58 JUNE 2018 scca.com
INSIDE SCCA SCCA FOUNDATION
PROGRAMS!
GET YOUR PROGRAMS HERE!
o to a professional baseball, basketball, or
football game today and you will usually
hear the familiar cry of someone selling game
programs: “Programs! Get your programs
here!” In addition to being a guide as to who is
playing, they serve as a souvenir for the fan to
commemorate the experience of being at the
big game. While the practice has become less
common today, historically SCCA Regions
prepared detailed race programs for each
event or series of events.
The SCCA Archives contains an amazing
collection of race programs dating from the
first post World War II race at Watkins Glen in
1948 to the early 1990s. The more than 20
cubic feet of programs in the Archives cover
SCCA races from coast to coast, as well as
some from professional series like Can-Am and
Trans Am. Examples of the collection include
the Bridgehampton Sports Car Road Races on
June 11, 1949; the Delaware Valley Sports
Car Races on July 25-26, 1959; the G.I. Joe’s
Rose Cup at P.I.R on June 12-14, 1981;
and the Hoosier Grand Prix at Indianapolis
Raceway Park on Sept. 17-18, 1977.
These programs typically contain a
schedule of events for the weekend as well as
the race entry list and classes of cars. Many
contain biographical summaries of each driver,
photos of their cars, and a list of race officials,
organizers, and committees. Programs
often feature articles about prior races at
the track, a history of the track and hosting
Region, explanations about racing rules
and flags, and a track map. Some programs
encouraged fan participation by providing
blank lap scoring charts to be used during
the race. They also feature a large quantity of
advertising in recognition of the companies
supporting the race or series of races.
“From my perspective as an archivist,
the programs contain a wealth of historical
information about race events and are a great
resource for research,” says Jenny Ambrose,
Archivist at the International Motor Racing
Research Center in Watkins Glen, where the
SCCA Archives are maintained. Ambrose and
SCCA Archives technicians Joe Cali and Rick
Hughey regularly consult the race programs to
document the drivers and cars registered for a
particular race. “Personally, I particularly enjoy
the cover art,” Ambrose notes. “For most of
my professional career, I served as a visual
materials curator and have taught classes on
the history of graphic design. I love looking at
changes in cover design and art over time.”
Indeed, a review of the program covers
shows a wide diversity in the approach to
program cover art. Some exhibit amazing
talent with hand-drawn cartoon depictions
of a race. Other covers feature a collage
of photos from the prior year’s race,
while some keep it strictly business with
a few logos, text, and a single color.
The SCCA Foundation welcomes additions
to the event program collection, and
we hope some Regions will continue (or
revive) this tradition, which has provided
a unique and lasting record of our Club’s
racing history over decades. For more
information about the SCCA Foundation,
head to www.sccafoundation.com.
SCCA Archives preserves decades of historical race programs | WORDS Jeff Jacobs, Vice Chair, SCCA Foundation
