Edward Otto

Asbury Park Press, March 26, 2008

By Bill Claren

During the past year or so, you probably have read my supposition that all this talk about NASCAR being an All-Southern organization at its onset back in 1948 and how many of the initial drivers were former rum runners, was just not so.

Now you can read a book that will give you the factual background for my statements.

I raced for a gentleman by the name of Ed Otto back in 1947 at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson. Recently, Otto's son, Edgar has written a book — "Ed Otto: NASCAR's Silent Partner" — which covers the accomplishments of this very talented man.

Ed Otto lived in Union, and right after World War II, he became a major promoter of ARDC Midget races in the Northeast. As local stock car groups started to race in our area, Ed soon realized that they would outdraw the more sophisticated midgets.

The midgets soon became too expensive and too fast for short tracks. They often produced follow-the-leader action and crowd appeal began to fade.

Ed Otto switched to stock cars as his main venue. And when he teamed up with Bill France and NASCAR, he became a vice president and a 20-percent owner. By the time Ed left NASCAR, he owned 40 percent of NASCAR's stake.

The following are some of the "firsts" achieved by Ed Otto:

— Utilize TV to broadcast races

— Use airplanes to transport drivers from one event to another

— Promote a motor sports event at Yankee Stadium (motorcycles)

— Promote safety of the drivers, including use of a safety harness

— Join the original NASCAR owners group (as a silent partner) with a 20-percent stake

— Take NASCAR "national" and out of the South

— Set a precedent by stopping the unionization attempt by AFL of race car drivers

— Promote a NASCAR race outside the country — in Canada on July 1, 1952

— Promote a NASCAR Grand National race at Soldier Field in Chicago, 1956

— Promote NASCAR races at the Polo Grounds in New York City, 1958

— Promote a NASCAR race with foreign cars in Langhorne, Pa., 1953

— Promote a NASCAR road race — 1954 at Linden Airport (Jaguar won)

— Promote NASCAR's longest race — 12 hours at Linden Airport in 1954

— Promote NASCAR races at Watkins Glen, N.Y., 1957

— Help promote the first Daytona 500 in 1959

— Brought into NASCAR California promoter Bob Barkheimer

— Promote Richard Petty's first Grand National race

— Co-promote Winter Nationals drag races with Wally Parks under NASCAR

— To take on the AAA by creating the NASCAR Automobile Association, with travel benefits for national members and to help raise funds for NASCAR

This past Monday evening, we had the pleasure of interviewing Edgar Otto on the "Eye of the Hurricane" NASCAR racing show on WSTU in Stuart, Fla.

Host Rick MaGuire asked Edgar why he wrote the book.

"Bucket list," he said. "I felt badly that dad was written out. Not only did dad get written out, but Pat Purcell, who was executive manager of NASCAR, is not given credit.

"People do not understand that Ed Otto and Bill France were out promoting racing, they weren't running NASCAR. Bill Tuthill, Pat Purcell and PR man Don O'Reilly really ran NASCAR."

Otto went on to explain that NASCAR sanctions and memberships were the real source of NASCAR's income at that period in its history. Ed Otto was responsible for a great deal of that income and without him, nobody really knows if NASCAR would have been successful.

The facts are that you, the public, do not get the full history of how NASCAR came to be what it is today. Bill France Sr. played an important part, but he was only one of several people who were very important during the beginning years.

I feel that Bill France Jr. brought NASCAR up to its present level and should be given credit for the upgrading of the sport as it now exists.

But you really should read Edgar Otto's book "Ed Otto: NASCAR's Silent Partner" if you want to all the facts of how NASCAR was really developed.

Information on how to get the book can be found on the Internet at www.Coastal181.com.

After discussing things with Edgar Otto, one interesting point that came to mind regarding how midget racing lost its appeal when all the cars became alike and were mass produced, so to speak. I have to wonder if NASCAR is on its way toward that very same problem.

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