History Bring Out Yer Board Track Pics!

Well the thread has lost some wind in it's sails, however it accumulated some great info along the way. Hopefully there will be more, and it's been great to "meet" all of you as well.

 

some more Laurel 1925

 

again great pictures Miller91

 

Tommy Milton

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=701646&d=1247021637

Leon Duray

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=701647&d=1247021637

Bennett Hill

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=701648&d=1247021637

Peter De Poalo

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=701655&d=1247021740

Bob Mc Donough

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=701657&d=1247021740

 

Buildy, that's awesome. I find these photos mostly in Library of Congress, and I would love to have them catalogued. Otherwise, they are just pictures! Thanks. Miller91

 

1918 Sheepshead Bay, Louis Chevrolet @ Peter De Paolo with a couple of racers of a different disipline.

 

a few bikes..

 

and a few cars.

 

So many outstanding photos out there. This one really captures the contours involved with a great perspective shot.

 

groundhog view

 

Miller,
That's the #14 Sampson Miller Spl. at the 1978 Indy500 celebrating the 50th anniversary of Louie Meyer's win.

 

Ralph De Palma #4 leads the #2 of Ralph Mumford followed by Joe Boyer at Sheepshead Bay.

 

Culver City March 6 1927.
Pete De Paolo leads Harry Hartz followed by Cliff Woodbury.

 

1915 Astor Cup. Sheepshead Bay.
Bob Burman in the Puegeot leads Eddie Rackenbacker driving a Maxwell followed by Dario Resta in another Peugeot.

 

little wing ,
ive read several books on the board tracks . i believe they are way long gone . bummer ................ steve

 

What's up with the Philbrin's (2nd pic)? Looks an awful lot like a walking beam high exhaust there, did they use them or???

 

That's Ira Vail, there was a feature on him in Automobile Quarterly years ago and there was a lot of info on the Philbrin. I remember reading it raced on the old 1/2 mile track at the Danbury, Ct. Fair Grounds.

 

Miller,
That's Ira Vail in the 4cyl. Duesy Philbrin dirt track car. He was the champion at the Allentown Fair 8 times. I think he was also a financial backer of the Miller 122 before Gulf bought him out. I think he also raced a Miller 183 at Indy in '23 and a couple of Duesy's.
I'll have to go through my notes. I've completely forgotten about Ira Vail but i know he had a colourful history.

 

1919 HUDSON factory team, Ira Vail had the best finish in 8th place. The car is restored and in a West Coast collection. None of the numbers on the cars in this photo match the team numbers at INDY, so maybe it is a 1920 photo.

 

Thanks Kurtis, I had an idea that the high exhaust had to be a walking beam. By the way, it's been a pleasure, and I know we shall continue the conversation.

 

The37Kid, as I just said to Kurtis, it's great to "meet" you guys on here. I have a little bit of knowledge (enough to be dangerous) but all of you guys have helped me learn more about something I really care about. And I hope this stuff isn't just written off as "off-topic", it's all connected!

 

37Kid,
You beat me to it again.

1917 Harkness Gold Cup at Sheepshead Bay.
Ralph Mumford in the Frontenac leading Ira Vail in a Hudson.

 

The yellow 122 MILLER Vail owned and raced to 8th place in the 1924 INDY 500 was sold to H.D.Carpenter from Philadelphia, Pa. It was repainted a Robin egg blue in Stamford, Ct. and raced at most of the board tracks in 1925 by R.J. Johnson. Johnson was injured at Charlott and Vail drove again at INDY in '26 with a 20th place finish after a rod problem on lap 63. Just about every car that ran locally in the 1920's has an Ira Vail connection. PM me if you have info on Vail.

 

Miller,
Many thanks to you also. It's been an absolute pleasure.

By the way, i'd like to start another thread covering the early years of Indy, The Vanderbuilt Cup, American Cup and possibly Duesenberg's foray into Europe. Do you think we should just combine all of it here?
I'd hate to hijack your thread.

Kurtis.

 

I forgot the Vail/Hudson/Carpenter/Miller connection! == I LOVE these HAMB discussions!!!!!!!!!! Just think of all the stuff we have in our personal collections, that given enough time will put a lot of puzzels together. The 1919 Hudson Vail raced at INDY was sold to H.D.Carpenter around 1922, I have the paperwork on it and will check. It must have impressed Mr. Carpenter enough for him to step up for the 122 MILLER ($6,500 with a spare block) in 1925. The Hudson must have stayed with him until the late 1940's. It showed up on a used car lot in Philly and this was noted in a letters to the editor in Car & Driver. If someone has that issue please PM me. D. Cammeron Peck bought the car and it was in his collection until Lindley Bothwell bought it. Bill Harrah was the next owner, and I could have hocked everythhing I had in the late 1970's and won it at auction for $24,000. Tom Barrett restored it and it later sold to someone on the West Coast. If is shows up in Ridgefield, Ct. you know I won LOTTO!

 

Believe it or not, I have been organizing a Vanderbilt Cup thread (I have a ton...) and I have lots of early Indy as well. I think if we work together as we have they will be good companions to the early era threads that exist. Just say when...

 

Back in 1974 I had this 1925 INDY 500 photo enlarged and mailed it Ira Vail who was in his 90's and living in Daytona Beach. It is the oldest INDY autograph I have.

 

This will push me over the edge to buy a good digital camera! Might even get me to oprganize all this paperwork too.

 

WOW. I know you have a collection of autographs and i'm jealous.
Did these guys like re-telling stories of the day?
It's hard to get a sentence out of the guys that ran the drylakes but i have a feeling most racers like Ira would have been alot more open about their exploits.

Kurtis.

 

1914 Brighton Beach. Ira Vail in the #9 Otto.
1916 Vanderbuilt Cup. Ira Vail finished 7th in his Hudson.