Auto Racing
American Spirit Road Rally started and ended in Duluth in 1986
Jim Liautaud stands by his 1963 Ferrari on Sept. 20, 1986, outside Grandma’s Saloon & Deli. (Photo by Dave Ballard for the Duluth News-Tribune & Herald, from a microfilm version of the newspaper)
With a nod to The Cannonball Run, a popular movie from 1981 starring Burt Reynolds, the drivers of 27 high-performance sports cars once raced through Hibbing, Ely and other cities along a 320-mile course that started and ended in Duluth. The American Spirit ’86 Road Rally took place on Sept. 20, 1986 — 40 years ago today. (more…)
Video Archive: Proctor Speedway, 1983
This video from July 10, 1983 — 40 years ago today — features the Mid-season Championships at the Proctor Speedway. (more…)
Video Archive: Tri-State Speedway, 1983
This video from July 8, 1983 — 40 years ago today — features three races at Tri-State Speedway in Superior. The 3/8-mile dirt track is now known as Superior Speedway or Gondik Law Speedway. (more…)
Mystery Photo: Drag Racing on Lake Superior
Allouez Bay in Superior was recently the scene of a stock-car racing event called NASCAR on Ice, which might have seemed like a newish idea, but … the undated photo above has a handwritten message on the back that reads: “Taken on Lake Superior. Duluth in distance. Thousands on ice at time of races. A new sport. 24 in. of ice at time.” (more…)