2nd oldest race in U.S. not shown on live tv

In the years we lived in CO, we never went to this - our east view from the top floor of the house was the west side of Pikes Peak. We were a distance away but could see activity on the Peak. It seemed that either someone got killed or killed an innocent deer during this event. "Not my cup of tea."

Carol

 

I love that Vatanen film - it's just breathtaking.


Onno

 

And ?

The oldest race in the USA wasn't shown live until, what, 1973 maybe ?

Oldest anything doesn't mean alot anymore, sad to say.

 

Actually the oldest race in the US was held long before there was TV:

http://americanhistory.si.edu/ONTHEMOVE/collection/object_352.html

 

and in a convertible no less!

 

We Chicagoans take this event very seriously: There is a commemorative plaque in the park from where it originally started and each year at Thanksgiving people bring their cars to this place to celebrate. A local TV station runs a report about it.
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I thought the question was 'what is the oldest race to be shown on line TV ?' and I figured it was an early-mid 70's Indy 500, as far as being shown LIVE, in its' entirety (not tape-delayed). Daytona in 1976, but I think Indy a few years before that.

 

It is, and when I lived there it was great to watch. However, you could not buy a DVD (or any other souvinier) of it anywhere in town, it was not on TV until months later at 2:00 AM (who gets this station - Altitude Sports & Entertainment Network?), and the mountain will be paved to the top within a few years. It may not have much future.

The NASCAR, AMA and Indy car races at the Pike's Peak International Speedway were shown live and replayed throughout the week. The local TV stations were there and they were on all of the local news. The Hillclimb did none of that, and if you didn't attend, you wouldn't have known it occurred.

It is a very cool sport, but may disappear.

 

There are some events that just aren't made for live TV. The NHRA is one of them. All it takes is one engine to let go and you watch brooms and rice hull ash for 20 minutes. I have never seen the PPIC, but it may just need to be edited properly to fit into a nice, neat time slot. Champ Car changed all of their races to timed events this year to fit in with what TV wants. Unless you are NASCAR and have bidders wanting the broadcast rights you have to do what TV wants, which includes paying to have your event broadcast.