per-WWI racing

Derided by critics, Barney Oldfield saw himself first as an entertainer and secondly as a race driver. He was competitive and took pride in his accomplishments, which were significant. He was a master of early sprint racing on dirt horse tracks and held every track record from 1 to 50 miles in 1904. He mastered road racing as well, winning major events in Venice, California as well as finishing second in the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup.