Alright, alright, time to get back into it, right. Since my last post, forever ago, my little family and I have finally started to settle into our new lives along the great Ogeechee River, on the southern bank of Savannah in Georgia’s mighty Coastal Empire. I’m excited to get digging into history again with you fine folks and have pieced some articles together during my hiatus that I think you are going to appreciate. I’m hoping to announce the first of my next two books by the end of the year, and I can’t wait to release a film project that I have been working in the wee hours that will kick off a new chapter here at The Archive. Moreover, I’m thrilled to now reside in a city with such a tremendous connection to American motorsports and am excited to dive into the remarkable stories from a city of such monumental importance and significance to this culture.
We will kick things off with this gritty clipping from November 26, 1914, along the dusty roads of Savannah’s famed Grand Prize road course. These gents, each factory boys from Indian were slinging sand through the heart of Savannah at speeds of 75mph for just over a total of 300 miles. The Savannah 300 was one of the first of a new breed of long-distance, high-speed, grand prix style events in America and as such it brought out the countries top riders and most competitive companies. Lee Taylor, former captain of the Merkel squad and the newest member of the legendary Indian Wigwam took the cup that day, besting his old yellow jacket teammates as well as the new boys in grey, the first members of Harley-Davidson’s original factory racing program which had made its official debut that day here in Savannah. More on the 1913 and 1914 Savannah 300 race can be found in past articles at ArchiveMoto.com or in the currently sold out Georgia Motorcycle History, but I’m sure now that I’m here there will be much more to share down the road.
Happy to be back,
Chris