Board Track Racer...

[kitbash1]

Came across this little number on the way to school today. Ford Model T Board Track Racer. Avon body kit but no Frontenac head on the engine, just what came from the factory in 1909. It's owned by singer / actor Don Franks.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Fine little racer...

[jas1957]

Way cool, I really dig those early oval track cars

[rel14]

Ya man, thats racing there, i dig the early years of racing, No roll bars, just a lot of,, ,,Guts

[Art Anderson]

Fine little racer...

More like a sporty little T Speedster, but not really a race car. It's certainly no board-track race car, as the high speed board tracks of the 20's (when Avon was making those speedster bodies) was almost exclusively the venue of the legendary Miller and Duesenberg 122cid and 91cid single seat race cars, which of course dominated Indianapolis as well, from 1923-1929.

Still a cool little car, just the same!

Art

[Ace-Garageguy]

More like a sporty little T Speedster, but not really a race car. It's certainly no board-track race car, as the high speed board tracks of the 20's (when Avon was making those speedster bodies) was almost exclusively the venue of the legendary Miller and Duesenberg 122cid and 91cid single seat race cars, which of course dominated Indianapolis as well, from 1923-1929.

Still a cool little car, just the same!

Art

All way before my time (and certainly not my field of expertise) but there are references galore for "board track racers" based on model T guts. Here's one from 1915 in the Museum of American Speed, for anyone who's interested.

http://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/1915-Board-Track-Racer,2017.html

Edited October 5, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[Skip]

Wow, Bill that's an interesting story on the Duryea Race Car. Sounds like it was about fifteen minutes or so away from me when it was here in Washington. Great to see that it went to the right museum for it. What is even more interesting is the "chain of custody" that makes up the provenience of this car. The odds of someone buying it to make something else out of it, then it remaining in tact are amazing in itself. Thanks for sharing, I've always had a thing for Speedsters, the true original Hot Rods.

[Art Anderson]

All way before my time (and certainly not my field of expertise) but there are references galore for "board track racers" based on model T guts. Here's one from 1915 in the Museum of American Speed, for anyone who's interested.

http://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/1915-Board-Track-Racer,2017.html

All very interesting, and of course the provenence of this particular car is interesting--but nowhere in the text is there any mention of its having been raced on any of the board tracks, even though one of the most famous board speedways was at Allentown PA. In the field of antique car collecting, there have been almost innumerable references to this or that single, or two) seater "racing" car having been run on those board tracks. The legendary board speedways of the period between 1919 and the very early 1930's were the first true "superspeedways" (in fact, the inspiration for such paved NASCAR superspeedways as Daytona, Atlanta, Charlotte, even Talladega). They ranged in size from a mile to 2.5 miles, and race cars run on them were quickly capable of speeds higher than any Model T based engine likely could have attained. By the early 1920's, lap speeds upwards of 150mph were being attained,

On the other hand, a car such as this very likely was a competitive racecar, but more than likely on dirt ovals. The legendary Frank Lockhart (winner at Indianapolis in 1926 in a Miller 91) cut his racing teeth on Model T dirt track racers in Southern California, for example--as did 3-time Indianapolis winner (and postwar president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway), Wilbur Shaw.

Art

[Alyn]

... They ranged in size from a mile to 2.5 miles, and race cars run on them were quickly capable of speeds higher than any Model T based engine likely could have attained. By the early 1920's, lap speeds upwards of 150mph were being attained,

On the other hand, a car such as this very likely was a competitive racecar, but more than likely on dirt ovals. The legendary Frank Lockhart (winner at Indianapolis in 1926 in a Miller 91) cut his racing teeth on Model T dirt track racers in Southern California, for example--as did 3-time Indianapolis winner (and postwar president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway), Wilbur Shaw.

Art

For the record, by the mid 1920's the official land speed record was only in the 150's (MPH). The average race speed at Indy didn't hit 150 MPH until the mid 1960's.

[Ace-Garageguy]

For the record, by the mid 1920's the official land speed record was only in the 150's (MPH). The average race speed at Indy didn't hit 150 MPH until the mid 1960's.

Yup...