On Land with the Air Force

Cars and airplanes have been featured together in various venues almost since their respective beginnings. This relationship continues today as exemplified by a web search on the words “wings and wheels” will yield thousands of hits to explore.

Additionally, the expansive open space and acres of paved areas associated with airfields have historically been very attractive to racers. The many military fields that were abandoned after World War II became fertile ground for informal or organized races of all types, with some facilities incorporated into circuits such as at Sebring, Daytona, and Talladega.

The combination of cars and airplanes reached a new level in the 1950s when there were officially sanctioned racing events at a number of active military air bases around the country. In a unique joint venture between the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and Air Force General Curtis LeMay, the hard-nosed leader of the nuclear-focused Strategic Air Command (and an avid sports car enthusiast/owner), bases under LeMay’s overall command hosted a number of SCCA races from 1952-1954.

These races were very successful as both the SCCA and the host bases mutually benefitted from the arrangement. After several high-profile accidents on public roads resulted in a furor that threatened to drive the organization into extinction, the SCCA enjoyed use of the bases due to the safer racing environments for both drivers and spectators. The benefit to the Air Force was that each host base received the event’s net profits to fund facilities and programs to improve living conditions, as little government money was available for this purpose. There was also a boost to the airmen’s morale as the races provided a welcome break from the onerous responsibilities of constantly maintaining nuclear retaliatory forces in often isolated locations during the height of the Cold War.

Despite its success, the relationship between SCCA and the military (other branches later joined in the arrangement) abruptly ended due to pressure by members of Congress who investigated the arrangement after receiving complaints from various constituents. However, one legacy of the program that survives to the present day is that almost every military installation has a Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) program that usually includes an on-base auto hobby shop offering complete do-it-yourself resources to base personnel.

For more information a recent book entitled Runways & Racers: Sports Car Races held on Military Airfields in America 1952-1954 (Veloce Publishing, Dorchester, UK, 2011, ISBN 1845842553) provides a definitive account of this unusual partnership. Written by automotive author and Ferrari owner/historian Terry O’Neil, the book’s 208 pages and over 150 photographs are a comprehensive reference work on this subject.