1896 – Riker Electric Wins at Narragansett Amid Shouts of “Get a Horse!”
A bell must have sounded at the Rhode Island State Fair when a Riker Electric Trap crossed the finish at Narragansett Trotting Park after five frantic laps on September 7, 1896 — the battery-powered car covered roughly five miles in about 11 minutes 28 seconds, averaging in the neighborhood of 20–27 mph. Spectators famously heckled the horseless carriage with cries of “Get a horse!”, turning what might have been a dry technical victory into an early publicity moment for electric propulsion. That short, fast outing put the Riker among the first U.S. automobiles to win a public race and underlined how electric power could already handle competitive speed runs on a trotway built for horses.
1912 – Bob Burman and the Blitzen Benz Tear Up Brighton Beach
At Brighton Beach on September 7, 1912, Bob Burman steered a 200-horsepower Blitzen Benz onto the Brooklyn speedway and used the car’s prodigious power to trim the track record. The Blitzen Benz, built expressly for high-speed runs with an enormous displacement inline engine, was one of the era’s most fearsome machines; Burman’s outing at the seaside circuit showcased the car’s raw velocity and helped cement its reputation on both dirt and paved venues. That day’s improved time was another chapter in the machine’s relentless quest for speed and in Burman’s career as one of America’s premier early land-speed and track racers.
1924 – Eliška Junková Scores Her First Solo Victory in a Bugatti
Driving a Bugatti up the Lochotín–Třemošná hill on September 7, 1924, Eliška (Elizabeth) Junek made her first solo race entry and left the hill with a class victory in the sports cars up to 2.0 liters. Her win at the Plzeň hillclimb was concise and direct: a competitive triumph in a lightweight Bugatti against the clock that announced her arrival as a serious driver on public roads and events. That class victory is recorded as the opening public success in her racing career and the point from which her name began to appear in motorsport reports across Czechoslovakia.
1947 – Martinsville Holds Its First Race; Red Byron Wins
Thousands of fans packed Martinsville Speedway for its inaugural 50-lap modified stock-car race on September 7, 1947, a local promotion by H. Clay Earles that crowned Red Byron the first winner at the little Virginia mile. The event predated NASCAR’s official formation in 1948, yet Martinsville’s wooden grandstands, tight-oval shape, and enthusiastic crowds quickly made the track a fixture on the postwar stock-car scene. That opening day planted the seed for a venue that would become one of American short-track racing’s enduring circuits, noted from the start for close quarters and crowd-pleasing action.
1954 – Ford Thunderbird Production Begins
Ford’s answer to the Corvette, the Thunderbird, began rolling down the assembly line on this day in 1954 for the 1955 model year. The first complete car would leave the factory two days later. While designed to compete with Chevrolet’s sports car, Ford marketed the Thunderbird as a personal luxury vehicle. The Blue Oval emphasized its new car’s comfort and convenience, letting shoppers discover its sportiness during the test drive. The plan worked. T-Bird sales rose above Corvette some 17 to 1 in 1955. Though successful, executives believed expanding the two-seat T-Bird would also expand sales. They weren’t wrong. READ MORE
