Entries and Barney Oldfield Column

This package contains two articles. The first is an overview of the men and machines entered up to that point (May 7, 1911) and the second is a regularly appearing column written by the top showman of all drivers, Barney Oldfield. Oldfield was suspended from the AAA in 1910 for organizing racing events outside AAA sanction. Specifically, he staged a race with then heavyweight boxing champion of the world, Jack Johnson. One of the big problems was that Johnson was black. In a racist society the pugilist was villified simply for being successful. Oldfield's attempt to exploit the situation - as if his defeating Johnson in a match auto race would "redeem" the white race's failure to prevail in the ring - was especially distasteful to the organizing body. There were no heros in that misadventure, but one of the consequences was that America's most popular auto racer was on the sidelines.