On November 16, 1901, three autos raced on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. The fastest speed was achieved by Henry Fournier, who drove a mile in 514/5 seconds! He became the first auto racer to drive more than a mile-a-minute in competition. Automobile racing became in vogue in the 1890s and the New York City area was the leading center of the sport until about 1919. In Brooklyn there developed a national fad for twenty-four-hour races, the principal venue for which was Brighton Beach (1907-10).
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