Fresh off a second place finish at the Indy 500, driver Eddie Hearne returned to the Tacoma Speedway racetrack to compete in the Pacific Coast championship on July 4, 1919. He is pictured above with "mechanician" Harry Hartz at his side. Five top racers were invited to the Speedway to battle for $15,000 in prize money. A crowd of nearly 40,000, Speedway's largest crowd to date, saw Mr. Hearne, Louis Chevrolet, Ralph Mulford, Cliff Durant and Dario Resta battle in the eighth annual auto race there. Refereed by former ace and 1916's 300-mile winner Eddie Rickenbacker, the men drove in three races of 40,60 and 80 miles. Eddie Hearne in his Durant Special #14 qualified fourth at 100 mph and so started in the second row along with Dario Resta. Although his car completed the course in all three races, Mr. Hearne did not come in first in any of the races. He finished fourth in the 40 mile, third in the 60 mile and second in the third and longest race of 80 miles. (TNT 7-2-19, p. 19-article; TNT 7-5-19, p. 1, 13-results) TPL-115; G51.1-137

Hearne, Eddie; Hartz, Harry; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920;

Twelve top racers, including 1920 Indy 500 winner Gaston Chevrolet and Northwest favorite Eddie Hearne, would compete in the 1920 Tacoma Classic held at the Tacoma Speedway on July 5th. The ninth annual event featured one race of 225 miles with drivers competing for a $22,500 purse. Tommy Milton, in his #10 Duesenberg, picked up first place honors and $10,000 by outdueling Ralph Mulford's Monroe #3. Mr. Milton's time of 2:23:28 and 95 mph average was the fastest pace ever set for a long race at the Speedway. He made no stops along the race vs. Mr. Mulford's one stop for tires in the 55th lap. This was the second visit to Tacoma for Tommy Milton. He raced in 1916, finishing a close second in the 300 mile race to Eddie Rickenbacker. Mr. Milton was the last to arrive in Tacoma for the 1920 race, having picked up a new bride in Minneapolis on his way. (TDL 7-6-20, p. 1+) TPL-4425

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

ca. 1921. Roscoe Sarles in his #6 Duesenberg on the board track of the Tacoma Speedway circa 1921. Driver Sarles, winner of the recent Uniontown, Pennsylvania race, was expected to vie with 1920's Tacoma Speedway winner Tommy Milton for the $10,000 first prize money and 500 championship points in the July 4th 250-mile race. Tommy Milton had just won the Indy 500 on Memorial Day and would go on repeat as Tacoma's champion by nosing out Roscoe Sarles with an average mph of 96.84. Mr. Sarles' Duesenberg teammates finished third and sixth in the nine-car field. (print from badly damaged negative) (TNT 7-5-21, p. 1,2-results) TPL-080

Sarles, Roscoe; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Duesenberg automobile; Grandstands--Lakewood;

ca. 1920. Informal portrait of an unidentified race car driver or riding mechanic, probably taken in the very early 1920s. He may have been John Bresnahan, Gaston Chevrolet's "mechanician," who is looking directly into the camera's lens. His goggles are pushed up over his forehead and over his protective headgear. This photograph may have been taken at the Tacoma Speedway, once a prime racetrack in Lakewood that operated from 1912-22.

Automobile racing drivers; Automobile racing;

ca. 1922. At 19 years old, Harlan Fengler was already an experienced "mechanician" on the Harry Hartz team. He rode with Mr. Hartz to a second place finish at the 1922 Indianapolis 500. He journeyed to Tacoma to compete with Mr. Hartz in the 1922 250-mile Tacoma Speedway race which would be the last major event in the Speedway's short history. The race was won by speed king Jimmy Murphy with Mr. Hartz's team finishing sixth. Harlan Fengler became a race car driver himself shortly after. Although his career as a driver was not long, he eventually became the Chief Steward at the Indianapolis Speedway, a post he held for sixteen years. TPL-3172

Fengler, Harlan; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood);

ca. 1920. Informal portrait of auto racer Roscoe Sarles, taken circa 1920. Mr. Sarles paid three visits to the Tacoma Speedway from 1920-22 to compete with other racing stars such as Tommy Milton, Jimmy Murphy, Gaston Chevrolet and Cliff Durant. Although the veteran driver never won at the Tacoma Speedway, his toughness and driving ability ensured that he earned the respect of fellow drivers and cheering crowds. He competed in a Monroe in 1920 and Duesenbergs the following two years, finishing second in 1921 after winning the pole. Mr. Sarles was burned to death on September 17, 1922, some two months after the last Tacoma Speedway car race, during the 300-mile dedication race of the Kansas City Speedway. TPL-3171 (TNT 7-3-20, p. 15)

Sarles, Roscoe; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1922. This freckled-face young man is Harlan Fengler. He was Harry Hartz's "mechanician" or riding mechanic at the 1922 Tacoma Speedway 250-mile race. Mr. Fengler had been Mr. Hartz's riding mechanic at the 1922 Indy 500 where the pair finished second. 1922 was the last year that the Tacoma Speedway was open for business and Mr. Hartz finished sixth in his #12 Duesenberg Special with a time of 2:47:11, averaging 89.9 mph. It was a disappointing finish for the team as Mr. Hartz had qualified second, behind eventual winner Jimmy Murphy, with a 107 mph average. Later Mr. Fengler became a race driver himself. At 20 years of age, he raced at Indy in 1923, finishing 16th. Future attempts at Indy were not successful. Although active on board tracks, Mr. Fengler retired from racing in 1927. After pursuing a variety of careers, he ended up as the Chief Steward at the Indianapolis Speedway in 1958, a position he held for 16 years. (Dorson: The Indy Five Hundred: An American Institution Under Fire, p. 63-article)

Fengler, Harlan; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood);

ca. 1920. Wearing a jaunty checkered newsboy's cap is Chicago millionaire sportsman Joe Boyer, Jr., in this circa 1920 photograph. Mr. Boyer, accompanied by his "mechanician" Norman Etger, brought his Frontenac to the Tacoma Speedway for the July 5, 1920, 225-mile race. The field was crowded with top racing stars including Ralph Mulford, Cliff Durant, Eddie Hearne, Indy 500 winner Gaston Chevrolet, Roscoe Sarles and Tommy Milton, among others competing for a total purse of $22,500. Mr. Milton and his Duesenberg took first in a record time of 2 hours, 23 minutes and 28 seconds, averaging 95 mph. Joe Boyer was out in the 97th lap with a broken wrist pin. The estimated crowd of 40,000, many in the new 16,000-seat grandstand, were thrilled at the battle between eventual winner Milton and Ralph Mulford, who finished second. (TDL 7-6-20, p. 1-results; TNT 7-3-20, p. 15)

Boyer, Joe; Automobile racing drivers; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Men--Clothing & dress--Lakewood;

ca. 1920. Race car driver Eddie Hearne, circa 1920. Hearne, 1887-1955, was born in Chicago, the son of a gold-mining millionaire father. He raced from 1908 to the early 1930's in a total of over 120 races. In 1919, he won the Motor Age Championship, with Roscoe Sarles coming in second. In 1923, he was the AAA National Champion. He was a familiar face in Tacoma, winning the 75 mile in 1918, coming in second in 1919 and placing 3rd in the July 5th, 1920, Independence Day Classic, in his Revere, numbered "15." Speedway 056, Boland B2008 (TNT 6/29/1920; historicracing.com)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Hearne, Eddie; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1921. This is race car driver Tom Alley with his thick wavy hair blowing in the wind. He made his first trip to the Pacific Coast to race in the 250-mile July 4, 1921, event at the Tacoma Speedway. Nine cars, including Mr. Alley's #27 Frontenac, qualified by running at least 90 mph. Tommy Milton in his #2 Durant Special came from behind in a field of fast drivers during the latter half of the long race to win for the second straight year but had to set a new Tacoma long-distance race record to do so. His time of 2 hours, 34 minutes, 30 seconds, averaging 98 mph, was nearly three miles an hour faster than the 225-mile race of 1920. Tom Alley came in fifth with a time of 2:39:44 and averaging 93.90 mph. He earned $1,500 and 50 championship points. Only one car was mechanically disabled during the race, that of Alton Soules, and there were no accidents or reported injuries. (Copy by Boland of photo by W. A. Hughes) (TNT 6-23-21, p. 15; TNT 7-5-21, p. 1,2-results)

Alley, Tom; Automobile racing drivers; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood);

ca. 1920. Veteran early race car driver and "Grand Old Man" of racing, Barney Oldfield was in Tacoma in July of 1920 to serve as pacesetter for the Tacoma Classic on the 5th. He was photographed with his signature cigar behind the wheel of an automobile. During his career as a driver, Oldfield broke speed records, won match races and put on exhibitions. A consummate showman, he helped develop the image of auto racing as dangerous and exotic and its drivers as outlaws, and made a fortune doing it. His name became synonymous with the sport. He retired in 1918 from racing, but continued public appearances. He died in 1946. (TDL 7/4/1920, pg. 1C) Speedway 082

Oldfield, Barney; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobile drivers; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood);

ca. 1920. Race car driver Joe Thomas, circa 1920. The world of early automobile racing had a high mortality rate. Local boy Joe Thomas, born in Aberdeen (then called Grays Harbor City) in 1890, was able to avoid fatal crashes and live to the ripe old age of 75, dying in 1965. Although he was forced out of the race in 1920 with a broken piston and finished eighth, he would race at the Tacoma Speedway many times before it closed in 1922. After his racing days were over, he would return to Tacoma in the late 1930's to serve as director for the State Vehicle Inspection Station. Speedway 074 (TNT 6/29/1920)

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

Automotive legend Louis Chevrolet, standing, looked on as race car driver Joe Thomas tinkered with his Monroe racing car at the Tacoma Speedway on July 2, 1920. Thomas' riding mechanic, Marcel Treyvoux, leans against the car. Local boy Thomas, from Seattle, had just qualified for the 225 mile Tacoma Classic by driving at speeds up to 96 mph. He was a veteran, experienced driver, having been recruited by famed Barney Oldfield in 1907 for an exhibition in Seattle where the high schooler drove a Franklin. He later became Eddie Pullen's mechanic on the Mercer team and started driving himself in 1916. Louis Chevrolet was an early successful race car driver with 27 major wins to his record. He was also a design genius, creating the first Chevrolet with W.C. Durant and Frontenac race cars with his brothers, Gaston and Arthur. In 1920, he was working with Monroe to design a race car, which his brother Gaston drove to victory in the 1920 Indianapolis 500. (TDL 7/3/1920, pg. 2; TNT 7-1-20, p. 11-article) TPL-092, Speedway 016

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

Race car driver Roscoe Sarles, circa 1920. Although he had been a familiar face at major races for the past five years, Sarles made his first appearance at the Tacoma Speedway during the July 5th, 1920 race. He raced a Monroe, numbered "5," and finished fifth in the race. Two years later, in September of 1922, Sarles was killed in an accident at the Kansas City Speedway when he collided with Pete Depaola's car on the 110th lap and plunged over the edge of the track. Speedway 101 (TNT 6/24/1920, pg. 19)

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

ca. 1921. Eddie Miller shown pouring Richlube Motor Oil into his Duesenberg race car circa 1921. His jacket bears the name of his team, Duesenberg, on the front and back. This was Mr. Miller's first appearance as a driver in Tacoma. He rode as a "mechanician" with Eddie O'Donnell as driver in his own car in 1920. Known as a skilled mechanic, he had built 23 cars and had ridden as a "mechanician" with six different drivers. He finished in sixth place in 1921's 225-mile long distance race at the Tacoma Speedway, earning $1000 and 35 championship points. (TNT 7-5-21, p. 1,2-results; Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-3-21, C-3-small article on Mr. Miller)

Miller, Edward; Automobile racing drivers; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile equipment & supplies; Duesenberg automobile; Racing automobiles--1920-1930;

Undated close-up of auto racer or mechanic circa 1919-20. This is possibly Frank Eastman, mechanic, of New York or driver Jules Ellingboe. Mr. Ellingboe was not part of the July 4, 1919 five-man race at the Tacoma Speedway. He was expected to drive in the 1921 Tacoma race but injuries incurred at the Uniontown, Penn. track prevented him from coming. Frank Eastman was present for the 1919 Tacoma race as a mechanic for veteran driver Ralph Mulford. G52.1-029

Portraits; Automobile racing;

ca. 1914. H. C. Terrien behind the wheel of the "Pacific Car Special" in Tacoma for race at Tacoma Speedway. Mechanic is Oscar Soderburg (name misspelled on print). Herman C. Terrien, from Tacoma, entered his small Regal in the InterCity race on July 3, 1914. The 100-mile race was restricted to cars from cities in the Pacific Northwest. His Regal, #9, was worked on with Bob Field at the Pacific Car Co. The race was won by Seattle's Jim Parsons in his Frantz car. Mr. Terrien's car was not among the top five finishers. (TNT 6-21-14, 2-B-article, 10-A-alt. photograph; TNT 7-3-14, p. 1-results)

Terrien, Herman C.; Soderburg, Oscar; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Regal automobile;

ca. 1914. Frank Verbeck behind the wheel of his Fiat (car # 11) on the track at the Tacoma Speedway in July of 1914. Accompanying him was Forrest C. Smithson, his mechanic. Mr. Smithson was a world-class and Olympic hurdler. The Fiat ran in both the 200-mile and 250-mile races which attracted entries from the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. Since the Fiat had raced here the past two years, expectations were high for another successful finish. Unfortunately the car did not perform well and Mr. Verbeck won neither race. (TNT 6-21-14, 2-B-article; TNT 6-28-14, 3-D-alt. photograph; TNT 7-5-14, p. 1+-results)

Verbeck, Frank; Smithson, Forrest C.; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Fiat automobile;

ca. 1914. This is possibly H. Staley and his unidentified "mechanician" aboard car #21, believed to be a Studebaker, preparing for the Montamara Festo races in early July of 1914. Driver Staley captured 4th place and $150 in the Inter-City Century, a 100-mile race held at the Tacoma Speedway on July 3rd. (TDL 7-4-14, p. 5-list of drivers; Tacoma Sunday Ledger 7-5-14, p. 16-results)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1915. "The Famous Tacoma Speedway, Annually the Scene of Exciting Automobile Races" This photograph was believed to have been taken in 1915. The grandstands are full of excited spectators while many others view the action from their parked cars across the way. Winners that year were Grover Ruckstell in the Montamarathon, Eddie Pullen in the Golden Potlatch and three-time winner Jim Parsons in the InterCity 100. TPL-8065

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Grandstands--Lakewood; Sports spectators--Lakewood;

Earl Cooper in his #8 Stutz motors past the checkered flag on July 4, 1915, at the 250-mile Montamarathon held at the Tacoma Speedway. Thirteen cars had started on the "lattice" track which consisted of 2 x 4 Washington fir planks over which gravel, sand and hot oil were applied. Mr. Cooper had hoped to retain his title in the big race which he had won for two consecutive years but came in a close second to Grover Ruckstell in his red Mercer. Mr. Ruckstell's time was 2:57 which nipped Mr. Cooper's 2:58:5. Although Mr. Cooper's car was numbered 8 which had graced the car previously and was still a Stutz racer, it was not the same car that won him the previous titles. This particular #8 had finished fourth at Indy. Mr. Cooper's old #8 Stutz was re-numbered 2 and driven by George Hill. (TDL 7-5-15, p. 1-article; Tacoma Sunday Ledger 7-4-15, p. 1-article)

Cooper, Earl; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Stutz automobile;

ca. 1915. Veteran driver Barney Oldfield, chewing on his ever-present Havana, at the wheel during the July, 1915 Tacoma Speedway races. He took his first spin around the board track on June 26th, declaring it "a wonder." Mr. Oldfield drove his #1 Peugeot in both the Golden Potlatch 200-mile and Montamarathan 250-mile races. This is the car he bought from Dario Resta who had previously won the Vanderbilt Cup and Grand Prix races in San Francisco as new foreign cars were not available due to the European war. He also brought his special Fiat Cyclone and 300 hp Christie to town to attempt world records; those cars did not compete in the actual races as they did not meet piston displacement rules. Barney Oldfield finished fifth with a time of 3 hours, 17 minutes in the big Montamarathon race on July 4th and third in the Golden Potlatch on the following day. (TDL 6-27-15, p. 20-article; TDL 7-5-15, p. 1-results; TDL 7-6-15, p. 1,2-results; Tacoma Sunday Ledger 7-2-22, C-1-photo) TPL-3162

Oldfield, Barney; Automobile racing drivers; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Cigars;

ca. 1919. Driver Louis Chevrolet and his "mechanician" aboard his Frontenac race car circa 1919. The car is parked on a brick roadway. Louis Chevrolet, affectionately known as "Grandpa" due to his senior status in the racing world, would come to Tacoma to compete in the special five-car, one-day-only set of three races at the Tacoma Speedway on July 4th of 1919. Well known racers Dario Resta, Eddie Hearne, Cliff Durant, Ralph Mulford and Louis Chevrolet were in the mix for the $15,000 purse and championship points. The Frontenacs driven by Ralph Mulford and Mr. Chevrolet took first place in all three races, the 40, 60 and 80 mile events. Louis Chevrolet won the 60 and 80 mile races with average mph of 98.5 and 97.2 respectively. TPL-102; G51.1-124

Chevrolet, Louis; Frontenac automobile; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1920. Eddie O'Donnell (right) and his mechanic pictured in his Duesenberg #10 on an unidentified brick track. They would be in town on July 5th 1920 to race at the Tacoma Speedway. Although O'Donnell had been racing for several years, he was a new face at the Speedway. The 225 mile 1920 "Tacoma Classic" offered a winning purse of $22,500. The new grandstands allowed 15,000 fans to view the race comfortably from the stands when O'Donnell was the 8th, and last man, to finish the race, by driving fellow racer Eddie Miller's car. O'Donnell had graciously offered his car to Ralph DePalma, whose car was not running at race time. Eddie O'Donnell would die tragically later in 1920 from injuries sustained in a crash on November 25th. Gaston Chevrolet and Eddie O'Donnell collided with one another during the Thanksgiving Day Beverly Hills Speedway Classic race. Chevrolet was killed along with O'Donnell and mechanic Lyall Jolls. (TNT 6/19/1920, pg. 10; 6/30/1920, pg. 18) Speedway 042

O'Donnell, Eddie; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1920. In July of 1920, lots of eyes at the Tacoma Speedway were on novice driver Jimmy Murphy, mechanic Ernie Olson and his Duesenberg. He was in Tacoma for the July 5, 1920, 225 mile Classic after winning the first race of the season, the inaugural at the Beverly Hills Ca. board track. Murphy raced for the Duesenberg team that had taken him on as a mechanic in 1916 and promoted him to driver in 1919. He finished 6th in the Tacoma Classic in his #12 Duesenberg. Jimmy Murphy was the shooting star of racing during his short 4 year and 9 month career, named National Racing Champion in 1922 and 1924. He was killed in a crash at Syracuse, New York, in September of 1924. (Jimmy Ralstin's Racing Home Page; www.ddavid.com/formula1/; TDL 7/6/1920, pg. 1; TNT 6/30/1920, pg. 18) Speedway 047

Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Murphy, Jimmy; Automobile racing drivers;

ca. 1946. Allen Heath behind the wheel of Tom Carstens' 1946 KurticKraft Ford V860 midget racecar. Heath was the Washington State Champion in 1946 and 1947. He was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1991. His career lasted into the '60s, even more remarkably because he drove with a "hook," having lost a hand in a 1953 accident. The Saskatchewan-born Heath also drove sprint cars and was noted as a tough competitor. (National Midget Racing Hall of Fame)

Heath, Allen; Racing automobiles--1940-1950; Automobile racing--1940-1950;

The Grand Opening of the Midget Auto Races Track at Athletic Park was on Friday May 10, 1946. The cars raced under flood lights, with time trials starting at 7 p.m. and races at 8:15 p.m. General admission was $1.50; children and servicemen were 75 cents. This aerial view of Tacoma shows the track and most of the area known as Hilltop. With the construction of the race track at the NW corner of S 15th and S Sprague Avenue, Tacoma's Athletic Park lost most of its baseball field. (T. Times 05/24/1946 p.13)

Tacoma Athletic Park (Tacoma); Neighborhoods--Tacoma--1940-1950; Midget Auto Races Track (Tacoma); Racetracks--Tacoma;

In September of 1914, nine "Kid drivers" lined up two abreast at the starting line of the Tacoma Speedway in their smaller, less powerful "Baby racers." The cars were built with motorcycle engines and were sometimes called "cycle cars." The planned race, the first of its kind to be held north of Los Angeles, was originally scheduled for September 8th. However, a torrent of rain interrupted what had been a string of dry days and drenched the dirt track, causing the race to be rescheduled for the following Sunday at 1 p.m. However, true to form, the Northwest weather produced a light but continuous rain on the 13th that fell nearly all day long and covered the track with water. The race was cancelled indefinitely and the drivers returned to the more predictable Southern California weather. (Tacoma Tribune 9/14/1914, pg. 8, 9/13/1914, pg. 2-B)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920;

Driving Stutz #2 in the 1915 Montamara Festo races was George Hill, accompanied by his unidentified "mechanician." The big race car formerly ran successfully under the number 8 when driven by Earl Cooper. In 1915 Mr. Cooper chose to drive another Stutz which had come in 4th at the Indy 500 and his old #8 "ghost" was re-numbered 2. Mr. Hill was one of 13 drivers in the big Montamarathon event but his car caught fire and he was eliminated from the race. He had also entered his vehicle in the 200-mile Golden Potlatch but was not one of the eight cars who eventually started. TPL-4426 (TDN 7-5-15, p.1,2 -results)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Hill, George; Stutz automobile;

Indy 500 winner Gaston Chevrolet is seated in the #4 Monroe, a car designed by his brother Louis, as he prepares for the 1920 Tacoma Class 225-mile run at the Tacoma Speedway. His dirt-stained uniform indicates that he has already put in a few practice runs on the two-mile board track. The man seated beside him is believed to be his "mechanician" John Bresnahan. The No. 5 vehicle next to the men, also a Monroe, will be driven by Roscoe Sarles at the July 5th race. Both cars, plus Ralph DePalma's Ballot (not shown) were garaged at Mueller-Harkins in downtown Tacoma. Last year's big winner at the Tacoma Speedway, Louis Chevrolet, journeyed to Tacoma to assist his brother in getting the car ready for the big race. The third member of the Monroe team was Ralph Mulford, who would drive #3, and come in second in a hard fought battle with winner Tommy Milton and his Duesenberg. Mr. Chevrolet's Monroe came in seventh with prize winnings of $1000. He had been forced to the pits to replace a broken water pump. He was able to continue but his engine couldn't keep up the pace set by Tommy Milton. (TNT 7-3-20, p. 15-article; TDL 7-6-20, p. 1+-results; TNT 7-6-20, p. 14-results)

Chevrolet, Gaston; Monroe automobile; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles--1920-1930;