Automobile thrill shows were a staple of state fairs and county fairs from the 1920's to the 1980's. These men (usually men) performed amazing stunts with automobiles, trucks, and motorcycles. They were stunt drivers who drove cars and other vehicles for automobile thrill shows, their stunts included loops, tailspins, barrel rolls, and intentional crashes. Some thrill show drivers also raced in stock car racing. William Lindsay Gresham's 1953 book on carnivals, Monster Midway, has a section devoted to thrill drivers. Joie Chitwood's drivers were featured in the 1950 MGM film "To Please a Lady" which starred Clark Gable as a race car driver and Barbara Stanwyck as a radio reporter. To Please a Lady - Joie Chitwood Auto Thrill Show scenes

Brass, 32 mm, 11.00 gm
Obverse:
Lucky Teter facing
MAY GOOD LUCK ACCOMPANY THE BEARER
LUCKY TETER
WORLDS CHAMPION
Reverse:
Automobile tilted
HELL DRIVERS
LUCKY PIECE

Earl M. "Lucky" Teter (1901-1942) started out as a race driver of both autos and motorcycles and had been a gas station attendant and weekend test driver. He ran thrill shows in the 1930s and 1940s and was the first to use the label "Hell Drivers" for his act. He died during a performance in 1942, just before he was to join the Army.

Brass, 32 mm, 10.88 gm
Obverse:
Automobile flying over bus
B. WARD BEAM'S
WORLD'S CHAMPION DAREDEVILS
Reverse:

FOR GOOD LUCK CARRY THIS
THE LORD'S PRAYER
OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME. THY KINGDOM
COME. THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY
BREAD. AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THEM THAT TRESPASS
AGAINST US. AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM
EVIL. FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY, FOR EVER. AMEN.
WHITEHEAD HOAG (Manufacturer)

B. Ward Beam (Bert W. Bean, 1892-1979) was a promoter who conceived the thrill show in 1923. He ran automotive thrill shows in the 1930's and 1940's, and also produced "girlie" shows for fairs. Whitehead & Hoag was a company which manufactured medallions and tokens.

Brass, 30 mm, 10.15 gm
Obverse:
Automobile flying over bus
B. WARD BEAM'S
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF DAREDEVILS
WORLD'S CHAMPION HELLDRIVERS
Reverse:
Four-leaf Clover, Horseshoe
FOR GOOD FORTUNE CARRY THIS LUCKY COIN

Brass, 29 mm, 8.78 gm
Obverse:
Joie Chitwood facing
JOIE CHITWOOD AUTO THRILL SHOW
Joie Chitwood in script
Reverse:
Indian head wearing feathers facing right
MAY GOOD LUCK ACCOMPANY THE BEARER ALWAYS
S. E. EBY CO., PHILADELPHIA (Manufacturer)

Joie Chitwood (1912-1988) was an American Indian (Cherokee) who became an automobile racer and participated in the Indianapolis 500 race several times. He founded the "Joie Chitwood Thrill Show", which is still running. He also performed as an automobile stunt man for films including the 1950 MGM film "To Please a Lady" which starred Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck.

Brass, 28 mm, 7.05 gm
Obverse:
Flying automobile with shamrock above
MAY GOOD LUCK ACCOMPANY THE BEARER
S. E. EBY CO., PHILADELPHIA (Manufacturer)
Reverse:
Indian head wearing feathers facing right
JOIE CHITWOOD'S
WORLD CHAMPION DARE DEVILS

Brass, 29 mm, 8.91 gm
Obverse:
Automobile flying out of flames
JOIE CHITWOOD THRILL SHOW
"THE GREATEST SHOW ON WHEELS"
Reverse:
Automobile travelling on two wheels
MAY GOOD LUCK ACCOMPANY THE BEARER ALWAYS

This token appears to be from the late 1960's due to the style of the automobiles on it.

Brass, 30 mm, 10.09 gm
Obverse:
Automobile flying over bus
FRANK R. WINKLEY
PRESENTS THE ALL-AMERICAN
THRILL DRIVERS
WORLD'S CHAMPION STUNT MEN
Reverse:
Four-leaf Clover, Horseshoe
FOR GOOD FORTUNE CARRY THIS LUCKY COIN

This coin has the same design as the B. Ward Beam coin. Frank R. Winkley (1907-1968) was an International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) stock car racing promoter who also ran auto thrill shows.

Brass, 37 mm, 14.65 gm
Obverse:
Automobile flying
TOURNAMENT OF THRILLS
WORLD CHAMPION AUTO DAREDEVILS
YES+ (Decision)
Reverse:
Astrological Signs, Dates, and Symbols
NO- (Decision)

Joie Chitwood ran this show but his name does not appear on this token. This token dates from the 1960's due to the style of the automobile on the obverse. The Astrological signs on the token are:
SAGITTARIUS NOV 22 - DEC 22
SCORPIUS OCT 23 - NOV 22
LIBRA SEP 23 - OCT 22
VIRGO AUG 23 - SEP 22
LEO JUL 23 - AUG 22
CANCER JUN 22 - JUL 22
GEMINI MAY 23 - JUN 21
TAURUS APR 21 - MAY 22
ARIES MAR 21 - APR 20
PISCES FEB 20 - MAR 20
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 19
CAPRICORNUS DEC 23 - JAN 20

Steel, 34 mm, 12.78 gm
Obverse:
Multipointed star and concentric circles
TOURNAMENT OF THRILLS
Large '25'
25th YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Reverse:
Four Leaf Clover
"Good Luck" in various languages
GOOD LUCK (English)
GOD LYCKE (Swedish)
BUONA FORTUNA (Italian)
VIEL GLÜCK (German)
BUENO SUERTE (Spanish)
BONNE CHANCE (French)
DUŻO SZCZĘŚCIA (Polish)

Joie Chitwood's name does not appear on this token.
The Tournament of Thrills was founded around 1945 which would date this token to 1970.

The 1950 MGM film "To Please a Lady" has some scenes from Joie Chitwood's Auto Thrill Show. The film stars Clark Gable as a race car driver and Barbara Stanwyck as a radio reporter who meet and fall in love. At one point Clark Gable's character is expelled from automobile racing and joins the Joie Chitwood thrill show.