50 YEARS IN WORDS AND PICTURES ALL FOR YOU.

Byline: KC CRAIN

Going to races, driving cool cars and attending hot-rod and auto showsI grew up living the automotive lifestyle, and I'm so much better for it. Imagine the thrill of working at AutoWeek. I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed the time here. I'm lucky to be part of such a great team. Together, we work hard to deliver the latest from the automotive world each and every week.

Our 50th anniversary, however, isn't just about us. It's about the people, places and events that have shaped our car world since the beginning. This issue celebrates them and everything that we've reported on for five decades.

From its humble start as a newspaper reporting on com-petition, AutoWeek has been transformed into an all-encompassing enthusiast brand that our readers love.

That love continues with this special anniversary issue. The editors threw all kinds of ideas against the wall. The ones you see printed here are the ones that stuck. You will find the most influential car people of the past 50 yearsof course, they include Senna and Schumacher, Penske and Porsche, Ferrari, Toyoda and Honda. But influence comes in many forms, so you will also learn of some scoundrels who crossed our path.

Try to recall the best race (or the best automotive event) you've ever been to. We asked that of 40 motorsports journalists; they share their favorites and tell us why they stand out. I wonder if you were there, too.

If you found yourself with a day to kill and a tank full of gasoline, where would you go? The 120-mile stretch between Hanover and Mount Attitash in ...