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sobqjmv_sphinxFandom[edit | edit source]
Race has been a fan favorite for a long time, outranked only by Spot Conlon.[5]
In 2017, a popular newsboys history Tumblr blog, newsboys-of-1899, made a post commenting on the possibility that Racetrack Higgins and Spot Conlon were the same person, which started a popular rumor that this was fact, despite its unlikelihood.[6]
Name[edit | edit source]
Like many Newsies characters, Racetrack does not have a canon first name. Despite this, he is almost universally called Anthony, Antonio, Antony, or Tony in fanfiction.[7] This trend traces back to the early presence of the online Newsies fandom.
The first known work to use Anthony was first archived in January 1999, "Race's Secret," hosted at The Printing Press.[8] In September 1999, "The Birth of the Gambler" was published to Fanfiction.net, making it the oldest to use the name on the site. The name continued to be used on both FFN and personal sites, as well as some popular fandom archives.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] "Barely Even Friends," a work from circa 1999 in a series focusing on Race, features an Italian restaurant named Antonio's.[17] Most of the early uses of Tony may have been in 2001,[18][19] but it appeared occasionally in 1999.[20][16][21][22] In 2003, the highly-praised work "Everything You've Done Wrong" called Race "Tony"[23] and is cited by some fans as the origin of both Anthony/Antonio/Antony and the name Sean for Spot Conlon.[24] A LiveJournal user made a list of "real names" for newsies and listed Racetrack's as Anthony Higgins in 2004[25] and popular fic writer queenitsy also used the name.[26][27][28] The earliest known usage of Antonio was in 2005[29] and Antony was introduced in 2006.[30] The extremely popular "How I Spent My Summer Vacation," posted starting in 2006, used the name Anthony for Race, as listed on the character page[31] and introduced in the seventh chapter,[32] as well as the nickname Tony beginning in chapter nineteen.[33]
Ethnicity[edit | edit source]
Racetrack is commonly written as Italian, primarily due to his film actor, Max Casella, being Italian on his mother's side[34] and stage actor Ben Cook is also thought to be Italian.[35] While less known, the early film draft known as Hard Promises describes Racetrack as a "tall, skinny, gambling Italian beanpole."[36] "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" introduces Race as an "Italian kid."[37] Race's surname, Higgins, is a point of contention in regards to his Italian background.
References[edit | edit source]
- ^ Newsiepedia
- ^ The legal name of Race Track Higgins appears to have been Ed Higgins. by newsboys-of-1899 on Tumblr (2018)
- ^ Newsies Wiki
- ^ Who was Race Track Higgins? by newsboys-of-1899 on Tumblr (2017)
- ^ Your Favorite Newsie poll on The Newsies Inferno (2004)
- ^ On Spot Conlon and Race Track Higgins by newsboys-of-1899 on Tumblr (2017)
- ^ Racetrack Higgins tag on AO3, with synonyms including Anthony "Racetrack" Higgins, Anthony Higgins, and Antionio Higgins
- ^ Race's Secret by Dragon at The Printing Press, from an archive when the site was last updated in January 1999
- ^ To Peek Behind the Headlines by Grace at Grace's "Newsies" Fan Fiction Page! (1999)
- ^ The Birth of the Gambler by Sassy on Fanfiction.net (1999)
- ^ Story List including The Birth of the Gambler on Brooklyn Lodging House, archived 2002
- ^ Transcendence by Kendall (archived 2001)
- ^ Double or Nothing by Spitfire at So Ya Wanna Be A Newsie, Huh? (1999)
- ^ Play Me a Song by Gank on Kendall's Newsies Page (2001)
- ^ Racetrack roleplay bio at Central Park Lodging House (archived 2002)
- ^ Jump up to:a b Racetrack's Story by Skittery and Samantha at The Newsie Fan Fiction Collection (1999)
- ^ Barely Even Friends by Christy, hosted at Bottle Alley: Newsies Fan Fiction, 1999, archived 2014
- ^ Life's A Bet by Kendall at Kendall's Newsies Page (archived 2001)
- ^ LightFooted by Firecat at Kendall's Newsies Page (2001)
- ^ Race's Brother by Racetrack and RiffNTommy at The Newsie Fan Fiction Collection (1999)
- ^ Not Like Us by Christy at Bottle Alley: Newsies Fan Fiction (1999)
- ^ Just Beneath the Surface by Annie aka Bluey at Racetrack's Newsie Page (2001)
- ^ Everything You've Done Wrong by sloanne on Fanfiction.net (2003)
- ^ Okay, where did “Race is Italian” come from? by so0tings on Tumblr, reblogs by timetogoslumming and letter-from-the-refuge (2021)
- ^ Newsies Names by sharps on LiveJournal (2005)
- ^ Where Were You When The Lights Went Out? Racetrack: Denial by queenitsy (2004)
- ^ Newsies: Now And Forever by RosieRed on FFN (2004) is another example that I found on a rec list
- ^ In Every Generation by kerrypolka was posted on the newsies100 LiveJournal community in 2004 and got two comments
- ^ Allergy Season on The Refuge, via Wayback Machine, unknown author, I can't remember where I found that year but it was before the site went down
- ^ Freedom by Marauding Newsies on Fanfiction.net (2006)
- ^ Character List
- ^ Chapter Seven: Sibling Rivalry
- ^ Chapter Nineteen: At The Hop
- ^ Okay, where did "Race is Italian" come from? by so0tings, reblog by timetogoslumming (2021)
- ^ Okay, where did "Race is Italian" come from? by so0tings, reblog by dontloseurheadbestie (2021)
- ^ Newsies Original Script, hosted on Geocities
- ^ Chapter Two: The Rest Of the Day, and Some Of the Night
- ^ Newsiepedia
- ^ The legal name of Race Track Higgins appears to have been Ed Higgins. by newsboys-of-1899 on Tumblr (2018)
- ^ Newsies Wiki
- ^ Who was Race Track Higgins? by newsboys-of-1899 on Tumblr (2017)
- ^ Your Favorite Newsie poll on The Newsies Inferno (2004)
- ^ On Spot Conlon and Race Track Higgins by newsboys-of-1899 on Tumblr (2017)
- ^ Racetrack Higgins tag on AO3, with synonyms including Anthony "Racetrack" Higgins, Anthony Higgins, and Antionio Higgins
- ^ Race's Secret by Dragon at The Printing Press, from an archive when the site was last updated in January 1999
- ^ To Peek Behind the Headlines by Grace at Grace's "Newsies" Fan Fiction Page! (1999)
- ^ The Birth of the Gambler by Sassy on Fanfiction.net (1999)
- ^ Story List including The Birth of the Gambler on Brooklyn Lodging House, archived 2002
- ^ Transcendence by Kendall (archived 2001)
- ^ Double or Nothing by Spitfire at So Ya Wanna Be A Newsie, Huh? (1999)
- ^ Play Me a Song by Gank on Kendall's Newsies Page (2001)
- ^ Racetrack roleplay bio at Central Park Lodging House (archived 2002)
- ^ Jump up to:a b Racetrack's Story by Skittery and Samantha at The Newsie Fan Fiction Collection (1999)
- ^ Barely Even Friends by Christy, hosted at Bottle Alley: Newsies Fan Fiction, 1999, archived 2014
- ^ Life's A Bet by Kendall at Kendall's Newsies Page (archived 2001)
- ^ LightFooted by Firecat at Kendall's Newsies Page (2001)
- ^ Race's Brother by Racetrack and RiffNTommy at The Newsie Fan Fiction Collection (1999)
- ^ Not Like Us by Christy at Bottle Alley: Newsies Fan Fiction (1999)
- ^ Just Beneath the Surface by Annie aka Bluey at Racetrack's Newsie Page (2001)
- ^ Everything You've Done Wrong by sloanne on Fanfiction.net (2003)
- ^ Okay, where did “Race is Italian” come from? by so0tings on Tumblr, reblogs by timetogoslumming and letter-from-the-refuge (2021)
- ^ Newsies Names by sharps on LiveJournal (2005)
- ^ Where Were You When The Lights Went Out? Racetrack: Denial by queenitsy (2004)
- ^ Newsies: Now And Forever by RosieRed on FFN (2004) is another example that I found on a rec list
- ^ In Every Generation by kerrypolka was posted on the newsies100 LiveJournal community in 2004 and got two comments
- ^ Allergy Season on The Refuge, via Wayback Machine, unknown author, I can't remember where I found that year but it was before the site went down
- ^ Freedom by Marauding Newsies on Fanfiction.net (2006)
- ^ Character List
- ^ Chapter Seven: Sibling Rivalry
- ^ Chapter Nineteen: At The Hop
- ^ Okay, where did "Race is Italian" come from? by so0tings, reblog by timetogoslumming (2021)
- ^ Okay, where did "Race is Italian" come from? by so0tings, reblog by dontloseurheadbestie (2021)
- ^ Newsies Original Script, hosted on Geocities
- ^ Chapter Two: The Rest Of the Day, and Some Of the Night
