SCCA vs. AAA: The Battle Between Sanctioning Bodies That Almost KILLED Racing In America

Author: Elizabeth Blackstock
Published: Tue 30 Apr 2024
Episode Link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elizabeth-blackstock/episodes/SCCA-vs--AAA-The-Battle-Between-Sanctioning-Bodies-That-Almost-KILLED-Racing-In-America-e2ivv1i

Sanctioning bodies don't just set the rules for a race series — they also determine the culture and ideologies of the series they represent. In post-war America, the two biggest sanctioning bodies of sports car racing were the SCCA and the AAA Contest Board, and they both had very distinct ideas about what should constitute a series. One faction was determined to embrace an international focus; the other wanted to keep racing strictly regional and strictly amateur. The battle between them almost KILLED motorsport in America.

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Episode Bibliography:

Watkins Glen, The Street Years 1948-1952: Glory, Drama, and the Birth of American Road Racing by Philippe Defechereaux

https://www.racingarchives.org/blogpost/road-racing-wars-the-fight-for-control-of-post-war-sports-car-racing-in-america-part-one/

https://www.racingarchives.org/blogpost/road-racing-wars-the-fight-for-control-of-post-war-sports-car-racing-in-america-part-two/