The Durant team behind the wheel of Cliff Durant's "Durant Special," No. 34 at the Tacoma Speedway in 1922. The covered grandstands at the speedway are in the background. Durant, son of millionaire Billy Durant- founder of General Motors, was a sentimental favorite in Tacoma, having raced here many times. Plus, he had already announced that the Tacoma Classic would be his last race as a driver. He was now focusing on his career as President and General Manager of Durant Corporation. Unfortunately, he was unable to finish the 1922 Classic, exiting the race in the 58th lap with a broken axle. Speedway-135 (TDL 7/5/1922, pg. 1) SPEEDWAY 135

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

The grand old man of racing Barney Oldfield posed with thirteen drivers on the board track of the Tacoma Speedway prior to the race on July 4th 1922. The 1922 Speedway Classic would turn out to be the last auto race held on the track. It was closed at the end of 1922. Only ten of the drivers would actually compete in the race. Oldfield led the pack as Pacemaker. Pictured, left to right, are Jimmy Murphy, Tommy Milton, unidentified, Frank Elliott, Roscoe Sarles, Jerry Wanderlich, Harry Hartz, Joe Thomas, unidentified, Barney Oldfield, unidentified, Eddie Hearne, Cliff Durant and Ralph Mulford. TPL-3177

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

On July 4th 1922, thirty thousand fans crowded into the stands at the Tacoma Speedway to watch what turned out to be the last car race held at the Tacoma track. Ten drivers competed in the 250-mile race. The cars are lining up behind the pace car, driven by Barney Oldfield, prior to the checkered flag. Lined up are (l to r): front row- Tommy Milton #8 Leach Special, Harry Hartz #12 Duesenberg, Jimmy Murphy #35 Murphy Special; 2nd row- Joe Thomas #10 Duesenberg, Roscoe Sarles in the #31 Duesenberg, Cliff Durant in the #34 Durant Special; 3rd row- "Howdy" Wilcox in the #16 Puegeot, Art Klein in the #2 Frontenac, Ralph Mulford in the #9 Leach Special; 4th row- Jerry Wonderlich #24 Duesenberg. The man standing between cars 8 and 12, wearing the straw hat and knickers is Fred "Pops" Wagner, the starter. Jimmy Murphy and Tommy Milton battled for the lead, but Murphy finally pulled ahead in the last few laps and won in the record setting time of 2:33:55 with an average speed of 97.6 mph. Just seconds later Milton crossed the line at 2:34:01. The track was closed at the end of 1922, a victim of falling revenue. TPL-620 (TDL 7/5/22, pg. 1) Speedway-141

Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing drivers; Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Oldfield, Barney;

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;

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

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;

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;

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;