FIRST-EVER WINGED RACE CAR

This 1959 footage from Columbus Motor Speedway depicts a handful of Winged race cars including the first race car to EVER utilize an inverted airfoil to increase downforce along with cornering speed. The white #910 was driven by the legendary Jim Cushman who debuted it at the central Ohio oval in 1958. By the time the footage was shot in the fall of 1959, the famous #910 was joined by several Winged Cars. Winner of this season championship contest was another legend; Jack Bowsher. Thanks to Tiny Snider for this great footage.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• columbus
• motor
• speedway
• winged
• race
• car
• jack
• bowsher
• jim
• cushman

[fatbaldblokebb]

Nice film but these were not the first cars with wings. German-born Swiss national Michael May ran a Porsche 550 with a wing mounted on top at the Nurburgring in 1956.

[thegreati12]

thegreati12

Cushman was my favorite racecar driver ! !

[CobraBall135]

May dad & I attended the race a CMS the night Jim Cushman showed up with the FIRST winged modified Number 711. 711 was the address of Goodale Auto Parts, 711 E. Goodale, Columbus. It took three weeks to get the stock 270 H.P. Chevy powered race car dialed in. After that no one could touch 711 & Cushman, on dirt oil or pavement.

[JimfromOH]

Jack Bowsher #21 also appears later in a checkered shirt on the flagmans stand. Earlier we see Harold Smith there also.  The wedge shaped car (also using aero downforce) was Bobby Marvin who was later killed in a sprint car. The colorful flagman MAY have been Shorty Miller in his early days. This was truly the "run what you brung" days when cubic inches and brains could still beat rectangular dollars and BS.

[budlightme]

Great video I love to see more of the old movies .very interesting to see what it was like back then.and to see the great drivers that I here so much stories about. thanks for the video

[Ricktator122]

off the chain. awesome. so modern looking. wow.

[bill1962us]

was this the start of the supermodified