire Detroit presentation.
- Go behind the scenes with the Power Racing Series at Maker Faire Detroit.
- Hear racing legend Mario Andretti explain how his love for the sport started in this clip from our 2017 interview.
childhood, toys and games, racing, race cars, Henry Ford Museum, Driven to Win, cars
Facebook Comments