Ray Harroun (by WK Gilbert)

Barney Oldfield and Ralph De Palma were more than rivals - they had a genuine dislike for one another. Some say it started when in 1908 young De Palma, an unknown upstart racer, beat Barney Oldfield in a best of three match race on a horse track. Incensed, Oldfield stormed off without congratulating the rookie. Nobody really knows the true cause, but the two competitors rubbed each other the wrong way. Both had ambitions beyond the race car. Each wanted acceptance in a world dominated by the wealthy. Money has always been a major ingredient in going fast.