1930 – Ford Model A Crosses Country Backwards
The names Charles Creighton and James Hargis probably doesn’t ring any bells, but they may put a kink in your neck. These two completed a New York to Los Angeles — and back journey — in a Ford Model A on this day in 1930. Oh, and they did it all in reverse gear. The nearly 7,200 mile journey across unpaved roads took 42 days, but if doing it backwards wasn’t strange enough they never once turned off the Ford. This includes during a 48 hour rest in Los Angeles!
1939 – Birth of Clay Regazzoni
Gianclaudio Giuseppe “Clay” Regazzoni was born on 5 September 1939 in Switzerland’s Ticino region and would become one of Formula One’s hard-charging stars of the 1970s. Known for an aggressive, no-nonsense driving style, Regazzoni took five Grand Prix wins in a career defined by wheel-to-wheel duels and a memorable runner-up finish in the 1974 World Championship. He raced for teams including Ferrari and BRM, often matching faster machinery with sheer determination behind the wheel. Regazzoni’s combination of grit and pace made him a popular figure on the grid, and his 1974 season remains the standout peak of his Formula One achievements.
1948 – Ferrari 125 F1 Makes Grand Prix Debut at Turin
At Parco del Valentino in Turin on 5 September 1948, Ferrari rolled out its first Grand Prix car: the 125 F1. The marque entered three examples driven by Nino Farina, Raymond Sommer and Prince Bira, and the new car instantly announced Ferrari’s intent to race at the highest level. While Alfa Romeo’s Jean‑Pierre Wimille and Maserati’s Gigi Villoresi took the top two spots, Raymond Sommer brought the 125 home in a respectable third, giving Ferrari an eye-catching debut result. The appearance of the 125 F1 at Valentino Park planted the first seeds of a factory racing program that would soon become central to Ferrari’s identity.
1960 – Fatal Wreck at the 1960 Southern 500
The Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on 5 September 1960 turned tragic when a violent crash on the pit/backstretch area during Bobby Johns’ accident led to three fatalities: mechanics Paul McDuffie and Charles Sweatland and NASCAR official Joe Taylor. The collision’s chaos underscored the dangers faced not only by drivers but by crew members and officials working trackside in an era with far fewer safety protections. News accounts at the time highlighted the human cost of high-speed oval racing, and the incident remains one of the deadliest single-day losses in American stock-car competition for track personnel.
1965 – Birth of David Brabham
David Philip Brabham was born in Wimbledon on September, 5 1965 into a family steeped in racing; as the son of triple World Champion Sir Jack Brabham, David forged his own path behind the wheel. He reached Formula One and then built a distinguished career in sports-car and endurance racing, culminating in victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2009. Brabham’s adaptability—switching from single-seaters to prototype endurance machines—demonstrated the breadth of his talent and secured his place among Australia’s prominent international racers.
2006 – Alan Mulally becomes Ford CEO
Alan Mulally’s tenure as the President and CEO of Ford Motor Company from September 5, 2006, to July 1, 2014, is widely regarded as a turning point in the history of the automotive giant. Taking the helm during a tumultuous period in the American automotive industry, Mulally’s leadership and strategic decisions steered Ford away from the brink of disaster and set the company on a path to recovery and success.
