Benny Scott facts for kids

African American auto racing pioneer Benny Scott

Benny Scott was a cool race car driver, born in Los Angeles, California, on February 4, 1945. He passed away on September 25, 2009. Benny was special because he was a second-generation African American driver, which was very rare in car racing. His dad, Bill "Bullet" Scott, was also a racer in the 1930s and inspired Benny to love the sport.

Early Racing Days

In 1968, Benny Scott realized that car racing cost a lot of money. So, he decided to get his master's degree in psychology. He taught psychology at Los Angeles Harbor College. At the same time, he raced foreign stock cars in Southern California. He drove a Renault 4CV and finished 10th in points that season.

First Championship Win

In 1969, Benny came back with an even better Renault car. It had a special frame and a powerful Gordini engine. He won the Foreign Stock Car Association of Southern California title. This was his very first championship! Soon after, he started racing on road courses. He drove an Austin-Healey Bug-Eyed Sprite and Formula B cars. He earned his Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) license.

Mel Leighton, another African American racing pioneer from Los Angeles, introduced Benny to Leonard W. Miller. Mr. Miller was a businessman from New Jersey.

Joining a Racing Team

In 1971, Leonard W. Miller created a team called Vanguard Racing, Inc. Their goal was to prepare Benny Scott for the famous Indianapolis 500 race over five years. Important people were on Vanguard's board of directors. These included Paul Jackson, Sargent Shriver (who was once the head of the Peace Corps), Washington Redskins player Brig Owens, and Richard Deutsch.

Racing the McLaren M10-A

Benny drove the Vanguard Formula A car, a McLaren M10-A. This car had a powerful 500-horsepower Chevrolet V-8 engine. He competed in the L & M Continental 5000 Championship and SCCA events. Drivers from all over the world came to race in Formula A. In 1972, Benny won the CSCC-SCCA Southern Pacific Division Championship with his McLaren M10-A.

Benny Scott was even featured in an advertisement for Champion Spark Plug. It was their first national ad to show an African American driver. The campaign was called "Fast Road to Indianapolis." Champion Spark Plug later became a sponsor for Black American Racers, Inc.

Black American Racers Association

The Black American Racers Association (BARA) was started in 1972. Leonard W. Miller, Ron Hines, Wendell Scott, and Malcolm Durham created it. This group grew to have 5,000 members across the country. BARA supported all African American efforts in car racing. It also helped Benny Scott chase his big racing dreams.

Vanguard Racing, Inc. also had a white driver named John Mahler. The idea was for Mahler to help Benny prepare for the Indianapolis 500. However, many of Vanguard's investors became impatient. They wanted to see Benny race in the Indy 500 sooner. Because of this, the team broke up.

Getting National Sponsorship

In 1973, Leonard W. Miller formed Black American Racers, Inc. (BAR). They got a big sponsor: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company, which made Viceroy Cigarettes. This sponsorship included a plan called "Road to Indy." This plan helped Benny race in Formula Super Vee (FSV) competitions. He raced on famous tracks across America, like Watkins Glen and Laguna Seca.

Setting Records at Laguna Seca

Benny Scott achieved several podium finishes in his Lola T-324 FSV cars. One of his most memorable races was at Laguna Seca Raceway in California on May 4, 1975. He got the pole position, meaning he started first, with a speed of 100.882 miles per hour. He was the first driver ever to go over 100 mph in a Formula Super Vee at Laguna Seca! He was even faster during the race, reaching 101.111 mph. He was quicker than the famous German driver Hans-Joachim Stuck. In the very last lap, Benny was beaten by just inches by Freddie Phillips. Other drivers who raced in FSV and later went to the Indianapolis 500 included Howdy Holmes, Bob Lazier, and Bill Alsup.

Racing in the Long Beach Grand Prix

Brown & Williamson Tobacco was very happy with Benny's progress. They helped BAR move up to Formula 5000 racing. This meant Benny was racing against legends like Al Unser, Mario Andretti, David Hobbs, and Jody Scheckter.

Benny's most famous race in Formula 5000 was the first-ever Long Beach Grand Prix on September 28, 1975. He qualified 24th out of 30 drivers who made the race. There were 60 drivers from five countries trying to qualify! Benny finished 11th in the grand prix. This was only his third race in the super-fast 210-mph Lola T332 car.

At the end of 1975, Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company stopped all their car racing sponsorships around the world. This was due to internal company reasons. Because of this, BAR could not find another big sponsor.

Hall of Fame Recognition

In 1976, Benny Scott was honored by being inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame. The event took place at the New York Hilton. The famous actor Bill Cosby was the host. Many other sports legends were also inducted, including football player Frank Gifford, TV commentator Howard Cosell, boxing promoter Don King, NBA player Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, and boxer Joe Frazier. More than 1,000 people attended this special event.

In 1978, Benny Scott returned to Formula Super Vee racing. He finished the season for BAR's African American driver Tommy Thompson. Tommy had sadly passed away in a crash earlier that year. Benny never raced again after 1978 because he couldn't find more sponsors.

Life After Racing

Benny Scott's wife, Shill Scott, was a great support during his racing career. She passed away in 1994. They had one son, Damien. Benny also had another son, Eric Parker, who was adopted at birth in 1964. Benny and Eric were reunited in the mid-1990s.

Benny worked for many years as a psychology professor in Southern California. In 2001, he left his home in Malibu. He retired from his job as dean of academic affairs at Los Angeles Mission College. He moved to an island in Washington State. Benny Scott is known as the most educated African American race car driver to reach the professional level in open-wheel racing. Leonard W. Miller, Ron Hines, and Benny Scott remained close friends throughout their lives.

Racing record

Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results