While we’re on it, Ford Special racers, and help locating a photo

[Rob]

As I’ve tried to sort out the Ford special racers, 1910 - 1912, these are things I’ve learned, and things I think I’ve learned. Several forum members have been extremely helpful and I appreciate their input.

Thank you to Ken P. for the photo below. I’m trying to find a higher resolution photo, and would appreciate if anyone has an idea where it may be located. The racer, #6, looks like the 226 cu in special. It doesn’t have a coil box, an indicator of a Ford Special racer. I’d also like to find a program or article that tells us the numbers of all the cars that participated in this race.

I believe this photo was taken by the same photographer who took a closeup of Frank Kulick. Both photos were taken at the start of one of the Michigan State Fairground races in September 1911. Photo below courtesy of the Detroit Public Library, all rights apply:

Also taken during the races, this photo below. As we saw on the Algonquin hill climb thread, the large Ford at that time was a 389 cu in racer with a flat front radiator. Now, in late September, Ford has finished their last Special racer, the 410 cu in V nosed car. The photo below was published in the Ford Times, and shows the racer making it’s record mile on the Michigan track. It beat the Blitzen Benz, world record holder in 1, 2 and 20 mile circular track records as well as world straight mile record of 142 mph:

If it still exists, I’d also like to find a better photo of the Ford #5 above. Fortunately, we have one other #5 photo that appeared in a magazine in March 1912. The racer is on display at the Ford Detroit branch at the time of this photo, still sporting it’s racing number: