Movie of the Week: The 1933 Stock Car Race

Check out this rare film about Ford’s defining moment in early stock car racing history: Fred Frame’s victory in the 1933 National Stock Car Road Race on a very demanding road course outside of Chicago. Straight from the Ford Motor Company’s archives, this historic newsreel captures highlights from the 1933 Elgin National Road Race.

Originally run from 1910 to 1920, the Elgin road race was revived in 1933 to coincide with the excitement surrounding the upcoming Chicago World’s Fair. That year’s revival featured two major events on the 8.47-mile circuit just west of Chicago: an open-class race, won by AAA standout Phil “Red” Shafer, and a stock car race limited to production vehicles with engines under 231 cubic inches.

Naturally, this Ford-produced short film focuses on the stock car race—where Ford swept the top seven positions. Fred Frame, the 1932 Indianapolis 500 champion, led the charge in a Ford V8, averaging 80.22 mph over the grueling 24-lap, 203-mile contest. At the time, a well-tuned Ford V8 was said to be capable of reaching 85 mph on flat ground, making Frame’s average—and reported top speeds exceeding 100 mph on the straights—all the more remarkable. Lou Moore, also driving a Ford, was among those clocked at similar speeds, showing just how dialed-in the top Fords were. Keep in mind that Ford had a mixed reputation for their Flathead V8, as the early motors had casting and overheating issues at their debut in 1932. Ford was eager to prove that the new engine’s bugs had been worked out by 1933, hence the happy promotion of this newsreel.

Some believe Ford’s dominant showing at Elgin also helped inspire its 1935 entry into the Indy 500.