Historical Spotlight: Black American Racers Association
Racing is a popular sport around the world and has multiple different divisions for spectators to enjoy. No matter if it’s Formula One, NASCAR, IndyCar, or LMP, the object of the race remains the same - to cross the finish line first. Join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on the Black American Racers Association (BARA).
American auto racing has traditionally been a white, male dominated activity. In the early 20th century, Black Americans were outright banned from participating in several circuits. Even after those bans were lifted, Black drivers still faced discrimination from fans, officials, and even from their fellow competitors.
Some drivers fought through the barrier by working within the existing system while others decided to form their own governing bodies and sponsor their own events. BARA was founded in August 1972 in Trenton, New Jersey by Leonard W. Miller, Ron Hines, Eugene Gadson, and Charles Singleton to support marginalized drivers and teams, and to recognize the achievements of groundbreaking Black racing drivers, crews, mechanics, and car owners.
Leonard was born in 1934 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He originally found his love for cars after spending countless hours in his youth hot rodding his parents’ 1937 Ford. With experience, his mechanical skills grew even more especially during the late 1950s when he served in an automotive support company in the U.S. Army.
He eventually went on to become a co-owner of Vanguard Racing and even entered a car in the 1972 Indianapolis 500. John Mahler drove for the Vanguard team, but a broken piston forced him out of the race after 99 laps. Regardless of the results, Leonard made history that day with Vanguard being the first Black-owned team to compete in the circuit. Unfortunately, it took another 19 years for the first Black driver, Willy T. Ribbs, to successfully qualify and compete in the Indy 500.
Leonard, along with the other co-founders of BARA, wanted to create safe organizations to support marginalized drivers and teams, and to recognize the achievements of groundbreaking Black racers who had come before. BARA aimed to encourage minority youth interest in racing-oriented careers, increase Black viewership in motor sports, educate the membership on how to build successful racing teams, improve the quality and quantity of sponsorships awarded to Black racers and teams, and support the continuation and overall growth of the sport.
Membership fees helped the organization conduct regular business. In 1974, the regular membership cost $10 while the lifetime membership cost $100. Both levels received decals, patches, monthly newsletters highlighting accomplishments by Black people in the racing community, and membership cards, which provided discounts by speed and auto shops across the country. Over time, the membership grew to nearly 5,000 people including several car clubs.
Each year, BARA sponsored a premier dinner dance to honor Black racing’s most accomplished individuals. The inaugural event in 1974 recognized Sumner “Red” Oliver, a Black racing pioneer from Indianapolis, for his success as a driver from the 1920s to 1950s and as a mechanic on the United States Auto Club championship circuit.
The 1975 convention was held in Arlington, Virginia and honored Wendell Scott’s 1961 victory as the only Black driver to win a NASCAR race in Jacksonville, Florida. Originally from Daville, Virginia, Wendell went on to become the organization’s first vice-president.
The next convention honored BARA’s first president, Malcolm Durham, for his historic accomplishments in drag racing. He won numerous times on the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) circuit with his “Strip Blazer” Pro Stock drag cars. He was the successful owner-operator of Supercar Engineering, a racing car shop in Hyattsville, Maryland, until his death in 2006. Over the course of the company, he secured well known sponsors like Pennzoil, ST, and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
The final convention was held in 1977 and recognized Tommy Thompson for his accomplishments as the driver and chief mechanic for the Black American Racers, Inc. Formula Super Vee road racer. He was the first Black driver to win the Northeast Sports Car Club of America Formula Super Vee Championship in 1977. The organization also awarded Sugar Ray Leonard a lifetime membership for inspiring youth in the Baltimore area and around the country to achieve in sports even before his first professional fight.
Certain corporations that were beneficial to the cause received recognition at the annual events as well.The BARA-Schaefer Brewing Company Award was given to Stock Car Racing magazine for its coverage of Black people in racing in 1973. Champion Spark Plug Company was also recognized for its support of Black racing development.
Outside of the events, BARA published a Black Racers Yearbook in 1974 as the official annual publication of the organization. It sold for $1, had 32 pages, and consisted of articles covering topics ranging from how to obtain sponsorships to challenges for black racers and everything in between. It was the only yearbook published, and as a result, is extremely rare. It covered black racing history from the 1930s to the early 1970s. Seven major corporations placed ads in the yearbook, and it sold thousands of copies in the United States.
On March 10, 1974, BARA sponsored Englishtown's opening Pro Stock Race at Madison Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. It featured the United Soul Racing Team and included many Black American drag racing stars, including Rufus "Brooklyn Heavy" Boyd, "Strip Blazer" Malcolm Durham, Bill "Tuff Rabbit" White, "Wicked" Will Smallwood, Sam Carroll, and Joe Fisher. More than 25,000 spectators were in attendance.
While the organization had a good run, it ceased operations in 1978. BARA's first chairman, Leonard W. Miller, remains one of America's most knowledgeable voices on the history of Black people in motor racing. Over his life, he has been owner and president of various winning teams in drag, road, dirt track, and oval track racing.
The founding members of BARA are still alive and haven’t lost their zeal for cars. Leonard and Ron Hines, who was BARA's first secretary, enter their classic cars and street rods at auto shows in the Northeast. They both stayed in contact with Eugene Gadson, who is a retired psychologist. Charles Singleton turned into a car collector and is an assistant manager of a funeral home in New Jersey. Both Eugene and Charles are dedicated NASCAR fans and have attended races since 1968, including the Daytona 500.
With NASCAR garnering an average television audience of around 3.85 million viewers in 2024, it’s obvious to see why accurate representation is important for the future of the sport. While Black racers have notoriously been shunned and shut out of the spotlight, organizations like BARA helped give the early pioneers their flowers and provided support for auto clubs struggling to catch a break.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
