# Barney Oldfield and racing history

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/barney-oldfield-and-racing-history/1021>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [June 27, 2007, 10:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/barney-oldfield-and-racing-history/1021 "2007-06-27T10:57:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![lisa\_napoli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@lisa\_napoli](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lisa_napoli)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 10:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/barney-oldfield-and-racing-history/1021/1 "2007-06-27T10:57:54Z")

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Hello. My name is Lisa and I’m researching Barney Oldfield, one of the very first race car drivers in history.  
  
 Does anyone out there know anything about him? I’m particularly interested in his work outside of racing, as a writer/actor/bar owner/showman/spokesperson.  
  
 Many thanks.  
  
 Lisa Napoli  
  
 lnapoli@marketplace.org

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**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 11:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/barney-oldfield-and-racing-history/1021/2 "2007-06-27T11:20:03Z")

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I hadn’t heard of him, but it sounds interesting:

[http://www.motorsportshalloffame.com/halloffame/1990/Barney\_Oldfield\_main.htm](http://www.motorsportshalloffame.com/halloffame/1990/Barney_Oldfield_main.htm)

> **[Barney Oldfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Oldfield)**
>
> Berna Eli "Barney" Oldfield (January 29, 1878 – October 4, 1946) was an American pioneer automobile racer; his "name was synonymous with speed in the first two decades of the 20th century". 
> After success in bicycle racing, he began auto racing in 1902 and continued until his retirement in 1918. He was the first man to drive a car at 60 miles per hour (96 km/h) on a circular track.
> Berna Eli Oldfield was born in York Township, Fulton County, Ohio, near Wauseon, on January 29, 1878, to Henry Cla...

[http://xroads.virginia.edu/~class/am485\_98/sarratt/barney.html](http://xroads.virginia.edu/~class/am485_98/sarratt/barney.html)

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/barney-oldfield-and-racing-history/1021/3 "2007-06-27T21:48:41Z")

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i don’t know anything about him, but i have an oringal photo of him driving his chain driven indy car… thanks leadskillet

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/barney-oldfield-and-racing-history/1021/4 "2007-06-27T23:47:57Z")

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He set the “Sea To Shining Sea” cross country race (still run today) speed record on a Motorcycle. New York to L.A. in something like 36 hours. This was back in the '20’s…That record stood for a long time.