Jimmy Murphy raised his right arm in triumph as he passed the checkered flag waved by Fred Wagner, winning the July 4th 1922 Tacoma Speedway Classic and setting a new track record. Murphy finished the 250 mile race in 2:33:55, narrowly defeating Tommy Milton. Murphy's average speed was 97.6 mph. He was driving his own "Murphy Special." He was favored to win the Tacoma Classic, having won the 1922 Indy 500 on Memorial Day. He was also the first American to win the French Grand Prix, in 1921. His numerous wins entitled him to wear the crown of National Racing Champion in both 1922 and 1924. However, his racing career only spanned a short four years and nine months. He was killed in a crash at Syracuse, New York, in September of 1924. (TDL 7/5/1922, pg. 1) TPL-8797, Speedway-142

Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Murphy, Jimmy;

ca. 1920. Ralph DePalma and his riding mechanic, possibly nephew Peter DePaolo, in DePalma's French made Ballot race car, #2, circa 1920. Mr. DePalma was entered in the July 5th 1920 Tacoma Classic car race at the Tacoma Speedway. His Ballot suffered a broken connecting rod before the race and he ended up competing in Eddie O'Donnell's Duesenberg, which also broke down in the 75th lap. Ralph DePalma, 1884-1956, was born in Italy but came to the United States as a boy. He began racing automobiles in 1909, the same year that the American Automobile Association established the National Driving Championship, an award that DePalma took home in 1912 & 1914. He was the 1915 Indianapolis 500 winner. When he retired in the early 1930's after 27 years of racing, he had competed in 2889 races and won an amazing 2557 of them. After retiring, he worked as a consultant in the automotive field. He died in 1956 at the age of 72. (TDL 7/4/1920, pg. 1C; www.ddavid.com/formula1; wikipedia) Speedway 066

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Ballot automobile; DePalma, Ralph;

ca. 1920. Jimmy Murphy at the Tacoma Speedway in his race car #12, believed to be a Duesenberg, circa 1920. Accompanying him is his riding mechanic, Ernie Olson. This was Mr. Murphy's first trip to the Pacific Northwest. He was considered a rising star with a top five finish at the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day and a second place finish on June 19th at the Uniontown, Pennsylvania 225-mile race. As part of the powerful Duesenberg team, he was able to learn, as well as compete with veteran drivers like Tommy Milton, Eddie O'Donnell and Eddie Miller. Jimmy Murphy finished sixth at the July 5th Tacoma Classic, an event won by his teammate, Tommy Milton. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-20-20, 3B-article; TDL 7-6-20, p.1+-results)

Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Murphy, Jimmy; Automobile racing drivers; Olson, Ernie;

ca. 1922. This is Howard Samuel Wilcox, better known to racing fans as "Howdy" Wilcox. Winner of the Indy 500 in 1919, he was a newcomer to Tacoma racing. He came to the Tacoma Speedway for the Fourth of July race in 1922, bringing with him an English Peugeot instead of Louis Chevrolet's Frontenac. Racers at the Tacoma Speedway in 1922 shattered speed records with nine of them averaging 103 mph in qualifying, the fastest ever. Unfortunately, Mr. Wilcox was not one of them as his car qualified at 97 mph. It was a highly touted field which included Jimmy Murphy, Tommy Milton, Ralph Mulford, Harry Hartz, Roscoe Sarles, Eddie Hearne and Cliff Durant. The 250-mile race, the last run at the Speedway, was won by Jimmy Murphy with a time of 2:33:55 and average speed of 97.6 mph. Howdy Wilcox finished fifth at 2:45:34, averaging 90.8 mph. Mr. Wilcox passed away a year later in a wreck at the Altoona Speedway in Pennsylvania. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-25-22, C-1-article; 7-2-22, C-1; 7-3-22, p. 1-qualifying; 7-5-22, p. 1-results)

Wilcox, Howard Samuel; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1922. Close-up of riding mechanic Terry Curley circa 1922. Mr. Curley, a former boxer, switched professions to become an automobile riding mechanic in the 1920's. He came to the Tacoma Speedway in July of 1922 for what would be the last race run at the famous board track.

Curley, Terry; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood);

ca. 1921. Driving mechanic L.J. Vick posed for photographer Marvin Boland at the Tacoma Speedway circa 1921. He is seated behind the wheel of an unidentified race car on the board track. Riding mechanics, or "mechanicians," accompanied the actual race car driver during the race. It is not known which racer Mr. Vick accompanied. TPL-2476

Vick, L.J.; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood);

ca. 1920. Gaston Chevrolet, the youngest brother of the racing triumvirate, was born in France of Swiss parents on October 26, 1892. He was brought to the United States by his older brother, racing car driver and designer Louis Chevrolet. In 1916, he became a partner with his brothers Louis and Arthur in Frontenac Motors. After initial success, the company went under after World War I. The trio went to work for Monroe Motor Co. In 1920, Gaston broke the European dominance of the Indy 500, winning in a Monroe-Frontenac designed by his brother Louis. His average speed was 88.62mph, a feat achieved with only a four cylinder engine. He was also the first racer to go the distance without a change of tires. His victory was only enjoyed briefly however, he died in a fiery crash on November 25th at the Los Angeles Speedway board track in Beverly Hills, Ca. He crashed in lap 146 and was killed, along with driver Eddie O'Donnell. At the end of the year, he was awarded the recently revived AAA National Champion title for 1920 posthumously. Speedway 086 (TNT 6/29/1920)

Chevrolet, Gaston; Automobile racing--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1922. California sportsman and car manufacturer Cliff Durant at the wheel of his blue Durant Special, accompanied by his mechanic, circa 1922. Mr. Durant, a favorite of Northwest race fans, arrived in Tacoma on June 28, 1922, to compete in the eleventh annual race at the Tacoma Speedway. He joined a cast of nationally known racers for the July 4th event, including Ralph Mulford, Roscoe Sarles, Jimmy Murphy and defending champion Tommy Milton for a total purse of $25,000. Mr. Durant was using the same car in which Tommy Milton had captured the national championship. Newspapers announced that this was to be Mr. Durant's last race of his illustrious career as the business world had taken over his attention. His Durant Special qualified fourth with average speed of 104.5 mph, as the track and cars ran extremely fast. Jimmy Murphy, who had won the pole position with nearly 109 mph, would eventually defeat Tommy Milton by just a few seconds. Mr. Milton had led the majority of the distance before tire changes cost him the race. Cliff Durant did not finish the race as broken rear axles claimed both his and Ralph Mulford's Leach Special. (print from badly damaged negative) (TDL 7-5-22, p. 1-results)

Durant, Cliff; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Durant Special automobile;

ca. 1920. Eddie O'Donnell (left) and mechanic Lyall Jolls pose in front of a Duesenberg race car at the Tacoma Speedway circa the summer of 1920. The Duesenberg team brought four cars for the 225-mile race driven by nationally known race stars Tommy Milton, Jimmy Murphy, Edward Miller and Mr. O'Donnell. Teammates Milton, Murphy and O'Donnell had finished 1-2-3 at the Uniontown, Pennsylvania 225-mile race a few weeks prior to the July 5th Tacoma event. Tommy Milton was the victor in Tacoma while driving his #10 Duesenberg at a blistering pace, the fastest then set for the long race at the Speedway. Race car drivers were a tight fraternity; Eddie O'Donnell generously gave up his ride on a Duesenberg to Ralph DePalma, whose Ballot broke down before the race. Mr. O'Donnell then hopped onto teammate Eddie Miller's ride and Mr. Miller served as mechanic. They finished last of the eight cars remaining in the race. Mr. O'Donnell's car had qualified at a 98 mph clip so it says much of the spirit of camaraderie that he gave up the car to a competitor so that the crowds jammed into the Speedway would not be disappointed at the non-appearance of this international star. Both Mr. O'Donnell and Mr. Jolls died later in 1920 of injuries incurred in the November, 1920 Beverly Hills Speedway Classic. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-20-20, 3B-article; TDL 7-3-20, p. 1-article; TDL 7-6-20, p. 1-results)

O'Donnell, Eddie; Jolls, Lyall; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Duesenberg automobile;

ca. 1920. Racing sensation Jimmy Murphy poses next to his Duesenberg race car #12 at the Tacoma Speedway, circa 1920. Murphy has been named the driver of the decade for Championship cars, 1920-1929, claiming 19 victories from 1920-24. He went to work for Duesenberg as a mechanic on his 21st birthday in 1916. He burst on the racing world as a driver in 1920, winning his very first major race in Beverly Hills, Ca. He is most famous for his 1922 Indy 500 win and for being the first American to win the French Grand Prix, in 1921. Jimmy Murphy was a familiar face in Tacoma, racing at the Classic in 1920, where he finished sixth and 1922, which he won. He was killed in a crash at the Syracuse, N.Y., racetrack in September of 1924. Speedway-044 (TDL 7/2/1922, pg. C-1, C-6)

Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Duesenberg automobile; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Murphy, Jimmy; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1921. Auto racer Roscoe Sarles and unidentified driver/"mechanician" with Richlube Motor Oil. The motor oil was manufactured by the Richfield Oil Co., Los Angeles. 1921 was the second year that Mr. Sarles had ventured to the Tacoma Speedway to compete with racing colleagues such as Eddie Hearne, Tommy Milton, Joe Thomas and Eddie Pullen. Mr. Milton passed Mr. Sarles on the home stretch after the 200-mile mark and beat him by a mere 22 seconds. For his second place finish, Mr. Sarles accepted $5000 and 260 championship points. (TNT 7-5-21, p. 1,2-article on results) TPL-3175

Sarles, Roscoe; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile equipment & supplies;

ca. 1921. Speed king Eddie Hearne watches as fellow driver Harry Hartz pours Richlube Motor Oil in Mr. Hearne's vehicle. Richlube Motor Oil was manufactured by the Richfield Oil Co. of California. This photograph may have been taken around 1920 or 1921 at the Tacoma Speedway. Both years Mr. Hearne drove a white Revere.

Hearne, Eddie; Hartz, Harry; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile equipment & supplies;

Stadium Tigers football team in formation at Stadium Bowl on November 20, 1924. This was the school's second-team who would have a season of victory with their 2-1 record over crosstown rival, Lincoln. Howard M. Carr was the team's coach. TPL-9715; G46.1-035 (1925 Tahoma yearbook, p. 90)

Football players--Tacoma--1920-1930; Stadium High School (Tacoma); Stadium Bowl (Tacoma);

On July 4, 1921, some of the cars participating in the 10th annual Speedway Classic are lined up on the board track. In the lead is #27 Tom Alley's Frontenac followed by #1 Eddie Hearne's big white Revere Special. The Marmon Speedster pace car, which would be driven by Ray Harroun, brings up the rear. In the background is the judge's viewing tower. Twenty thousand fans turned out to cheer on the 9 drivers in the 250 mile race. The drivers finished in the following order: Milton, Sarles, Thomas, Hearne, Alley and Miller. Pullen and Elliott were flagged off the track at the completion of the race. Soules did not complete the race, leaving on the 61st lap with a blown piston. (TDL 7/5/1921, pg. 1) G51.1-067

Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racing automobiles--1920-1930;

ca. 1921. Informal close-up portrait of auto racer, Eddie Miller. Mr. Miller, part of the powerful four-car Duesenberg team, paid his third visit to Tacoma's Speedway in 1921. He picked up his bride from back East before arriving in Tacoma in late June, following the path laid by his former teammate, Tommy Milton, who had done the same before winning the 1920 Tacoma race. Eddie Miller in his #7 Duesenberg came in sixth in 1921 with a time of 2:39:55 and average mph of 93.70. He earned $1000 and 35 championship points. Mr. Miller was credited in building 23 cars. Before piloting a car himself, he had riden as a "mechanician" with six drivers. Eddie Miller had been on every speedway in the United States, traveling over 23,000 miles in racing cars alone. (TNT 6-30-21, p. 15; TDL 7-3-21, C-3-article; TNT 7-5-21, p. 1, 2-results) G52.1-060

Miller, Edward; Automobile racing drivers; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood);

On July 4, 1921, at 2:30 in the afternoon, the flag dropped starting the 10th annual Tacoma Speedway Classic. Nine drivers had entered the 250 mile race. It was driven on Tacoma's infamous board track and had a purse of $25,000, to be divided nine ways. On the right is the pace car, a Marmon Speedster, carrying referee Eddie Rickenbacker and pace maker Ray Harroun. The car would pace the drivers for one lap before the race actually took off. Rickenbacker was a former star of the race track and a famous ace of the air and Harroun was also a veteran driver. Harroun was a last minute replacement for Louis Chevrolet. The car on the left of the pace car is #6, the Duesenberg driven by Roscoe Sarles. Sarles had earned the pole position by driving at the top speed of 101 mph during the trials. The race was won by favorite Tommy Milton. Milton broke all speed records for distance with his average speed of 98 mph. (TDL 7/4/1921, pg. 1; 7/5/21, pg. 1) G51.1-082

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930;

This is believed to be the Steilacoom Lake golf course as seen from the rough on May 1, 1928. The golf course was under construction and would open on September 14, 1928. It was managed by Fred Beckwith. G54.1-016 (TNT 8-31-28, p. 21-article)

Golf;

Frank Elliott in his car #5, the "Gordon Special," leads the way during what is probably the InterCity 100-mile race at the Tacoma Speedway held in early July of 1915. He would eventually finish second with a time of 1:20:28, two laps behind three-time winner Jim Parsons of Seattle, shown in the background in the Parsons Special, #22. Twelve cars from the Pacific Northwest had entered the race on July 5th but only six finished. T.F. Barsby came in third in his Velie Special and Earl Staley fourth in his Studebaker. The Mercer and Stutz entries were withdrawn from the InterCity. Mr. Elliott had also submitted entries to the big 250-Montamarathon and the Golden Potlatch 200-mile races. He finished sixth in the Montamarathon won by Grover Ruckstell. Although 21 drivers had entered the Potlatch which was run the day after the Montamarathon and on the same day as the InterCity, only eight were in condition to start with the others too damaged to race. Mr. Elliott's Gordon Special did start but did not win. TPL-1641 (TDN 7-6-15, p. 5-article; TDL 7-6-15, p. 1, 2 -results)

Elliott, Frank; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920;

Maxwell teammates Billy Carlson (car #25) and Hughies Hughes (#32) are side-by-side on the track of the Tacoma Speedway in July of 1914. Their cars had arrived in Tacoma directly from Indianapolis and the drivers themselves were in town two weeks prior to the July 3 & 4th holiday races. The Maxwells ran on kerosene and were expected to compete strongly in the races. Englishman Hughie Hughes would go on to win the 200-mile Golden Potlatch race on July 3rd with his black racecar averaging 74.28 mph. He picked up $1500 for his efforts. (TNT 6-21-14, p. 1-article; 2-B-brief biographies; TDL 7-4-14, p. 1-results) TPL-3165

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Maxwell automobile; Carlson, Billy; Hughes, Hughie;

Getting ready to take a spin around the Tacoma Speedway is Ralph Mulford in his #3 Monroe along with his "mechanician," believed to be Thane Houser. Mr. Mulford had run in the 1919 Tacoma Classic which had been restricted to five top drivers including Louis Chevrolet, Dario Resta, Cliff Durant and Eddie Hearne. The Frontenac team of Chevrolet and Mulford won all three events of the day with Mr. Mulford driving to victory in the 40-mile race at an average speed of 100.2 mph. In front of a packed new grandstand and car-filled field, Tommy Milton and his #10 Duesenberg battled Mr. Mulford's Monroe throughout the 1920 race. Ideal weather conditions and the good track resulted in no accidents during the 225-mile race. Both the winning Duesenberg and the second place Monroe used Oldfield tires for the race. Mr. Milton did not have to pit once, not even to change tires, while Mr. Mulford only had to stop once for tire changes. For his second place finish, Ralph Mulford won $5000. (TDL 7-6-20, p. 1-results) TPL-099

Mulford, Ralph; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Monroe automobile; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles;

Charles Webster Latta drove the #3 Interstate during the 1913 Golden Potlatch trophy race on the Tacoma Speedway on July 5, 1913. He is pictured above with his unidentified "mechanician." Race car drivers at that time were accompanied by their "mechanicians" or machinists while on the race course. Mr. Latta started in position #3 for the 200-mile race, behind defending champion "Terrible Teddy" Tetzlaff who had the pole position. The race was for 58 laps of 3.516 miles each. Out of the nine entries, Mr. Latta finished third while at times running fourth and fifth. Although "Wild Bob" Burman was favored to defeat Teddy Tetzlaff for top honors, Earl Cooper in his white Stutz captured the first prize of $1800 in a time of 2 hours, 49 minutes and 32 seconds. (The Tacoma Tribune also called Mr. Latta, "C.N. Latta," rather than Charles Webster Latta.) TPL-9865 (T.Tribune, 7-2-13, p. 2-article; T.Tribune 7-5-13, p. 1-results)

Latta, Charles Webster; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Interstate automobile;

Walter Gossman of Los Angeles poses in his cycle car, the Red Devil, at the Tacoma Speedway. Cycle racers, primarily from California, were in Tacoma in September of 1914 for the first "junior race" to be held north of California. Gossman was participating in his first race ever. He had designed and built the unique looking Devil. Outside of practices and speed trials, Tacomans were never able to see it race. The actual races were rained out. Speedway-061 (Tacoma Tribune 9/13/1914, pg 2B)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Gossman, Walter;

Omar Toft, behind the wheel of his "Omar Special" #5, was one of 14 drivers who competed in the Montamarathon Classic held at the Tacoma Speedway on August 5th, 1916. The 300 mile race, the longest held in the Northwest, carried a purse of $10,000. Eddie Rickenbacker won with an average speed just shy of 90 mph; Toft finished 6th, winning $250. The usual July 4th date for the Montamarathon was usurped by a scheduled, two car grudge match between Seattle driver Jim Parsons and Tacoman Ulysses Audrey. That race was cancelled at the last minute due to Parsons' car troubles. Although an alternate program was presented on July 4th that included a head on collision between two locomotives, it was fast cars that Tacoma craved. Fans showed their displeasure by staying away from the August Race; only about 10,000 fans, about a fifth of the previous year's crowd, showed up on the 5th. TPL-1644, Speedway-046 (T. Tribune 8/5/16, pg.1; 8/6/16, pg.1; TDL 7/4/1920, pg. 1-C- history of the races)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Toft, Omar; Automobile racing drivers;

A solemn Roscoe Sarles posed behind the wheel of fellow racer Art Klein's #8 Frontenac race car on the board track of the Tacoma Speedway in July of 1920. He was entered in the 225 mile Tacoma Classic on July 5th. He would finish 5th in the race while driving his #5 Monroe. (TDL 7/5/1920, pg. 3) Speedway 052

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers; Sarles, Roscoe; Frontenac automobile;

Eddie Hearne posed in his Revere race car, #15, on the board track of the Tacoma Speedway prior to the Tacoma Classic July 5th, 1920. The new grandstands, replacing those lost in a pre-season fire, can be seen in the background. He would come in third in the race, following winner Tommy Milton who completed the course in record time 2:23:28 at an average speed of 95 mph and second place finisher Ralph Mulford. (TDL 7/5/1920, pg. 3) Speedway 054

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Revere automobile; Hearne, Eddie; Automobile racing drivers; Grandstands--Lakewood;

A confident Ralph DePalma is perched on the back tire of a borrowed Duesenberg parked on the board track of the Tacoma Speedway. Mr. DePalma had come to Tacoma to compete in the July, 1920, 225-mile race along with other famous names including Gaston Chevrolet, Cliff Durant, Tommy Milton and Ralph Mulford. His French Ballot was the only foreign entry in a field crowded with Duesenbergs, Monroes and Frontenacs. Unfortunately his Ballot broke a connecting rod on July 1st and although the Smith Cannery Machine Co. and Western Gear Works of Seattle rushed to make eight connecting rods, the Ballot was not able to be repaired in time. In the spirit of good sportsmanship, Eddie O'Donnell of the Duesenberg team offered Mr. DePalma the use of his ride so that Mr. DePalma would not disappoint the thousands who had come to see him race. Thus, the reason for the Duesenberg shown above with the #2 (number formerly assigned to the Ballot) painted on. Even with the powerful Duesenberg, Mr. DePalma did not win the race as the car broke down before finishing. Tommy Milton, winner of the recent Uniontown, Pennsylvania 225-miler, drove his Duesenberg to a $10,000 payday. (TDL 7-2-20, p. 1-article; TDL 7-6-20, p. 1-results)

DePalma, Ralph; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Duesenberg automobile; Automobile racing drivers;

Roscoe Sarles poses in his Duesenberg prior to the July 4th, 1921 Tacoma Speedway Classic. Sarles was considered one of the most fearless drivers in the country and a ruthless opponent. Born January 4, 1892 in New Albany, Indiana, Sarles went into auto repair and later sales after he finished school. In 1916, bit by the racing bug, he joined Louis Chevrolet's racing team. By 1917, he was riding with Joe Boyer as a mechanic. After the conclusion of World War I, he began racing with his Roamer with great success. The car was loaned to Lewis LeCocq for the Memorial Day race in Indianapolis. LeCocq was killed when the machine swerved into the wall and caught on fire. Sarles had the car rebuilt at the factory. A year after the Tacoma race, on September 17, 1922, 50 miles into a race at the Kansas City Speedway, the Durant Special driven by Sarles snapped its steering gear and swerved into another car. It then proceeded to flip over the rim of the racing bowl. Sarles was killed in the accident. (TDL 7/3/1921, pg. C-3; www.motorsportmemorial.org) Boland B4356, Speedway-094

Sarles, Roscoe; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers;

On July 4, 1921, Tom Alley drove a Frontenac in the 10th annual Speedway Classic. He was one of the veterans in the race and was considered a pioneer of racing. He also had the dubious distinction of having run away from home at the tender age of 9. In 1906, very much underage, he raced for the first time, in a 50 mile touring car race. He was disqualified before the race began. At the age of 16, looking older than his years, he was hired as a tester for the White Co. He then tested for the American Motor Car Co., quitting when they refused to let him race. This was followed by testing jobs with Marmon (1909), Marion and National. In 1912, he signed on as Ralph DePalma's riding mechanic. The pair won the Road Racing Championship in 1912 and 1914. Hall attributed his quick rise to fame as a driver to the years he spent observing DePalma. He performed best on a dirt track, holding the 1915 speed record for the 100 mile. Speedway-105 (TDL 7/3/1921, pg. C-3) (Copy by Boland of photograph by W.A. Hughes)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Alley, Tom; Automobile racing drivers;

Frank Elliott posed behind the wheel of a Leach Special prior to the Tacoma Speedway Classic, held on July 4th 1921. Veteran driver Elliott was substituting for the Leach's usual driver Howard Wilcox. It was Elliott's first race in Tacoma since 1915. Although there is record of a Leach Motor Co. as early as 1899, their most famous vehicles were constructed at the Leach Motor Car Co. in Los Angeles, Ca., between 1920 and 1939. (TDL 7/3/1921, pg. C-3)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Elliott, Frank; Automobile racing drivers;

Joe Thomas, front, and his mechanic Marcel Treyvoux smiled at the camera from his Monroe race car #7 as they prepared for the July 5th 1920 Tacoma Classic race at the Tacoma Speedway. Joe Thomas was a local boy, hailing from Seattle, and a crowd favorite. In 1920, he was forced out of the race in the 78th lap by a broken piston, but he would return to race in the 1921 and 1922 Classics. After his retirement from racing, he returned to Tacoma in the thirties to serve as director of the state Vehicle Inspection Station. (TDL 7/5/1920, pg. 3) Speedway 093

Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Thomas, Joe; Treyvoux, Marcel;