Briarcliff, NY Road Race

This category for the 1908 Briarcliff Road Race currently includes four files sourced from Barney Oldfield’s scrapbook and a few from local Indianapolis newspapers. The race was won by Lewis Strang in an Italian Isotta. The field was large for the day – 22 competitors in all, including: Ralph De Palma, George Robertson, Herb Lytle, Barney Oldfield and Emanuel Cedrino. Briarcliff proved to be the final road race for the Italian ace Cedrino, who was killed in his Fiat at Pimlico the following month.

Briarcliff 1909

Despite the concerns expressed over the rough course at the 1908 Briarcliff, New York race there was continued interest in having another race in 1909. News reports continued to indicate that the race would be conducted again. An article in attachment Briarcliff010309 asserted that when it was published in the Indianapolis Star on January 3, 1909 the race was a certainty.