[AT] Burn-outs like you've never seen 'em!

Tom tmartin at xtra.co.nz
Wed Nov 14 11:02:40 PST 2012


Been a while...

I think a fuller explanation of the speed issue is required:

I the early 30s Allis Chalmers were promoting low pressure rubber tyres and 
encountering resistance. Then:

"The tractor division realized that it would have to do something spectacular to break down resistance to and build public accept­ance for air tires.. Because most tractors were unable to go more than five miles an hour, W. Elzey Brown of the advertising depart­ment thought of speed racing. Special high speed gears were installed in stock models of the Model "U" tractor, and the first public speed test was made at the State Fair race track at West Allis on June 18, 1933. Frank Brisko, a famous local driver who had recently competed in the Memorial Day classic at the Indianapolis Speedway, was the star in the auto races. The spectators could hardly believe their eyes when an Allis-Chalmers tractor, which had been plowing in the infield of the race track, was unhooked from the plow, turned over to Frank Brisko and then driven against time at 35.4 miles per hour. The effect was sensational. During the remainder of the summer, similar tractor races were
 advertised as attractions at many state fairs. The high point in this series of demonstrations occurred at Dallas, Texas, on September 17, 1933, when Barney Oldfield, the veteran automobile racer, drove a Model "U" air-tired tractor over a measured mile course at 64.28 miles an hour. The first man to drive an automobile at more than 60 miles an hour had also become the first man to drive a tractor at more than a mile a minute. Because this event was sanctioned by the American Automobile Association and timed by its officials, it became an official A. A. A. record. In 1933 alone, more than one million people saw these tractor races, and they were, in fact, repeated by popular demand for several years. With such famous drivers as Barney Oldfield, Lou Meyer, Floyd Roberts and Ab Jenkins, the tractor races were given top billing at many fairs." 
                           
                     "An Industrial Heritage" Walter E Peterson, Allis Chalmers Corporation, 1975

Tom

--- On Thu, 15/11/12, charlie hill <charliehill at embarqmail.com> wrote:

From: charlie hill <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
Subject: Re: [AT] Burn-outs like you've never seen 'em!
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Date: Thursday, 15, November, 2012, 12:37 AM

Barney Oldfield's record run was 64 mph.  Set in Sept. of 1933 on a 
specially prepared AC U.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Chuck Bealke
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 1:57 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Burn-outs like you've never seen 'em!

Thanks, Mattias.

This guys turning his plowing machine into a racer reminded me of:
1) Barney Oldfield's AC tractor (perhaps slower than the Terror)
promotion gig
http://www.firstsuperspeedway.com/articles/barney-oldfield-sets-tractor-record
and
2) Lamborghini unsuccessfully suggesting his tractor transmission to
Enzo Ferrari
http://www.pixcom.dk/Lamborghini/story.htm   .

Age test:  Would you like to drive the Terror?

And Ralph, thanks for the Roosty video link.  Am getting to recognize
parts of your path across the fields and am guessing that bull is a Red
Poll.


  _|___\  __
  |_____/      \  ~ Chuck Bealke, Dallas
  (  )       \__  /
_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at 

_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at



More information about the AT mailing list