Word: mcgriff
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Meanwhile, the race went on, to heightened public interest. Of the 97 starting cars, only 35-all but two U.S. models-finished out the race. Among the starters who dropped out: Hershel McGriff of Portland, Ore., winner of the 1950 race. The two foreign cars that went the route, both lightweight 1951 Italian Ferraris, came in first and second. Leading the pack was Italy's white-haired Piero Taruffi, who finished fourth last year. Taruffi's Ferrari covered the 1,933 miles at an average speed of 88.2 m.p.h., 9.8 m.p.h. faster than McGriff's 1950 mark...
...last 115-mile leg from Tuxtla Gutiérrez to the border was unpaved. The temperature hit 105°. In the end, the race got down to two dogged U.S. drivers: 22-year-old Hershel McGriff, part owner of an auto-repair shop in Portland, Ore., driving a 1950 Oldsmobile, and Tommy Deal of El Paso, driving a Cadillac. But McGriff's six-day time was better than Deal's by one minute, 16 seconds. Victory was worth 150,000 pesos ($17,000) to him, Co-Driver Pay Elliott and their backers...
Though no Mexican finished above eighth, the country was well pleased. The race furnished convincing proof to U.S. tourists that the border-to-border highway is ready for use: Winner McGriff's average driving speed down the full length of Mexico was 79 m.p.h...