Joe Thomas of Seattle attempts to pass Jim Parsons' #7 car, a Frantz, during the July 3, 1914, InterCity 100-mile race at Tacoma Speedway. Mr. Parsons would hold off Mr. Thomas' Mercer to win the race and the $750 first place prize money for the second consecutive year. Last year he rode to victory in a veteran Stutz. In 1914 his time was faster by 14 minutes and he made only one stop to change a rear tire. TPL-3167 (TDN 7-3-14, p. 1-article; TDL 7-4-14, p. 9-article)

Parsons, Jim; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Thomas, Joe;

ca. 1915. At the wheel of the "Great Big Baked Potato Special" is driver Harry O'Brien. The #33 car was entered in both the InterCity 100-mile and Golden Potlatch 200-mile races at the Tacoma Speedway during the 4th of July holiday weekend in 1915. The "Baked Potato" was believed to be a Stutz and the Stutzs and Mercers entries had withdrawn from the InterCity race. The car also did not run in the Potlatch on July 5th as only eight cars started the race. TPL-128

O'Brien, Harry; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920;

ca. 1914. Californian Billy Taylor and his unidentified "mechanician" aboard the big #12 Alco "six" at the Tacoma Speedway in early July of 1914. Entry was submitted by A.H. Woolacott. The Alco raced in both the Golden Potlatch 200-miler on July 3rd and the grand finale Montamarathon 250-mile race on the 4th on the two-mile oval track. Mr. Taylor came in 5th place of the closing race, trailing winner Earl Cooper's Stutz, G.E. Ruckstell's Mercer, Arthur Klein's King, and Jim Parsons' Frantz. He had been dubbed a "daredevil of the (Billy) Carlson type" by the Tacoma Daily Ledger prior to the race and was, according to the newspaper, quickly becoming famous. (TDL 6-29-14, p. 2-article; TNT 7-5-14, p. 1-results)

Taylor, Billy; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Alco automobile;

ca. 1914. This young driver, sitting in his unnumbered race car, is believed to be Walter Grossman of Los Angeles. He and thirteen other racers had brought their "cycle cars," smaller and less powerful than regular race cars, to the Tacoma Speedway for special Labor Day competition in 1914. Mr. Grossman was also photographed in a "Red Devil" car of his own design and construction (see G51.1, image 120) which was far different from the car he is pictured in above. Although the boys were able to get in practice and speed trial times, rains on the actual day of competition cancelled the race. Mr. Grossman, part of a large contingent from Southern California, returned to his home after a second postponement.

Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Automobile racing drivers;

Although there was no freeway between Tacoma and Seattle in June of 1919 and little actual paved road, Harry Barsamian, shop foreman for Pacific Car Co., managed to drive from the city limits of Tacoma to the city limits of Seattle in 30 minutes, 55 seconds. He was accompanied, not by the unidentified lovely miss in the front seat, but by his mechanic Victor Williams, proprietor of the Metropolitan Garage. Mr. Barsamian's time broke the previously acknowledged record of 34 minutes, 30 seconds. Victor Williams confessed to the Daily Ledger that there was one man too many in the vehicle and he was the one man; he swore never to do it again. Mr. Barsamian reported that there were no problems with the engine during the non-stop run. He declared the new stock Overland 90 Touring Car the "gamest little car in the world." Photograph ordered by the Pacific Car Co. (TDL 6-22-19, 8C) TPL-1522; G11.1-001

Barsamian, Harry; Automobiles--Tacoma--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Tacoma--1910-1920;

Informal portrait of an intense Louis Chevrolet. He was in Tacoma to race in the July 4, 1919, races held at the Tacoma Speedway. He was the overall winner that day, winning two of the three events. Chevrolet, one of the best known names in automobile history, first belonged to this mechanical genius Louis Chevrolet. Born in Switzerland on Christmas Day, 1878, the son of a watchmaker, Chevrolet enjoyed taking things apart to see how they worked, but not sitting in a classroom. He left school early to become a bicycle mechanic and later a racer of bicycles. Once he discovered automobiles, there was no turning back. He left his home in 1900, at the age of 21, for North America. He began racing in 1905 and by 1907 had caught the attention of W.C. Durant, the father of General Motors, who hired him to design and race for his Buick racing team. Chevrolet was the head of a racing family of three brothers, the other two being Gaston and Arthur. Louis is credited with 27 major event racing wins in his career. In 1911, Durant traded on the fame of the Chevrolet name to form Chevrolet Motors, competing with Ford in the moderate price market, with Louis Chevrolet as head designer. Chevrolet soon left due to artistic differences and formed his own company, Frontenac Motors. After the financial failure of Frontenac, he designed race cars for Monroe Motor Co., designing the Indy 500 winner in both 1920 and 21. After cars, he branched out into airplane design without great business success. He died in 1941, at the age of 63, having never achieved the financial success that he deserved. His fame lives on in the Chevrolet automobile name. G52.1-031; TPL-3173

Chevrolet, Louis; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobile drivers;

Jerry Wonderlich (his name is misspelt on the print) in car #24 and Harry Hartz in car #12 were two of the nationally known drivers who competed on July 4th, 1922 in the National Championship Race at the Tacoma Speedway. The men were pictured above on June 29th during practice laps on the board track at speeds of about 90 mph. Hartz had just taken second place in the 1922 Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day. Both men were driving Duesenberg Straight 8 race cars. The Tacoma Speedway was south of Tacoma in what is now Lakewood, opposite the Mountainview Cemetery. The wooden bridge over the track provided access to the parking area in the middle of the track. TPL-619; TPL-133; Speedway-133 (TDL 6-30-22, p. 1)

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Wonderlich, Jerry; Hartz, Harry; Duesenberg automobile;