Freak Racers

This article from The Automobile was published shortly after the 1906 Ormond Beach Speed Tournament. It addresses one of the issues of the early days of American auto racing as people in the automobile industry frequently criticized the use of purpose-built race cars in racing competition. The debate was firmly on the agenda of the American Automobile Association (AAA) agenda at the time.
 
The AAA was the recognized national governing body of American motorsports. The issue concerned the value of such competitions if they did not utilize the exact stock product that was available to the consumer. It was a clash between the industry establishment and the pioneering gearheads building the first hot rods. This has been a recurring theme of motorsport a still part of the industry conversation today as many discuss the relevance of motorsport in the 21st Century.