301-582-3885
Maryland Cracker Barrel Magazine
Celebrating 50+ Years
Reflections: Hagerstown Made Racing History in 1955
By Suanne Woodring
Reminisce with us as we look back on the memories of a few of Washington County's residents. Excerpts featured here are from the current Summer 2026 issue.
For more information, please
Or call 301-582-3885
Maryland Cracker Barrel Magazine: Sentinel of Washington County's Heritage
"Last fall I received an email from Doug Mills inquiring if we would be interested in featuring a story on the 1955 Fairchild Sports Car Races that were held at the Hagerstown airport and made racing history...... Doug and his wife, Beth, Bill Stoler, and I met to see what materials were available to use in an article. Bill had done some extensive research on the race and had excellent photographs. ...there was enough material to devote the whole summer issue to the 1955 races. Some of the photographs had never really been published before. Fairchild had several photographers on staff and that resulted in the many photos that preserved this little known event. September 2025 marked the 100th anniversary of Fairchild Aircraft as well as the 70th anniversary of the sports car races at the airport. For the annual “Wings and Wheels” Expo in September 2025 an anniversary exhibit of the 1955 race was assembled in the aircraft hanger. Several of the cars that actually raced at the 1955 event were located but only the all aluminum Lotus IX came for the exhibit...."
Window to Yesterday: Remembering the 1955 Fairchild National Sports Car Races
By Bill Stoler
"In 1955 sports car racing was in trouble. Racing on public roads had been banned after a spectator fatality in the streets of Watkins Glen in 1952. Sports car racing got a reprieve when racing was permitted at US Air Force bases in 1953, but those ended in 1954 after a public outcry over taxpayer dollars used to host races on airport runways. In 1955, it would be Fairchild employees saving the races. This is the long-forgotten story behind that rescue 70 years ago...."
