1925 Miller Junior 8 racer - a photo on Flickriver

1925 Miller Junior 8 racer

            This 1925 Miller Junior 8 race car is now on display at the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Automobile Museum, on loan from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. I was fortunate enough to have been in Auburn, Indiana last August-September and took the opportunity of visiting the ACD museum and of course, while there, took many pictures of the majestic vintage automobiles on display, one of which being this 1925 Miller Junior 8 race car. 
 
The race car’s success and its cutting-edge technology inspired Errett Lobban Cord to approach Harry Miller for the development of a front drive passenger car. This resulted in the design and production of the lower center-of-gravity Cord L-29.
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The artwork 

Discerning viewers will undoubtedly note that the car in the illustration is slightly different from the subject pictured car. This is because good, high quality images are at a premium and I could not find (nor could I hand illustrate) an image of the 1925 Miller car. The illustration, prior to my editing, was actually depicting the Miller 1926 entry. I edited the year shown as well as the text on the right side of the car.  Oh yeah, I also drew the number 1 on the cowling of the car in the illustration.

……..and while on the subject of the 1926 Indianapolis 500-mile race, allow me to relate (or bore you) with some information about the 1926 entry or more particularly the driver, Frank Lockhart, who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1926 piloting the Miller race car in the illustration.
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 1926 Indianapolis 500 and Frank Lockhart

“Frank Lockhart” began his career in Frontenac-prepared Fords (Fronty Fords) at board track racing events, where he showed remarkable speed against the dominating Duesenbergs and Millers for two seasons. His big break came when he was signed as a relief driver for Peter Kreis's eight-cylinder supercharged Miller at the 1926 Indianapolis 500. He convinced Kreis to allow him to take some "warm up" laps, and he clocked quicker times than Kreis (120.919 mph {194.59 km/h}). He set a new unofficial track record on his first official qualifying lap (a three lap average was used to set a track record). He cut down a tire and crashed on the second qualifying lap. He also had mechanical problems on his second attempt. He slowed down on his third and final attempt, and qualified 20th overall with a speed of 95.780 mph (154.113 km/h). On race day, he moved from 20th to fifth by Lap 5, having had passed 14 cars on that lap alone. He moved up to second on Lap 16. Lockhart took the lead from Dave Lewis shortly after a rain delay on Lap 72. Lewis and Lockhart battled for the lead for the next 20 laps, until Lewis dropped out. Lockhart nearly stretched out a two lap lead before rain ended the race on Lap 160, becoming the fourth rookie to win the Indianapolis 500.

Lockhart bought the car. He later bought a second Miller car, and he set track records almost everywhere he went. He won four more AAA championship events in 1926, and finished second in the standings. 

Land Speed Record attempts

Lockhart had a new ambition – to better Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Land Speed Record of 206.956mph. He drove a Miller-powered Stutz Blackhawk on the sands of Daytona Beach in February 1928 but the strong winds blew him into the sea. By the time the car was repaired, Ray Keech had regained the LSR for America with an average of 207.552mph.

On April 25 1928 Lockhart was ready to try again but a tyre punctured during his run. The Black Hawk was sent crashing end-over-end at more than 210mph and it disintegrated. Its 25 year old driver was found dead having been thrown clear of the wreckage.

I do hope you’all enjoy .....................

Taken on: April 19, 2019

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Sets appears in: • Vintage antique Race Cars • Car Art

Groups appears in: • Automotive Art • The Great Race more » • ACD - Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg • Car Art - Wheeled Art opted out of 30/60 • Cars of the World « less

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