Wild West Outlaws

 

Wild West Outlaws

As a young teenager I would take every opportunity to scrounge a trip as a helper to perhaps a banger car meeting or to motorcycle races. Great days, always light hearted and full of banter.

But, imagine if each week that preparation for a race meeting was carried out under the heavy stomach knotting burden of an ever looming, serious and total economic depression, a time when friends and neighbours tumbled from a comfortable lifestyle to homelessness within days or even hours, where people were desperate to feed their families let alone home themselves.

Imagine that against the odds, perhaps you have managed to make your way through these obstacles and create a racing car on a tiny budget, now consider the travel and the accommodation of getting to the race. It all becomes as great an adventure as depicted in any “Wagon Train” movie on a Sunday afternoon. But, financially it could be a life saver, unless the reaper gets there first.

This may well be the scenario for a 1929 racer in Midwest America.

Of course, once a racer always a racer, so it is unlikely that many undertake such a hazardous lifestyle without a deep underlying confidence and wish to compete. However, there really was an opportunity for a small garage owner or farmer to make a living from this gladiatorial motor spectacle.

Henry and Charles Pauley’s Chevrolet Bobtail.

Poignantly, as the depression begins to take a hold, those who are able, rein in their spending.  Even in this financial climate the County Fairs continue as gathering places for hardworking rural communities to meet and enjoy themselves. Horse racing continued to be popular and now the promoters introduced motor racing upon the same oval dirt tracks

Car and motorcycles races were advertised as fantastic events of tremendous speed.

Well perhaps the tremendous speed was not quite correct, the initial entry list would be of a few standard road cars. As the events became more organised and promoters began to take advice (...at a cost) from specialist organisers, the spectacle really began to emerge and "proper" racing cars evolved.

Outlaw dirt track racers were initially unregulated. Engine sizes varied from standard little side valves  to huge aero or “part of” aero engines. Chassis’ were either flimsy or overly heavy. Steering systems failed with dreadful regularity. Suspension was often nonexistent with axles bolted directly to the chassis.

Prize money varied widely, the better promoters sharing the gate fees equally, but many guilty of taking the gate money and running.

The 1926 Cowley races in Kansas, saw a crowd of some 10,000 braving the wet and cold winds, prize purse for this event consisted of $1300 (over $23,000 in todays money).

Promoters sometimes provided their own car and driver combination to run spectacular demonstration races. Drivers might be paid $50 (almost $900 today) each week to perform dramatic “staged” races. Local spectators were invited to take on the might of the professional drivers by entering a race in a car rented  from a promoter. Very few were able to make any impression on the hardened and experienced professionals.. Except maybe, for one, this particular spectator had desires to try his hand, but he suffered a muscle disorder causing his eyes to look down and a little to the left. To compensate for this a raised head was set in a stargazing attitude, giving him a look of cocky disregard for danger and for all around him. In the open cockpit environment, body language would form part of opponent communication, albeit in an involuntary way. So blatant seemed his disregard that the professional drivers doubted his reason and sanity in the face of danger, they backed away, reluctant to “mix it” with such a character. He went on to proudly win the race and I imagine hold his head high!

Safety seems to have been little more than a token gesture. Even if the poor victims made it to the hospital, there are stories of them being left on a slab for many potentially deadly hours. Outlaw very much meant unregulated.

Kerbs truck, unusually well equipped transport.

“Necessity is the mother of invention”

This certainly became true. Obviously cost was such a major issue.  Development and tuning became innovative and fertile. Drivers and owners resorted to fabrication and modification of engine parts. Home casting and hand filed parts were created in continuous experimentation. Some engineering shops saw potential, producing overhead valve heads, 16 valves, lightweight pistons and special carburettors. Camshaft design reflected wild and unproven ideas, some successful, some disastrous, especially for the already press ganged standard valves and springs.

Chevrolet and Ford T chassis’ were amongst the most common, the Ford especially, as most Ford material was of a very high quality.

John Gerber was a particularly typical, devoted, successful racer.

John rented a small garage workshop where he repaired cars for his living. Having seen one race he entered his standard road car in the next event with some success. The bug had bitten.

 Over a short time John had built a racer from an old Chevrolet. Continuous development saw the chassis change to Ford model T and then further to a short wheelbase Bobtail. The T chassis was turned upside down to invert the spring supporting front cross member, effectively lowering the whole chassis by 8” or so. The rear member of the chassis and 18” of side rails were removed to shorten the wheelbase. Two saw cuts were made in the left chassis rail which was then set out sufficiently and welded to position a seat between the propshaft and the chassis rail, allowing the driver to sit low just ahead of the rear axle. The rear axle itself was suspended by quarter elliptic springs mounted into the ends of the chassis. These were made from two cut down front springs. A new low crossmember was fabricated by reforming a piece of an old snow plough blade. The spring eyes attached to two pairs of modified conrods, bolted and probably pinned to the rear axle tube by their big end section. John Gerber became known for his excellent quality con rods, perhaps these were two of his early examples?

To allow the front axle to chassis clearance when on full suspension “bump”, the main and second spring leaves were reformed to angle forwards at the tips when viewed from above. Interestingly, I have been told, by a “Living History” historical blacksmith, that by dragging a piece of dry Ash stick across the hot spring leaf surface, the correct tempering temperature is indicated when it sparks freely!  Perhaps this technique was used by John Gerber’s blacksmith?

John Gerber in his hugely successful and long running Bobtail

John’s engine was under constant development, grafting Ford and other parts on to his Chevrolet cylinder block, making his own crankshaft and conrods. Valve and spring reliability was always an issue. Many different makes of valves were tried.

Early prize money went toward the purchase of Dayton wire wheels. A deliberate chiselling of the rim to raise little ears or tangs, just sufficient to catch and sprag the “Clincher” tyres holding them secure under extreme stress.

Something of a Barnstormer Circus began to dominate the racing season. Drivers and cars would travel from County to County ready to appear in the next event. Many might drive their race cars as did John Gerber.

Stories are told of carrying a removable secured chest, strapped to the car, full of camping essentials and a rolled section of canvas. Luxury might be that straw can be purchased from a local farm and spread out beneath a blanket. The canvas can be propped from the car to make a warm comfortable nights’ accommodation, not forgetting the important firearm tucked away beneath the pillow, this is still the wild west!

Tampering of cars belonging to out of county competitors was not unheard of, public garages provided for overnight car storage were little used or trusted, better to sleep next to your livelihood!

The racedays normally consisted of a setting up period, followed by qualification heats and a main final. The tracks would be notoriously dusty although calcium and water were often used to reduce this.

The good tracks consisted of oiled, rolled and calcium treated turf, these provided relatively smooth and consistent surfaces.

As can be imagined, the casualty rate was very high, steering failure was often a contributing factor. But drivers varied in ability and age, many young drivers did not make it through. Experienced drivers might be in their late 50’s, but, even those were often due for their last big crash.

Apart from one rollover because of tyre failure John Gerber survived with relatively few accidents. Although he became a championship winner many times, he was also able to consider and use caution where necessary, sometimes accepting that it was prudent to back off and allow a reckless driver to go on ahead. He was wily too. Having battled hard, taken chances and gained little in the early stage of a race, he wasn’t unknown to fake a car problem and trail in second or third place, only to nip through and take the flag and winnings from a relaxing and complacent driver.

Many of the drivers went on to Indianapolis and to great things.

Manufacturers like Frontenac, and Roof continued on to great success. Many of the cars reincarnated as salt flat racers in post war events. The toughness of those Ford chassis’ has been perfectly illustrated by a story of one streamliner with direct lineage from an old dirt racer. Coming to grief whilst approaching 200mph the car tumbled over and over, the whole car was wrecked.. except for that old Ford T chassis, still straight and true!

This is a copy from a small article I wrote for a magazine produced by Scarlet Rickard, it no longer exists and I do hope Scarlett doesn't mind my posting. I also have permission to use the photos from an Outlaw racing website, however I cannot remember the website, as soon as I do, I will give the appropriate acknowledgement.