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. 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;

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;

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;

Two of the entries in the 1921 Tacoma Speedway Classic are pictured above, with Tom Alley's #27 Frontenac lined up ahead of Eddie Hearne's #1 Revere. It was Mr. Alley's first visit to Washington State although he was a veteran driver and considered one of the pioneers of racing. Mr. Hearne's white Revere was the same car he drove in 1920 when he finished third. The finishing line in 1922 saw these two cars switched in position: Mr. Hearne finished fourth with a time of 2:39:42, an eye-blink ahead of Mr. Alley's 2:39:44. Finishing fourth garnered Mr. Hearne $1,750 and 80 championship driving points while Mr. Alley's fifth place finish won him $1,500 and 50 championship points. The field of nine fast cars saw Tommy Milton nose out Roscoe Sarles for the $10,000 first place prize. (TNT 7-5-21, p. 1,2-results) G52.1-018

Alley, Tom; Hearne, Eddie; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1920-1930; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1920-1930; Racing automobiles--1920-1930; Frontenac automobile; Revere automobile;

Twenty thousand race fans crowded into the covered grandstands of the Tacoma Speedway to watch the July 4, 1921 Speedway Classic. The drivers, mechanics and race officials stand on the board track prior to the start of the 250 mile race. The race cars are lined up on the track three abreast, with the Marmon Speedster pace car in the lead. In the front row are, left to right, #6 Roscoe Sarles' Duesenberg, #1 Eddie Hearne's Revere Special and #3 Frank Elliott's Leach Special. Middle row: #5 Joe Thomas's Duesenberg, #7 Eddie Miller's car, #2 Tommy Milton's Durant Special. Last row: #27 Tom Alley's Frontenac, #12 Anton Soules' Frontenac, #21 Eddie Pullen's Duesenberg. The crowd was treated to an exciting race where Tommy Milton repeated his win of the previous year, breaking all distance speed records with an average speed of 98 mph. He completed the race in 2:34:00, followed closely by Sarles at 2:34:52. (TDL 7/2/1921 - 7/5/21, all pg. 1) G51.1-081

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

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, 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;

Construction workers take a moment to pose for a photograph at the site of the Tacoma Speedway in February of 1921. G34.1-012

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Construction workers--Lakewood;

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;

Peering over the large steering wheel of his Durant Special is speed king Eddie Hearne, who had traveled to the Tacoma Speedway to race in the eighth annual auto race. Accompanying him on his ride in July of 1919 is his mechanic, Harry Hartz. Mr. Hearne joined his racing colleagues Cliff Durant, Dario Resta, Louis Chevrolet and Ralph Mulford in a one-day-only three-race series held on July 4th. The meet, sponsored by the Tacoma Speedway Association, offered a $15,000 purse for the event, the higher earnings to the winner of the most points in the 40,60, and 80 mile races. Nearly 40,000 fans flocked to the Speedway which saw the grandstands packed to capacity (seating 11,400) and the course lined with cars and field crowds that had taken special trains and buses in order to get there. Although Mr. Hearne did not win any of the races, he did manage to acquire enough points to finish with a $2100 payday. The Frontenac team of Louis Chevrolet and Ralph Mulford swept all three races. (TNT 6-30-19, p.1, 16-article; TNT 7-3-19, p. 1,2-article; TNT 7-5-19, p. 1, 13-results) TPL-1635; G51.1-138

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

A beaming Ralph Mulford behind the wheel of his Frontenac race car, #2, on the Tacoma Speedway in July of 1919. His "mechanician" is believed to be Frank Eastman. Ralph Mulford was last in Tacoma in 1912 at the first automobile races in the Northwest where he drove a six-cylinder Knox on the old five-mile course. He arrived in Tacoma on June 25, 1919, along with fellow Frontenac driver, Louis "Grandpa" Chevrolet and Englishman Dario Resta in his Resta "mystery" Special. The three drivers plus Eddie Hearne and Cliff Durant would enter into a one-day-only three event race at the Tacoma Speedway on the 4th of July. The News Tribune called them "the five greatest speedway pilots in the world" as all had stellar reputations in the racing world. The Speedway's largest crowd of almost 40,000 saw the Frontenacs driven by Ralph Mulford and Louis Chevrolet take first place in all three races. Mr. Mulford won the 40 mile race at an average speed of 100+ mph and took home prize money $1500 for the race. He placed second in the 60 mile race and earned $800. His Frontenac was forced out of the third race with mechanical problems and he did not complete the race. There were no injuries or accidents during the afternoon of racing. TPL-093; G51.1-114 (TNT 7-3-19, p.1, 2-article; 7-5-19, p. 1-results)

Mulford, Ralph; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Frontenac automobile;

1916 Indy 500 champion Dario Resta made his first appearance at the Tacoma Speedway in July of 1919, at the special 5-star 4th of July races. He joined fellow speed kings Louis Chevrolet, Cliff Durant, Ralph Mulford and Eddie Hearne in a one-day, three-race competition. Mr. Resta, already a star on the European tracks and winner on American speedways, brought his Resta "Mystery" Special to town. Although the car was dubbed a "Mystery" Special, it may have had some Frontenac in it. Mr. Resta was able to finish both first and second races but was forced out in the third and longest race of 80 miles with mechanical trouble. His car had qualified last of the five entered in the races with an average speed of 98.09 mph. At that time Mr. Resta indicated that he wasn't out to break any records in practice but was saving his car for the actual races. The Special's motor troubles and bad steering made it a non-factor in the competition. Dario Resta, who was brought up in England but was of Italian descent, would die in England five years later at the wheel of a Sunbeam while trying for a new land speed record. (TNT 7-2-19, p. 19-article; TNT 7-5-19, p. 1, 13-results) TPL-081; G51.1-110

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

R.C. "Cliff" Durant, California millionaire and automobile manufacturer, with his "mechanician" Fred Comer, on the Tacoma Speedway track in July of 1919. Five of the country's best known racing stars came to Tacoma for a one-day-only series of three races. Cliff Durant would join fellow racers Dario Resta, Louis Chevrolet, Eddie Hearne and Ralph Mulford at the Tacoma Speedway on July 4th for a total purse of $15,000. Mr. Durant would pilot his Chevrolet Special No. 1 in the afternoon races. He had qualified third with an average speed of 102.56 mph on July 1st, allowing him to be placed in the front row with Ralph Mulford and top qualifier, "Grandpa" Louis Chevrolet, who was on the pole. The Frontenac team of Chevrolet and Mulford would win all three races with Mr. Chevrolet the winner in the 60 and 80 mile events. Mr. Durant finished second in the first race, the 40-mile event, fourth in the second race, the 60-mile, and third in the final race of 80 miles. (TNT 7-2-19, p. 19-article; 7-5-19, p. 1-article) TPL-106; G51.1-108

Durant, Cliff; Comer, Fred; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Chevrolet automobile;

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;

Dario Resta is photographed in July of 1919 at the Tacoma Speedway in his Resta Special. Also in the vehicle is his mechanic R. Dahnke. Resta was making his first appearance at the Tacoma track and he was an unknown wildcard. In the trials for the July 4th race, he appeared to holding his car back, only going fast enough to qualify. However, it turned out that the smaller engine in his vehicle could not compete with the four larger cars. He finished last in the 40 mile and 60 mile races and dropped out of the 80 mile race with engine problems. Resta was born in Milan, Italy in 1884. His greatest year in racing was 1916, when he won both the Indy and the Driver's Championship. He was killed in a crash at Brooklands, England on September 2, 1924 when his car went out of control. (TDL 7/5/1919, pg. 1; 7/2/1919, pg. 8-9; www.hickoksports.com) G51.1-109; TPL-1645

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Resta, Dario; Automobile racing drivers;

Louis Chevrolet is pictured behind the wheel of his Monroe Frontenac with his mechanic K.W. Goodson riding beside him. This photograph was taken in the days preceding the July 4th, 1919 Racing Classic. Chevrolet would finish first in the 80 mile and 60 mile races and come in third in the 40 mile race, winning a purse of $6,500. Although he averaged out at 105 mph during the trials, his top speed in the races was 98.5 mph. The veteran racer was born December 25, 1878 and came to North American from Switzerland in 1900. He met William Durant, the founder of General Motors, in 1907, who hired him to design and race cars as part of a Buick team. In 1911, Durant founded the Chevrolet Motor Co., named after the driver, and hired Louis Chevrolet as its chief engineer. Durant wanted a car designed to compete with Ford and Chevrolet designed and engineered the first model that bore his name. Unable to agree on the direction the vehicle would take, the two split and Chevrolet founded the Frontenac Motor Corporation. The company was later bought out by Monroe Motor Co. and Chevrolet was retained as designer. Louis was the most successful of the three racing brothers, Arthur, Gaston and Louis, and won over 27 major racing events. He died in 1941. (TDL 7/2/1919, pg 8-9; 7/5/19, pg. 1; www. cruise-in.com; www.motorsportshalloffame.com) G51.1-127; Speedway-035, TPL-094

Chevrolet, Louis; Goodson, K.W.; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Racing automobiles--1910-1920;

Ralph Mulford and his mechanic Frank Eastman are pictured behind the wheel of his Frontenac race car with aluminum engine at the Tacoma Speedway in July of 1919. Mulford was in town for the July 4th Montamarathon races. Mulford was in the lead in the 80 mile race when he had to drop out due to an engine malfunction. His car was repaired in time for him to place second in the 60 mile and to win the 40 mile race. Mulford won the National Driving Championship twice, in 1911 & 1915, despite the fact that he refused to race on Sundays due to his religious beliefs. He also has the distinction of being the driver to post the slowest time in the Indy, nine hours. In 1912, he was far behind when the winner crossed the line at the Indy. When officials told him that he still had to finish the race to receive his money, he decided to take his sweet time, even stopping once to eat a chicken dinner. Mulford lived to a ripe old age; he was born in 1884 and died October 23, 1973. (TDL 7/2/1919, pg 8-9; 7/5/19, pg. 1; www.hickoksports.com) G51.1-115, Speedway-039, TPL-097

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Mulford, Ralph; Eastman, Frank; Racing automobiles--1910-1920; Automobile racing drivers;

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;

On July 4, 1919, race car driver Eddie Hearne and his mechanic Harry Hartz whizz by in the "Durant Special." The Durant Special was originally built by millionaire sportsman and race car enthusiast Cliff Durant. Durant was also the son of William "Billy" Durant, founder of General Motors, Chevrolet and Durant Motors. The Special was now owned by driver Hearne. Hearne was a familiar face in Tacoma. He came in second in the 80 mile race and third in the 60 mile race, winning a purse of $2,100. Mechanic Hartz was one of the few who went on to become a driver and later a car owner. He ranks fifth on the all time winner's list for board tracks, above former boss Hearne. G51.1-090 (TDL 7/5/1919, pg. 1; Dick Ralstin's Racing Home Page)

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

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;

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;

Informal portrait of race car driver, Cliff Durant. Mr. Durant was back in Tacoma during the special July 4th races at the Tacoma Speedway in 1919. He joined racing colleagues and fellow aces Louis Chevrolet, Ralph Mulford, Eddie Hearne and Dario Resta for a one-day-only three race series with a total purse of $15,000. Although his Chevy Special No. 1 practiced at speeds up to 118 mph, he came in third in qualifying at 102.56 mph with the Frontenac team of "Grandpa" Louis Chevrolet and Ralph Mulford in first and second. The Frontenacs would sweep all three races but Mr. Durant did stay on the course throughout the day and won $2000. He came in second in the 40-mile, fourth in the 60-mile and third in the 80-mile race. Mr. Durant, a California millionaire and automobile manufacturer, had designed the "Durant Special" now owned and driven by Eddie Hearne in the Tacoma Speedway races. Mr. Hearne also did well in the races with total winnings of $2100 and second place honors in the 80-mile race. (TNT 7-3-19, p. 1, 2-article; 7-5-19, p. 1, 13-results) G52.1-032

Durant, Cliff; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing drivers; Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood);

Tacoma to Seattle in 30 minutes and 55 seconds! Harry Barsamian, shop foreman of the Pacific Car Company, with mechanic Victor Williams, completed the feat in a stock Overland 90 Touring Car, driving from Tacoma city limits to the Seattle city limits. On June 19, 1919, Barsamian started from Sitcum Avenue on the Tacoma tideflats. The two men clipped down the rugged dirt Highline Road through Northeast Tacoma and onto Des Moines where they hit pavement and finished with a smooth ride to Seattle in record-breaking time. (TDL 6/22/1919, p. 8C). G11.1-073

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

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;

ca. 1919. Smiling Ralph Mulford, early race car driver, was not smiling in 1911 when many felt that he won the first Indianapolis 500 by a lap instead of credited winner Ray Harroun. Mulford still managed to garner enough points to become the 1911 National Driving Champion, a feat that he repeated seven years later in 1918. In 1919, he won Tacoma Speedway's 40 mile race with a time of 24:02 and 100.2 mph, outracing Frontenac teammate Louis Chevrolet and Cliff Durant. Returning in 1920 for the 225 mile Tacoma Classic, he finished second in his Monroe racing car, numbered "3." Ralph Mulford retired from speed racing after 1922 but continued to compete in hill climbs. At one time, he held the record for climbing both Mount Washington and Pikes Peak. Mulford lived to a ripe old age, a rare feat for the early drivers; born in 1884, he died October 23, 1973. (www.hickoksports.com; TNT 7-3-19, p. 1; 6/29/1920) G52.1-027, Speedway 096, BOLAND-B2010

Tacoma Speedway (Lakewood); Racetracks--Lakewood--1910-1920; Automobile racing--Lakewood--1910-1920; Mulford, Ralph; Racing automobile drivers;