September 7, 1896 – The first automobile race was held on a closed-circuit track. The course was at the Narragansett Trotting Park in Cranston, Rhode Island. The race competition itself was won by a driver named A. H. Whiting interestingly enough in an electric car built by the Riker Electric Vehicle Company.
That company was founded by a man named Andrew Riker who created the Company in Brooklyn in 1888. In 1894 he built his first four-wheel car by putting a pair of Remington bicycles together powered by an electric motor.
That year he also began building an electric racer that competed against gasoline cars and proved that the electric car could defeat a combustion engine in a short-span race. The economy of fueling it and the longevity of how long it would run before recharging were issues that engineers 125 years later are still coping with.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Sports History On This Day: June 8
June 8, 1920 – Sinatra tells us in his song New York, New York that
Riding the Back Roads: My Life in Sprint Car
It sounds like a nightmare… When your race car transport truck stops for gas,
Sports History On This Day: June 7
June 7, 1980 – Tommy John was a fantastic pitcher in his day. Many
Sports History On This Day: June 6
June 6, 1992 – Eddie Murray, the first baseman of the New York Mets knocked
No Potatoes For Fat Men! George Halas and the 1946 Chicago Bears
There are comebacks…and then there are comebacks! In 1946, the Chicago Bears won still
Sports History On This Day: June 5
June 5, 1952 – It is sports television history that occurred on this date! The
Sports History On This Day: June 4
June 4, 1927 – The very first Ryder Cup Golf tournament was held. Matches were
Sports History On This Day: June 3
June 3, 1937 – One of the most prolific power hitters of all time, Josh