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Record Group Number: 900000
Series/Collection Number: M82- 115
Creator:
Title, Dates: Daytona Beach Ocean Speedway photographs, 1906-1929.
Amount: 4 photographs
Medium Included: photographs
Organization/Arrangement: Unarranged.
Restrictions:
Terms Governing Use:
Biographical/Historical:     During the early 1900s, numerous land speed records were set on the sands of Ormond and Daytona Beaches (Volusia County) where cars were raced as a popular pastime. Inventors such as Ransom Olds, Alexander Winton, Henry Ford, Louis Chevrolet, Francis E. and Frelan O. Stanley, and James Ward Packard sponsored drivers to race their creations on the long stretches of sand during this time.

    Ralph DePalma (1883-1956) was one of the greatest racecar drivers of the early 20th century. Born in Troia, Italy, he became proficient in nearly every type of racecar he ever drove and won almost 2,000 races in his 25-year career. He also competed successfully in Europe and helped design the Packard V-12, which he drove to a land speed record of 149.87 mph at Daytona Beach on February 17, 1919. On April 27, 1920, Tommy Milton raced on Daytona Beach and achieved a speed of 156.047 mph, breaking DePalma's record.

    Major H.O.D. "Sir Henry" Segrave (1896-1930) was already world famous for his speed when he first arrived in Daytona Beach in 1927. He set a world land speed record of 203 mph, the first time an automobile had run faster than 200 mph. When he returned to Daytona in 1929, he set another world record at more than 231 mph. Segrave was also the first driver in auto racing history to wear a crash helmet.

Summary:     This collection contains four photographs taken during speed racing events at Daytona Beach, Florida. Images include Sir Henry Segrave after establishing the speed record of 231.36 miles per hour in 1929. On one photograph is written "DePalma in Packard Racer, one mile at rate of 156 miles per hour." While the photograph is a Packard Racer, DePalma did not make the record of 156 mph. The photograph is probably DePalma in 1918 when he made the record of 146 mph. The collection also contains photographs of other racecars from the same period.

Finding Aids:
Additional Physical Form: Images from this collection have been digitized and are available on the Florida Memory web site: https://www.floridamemory.com/discover/photographs/
Reproduction Note:
Location of Originals/Duplicates:
Associated Materials:
Language Notes:
Ownership/Custodial History:
Publication Note:
General Note: Florida Photographic Collection Number P1982-115.
Electronic Records Access: https://www.floridamemory.com/discover/photographs/
Subject Access Fields: DePalma, Ralph, 1882-1956.
Segrave, Henry O'Neal de Hane, 1896-1930.
Automobiles Florida.
Recreation Florida.
Photographs. aat
Postcards. aat
Daytona Beach (Fla.)
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