Remember The Red Head?

[c.o.]

Got yer attention didn't I??? Well this Redhead is in reference to Red Parkhurst one of the famed members of the Wrecking Crew. I dug this article out of the July, 1944 issue of the Enthusiast. I'm working with a new computer with different programs so I hope this all works out.... In the article there is reference to the 1919 Marion, Indiana race (here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1YDV2fGcOk for those that may not have already seen it)...

[Blupacer]

Thanks Cort for the Enthusist posting , enjoyed the read. I hope more people realize the treasure we have in The ENTHUSIAST from the past decades. I enjoy rereading my collection from 1960 to date.

Steve

[c.o.]

Glad you enjoyed it Steve. I get a real thrill out of old race info!!!

[HarleyCreation]

Cory,

Great post! I don't think I've seen this article before.

Notice that Parkhurst put Otto Walker at the head of the list of guys who were toughest to beat. Maybe that's why Harley put Otto on that first Eight-Valve at Chicago-Maywood in 1915.

Also, I was wondering the year when Parkhurst returned to Sheepshead Bay and made those long distance records that beat Cannonball Baker's times. I figured that done after World War I, but this article says that it took place in 1917. Very glad to learn that.

What I don't see there and am still wondering is whether Parkhurst rode the eight-valve or the pocket-valve at Sheepshead Bay in 1917 for those records. Had Harley put the eight-valves into storage for the remainder of WWI or was one still out for that record setting event in 1917?

Parkhurst was one of the real greats.

Thanks again!

[Barry Brown]

Very interesting article. Jim Davis told me the same thing that Gene Walker was the best man on the dirt track. Remember that yardlong of mine we were discussing? On the far left is Gene Walker on his factory 8 valve Indian . We never did find out who won that race but I'll bet Walker beat all those Big X boys and our Harley spy hired him on the spot. I know Herb, it's all speculation, can we find out? Jim Davis also told me he and his buddy Gene would race for whoever made the best offer .

[c.o.]

Cory,

Great post! I don't think I've seen this article before.

Notice that Parkhurst put Otto Walker at the head of the list of guys who were toughest to beat. Maybe that's why Harley put Otto on that first Eight-Valve at Chicago-Maywood in 1915.

Also, I was wondering the year when Parkhurst returned to Sheepshead Bay and made those long distance records that beat Cannonball Baker's times. I figured that done after World War I, but this article says that it took place in 1917. Very glad to learn that.

What I don't see there and am still wondering is whether Parkhurst rode the eight-valve or the pocket-valve at Sheepshead Bay in 1917 for those records. Had Harley put the eight-valves into storage for the remainder of WWI or was one still out for that record setting event in 1917?

Parkhurst was one of the real greats.

Thanks again!

Herb!!!

Glad you liked the article! Ain't it all a thrill??? I'm guessing these pics will answer your last question.......

[HarleyCreation]

Very interesting article. Jim Davis told me the same thing that Gene Walker was the best man on the dirt track. Remember that yardlong of mine we were discussing? On the far left is Gene Walker on his factory 8 valve Indian . We never did find out who won that race but I'll bet Walker beat all those Big X boys and our Harley spy hired him on the spot. I know Herb, it's all speculation, can we find out? Jim Davis also told me he and his buddy Gene would race for whoever made the best offer .

You're on the right track!

Irving "the youngster" Janke, a hometown Milwaukee boy, was racing amateur for Indian in 1914. At a race at Madison, Wis., Hugh Sharp who was H-D's publicity man liked his riding style and did hire him on the spot. No doubt it happened with others too.

I remember the yard long and that we believed the "spy" was probably H-D's ad man Lacy Crolius. As I recall, there were some 3 or 4 races that year in Milwaukee but that we didn't have results & articles on all of them. But didn't we figure out the most likely one?

[c.o.]

Very interesting article. Jim Davis told me the same thing that Gene Walker was the best man on the dirt track. Remember that yardlong of mine we were discussing? On the far left is Gene Walker on his factory 8 valve Indian . We never did find out who won that race but I'll bet Walker beat all those Big X boys and our Harley spy hired him on the spot. I know Herb, it's all speculation, can we find out? Jim Davis also told me he and his buddy Gene would race for whoever made the best offer .

Man!!! How cool was it to sit and talk with Mr. Davis?? Could you refresh my memory Barry? Do we know what year and the whereabouts of your yardlong?

[HarleyCreation]

Herb!!!

Glad you liked the article! Ain't it all a thrill??? I'm guessing these pics will answer your last question.......

Very nice!

If that's 1917 Sheepshead Bay, I'm seeing pocket-valves and no mistake.

Where'd these photos originate from? Do we know this is 1917 Sheepshead Bay for sure?

The bikes look like they "could" be olive drab and not Gray Fellow gray.

[c.o.]

I may have already mentioned it but I have stacks of random photos some of them are marked and some are not. These particular ones are marked Sheepshead Bay. They are copies so counting that as accurate is foolish I guess. So it was hit the books time! It took me a bit but on pg. 59 of "The Big Book of Harley-Davidson" these photos appear with captions that only indicate Sheepshead Bay as well but they did also mention the exact mileage for the record runs that The Enthusiast did!! I'm curious as to your thoughts on that.

[HarleyCreation]

Yep, 1917

I may have already mentioned it but I have stacks of random photos some of them are marked and some are not. These particular ones are marked Sheepshead Bay. They are copies so counting that as accurate is foolish I guess. So it was hit the books time! It took me a bit but on pg. 59 of "The Big Book of Harley-Davidson" these photos appear with captions that only indicate Sheepshead Bay as well but they did also mention the exact mileage for the record runs that The Enthusiast did!! I'm curious as to your thoughts on that.

I'm thinking you're right. The Big Book says Sheepshead Bay but I don't see any year given. Then I found a Aug. 12, 1917, dated article telling of four motorcycle world's records made at Sheepshead by Red Parkhurst (solo) and Otto Walker (sidecar). This was in spite of heavy rain. The red head's 24 hour record (1,452-3/4 miles) broke Cannonball Baker's previous 24 hour record made at the Cincinnati speedway. He also made 500 & 1000 mile records.

At least we know 1917 is the correct year.

[c.o.]

1917 it is then!!! Man I wish some of the old film footage that is sitting in dusty warehouses at points unknown could find it's way to surface.

[HarleyCreation]

1917 it is then!!! Man I wish some of the old film footage that is sitting in dusty warehouses at points unknown could find it's way to surface.

That film footage gotta exist. Old articles of the time talk about films being made rather frequently. Plus there were so many of these big races and record runs back then. Like you say, lots of it must be sitting gathering dusk.

One story I heard an old timer concerning H-D's own film footage at the Factory. Early film was considered a fire hazard so they had him gather all the old films up, take them aboard a boat on Lake Michigan, and dump all of them overboard. Sad....

[HarleyCreation]

More Weird Time Warp Stuff!

This is odd.

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame entry for Red Parkhurst says that in 1920, quote: "In June of that year, Harley-Davidson rented the Sheepshead Bay track (considered the fastest board track in the country) to attempt a 24-hour solo record. Parkhurst set a new distance record for 24 hours, covering 1,452.75 miles despite having to wait out two hours of hard rain, then riding on a very slick track as the boards dried out. Exhausted by the solo run, Parkhurst broke the existing mileage record with over an hour to go and could have pulled in, but bravely held on to complete 24 hours."

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/hall...spx?racerid=53

BUT: Motorcycle Illustrated (July 26, 1917, p.21) says that on July 20, 1917, Parkhurst at the Sheepshead Bay speedway made a new solo 24-hour record of 1,452-3/4 miles. This in spite of hard rain, a very slippery track, and water-fouled sparkplugs.

What gives with that? Two identical 24-hour record distances made by the same Red Parkhurst, one in July of 1917, and another in June of 1920?

Either the AMA Hall of Fame entry is wacko or the 1917 mag article got printed 3 years too early!

http://books.google.com/books?id=mag...ed=0CB8Q6AEwAw

PS: Cory, the guy in the sidecar photo is named Carl Lutgens.

[c.o.]

That is odd..... I'm thinkin' we can rely on the early article... the AMA has been misinformed...