Tommy Hinnershitz - Auto-Racing Legend by Gary Ludwig for sale in Atlanta, Georgia

$29

In 1928 Tommy Hinnershitz began his career as a racecar driver. He became one of the greatest athletes in all of sports. He became an automobile racing legend. Hinnershitz was there at the beginning, one of a handful of daredevil athletes, the champions, who invented the broad slide, going in low and coming off high, or vice versa. In this fascinating book you'll read about many of these champions, and the mechanics, owners, the racetracks and the promoters who ran the races. After leading the way, setting the pace, and developing the style, Hinnershitz set himself apart from all the others; he went in high and stayed there. In the days before night racing and cool, moist clay surfaces, broad sliding in the turns up against the outside fence was difficult because the race track, watered down before the racing began would dry out, break up, and turn to dust as the competition went on under the blazing hot summer sun. He mastered the art of running high in the turns despite those adverse track conditions. While his competitors were racing close to the inside rail, he powered his car around them. He was a true pioneer of American dirt track automobile racing in the days without seat belts, roll bars, cages, and other safety equipment. Consequently, many drivers died young. Winning on the dirt tracks got him to the Indianapolis 500. He and his contemporaries seemed to embrace a greater lack of fear, adopting the adage that tragedy cannot happen to them, only to the other guy.http