Barney & Dragon Resting

Barney Oldfield signed with Lou Mooers of Peerless after his falling out with Alexander Winton in 1904. Oldfield raced for the factory before purchasing the equipment and setting out on his own in 1906. He continued to race Peerless Green Dragons through 1907. I'm not clear how many Green Dragons were built, but I believe that number to be four. One was completely destroyed during the Louisiana Purchase Trophy race in St. Louis on August 29, 1904 - during the time of the famous St. Louis World's Fair. Two spectators were killed when Oldfield was blinded by dust and crashed through a fence. Oldfield was beaten up with abrasions, scalp wounds and fractured ribs. Another Green Dragon was destroyed a year later almost to the date in an August 1905 accident at Grosse Pointe, Michigan near Detroit. Despite these struggles, Oldfield's time with the Green Dragons proved very successful. He was at the height of his barnstorming days while driving the car, winning numerous races and setting more speed records.