1905 Grim Reaper

This editorial cartoon appeared in The Automobile in August 1905. The cartoon characterized track racing - racing automobiles on horse tracks - as excessively dangerous. During August of that year three of the top stars of track racing - Barney Oldfield, Webb Jay and Earl Kiser were seriously injured in accidents. The injuries ended the careers of Kiser and Jay. Kiser, driver of the Winton Bullett II, was injured at the Cleveland while Jay was injured at the Kennilworth track in Buffalo while driving the famous "Whistling Billy" steam engine racer. Only Oldfield, injured at Grosse Pointe, Michigan's horse track recovered and continued racing. In this drawing Oldfield is seen on his Green Dragon to the left of the Grim Reaper. Directly behind the skeletal specter is Kiser on the Bullett with Webb Jay in the foreground.