Comic Title: Adventure Comics #177
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: June 1952
On Sale Date: April 18, 1952 Copyright Date April 16, 1952
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1952
Until 1958 DC did not report actual on sale dates to the copyright office
The publication dates listed in LoC records are NOT release dates.

Newsstand Date April 18, 1952
Source: Newsdealer Magazine, V7 #2

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 40
Editor: Jack Schiff

Title: "The Hot-Rod Chariot Race"
Pages: 12

Feature(s):
Superboy (of Earth-1)

Artist: John Sikela

Feature Character(s)

• Superboy (last appearance in Superboy #20; next appearance in Superman #77)

Villain(s)

• Festus and several gamblers (no further appearances)
• Crassus (a chariot driver; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Victor Varley and his father (no further appearances)
• Professor Whitley (a history teacher; no further appearances)
• aka Ben Hur (Quintus Arrius; a chariot driver; no further appearances)
• The principal of Smallville High School (no further appearances)

Synopsis:
Professor Whitley has discovered a helmet that once belonged to Ben Hur. However, his integrity is called into question because other scholars believe that Ben Hur was a fictional character. Superboy travels back in time to Rome to learn the truth. He brings Vic Varley along because the teenager has been racing his hot rod and endangering himself and others.

Once in Rome, Superboy begins asking about Ben Hur. No one has heard of him. Meanwhile, Vic enters himself in a chariot race. Some gamblers try to fix the race by sabotaging his chariot. Vic is helped by Superboy and another racer, Quintus Arrius. The Boy of Steel then builds a jet engine to propel Quintus to victory.

Quintus is awarded a trophy. He explains that his real name is Ben Hur. He disguised it to expose the gamblers who were responsible for his father's death. Superboy then returns to the 20th century with Vic. Using his knowledge, Superboy helps Whitley find more evidence to support his claim that Ben Hur was real. Vic has also learned his lesson about how racing is dangerous.