Southern Pacific Division, First Place trophy awarded to African American driver, Benny Scott, 1972

Southern Pacific Division, First Place trophy awarded to African American driver, Benny Scott, 1972. Benny Scott won this trophy competing with a McLaren M-10A race car in the Formula A class. The Southern Pacific Division was sanctioned by the California Sports Car Club under the Sports Car Club of America (CSCC-SCCA). CSCC-SCCA was a catalyst for several noteworthy professional drivers in the world.

Lenny W. Miller met and recruited Benny Scott prior to Scott's championship to drive for Miller's Vanguard Racing, Inc. with a Formula A, McLaren M10-A race car. Vanguard competed professional SCCA L&M Continental 5000 Championship in 1972. In 1973, Miller changed the team's name from Vanguard Racing Inc. to Black American Racers, Inc. (BAR).

In 1969, Len Miller and his brother Dexter for Miller Racing to race hot rods on the drag racing circuit in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the Northeast. With success on the racetrack he formed Vanguard Racing in 1972 and was the first African American to enter a car in the Indianapolis 500. He then went on to found the Black American Racers Association in 1973. The goal of the organization was to “unify African-American drivers in all types of racing – stock car, open wheel, and drag racing -- pave the way for greater success and introduce race fans to African-American’s history in motorsports.”

Later that same year the Black American Racers, Inc. (BAR) was formed with Benny Scott as their second generation African-American driver. Also in 1973, BAR became the first team to have an African American driver compete in England. In 1975, BAR driver Benny Scott would break the color barrier at the Long Beach Grand Prix, when the team entered a Formula 5000 car in the inaugural race. Len and Benny Scott were inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame for their achievements in motorsports in 1976. In 1978, BAR experienced a setback when their driver Tommy Thompson was killed in an accident at the Trenton Speedway. Many of the team members took a break after this tragedy and in the 1980s the team turned toward stock car racing.

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