Across the Cultural Divide

The cultural divide between oval and road racing in the United States is generally recognized but not fully explored. This is especially true with its implications for today's Indianapolis 500 with respect to the cars and drivers that participate. Something occurred to me years ago in my work with Vanderbilt Cup historian and "Black Beast" race car owner - and that's the schism I am referencing traces back to the sport's earliest days.
 
Recall the Vanderbilt Cup was launched in 1904. The Eastern elites who organized that great and wonderful classic many times referred to the hard-scrabble types staging contests on horse tracks in the Mid-West as "westerners," a moniker they used with derisive connotation. The general impression I get is that these "westerners" - even successful ones - were seen to lack sophistication, refinement or some such "X" factor required to gain them standing in the "Easterners" eyes. In discussing this with a friend of mine he commented, "it's a red state - blue state kind of thing." That stuck with me because I thought the comment had merit. I'm not trying to stir any pots here, but hopefully point something out that is interesting if not instructive. I also realize this is a generalization and probably least problematic for those with a true "racer's heart" because they just love speed and are intrigued by all types of cars. I have built an archive of articles I feel contribute information to this observation and the link appears below. If you peruse this collection but don't have time for it all, I suggest you click thru to these articles: "East vs. West," "1909 - Oval vs. Road Racing," "Stop Track Racing!" and "Road Racing More Dangerous Than Ovals."
 
(The image associated with this post is from the entry, "1905 Grim Reaper" elsewhere on First Super Speedway. It was an editorial cartoon created that year that appeared in the eastern automotive trade paper - The Automobile - calling for the end of "track" or oval racing due to its inherent danger.)