Ted Nyquist is yet another of those great pioneers of racing. Like so many others of the era, it seems Ted somehow never quite received the recognition for his contributions to the sport that he so richly deserves. Starting in the 1930's, Ted enjoyed a stellar career that spanned the next 3 decades. Along with being a winning driver, he was also a car owner and race promoter. Drivers like Tommy Hinnershitz, Joie Chitwood and other notables of the day drove his cars to many wins around the country. As a promoter, his shows attracted the best of the best cars and drivers, packing grandstands everywhere to capacity.

Ted's wife, Ruth, put together these scrapbooks of not only Ted's career, but also of the other drivers and events of the era. Thanks to the generosity of Ted's daughter, Carole, and granddaughter, Tammy, TVR is proud to be able to share these important memoirs with it's viewers.

On a personal note... as I was going through these scrapbooks, knowing of the personal attachment that goes with them, it really put the history behind them in a new light. After speaking with the family and hearing the memories they all shared, it really hit home how important these pieces of time from their lifetimes are. There's much more here than facts, figures and statistics. More than just competitors, these were the people they were the best of friends with. The drivers, owners, mechanics and their families were all one big extended family. The camaraderie of that era was nothing like the almost impersonal, big business environment many forms have racing has evolved into. 

One of the things that really struck me while paging through these scrapbooks was how despite the risks, they still put it all on the line purely for the love of the sport. It's sad how so many of them lost their lives in pursuit of that dream, simply because the technology did not yet exist to provide the safety we almost take for granted today. In the blink of an eye, many of these talented men were lost far too young. In my opinion, the personal stories behind the history are what makes the preservation of the history of motor racing even more important. Without the dedication, ingenuity and sacrifice of these pioneers, racing could never have reached the levels it has.

My guess is that Ruth put these books together after the fact as they are not quite in chronological order. However, I have put them in the same order as they appear in the books. If you'd like to see these scrapbooks for yourself, I am happy to announce they will soon be in their new home at the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing!

As you might imagine, time has taken a toll on these old newspaper articles and photos. Most have been discolored due to age, so I saved them in grayscale to make them more legible. Occasionally, Ruth made notations in the books. All of her remarks and notations will be represented in white, bold & italicized text.   For those of you who have dial-up internet connections, please be patient. Some of these pages may take a few moments to load due to their size. I assure you it will be well worth the wait.   - DZ

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