H. J. Earl was a rare kind of trailblazing pioneer, for he didn't just introduce the first all-American sports car named Corvette, he went way beyond anybody else in Detroit, personally thrusting the behemoth "General Motors" into modern sports car racing. Via a unique alliance between Earl and Strategic Air Command creator, Curtis LeMay...the Cold War's fiercest warrior, they organized seminal post WW II racing events at various SAC bases and other government airfields, (Notice Earl's LeSabre, below, being paraded on the air strip race course at Andrews Air Force Base in 1954...the Washington Post newspaper story title, also detailed further down, announced 90,000 people are expected to attend!) This story also reports, "The winner of the feature race is scheduled to receive his trophy from President Eisenhower at the White House Monday." 

The second Washington Post article below, on right side, says "National Capital Sports Car races take place on the base air strip" at Andrews Air Force Base. The festivities were very well organized and lasted for over a week. These newspaper articles help chronicle the influence of Harley Earl/GM Styling played in providing huge "corporate support and/or sponsorship" in this fledgling moment of America's world of modern sports car racing. Some of the other WPost stories below announce the staggering price tag range of one of Earl's dream cars, "XP 300 is said to cost millions to produce" and write,"Also included in the exhibits will be a five-million-dollar display of experimental cars including General Motors Le Sabre, Oldsmobile's F-88 streamlined convertible..."

Later on, Earl went on to help secure investors and funding along with corporate sponsors for his friend Bill France Sr., creator of NASCAR, in the launching of the Daytona International Speedway in 1958...which is known today as this country's first super speedway. What did Harley Earl get in return? Great satisfaction knowing he was different; plus, he got to personally design one of the coolest trophies and prized possessions in the modern motor sports era. Yes, for all that he did, he was happily rewarded knowing his name would grace the winning trophy prize! Plus, throughout most of the 1960s, he was also the "Commissioner" of NASCAR and was part of select few in the breaking ground event for building Talladega's super fast speedway, too. Click the following link to see Bill France Sr. pictured w/ Earl and the one-of-a-kind new Daytona 500 Trophy:  superbowl_trophy_of_nascar.htm .

April 29, 1954 article directly above is on early Nascar race at Andrews Air Force Base (more on this race are shown below). It was very well organized and the festivities lasted for over a week. The following newspaper articles help chronicle the influence of Harley Earl/GM Styling in America's world of modern sports car racing. You'll also read other originator's names of sports car racing in the United States.

New York Times story below reports Ulmann put Sebring on racing map in America. But another important feature in this article states the "National Association for Stock Car Racing and the Sports Car Club of America" being competitors for American racing fans way back in February, 1958 when the newspaper story was written. Notice too, that other important players like "Briggs Cunningham" are mentioned in the highlighted section below.