Third Annual Black Athletes Hall of Fame trophy awarded to Leonard W. Miller upon his induction, 1976
Object Details
- Description (Brief)
- Third Annual Black Athletes Hall of Fame trophy awarded to Leonard W. Miller upon his induction, 1976. The Black Athlete's Hall of Fame ceremony was conducted at the New York Hilton in Manhattan. Miller was inducted along with Black American Racers driver, Benny Scott. Both Miller and Scott were inducted for their courageous ascent in auto racing reaching the top 60 teams in the world in 1975. Other inductees included sportscaster, Howard Cosell; boxing promoter, Don King; and heavyweight boxer, Joe Frazier.
- In 1969, Len Miller and his brother Dexter for Miller Racing to race hot rods on the drag racing circuit in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the Northeast. With success on the racetrack he formed Vanguard Racing in 1972 and was the first African American to enter a car in the Indianapolis 500. He then went on to found the Black American Racers Association in 1973. The goal of the organization was to “unify African-American drivers in all types of racing – stock car, open wheel, and drag racing -- pave the way for greater success and introduce race fans to African-American’s history in motorsports.”
- Later that same year the Black American Racers, Inc. (BAR) was formed with Benny Scott as their second generation African-American driver. Also in 1973, BAR became the first team to have an African American driver compete in England. In 1975, BAR driver Benny Scott would break the color barrier at the Long Beach Grand Prix, when the team entered a Formula 5000 car in the inaugural race. Len and Benny Scott were inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame for their achievements in motorsports in 1976. In 1978, BAR experienced a setback when their driver Tommy Thompson was killed in an accident at the Trenton Speedway. Many of the team members took a break after this tragedy and in the 1980s the team turned toward stock car racing.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Credit Line
- Gift of Leonard W. Miller
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
- date made
- 1976
- ID Number
- 2016.0359.13
- accession number
- 2016.0359
- catalog number
- 2016.0359.13
- user
- Miller, Leonard W.
- Object Name
- auto racing trophy
- Physical Description
- metal (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 4 in x 8 in; 10.16 cm x 20.32 cm
- See more items in
- Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
- Sports & Leisure
- name of sport
- auto racing
- level of sport
- Professional
- web subject
- African American
- Record ID
- nmah_1824819
