Motorcycle Movies, Part 2: Easy Rider

By the time Easy Rider was released in 1969, three full years had passed since The Wild Angels hit the nation’s drive-in movie screens. In the sixties, three years was a very long time indeed. The Vietnam War was entering a critical phase and division within the country regarding the war was never more clear-cut. Morally, the pendulum seemed to be swinging back towards the viewpoint of the “under 30” generation. It was in this fevered climate that Easy Rider made its stunning debut. In stark contrast to its progenitor film, The Wild Angels, the motorcycle riders were now portrayed as tragic heroes instead of undisciplined thugs. Perhaps the filmmakers had run out of ways to frighten parents and instead sought to identify with the growing youth market. Regardless, Easy Rider stands today as a quintessential film, a snapshot of America at a pivotal moment in its history when the baton was handed from one generation to another.

Motorcycle Movies, Part 1: The Wild Angels

In 1966, the widening generation gap was about to split the country wide open. The older generation who had lived through and fought World War II could neither understand nor relate to their freethinking, "flower power" children. As everyone knows, misunderstanding can quickly change to fear, and certain filmmakers played off that fear by creating motorcycle movies like "The Wild Angels".

The Soap Box Derby - Auto Racing

You might be forgiven for wondering what the Soap Box Derby has to do with auto racing - the "racers" have no engines after all! Yet a race is a race, and since its inception way back in 1933 it's likely that more than a few of today's superstar racecar drivers first experienced the thrill of victory by competing in the All-American Soap Box Derby.

The Monte Carlo Rally - Auto Racing

The Monte Carlo Rally has been called the Granddaddy of Motor Rallying, and for good reason: it was one of, if not THE, first motor rally. First run in 1911, the Monte Carlo Rally was for a time the only motor sports race of its kind but through its enduring popularity has spawned the sport of motor rallying that spans the globe today.

Jackie Stewart: The Flying Scot - Auto Racing

Sir Jackie Stewart, popularly known as "The Flying Scot", is one of auto racing's most distinctive personalities as well as being one of its most successful racing drivers. His unmistakable Scottish accent, high-pitched voice and boundless enthusiasm have made him the model for a host of race broadcasting parodies. In addition to bringing the world of auto racing, especially Formula One racing, to a wider audience worldwide, Stewart has been a tireless promoter of race safety and driver protection.

Ford's Formidable 427 - Auto Racing

The early 1960s saw competition between the major US automakers on the nation's racetracks rise to a fever pitch. Driven by the need to "race on Sunday, sell on Monday", GM, Ford and Chrysler poured millions of dollars into engine development and support of racing teams. It was NASCAR that provided the main arena for these epic contests of speed and power, and the sanctioning body's homologation rules meant that the cars and engines that roared down the straight-aways at Daytona could also be found on your neighbor's driveway - albeit in very limited numbers.

Auto Racing - Racing Flags

Most people are familiar with the checkered flag used to declare the end of an auto race. Others who know a bit about racing know that a yellow flag means "caution". What most people don't know, however, is that there are many other racing flags that are used in auto racing and that each of them conveys a very specific meaning to the drivers on the track. That's the real point: these flags are waved for the benefit of the drivers, not the crowd. Although most, if not all, drivers are in communication with their teams via radio, the tradition of using flags to advise drivers has carried on and has become an integral part of auto racing.