I had a great visit last week to the archive in Springfield, MA. The museum there has way more material than I could chew through in a single trip and I cannot wait to get back. I answered a ton of questions, was able to connect a lot of dots, and I am excited to share what I am finding. I also stopped into the Motorcyclepedia Museum in Newburg, NY to see the insane collection that they have on display. If you have been thinking of making a trip don't wait any longer, it is a remarkable place.
Ray Seymour, another American pioneer motorcycle racer is one of those guys you see often in photos but most know little about. The museum collection in Springfield has some incredible photos of Ray, who joined the Indian roster in 1910 when Reading-Standard decided to pull back from professional racing. The freckle-faced Seymour had been competing since he was a teenager and was a top competitor from the very start. Here, he sits for a photo onboard his factory “Big Base” 8-valve racer during the races at the newly opened Columbus Motordrome in mid July, 1912. Seymour was one of three professionals to enter the race, Indian teammates Eddie Hasha and Morty Graves both piloting powerful Big Base 8-valve machines as well. Seymour took the flag in the 5 mile professional and 5 mile open races, as well as the top spot on the podium for the 10 mile professional event. Tragically, just over a month later Seymour would be leading a race at the Vailsburg Motordrome in newark, NJ when friend and teammate Eddie Hasha lost control resulting in one of the most notorious and catastrophic motorcycle racing accidents in history.
