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His racing career didn t survive long enough for him to be allowed to compete on the track his talents deserved, but Charlie Wiggins’ legend has stood the test of time.
Next spring, the life of the man nicknamed “Speed King,” who three times won a race created by the Colored Speedway Association meant to rival the Indianapolis 500, will be adapted from an Emmy-winning documentary and best-selling book into a feature film titled “Eraced.”
IndyCar and Firestone have signed on as partners on the movie, set to be produced by Ed Welburn, a former General Motors executive, and Madisun Leigh of Welburn Media Productions. In particular, IndyCar will aid in physical production, marketing and promo opportunities during the production stage, which is set to begin in spring of 2022. IndyCar is also set to help promote the film around its release.
Tragic Story of Black Racing Pioneer Charlie Wiggins to Be Subject of Feature Movie
Wiggins starred as a racer in a rival racing circuit in the shadow of Indy 500, segregation, and the Ku Klux Klan. Eraced
Charlie Wiggins, one of the top race-car drivers from the 1920s and 1930s, never got a chance to race in the Indianapolis 500.
The closest Wiggins got to the starting grid at Indy was in 1934, when he served as a mechanic on the Indy 500-winning car driven by Bill Cummings. That was only after the sanctioning body at the time would not allow Wiggins, a Black man, to work on the pit crew.