History Auto racing 1894-1942

Barriaux (Alcyon) GP de l'ACF 1912 - retired on lap 9, day 1

 

1912 GP de l'A.C.F.

#4 Alcyon driven by Barriaux.

Edit: I got beaten by an Englishman.

 

Thanks Keith. I haven't been following that thread, guess I should. The car is neat, from a distance one could be fooled into thinking it's real. Can't wait for the movie.

 

Stumbled across this...................

 

Duray.......1914 Grand Prix de l'A.C.F. . LYON

 

A. MICHELAT , A DURAY, L DELAGE................

 

Great news from The Old Motor with the recent announcement that reputable author and vintage car collector/racer, Joe Freeman of RACEMAKER Press has agreed to share his vast archive of racing photographs including those from the Peter Helck and Fred Roe collections.

Click the link in my signature below to view a couple of photos and check back regularly for more outstanding images.
Lots of great Indy and other photos from the Dave Knox Collection here.. www.racemaker.com/archives/images.php

Photo below of Jimmy Murphy and mechanic Lyall Jolls with Fred Duesenberg at Beverly Hills in 1920.

.

..

 

Very cool!!

 

That is exciting News that hopefully will get me to spend more time reading The Old Motor.

Very busy with current racing photography at the moment.

 

I can't remember if this Eddie Rickenbacker article, http://races.pmhclients.com/images/uploads/Captain_Eddie_Rickenbacker_by_Damon_RunyonVLarge.pdf, has been posted here before. Found on Mark Dill's www.firstsuperspeedway.com/

 

You are having way to much fun. WAY to much. thank you

 

Hey guys just visited my grandfather last night and gave me an old family car photo, only did not know what car is it? but i´m very happy because is a beuty!

 

Hello to all,
Been searching around trying to ID an old photo.


That's my grand dad posing in an interesting car I would like to Identify. Most likely taken in New Jersey, been suggested it's from the 30's.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Chuck

 

Interesting car!
Is it your grandfather in the photo?

 

Welcome to the HAMB.

At first glance the engine looks to be a '28-'34 Model A-B Ford with a Riley 4 port cylinder head conversion, so yes, i'd say the photo was taken sometime around there. I can't however identify the car although it looks like the many dirt track cars of the era.
If you can tell us your grandfathers name, someone here could possibly add some more information.

 

ratamahata I am pretty sure that it was an Oakland which was made in Pontiac,MI. I would think that it was possibly made between 1913 and 1916.

 

No Kurtis!! this man was a brother of my great grandmother your last name was Portmann...

 

Thanks for the info T-Head, apparently this man was born in 1917, I think this photo was take at the middle of the 30 decade or beginning of the 40 decade...

 

The Sunbeam of Henry Segrave at the 1921 GP de l'A.C.F. at Le Mans.

 

Thanks for the info - granddad wasn't a driver, somehow he got himself behind the wheel. He was an accomplished machinist, although I never knew him to have worked on autos - or be into racing them. Possibly he had some connection long lost connection with it. Could you point me to where I might find out more info on the engine you're talking about? It amazes me what was being done on those old four bangers.

Also interested in locating the track, or at least narrowing it down - I'm guessing somewhere around the Jersey City area.

 

Chuck, the only track in or around New jersey i can think of is/was the 1/2 Mile dirt oval at the State Fairgrounds in Trenton. It was extended to a 1 Mile track after WWII and paved in the '60s and finally demolished sometime in the early '80s.

Go here for some information about the Riley Cyl. heads made by George Riley.
www.nwvs.org/Technical/Engines.shtml
www.hotforhotfours.com/history_101.htm
Lots of early banger info here although you will have to sign up to view the pictures. www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3723
Lots of early racing photos similar to the one you posted here http://winfield.50megs.com/index.htm
There is also a thread here about the Riley but i can't seem to find it.

I'm sure the American members will point you to some better info.

 

Although not near Jersey City or even in NJ, the Langhorne Speedway was probably the most famous track in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area. Started in the '20s as a dirt track, it went on to host a diverse variety of races, including Indy cars, I believe.

Many famous drivers raced there over the years including Rex Mays, Johnnie Parsons, Tony Bettenhausen, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, and Gordon Johncock, to name a few. The Speedway was closed in the early '70s.