Edward Otto

 

Originally appeared on News-Journal Online at
February 15, 2008

NASCAR got right with Ike
By AUDREY PARENTE
Staff Writer

A cigar-chewing race-promoter sidekick of Bill France Sr. sat down with President Dwight D. Eisenhower at a Gettysburg, Pa., restaurant to save auto racing from oblivion.

During the mid-1950s, an Oregon senator proposed a national ban on the activity, after deadly racing accidents at Watkins Glen, N.Y., Langhorne Speedway in Langhorne, Pa., and Indianapolis.

Efforts to curb racing also were under way in Italy, Switzerland and France after a disastrous accident at a LeMans race in France in 1955. A Mercedes plunged into the spectators, killing the driver and at least 80 people and injuring more than 100 men, women and children.

"People alive today have no idea about how many people used to be killed in and around auto racing -- not only race drivers but cars regularly went into the grandstands," said Edgar Otto of Boca Raton. His father was the fast-talking promoter, Ed Otto, who met with the 34th president on behalf of NASCAR.

At this time, AAA also sanctioned auto races but pulled out as anti-race press and public sentiment mounted. France was getting worried, Otto said in an interview in Ormond Beach, where he recently promoted his book, "Ed Otto, NASCAR's Silent Partner."

"France said to my dad: 'You are a Yankee. Why don't you go on up to Washington and see what you can do about this?,' " Otto said.

Otto's father called Pennsylvania race promoter Hilly Rife, who owned a farm adjacent to President Eisenhower's farm, used for weekend retreats.

Rife, now of Ormond Beach, said he called Pennsylvania state Rep. Francis Worley.

"He was a friend of my family and would do everything for me," Rife said. "I said, 'Can you get me in touch with Ike?' And in two weeks he had it worked out."

A meeting was arranged at a downtown restaurant. Rife drove Otto into Gettysburg and met Worley.

"I waited across the street. Francis Worley took Ed into the restaurant," Rife said. "Ed came out first, and Francis came out later with Ike.

"Ed said Ike told him: 'Don't worry about a thing; it won't go any further, and if it does, I will stop it. You can go back to Daytona and tell them they don't have to worry about it,' " Rife said.

Otto said NASCAR followed up by making racing safer, "not only for the drivers but for the spectators."

audrey.parente@news-jrnl.com

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