1922 Tacoma Speedway Jimmy Murphy Marvin D Boland Collection G511149

Racing star Jimmy Murphy in his #35 "Murphy Special" at the Tacoma Speedway circa 1922. Mr. Murphy was the popular favorite for the 250-mile 4th of July race, having won the French Grand Prix at Le Mans in 1921 and the 1922 Indy 500 on Memorial Day. He faced a lineup of formidable opponents including 1921 national champion and defending Tacoma champ Tommy Milton, Californian Harry Hartz who came in second to Mr. Murphy at Indy, local boy Joe Thomas who had recently won at the San Carlos Speedway in San Francisco, 1919 Indy winner "Howdy" Wilcox, and returning veteran drivers Eddie Hearne, Ralph Mulford and Roscoe Sarles. Mr. Murphy would win what would turn out to be the last Tacoma Classic in 1922, outdueling two-time defending champion Tommy Milton before a cheering crowd of some 30,000 race fans. Mr. Murphy had blistered the track during qualifying, averaging speeds slightly less than 109 mph. He would be named driver of the decade, 1920-29, despite the fact that he was killed in a crash at the Syracuse N.Y. Speedway in 1924. (Speedway-128; TPL-132) (TDL 7-5-22, p. 1-results)