Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Joie Ray

Although I’m not a Dirt Track/Midget enthusiast… There was a very interesting interview on Autosport Radio yesterday, as I’d never heard of racing pioneer Joie Ray, nor the book’s author Pat Sullivan…

What made this so interesting to me was that it’s all about an African American who broke the colour barrier in Motor Racing the same year as Jackie Robinson did in Baseball… Yet, that was NEVER Joie Ray’s concern; he just wanted to race cars!

The author Pat Sullivan has done an amazing amount of research on the subject and also presents the book in great fashion, by telling tales of how Joie made his way into racing with the help of many of the elite Dirt Track Drivers of the day…

The book sounds like quite a fascinating read and you can learn more about it at: American Scene Press: Brick by Brick
Pat SullivanAt a number of tracks where the IndyCar Series runs around the country and at many short tracks in the Mid-West, you are likely to hear Pat on the PA.
When it comes to the history of the short tracks, the drivers and, yes, the history of the cars, Pat is a walking encyclopedia of information. How fitting it is the Pat would undertake the task of putting the history of a true auto racing pioneer... Joie Ray in book form. "Brick by Brick", released April 13th (the first anniversary of Joie's death), is the story from his first days on Earth through his racing career and the influences that made him the man he was. With the attitude in America at the time, Joie never carried a chip on his shoulder, only a smile and a good word to all.”

To checkout the Joie Ray interview, go to the Autosport Radio Archive section and click on the 2006 Archives; December 19th link...
(Source: Autosport Radio)