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N0KFQ > TODAY 07.09.16 14:52l 48 Lines 2269 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 6781_N0KFQ
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Sep 7
Path: IW8PGT<CX2SA<N0KFQ
Sent: 160907/1226Z 6781@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA BPQ6.0.12
1896
Electric car wins the first auto race in the United States
On September 7, 1896, an electric car built by the Riker Electric
Motor Company wins the first auto race in the United States, at
the Narragansett Trotting Park-a mile-long dirt oval at the state
fairgrounds that was normally used for horse racing-in Cranston,
Rhode Island. Automobile companies sponsored the race to show off
their newfangled electric-, steam-, and gas-powered vehicles to
an awestruck audience. The carmakers' gimmick worked: About
60,000 fairgoers attended the event, and many more people read
about it in newspapers and magazines.
Seven cars entered the race. Along with the Riker Electric, there
were five internal-combustion cars and one other battery-powered
machine, this one built by the Electric Carriage and Wagon
Company. The race began slowly ("Get a horse!" the spectators
shouted as the automobiles wheezed at the starting line), but the
Riker soon pulled ahead and won the race easily, finishing its
five laps in about 15 minutes. The other electric car came in
second, and a gas-powered Duryea took third.
Rhode Island is probably not the first place most people think of
when they think of American automobile racing, but car racing in
the Ocean State actually has a rich history. That Narragansett
race was only the beginning: The Cranston track drew so many
spectators that cities all over the state soon built dirt ovals
of their own. For its part, the original raceway got so much use
that its owners had to close it in 1914 for renovations. When it
reopened the next year, it was like nothing any car-racing fan
had ever seen. The new track was a paved, banked "Super Speedway"
designed for 100-mile races.
On September 18, 1915, 50,000 people came to the first contest at
the new park, where they watched the celebrity racer Eddie
Rickenbacker coast to victory over a field of famous drivers in
spectacular cars. Unfortunately for the Narragansett track's
investors, however, Rhode Islanders' enthusiasm for car-racing
waned as other kinds of mass entertainments grew more popular.
The Cranston raceway closed for good in 1923.
73 - K.O., n0kfq
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
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