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. 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. 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. 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);

Elmer Lock sits behind the wheel of his midget racer in this photograph from June, 1936. In the 1930's, midget racers like this competed regularly under the arc lights of the Tacoma Speedway Royale at South 14th and Sprague. The races varied in length from 3 laps for a "helmet dash" to 30 for a class A "Main Event". (T. Times 06-01-1936 p.11)

Automobile racing--Tacoma--1930-1940; Automobile racing drivers

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;

ca. 1946. Typical race at Tacoma track in the 1940s after WWII. These appear to be midget racers and the location thought to be Athletic Park, South 14th & Ferry. Races were held there every Saturday night starting in late April which drew drivers as far away as California. Prices were kept reasonable at $1.50 general admission, reserved seats $2.00 and kids under 12 a mere 75 cents. (Courtesy of the Cammarano Collection)

Automobile racing--Tacoma--1940-1950; Racing automobiles--Tacoma--1940-1950;

ca. 1946. Sydney Carr was photographed standing next to one of his midget racers circa 1946. Sydney Carr and Robert Ormsby were the owner-operators of the Carr and Ormsby Transportation Co. at 617 East 11th. Mr. Carr, an avid midget-auto racing enthusiast, moved to Tacoma from Pennsylvania in the early 1930s. He owned several midget race cars and served as president of the Midget Racing Association. (Courtesy of the Cammarano Collection)

Carr, Sydney; Racing automobiles--1940-1950;

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;

Race car driver Roscoe Sarles. This photograph was possibly taken in 1920 when Roscoe Sarles brought his #5 Monroe to the Tacoma Speedway for the 225-mile race on July 5th. This was the first appearance in Tacoma for Mr. Sarles. He ended up fifth in a star-filled field that year, earning $1200. Roscoe Sarles returned to the Speedway in 1921 and 1922, finishing second in 1921. His ride was a Duesenberg for both events. Mr. Sarles died in September of 1922 in a collision at the Kansas City Speedway. He was 30 years old.

Sarles, Roscoe; Automobile racing drivers;

This unidentified smiling driver is seated in a black race car at the Tacoma Speedway. He is believed to have been photographed sometime in the early 1920s, prior to 1923. Instead of the uniforms modern racers wear, this driver is nattily dressed in a striped shirt with rolled up sleeves and dark tie with stickpin. Many of the drivers photographed at the Tacoma Speedway from 1912-22 wore dress shirts and pants while on the track.

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

Unnumbered race car with unidentified driver and "mechanician" photographed on the Tacoma Speedway post-1913. 1913 was the last year of the track's dirt surface. From 1914 to 1922 cars ran on a board track, pictured here. The dapper driver is wearing a bow tie, striped white shirt and vest. His protective goggles are propped over his cloth/leather headgear. G52.1-007

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

Tacoma Speedway pre-1915. The track seems to still be a dirt track which means this unidentified race occurred before 1915, the first year of the new "lattice" board track. At this frozen moment in time, car #4 leads car #3 by several lengths. The grandstands are packed with spectators during probably the Montamara Festo races which occurred during the 4th of July holiday period at the Tacoma Speedway. People on the other side of the track got a very close view of the race along with crewmen for the various drivers. Note the pile of narrow tires that have already been changed or are awaiting changing. The Tacoma Speedway had a short but action packed history from 1912 to 1922. Many world class racers including Barney Oldfield, Teddy Tetzlaff, Grover Ruckstell, Eddie Pullen and Cliff Durant competed for prize money and trophies.

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

Undated photograph of Canadian-born but American-raised race car driver, Ira Vail. Mr. Vail raced at Indy multiple times but never won. He was a contemporary of famous racers Louis Chevrolet, Ralph Mulford, Barney Oldfield and Ralph DePalma and competed against them in many events. He was most successful on dirt tracks. Mr. Vail drove Hudsons until the company got out of the racing industry in 1917 and used the Leach in at least one Indy. He was mentioned as a potential driver for the 1921 Tacoma Speedway race but Frank Elliott had already been named as the driver of the Leach Special that Mr. Vail would have driven. Later Mr. Vail became a promoter in the New York/New Jersey area where he was held in high regard. Mr. Vail died in 1979, having outlived many of his racing pals. (info from National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum; TNT 6-30-21, p. 1-article on Tacoma race) (Copy of Hughes photograph by Boland Studios)

Vail, Ira; Automobile racing--1910-1920; Racing automobiles;

Undated informal portrait of auto racer Leon Duray. The square-jawed, mustached driver has his goggles resting on his forehead. Born George Stewart and renamed Leon Duray, he raced at Indy eight times between 1922 and 1931, winning the pole position twice. His best finish was sixth in 1925. He later became a car owner whose car finished second at Indy in 1934. (theoldmotor.com)

Duray, Leon; Automobile racing drivers;

Ernie Olson, ace mechanic, smiles broadly in this undated photograph believed to have been taken at the Tacoma Speedway during the short period of time when the racetrack was in existence, from 1912-1922. He is seated in his car dressed in the race style of the day: goggles, cloth or leather headgear and a jacket/uniform opened to show a dark tie and collared shirt. Mechanics in that era rode along with their drivers. TPL-2432 (Identification provided by a reader)

Olson, Ernie; Mechanics (Persons)--Tacoma; Men--Clothing & dress;

Auto racer Ralph Mulford. This undated photograph of Mr. Mulford was believed to have been taken at the Tacoma Speedway either in 1919, 1920 or 1922 when Mr. Mulford entered the races at the two-mile oval board track. Usually pictured with a large toothy grin, Ralph Mulford was a two-time National Driving Champion in 1911 and 1918 and a popular entry in auto racing due to his propensity for very fast cars and skillful driving. Mr. Mulford outlived many of his racing colleagues, dying at the age of 89 in 1973. TPL-3176

Mulford, Ralph; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood;

Seattle driver Joe Thomas and his "mechanician," believed to be Marcel Treyvoux, smile for the cameraman while seated in their #28 car, thought to be a Frontenac. The duo were to race at the Tacoma Speedway, post-1914. Mr. Thomas was to race at the Speedway many times, driving cars ranging from the Mercer to Monroe. He also drove in the Indy 500 from 1920-22. Unlike many of his racing colleagues, Mr. Thomas survived his racing career and later became a State of Washington employee.

Thomas, Joe; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood; Automobile racing--Lakewood; Racing automobiles; Grandstands--Lakewood;

Unidentified informal portrait of an automobile race car driver or mechanic. He smiles genially in front of the camera while wearing goggles and leather headgear. He is thought to have participated in the Tacoma Speedway races on the Lakewood board track that was opened from 1912-1922. G52.1-025

Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920;

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;