Thanks Robert, I just went off what it said on e-bay-LOL Maybe somone can make the ID? It does look like an early Ernie Olson-although the photo is pretty small. Is there anywhere Ernie Olson wasn`t? He seems to crop up anywhere and everywhere! What an amazing career he must have had as a riding mechanician/mechanic.
Buildy I think the photo like many in library of congress digital archives may have the wrong caption, it's from National Photo Co collection where the race stuff is nearly all Benning Maryland.
I thought about that too,but if you look at the enlargements it does say the word York on the Banners on the hoods. Maybe it was some kind of tour from,say Balto to York or something? In those days that would have been a fairly long trip. Seems to have some kind of AAA involvement. Another possibilty is they came up from MD and did a Demonstration or race at the York Fairgrounds. I think I have some early photos of some races at the York Fair somewhere.
YES! That is the former Vail / H.D.Carpenter car, the Leon Duray car is next to it. Looks like it is in its 1936 livery with #44.
Buildy those are some good leads, I didn't find anything in the papers related to York but I'll have another go with that info when I get time. yet more Benning
Wow, I`d like to know more about these Benning cars! The Cutting raced at Indy in 1912 with Bob Burman driving. Odd combo in photo with wire wheels in front and the old wood wheels in the rear.
My contibution to this great thread on this cold morning here in Utah. August 12, 1914, salt beds at Salduro Siding, along the Western Pacific RR, in the western desert of Utah at about 2:00 in the afternoon. "Coal-Oil" Billy Carlson at speed in his #32 kerosene fueled Maxwell. Speed was, as reported in the local papers, 94.73 mph one way through the measured mile. The other is one of my sketches of the Maxwell as it might have looked on that day. Of course there should be a little salt stuck to it. Later. Bob.
I posted this photo of the Cutting that I have which was an advertising photo for the Cooke Lens. It kind of looks like Burman driving it and there is another car just behind him to the inside. The second photo for comparison is the photo from Banning MD. that ehdubya posted last night w/the wire wheels on the front.
Bob your drawings are really cool. Great detail. All these others pics are really great as well. I hope they keep coming. So many racecars-too bad more did not survive-Jim
Thanks for the info and photos David. It seems this is another in a long list of manufacturer's that have disappeared into obscurity. I did find a page or two giving some detailed specifications. Both 4 and 6cyl L-head and T-head Roadster, Touring and Coupe models were made from 1912 to 1915 with engines ranging from 414, 318, 299cu.in. and remarkably a 106 cu. in. 4cyl in the 1915 Roadster which i think was really a cyclecar. As to the Indy car i have a feeling i read somewhere that it was powered by a Peugeot but i'm not so sure. Sometimes i kick myself for not keeping notes. The Rayfield bros. were contingency sponsors at some events and have a small mention in the Fairmount Auto Races book. A $400 paycheck is not so bad for a winning car running their carb. Another beautiful sketch Bob. Keep them coming. How about a drawing of the 1901 Mors in stripped down race trim?
A photo of the Fiat Cyclone this time on Dayton beach. The man just behind the front of the car looks like Cedrino's mechanic in the second photo that I have posted before. This might make it safe to say this is Cordon in the first photo? I believe this is a very early photo. I love looking at his feet on that little platform handing below him! Great photo and Maxwell drawings Robert !!
A $400 paycheck is not so bad for a winning car running their carb. Esp. those strong old US dollars around the teens!
This is a photo of team leader Rickenbacker who drove the car to victory here at Sheepshead Bay on the board track in the 150 mile spring event of 1916. He started in 5th and won by over three minutes in front of Devigne's Delage. Eddie took home $6000 for the days work! ******* Hey I just noticed that we hit page 100. Thanks to Kurtis for starting this. ********
Buildy - My understanding is that Ray Harroun had many different ideas about automotive engineering and some of this experimental thinking went into the design of these three Maxwells. Kerosene was cheap and plentiful, being available almost anywhere. Carlson's total expeniture for fuel in this car at the 500 in May (to a 9th place) was $1.80. Only two of the three were kerosene fueled. They all used an original Harroun carb design, with the kerosene-burners using an exhaust manifold that had the carb integrated into it. Exhaust p***ed through the engine block, then heated the kerosene before combustion. They were tempermental and were eventually converted to gasoline early in 1915. Can anyone elaborate more? Bob.
Here is one I hope Jim will tell us more about. It is captioned the Packard 905 at Daytona and on the photo it says DePalma did 156 MPH, is this all correct Jim?
Any closeups of this arrangement? Sounds interesting. Kind of sounds like Smokey Yunick's MPG car, superheat the fuel before combustion.
This is Henderson and his mechanic Kriplen who finished forth the first US built car to finish. Atkin won in his Peugeot at a record 105.95 MPH for the 100 miles. Rickenbacker went out with a broken piston. Buildy posted the photo of car before.
He also finished 4th in the 100 miler at Tuscon, Arizona on the 20th of March 1915. The first time he wore the #11 driving for Maxwell. ***Thankyou to all who have made this thread reach 100 pages.*** This photo is Rickenbacker seated with William Weightman at the 1916 American Grand Prize @ Santa Monica. I just like it for the attractive l***es.
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