Joe Nikrent

Portrait shot, of sorts, of Joe Nikrent. Nikrent was born in Detroit but moved to Los Angeles and did much of his racing before 1920 on the West Coast. Perhaps his biggest victory came when he won the 1909 Phoenix to Los Angeles off-road race across the desert. This race is also known as the "Cactus Derby." Nikrent drove in the 1913 Indianapolis 500 with Fred Horey as his riding mechanic. Their Case racer placed eighteenth, lasting only 67 laps.