The Journalist who Introduced Formula 1 and Enzo Ferrari to America

Robert Daley introduced the elite and globally popular form of motorsports—Formula 1. The story begins when in 1954, he went to France as a tourist, there he met a French woman and got married after three months. Daley was publicity director for the New York Giants at that time. In 1956, he visited his in-laws in France. During that time, he thought he would try to sell a couple of articles to American newspapers. 

Daley met the racing driver Alfonso Cabea de Vaca y Leighton, the Marquis de Portago of Spain, at the Cortina Olympics. He was fascinated with Portago and calls him a man walking emblem of charisma and testosterone. 

Daley knew nothing about racing but Portago constantly talked about it. Portago said “There is a theoretical limit to every curve. Let’s assume a certain curve can be taken at a hundred miles an hour. Fangio, a great driver will take that particular curve at 99 every time. I am not excellent as Fangio. I can take that curve at 97 at one time, the second time at 98, and maybe 101 at the third time. If it takes it at 101, I will gout of the road.”

After the end of the Giants season, Daley and his wife left for Europe again. Daley recalled, “I was about to sell a profile of Portago to a fourth-rate magazine. Portago was competing in the Mille Miglia for Ferrari, and Daley obtain an assignment. On Friday, May 10, 1957, Daley filed the story, but the next day Portago crashed Ferrari in the race. 

Daley recalled, “I believed not only my story was killed but my writing career too.”  By that time, he was addicted to Grand Prix racing, but most of America knew nothing about it. So he set off in 1958 to acquaint the European scene with mainstream America.

The first F1 race of Daley was Grand Prix de Monaco in 1958. While writing the story, he used the term “Crown Prince of auto racing” to narrate Stirling Moss, who was not known to most of the readers. Daley describes to Americans about Monaco Grand Prix. All the spring of 1958, Daley introduced American readers to F1 and its skilful gladiators. He says, “It was a great challenge for me as Americans have not heard of it before and did not know any drivers or cars. To make them read about it was challenging.”

( Phil Hill on his way to the World Championship in the Ferrari )

Daley spent a lot of time with Phil Hill who became the first American to break into the ranks of Ferrari drivers. Phil gave all the information to Daley. Hill brought Daley through the entrance of Enzo Ferrari’s office so that Daley could compose the very first profile to show up in the mainstream American press of Ferrari, the man. 

On June 8, 1958, the Ferrari profile ran in the New York Times, under the headline “Ferrari: Speed- Bewitched Recluse". Only days after the story ran, Daley went to Le Mans and stood the entire night in Ferrari pits and stated that being assaulted by astonishing sound, he loved it. That Sunday afternoon, Phil Hill turned the first American to 24 hours of Le Mans, in a Ferrari 250 Testarossa. Daley's dispatches opened the eyes of innumerable American readers to the excellence and the significance of Le Mans.

Reference Link

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a38400686/the-journalist-who-broke-the-biggest-story-in-motorsport-history/