In 1933, Sprint cars probably came into existence. Sprint racing referred more to short distance racing than to a specific type of race car up until then. In fact, other than the engine the cars that raced in sprint races were very much like the cars racing at Indianapolis and on the AAA championship circuit.
The AAA, the sanctioning organization of that era, made a ruling on engine displacement limits for cars competing in short track racing on the Pacific Coast which separated them from cars racing at Indy in 1933. The existence of a specific type of car known as the “sprint car” thus brought about with this differentiating factor. These cars already had shortened wheel bases to improve handling on shorter tracks.
The term “sprint car” surfaced in the 1950’s when as an aid to the media in discussing cars that had smaller engines than the Indy cars and raced in shorter races on 1/2 mile tracks. The AAA first used the term sprint in 1951. In their 1951 annual, they stated: “Non-championship is the term applied to sprint racing; the class between midget and championship speedway cars.”
The sprint cars are today, with their open cockpit and open wheels racing on oval tracks in short distance events could be identified around that point of time.
These sprint cars have continued to evolve. With wings being added, roll bars have transformed into roll cages, and engine displacement limits have progressed.
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
