The Man That Rescued Indian: E. Paul du Pont

   A little more than a decade after the Hendee Manufacturing Co. offered its first Indian motorcycle to the excited public, the men behind the dream retired. Whether due to claimed disagreements with company stockholders, disagreements with each other, or a desire to be free of the stress of heading the world's largest motorcycle company (most likely all the above), Hendee and Hedstrom turned the reigns over to the stockholders and left. By 1916, a board of directors was in control. The corporate suits now in charge were left with the task of forging a successful path forward in the motorcycle industry without the skills and knowledge of the founders. 

  A young motorcycle racer and engineer named Charles Franklin was luckily available just when his talents were needed most.

Franklin had been hired from the race track in 1914 to open an Indian depot in Dublin, Ireland. Franklin opened the depot in 1915, but trade politics between England and the U.S. closed it's doors in just a few short months. Recognizing his talents, the company offered him a position in the design department in Springfield Massachusetts in 1916.

  Charles Franklin immediately set to work. His designs soon set a new standard for the Indian brand, among his first and most famous was the 1920 Scout. He also designed the Indian Prince single cylinder of 1925, approved the acquisition and subsequent redesigns of the Ace 4 cylinder in 1927, and redesigned the Scout in 1928 into what is now known as the legendary Scout 101.

  While Charles Franklin's designs were proving successful on the sales floor, the corporate suits running the show were using the profits to play the stock market. It was the "Roaring Twenties" and the future looked bright. But, as fate would have, the stock markets crashed in October of 1929, plunging the economy into the Great Depression. 

  The company suddenly found itself in turmoil. Those in charge began to help themselves to company assets, with one eye on the exit, as they waited for what was sure to be the end. As fate would have it, an Indian motorcycle enthusiast with the financial means, saw the opportunity and seized it.

  Eleuthere Paul du Pont was born April 24th, 1887. From a young age he had an interest in all things mechanical. As a teen he built a small engine to attach to a bicycle. Not satisfied, he later acquired an early Indian "Camelback" single to tinker with and modify. (Called "Camelback" because of the humped fuel tank over the rear wheel)

Young Paul studied engineering in school and by 1916 had established a small marine engine company, with a number of patents in his name. By 1919 his attention turned to automobiles and he founded DuPont Motors Co., known for manufacturing luxury autos during the 1920s.

   In 1923, the Hendee Mfg. Co. officially changed it's name to the Indian Motocycle Co. (No "R" to stand out from other motorcycle manufacturers) and Paul's brother Francis du Pont bought $300,000 worth of shares. In all appearances, a good investment at the time. 

  By 1930, Indian was on the verge of bankruptcy, losing hundreds of thousands annually, not only due to the stock market crash, but also reported corruption at the top. The du Pont family was in danger of losing substantial investments. Paul saw that the Indian Co. was ripe for a takeover. After some negotiations and dealings,  the DuPont car company merged with Indian, auto production was halted, and E. Paul du Pont became CEO of the Indian Motocycle Co. Paul and his staff soon put an end to the corruption, took stock of what hadn't yet been pilfered, and set to work building motorcycles. 

  During this time the transportation needs of the country was changing. Ford's assembly line had brought the cost of the automobile down to where the common man could afford a car. Motorcycles, once competing with the auto as affordable transportation for the masses, was now viewed as a leisure item. The change had drivin most early motorcycle manufacturers out of business. Only Indian, Harley Davidson, and Excelsior remained. With no immediate end to the Depression in sight, Ignaz Schwinn ended Excelsior's motorcycle production in September of 1931, leaving Indian and Harley Davidson alone in the market. 

  Paul du Pont knew that people wouldn't buy motorcycles because they needed one, but because they wanted one. He put his chief designer Charles Briggs Weaver to work remaking Indian's image.

  Briggs Weaver was more than an auto designer, he was an artist. Schooled as a jewelry designer, it's said that he could just as easily design a sailboat or carve a sculpture. Under Paul du Pont"s direction, he was responsible for introducing the streamlined art-deco styling that became popular in the early 30s, and copied by the competition. The elaborate sheet metal and tank mounted dash were a result of Weaver's artistic influence. 

  In addition to design changes, Indians now were available in no less than 24 splendid colors. Up until this time, production was hindered by the drying time of the paint, hence the reason for Fords being available "in any color you want as long as it's black." (Black dried the fastest) The DuPont Motor Company had pioneered fast drying nitrocellulose lacquer auto paint in the early 1920s. (Ever hear of DuPont Paints?) That paint was now available for Indian motorcycles, when in the late 20s and early 30s, Harley Davidsons were only offered in olive green.

  Under Paul du Pont"s guidance, Indian also launched a successful racing campaign in the newly formed AMA Class C racing which was formed for street legal machines. With only one other manufacturer competing, the rivalry between brands reached a fever pitch, with both makes having a following of loyal fans to this day. 

  Much of Paul du Pont"s success was due to his hands on approach, assisting in design and testing new models. He was personally involved in the development of the Model 841. The 841 was a shaft driven machine with a V-twin set a right angle to the usual configuration.

It was offered to the military to fulfill the war contract but few were delivered before the contact was cancelled. Although it never became popular with the public,  the 841 was Paul du Pont"s favorite model and personal ride. 

  Paul du Pont"s leadership brought Indian Motorcycles from the verge of collapse in 1930, to record profit levels in 1939. The company's success made it attractive to other potential investors. As du Pont"s health began to fail in the 1940s, retirement began to look attractive. In 1945, an investor named Ralph Rogers bought controlling interest in the Indian Motocycle Co. Paul du Pont turned over operations on November 1st, 1945 and retired to his family estate. He passed away September 26, 1950 at the age of 63. His influence and legacy can still be seen in the war bonnet logos, the swooping, full fenders, the colorful paint schemes, and the art-deco design touches of Indian motorcycles to this day. 

Ralph Hepburn: Heart of Gold, Nerves of Steel

   Ralph R. Hepburn, known as "Hep" by his friends, had a reputation as one of the most talented racers of his day, and as one of the kindest. Born in Somerville Maryland, April 11th, 1896, his family moved to Las Angeles when he was 10 years old. By his mid teens Hep had earned enough to buy his first motorcycle, a used 1910 Harley Davidson 30 ci. Not satisfied, he soon traded it for a faster 5 hp Thor and by 1913 had begun entering local competitions.

  Racers at these amateur events weren't paid like the pros were. They largely raced for the love of it. A hat would be passed through the crowd and a collection taken up that would be divided among the amateur racers to help cover costs. Hepburn's kind nature soon endeared him to the other racers, when at one of these early events a fellow racer took a spill and was injured. Hepburn, feeling bad for his friend's poor luck, used his entire share of the collection, a whole 30 cents, to buy his friend some malted milk balls to cheer him up. The other racers liked young Hep, taking him under their wing and mentoring him.

  January 1st of 1914 young Hep placed 3rd in a 3 mile open at Lordsburg, CA., his first professional top 3 finish. After some encouragement from friends and fellow racers, he decided to turn pro. Later that year Hep boarded a train bound for Detroit to compete in a race at the Detroit Speedway. At a stop at a train station in Missouri, he was greeted with the news that the Detroit track had closed and all future events were canceled. Stranded with no job and no destination, Hepburn learned of a nearby traveling carnival that was in need of a rider to perform in their Wall of Death show, a daredevil exhibition where a rider performs on a vertical, circular wall. Hep traveled with the carnival for the rest of 1914 and for part of 1915.

  In 1915 Hepburn returned home and took a job at an Excelsior dealership. Racing was still in his blood and he soon purchased a used, race modified Excelsior twin from a friend and began to rebuild it with plans of returning to the track. He was soon competing again in sanctioned races, turning in regular top 3 finishes. 

  After a widely publicized crash in McPherson Kansas, where multiple riders were injured, the factory backed teams withdrew their large V-twins from competing on the short 1/2 mile tracks, believing them too dangerous. Hep borrowed an Indian single and continued to compete. He was also lent a Harley Davidson single by Ray Weishaar. His success on the smaller, borrowed Harley attracted the attention of the Big Shots back at Harley Davidson.

  Just like other racers of the era, Hepburn's career was put on hold by WW1 in 1917. He entered training with the fledgling US Air Service. The war ended and Hep was discharged in 1918, just before finishing his training. In the meantime, the war years had put Harley Davidson in position to dominate racing upon its return. In addition to producing machines for the war effort, the company had continued to develop their racing department. Rival Indian, on the other hand, had focused solely on supplying the war. Bill Ottaway, head of Harley's racing department wasted no time. In spring of 1919, he was busy recruiting the best racing talent he could find upon their return from service, hardly waiting for the ink on their discharge papers to dry. Ralph Hepburn was one of the first chosen.

  His fellow Harley Davidson teammates comprised of legendary names like Otto Walker, Red Parkhurst, "Shrimp" Burns, Fred Ludlow, and Ray Weishaar. Together they formed the original "Wrecking Crew."

  In June of 1919, Ralph won the 200 mile National Championship at L.A.'s Ascot Park, setting a new record of 72.32 mph (116.39 km/h). He began the 1920 season taking second place behind Otto Walker in a 100 mile Championship, again at Ascot Park. Hep and his teammates dominated race after race throughout 1920, with Hep claiming over a dozen National wins and many top three finishes. His success continued through 1921, with no less than 33 National wins on dirt and board tracks. Most notable was his victory at the 1921 Dodge City 300, where Hep finished in 1st place a full 12 minutes of Indian's Johnny Seymour. 

  In 1922 Harley Davidson's interest in professional racing slowed, but Ralph's didn't. He quickly signed with Indian and continued to collect trophies through the 1923 season. 1924 found Hep back astride a Harley, still leading the pack. Hep took a little time out in 1924 to marry his sweetheart Ida, whom he called "Sparky" and set off to Australia for their honeymoon, but not without bringing along his motorcycle...

  The spring of 1925 found Hep racing at the Melbourne Motordrome, in the land down under. He took a little more time away from his bride to set a new speed record of 113 mph (181.86 km/h) at Sellick's Beach, Adelaide before returning to the states.

  Upon his return to the U.S., his interest in motorcycle racing took a back seat to a new passion. In prior years, Hepburn had been dabbling in the quickly growing sport of automobile racing. In 1925, he entered and raced in the Indianapolis 500. The remainder of his life was spent chasing victories with 4-wheeled racers. Out of 15 entries in the Indianapolis 500, he achieved 4 top 5 finishes. He served as President of the American Society of Professional Automobile Racers. He even acted in Hollywood films about racing, most notably 1932's The Crowd Roars, with James Cagney.

   Ralph Hepburn's career ended in 1948, when he crashed during a test run for the Indianapolis 500. At 52, he'd spent his whole life chasing a checkered flag and will always be remembered as one of motorsports kindest and most successful competitors. 

Live Fast and Die Young; The Story of "Shrimp" Burns

   Albert "Shrimp" Burns wasn't a man of large stature, hence the nickname "Shrimp," in fact, he was barely a man at such a young age. Shrimp Burns was the youngest racer of his day and of small build. Being so was probably an advantage in weight and contributed to his speed on the track, giving him the reputation as one of the top board and dirt track racers of the 1910s and early 1920s.

  Born in Oakdale, CA in 1898, his family soon moved to Oakland. Growing up in Oakland as a young boy, he loved to hang around the nearby Pope Motorcycle dealership. Being a bit of a nuisance and underfoot, he'd soon be chased away but, undeterred, he'd return and kept returning. His persistence paid off when at the age of 12 he was hired on as the shop helper. Ever infatuated with motorcycles, one day while the owner was out Shrimp found his opportunity. He helped himself to one of the Pope lightweight machines for a ride around the block. Soon he was allowed to ride the shop machines to run messages and errands and was occasionally allowed to borrow one for Sunday rides.

  On May 4th, 1913 at the young age of 15, Shrimp Burns competed in his first professional race, coming in an impressive 4th place. Again coming in 4th in a 10 mile Championship race in Sacramento later in the year. He quickly became a crowd favorite, known for both his gritty determination and his childish antics. The seasoned racers on the circuit didn't appreciate being shown up by a young boy riding inferior equipment and complained, protesting his young age. The result was his entry being rejected for the next race. Shrimp took it like the young man he was, sitting on the outside track railing making faces at his fellow racers as they sped by... the officials soon had him ejected from the grounds.

  Late in the 1913 season he was once again allowed to race at San Jose, California where he won his first title, coming in at 1st place. For the next several seasons, Shrimp Burns continued to race at events around California. His fame continued to grow and he gained a loyal following of fans who loved him for his toughness, as he often raced though injured. Burns once took a hard spill at a race at Marysville, CA and it was thought that he would be done for the day. After hobbling to the pits, Burns fixed his motorcycle, and to everyone's surprise, entered the next race. Although in extreme pain, he took 1st place in the 5 mile event, to the delight of the cheering crowd. Afterwards, when friends insisted upon him seeing a doctor, it was found that he had run, and won, the race despite a fractured collarbone and broken shoulder.

  In 1919, Shrimp Burns won the first major race of the western circuit after World War 1, in Fresno, Ca. That June, at the age of 20, he signed a contract with Harley Davidson. He now had access to factory racing machines and the opportunity to race outside his home state of California. On July 4th he made his first appearance on the east coast, where he won a 5 mile race at a National event in Baltimore. As he thrilled crowds with a winning streak throughout the midwest, he became known as one of the country's best riders. At Atlanta, Burns came close to besting the legendary and practically unbeatable Indian racer, Gene Walker. In the final race of 1919, in Sheperdsville Kentucky, Shrimp Burns won a 100 mile National Championship, beating the famous Ralph Hepburn by mere inches.

  Burns shocked his fans when it was revealed that he had switched loyalties for the 1920 racing season. Instead of riding for Harley Davidson, who he felt was unfairly promoting other team members above himself, he would now race for Indian Motorcycle, who had promised him only the best equipment. Regardless of mounts, he again began to rack up the wins, claiming the first National title of 1920 at Ascot Park, Los Angeles. According to newspaper reports of the day, many of the 15,000 fans in attendance flooded the track, hoisted Burns on their shoulders, and shouted until they were hoarse. Mechanical problems kept him from the winner's podium at both the Dodge City 300 and the Marion Indiana Cornfield Classic of 1920, but he won a 5 mile Championship at Denver.

  Shrimp Burns began the 1921 racing season with what may have been the most spectacular win of his career. On April 24, at the newly built 1.25 mile boardtrack in Beverly Hills, California Burns won the 1st race of the day. He suffered a crash in the next event and appeared badly injured. With both hands and arms bloodied and full of splinters, it looked as though he was out for the remainder of the day. When, later in the day, it was announced that he would compete in the final race of the day, the crowd came to it's feet. Burns soon appeared at the race's start on a borrowed motorcycle, with both arms and hands wrapped in bandages. For most of the race, it looked as though Burns was taking it easy, staying in the middle of the pack and drafting behind other riders. Then, on the last lap, Burns unexpectedly went high on the final turn and suddenly shot down the steep bank, passing the leaders as thought shot from a gun and spectacularly taking the win. (Link to video here... https://youtu.be/ANyxZVWBWlg)

  Then on August 14th of 1921, tragedy struck. At a race at Toledo, Ohio, just two days after his 23rd birthday, Burns ran into the rear of Ray Weishaar's motorcycle coming out of a turn. Burns was sent headlong into the track's outer railing. He later died of his head injuries. His young fiancée, Genevieve Moritz, had earlier arrived to bring him a birthday gift. Staying to watch the race, she witnessed the fatal crash. Burns's death was one of many of the boardtrack era, but it was one of the most hard felt. He was deeply mourned by both fans and fellow racers nationwide. 

  

The HOG Boys Go Racing

   In the years leading up to World War 1, the excitement was beginning  to reach a fever pitch on the racetracks. The old saying "race on Sunday, sell on Monday" has always rang true in the world of motorsports. As the largest pre-war motorcycle manufacturer in America, Indian had the financial ability to fund a strong racing team. As the wins piled up, Indian sold more bikes, building the brand's popularity and bringing in more dollars. Dollars that helped to fund more racing. The same was true for Thor, who was proving to be a strong competitor on the track.

  Despite Arthur Davidson's anti-racing rhetoric during Harley Davidson's first decade, the powers at Harley Davidson soon saw the need to compete on the track if they were to be competitive on the sales floor and decided to test the waters. In 1913, Harley Davidson hired expert tuner Bill Ottoway away from Thor and made him Chief Engineer of Harley's new racing department, working directly alongside co-founder William Harley. All rather quietly, of course, as the public stance was still that Harley Davidson was not a racing company. 

  Until this time there were, of course, private racers competing on Harley Davidsons but they rode mainly stock machines, slightly modified for the track. Bill Ottoway began work on Harley Davidson's first factory racer, using for a base the Model 10, a 61 cu. in. V-twin of intake over exhaust design. Ottoway enlarged the intake port and intake manifold for increased flow, fitted a larger carburetor, a racing camshaft, and stiffer valve springs. The engine was balanced and precisely assembled using steel flywheels. The chassis was stripped of anything not needed and trimmed for competition. The sleek new racing machine was dubbed the Model 11-K.

Harley Davidson Model 11-K racer

  Harley Davidson surprised everyone when in 1914 they submitted a last minute entry into the July 4th Dodge City 300. Called The Coyote Classic, the Dodge City 300 was held on a 2 mile oval dirt track. The Dodge City 300 was an officially sanctioned race of FAM, the Federation of American Motorcyclists. FAM would later evolve into the AMA (American Motorcyclists Association) that we know today. 

  Co-founders William Harley and William Davidson arrived at the race with 12 race-prepped model 11-Ks and a team of 5 racers. Harley Davidson's first factory team consisted of Walter Cunningham, Paul Garst, Paul God, "Red" Parkhurst, and Alvin Stratton. When the dust settled, there was no champagne or victory celebrations for the Harley team. Only 2 of the 5 riders crossed the finish line. Despite the dismal finish, Harley Davidson had been tied for 1st place at the 120 mile mark and had, for a time, competed for 2nd place before succumbing to a stretched chain and fouled plugs. William Harley and William Davidson were nevertheless impressed with the performance of their machines. The decision was made to continue with the racing program. The Harley Davidson team and the Model 11-K racer went on to claim victories in Minnesota, Alabama, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Ohio, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, Canada, and Mexico before the year came to an end. 

  In 1915 Harley Davidson returned to take the checkered flag at Dodge City, and again in 1916. The Harley Davidson team began to dominate motorcycle racing prior to WW1. The news reporters gave them the title of "The Wrecking Crew" and the name stuck. Race after race, they became the guys to beat, often taking the top spots on the winner's podium. 

  In 1916 a young racer named Lawrence "Ray" Weishaar joined Harley Davidson's Wrecking Crew. Born in Oklahoma in 1890, Ray Weishaar grew up in Wichita Kansas. At age 9 his father died and Ray had to find work to help support his family. Working for the Bell Telephone Company in his teens, he scraped together enough money to buy his first motorcycle, affordable and sensible transportation in the days before Ford's Model T. By 1908 Ray was racing on short 1/2 mile tracks at county fairs all around Kansas, earning the State Championship title 2 years in a row, and the nickname of the "Kansas Cyclone."

  Ray Weishaar began competing on the national circuit in 1914, with his 1st major event at Savannah, GA. Ray did well, running with the leaders until a fuel leak forced him out on the 24th lap. At the 1915 Dodge City 300 he again had a strong showing, until falling back due to a fouled plug. Ray's talent and determination on the track was soon recognized by Harley Davidson as shown in the September 1915 issue of The Harley-Davidson Dealer 

Ray Weishaar Hung on to his Helmet Four Laps With his Teeth

(Chicago Speedway, September 12, 1915) 
"In the 13th lap, however, his helmet became unfastened, Weishaar hung on to the strings with his teeth for four laps and then threw the helmet into the pits.
Chairman John L. Donovan of the F.A.M. competition committee and Referee Frank E. Yates saw the helmet go into the pits and insisted on knowing to whom it belonged. There was considerable dispute for several laps as a result of their determination to make Weishaar stop and put on his helmet again.
As Weishaar came around each lap in the lead, those of us who were in the pits did our best to argue the officials out of their idea of forcing Weishaar to make an extra stop but they were determined in their course and as a result we had to call Weishaar into the pits in the 27th lap. This undoubtedly cost Weishaar the race." 

Harley Davidson recruited Waishaar as the newest member of the Wrecking Crew. He came in 3rd in the 1916 Dodge City 300 and then took 1st in the Detroit 100.

  Harley Davidson offered Ray a dealership and for three years, he sold motorcycles instead of racing them. Racing had been halted in 1917 with America's entry into WW1. With racing's return after the war, Ray returned to the track in 1919. Harley Davidson was set to again dominate on the track. The years after WW1 brought some of the most fierce competition in motorcycle racing as Harley competed with Indian and Excelsior for dominance. On Sept. 1st of 1919 Marion Indiana held the first "Cornfield Classic," a 200 mile International Road Championship race over a 5.17 mile course. Harley's wrecking crew again swept the podium, with team riders "Red" Parkhurst, Ralph Hepburn, and Otto Walker coming in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. 

  In 1920, the Wrecking Crew returned to Marion Indiana to defend their title as "The Worlds Greatest Team." Around this time, Ray Weishaar acquired a small piglet that he named Johnny. According to legend, Ray had gotten the pig from a rural farmer near Marion Indiana, whether it was at the 1919 race or the 1920 race, may never be known. What is known, is that Johnny the pig was loved by all the racers and became the Wrecking Crew's mascot.

  Ray Weishaar had the greatest success of his career at the 1920 Marion Cornfield Classic. Lowering the race record by a full 18 minutes, Weishaar was heralded as the International Champion. He took his pig Johnny on a victory lap to celebrate, a stunt that quickly became a tradition. The media made a sensation of it, publishing photos of Ray giving his pig a refreshing sip of Coca Cola in celebration. (Which Coca Cola didn't hesitate to use in advertising)

The newspapers soon began calling the Harley team "The Harley Hogs" and accusing them of "hogging" victories. The name stuck and forever afterwards Harley Davidson motorcycles have been known as "HOGS." In recent years, Harley Davidson has embraced the term, using hog images in advertising, starting a factory backed club called H.O.G (Harley Owner's Group), and using the initials HOG to represent Harley on the New York Stock Exchange. Marion Indiana has an annual Hog Daze rally and embraces the title of "The Home of the Hog."

  Harley returned to Dodge City to again take 1st place in 1920 and 1921. Ray Weishaar continued to lead races but seemed plagued by bad luck as his machines would often fail before the finish. In April of 1924, Ray was battling legendary Indian rider Gene Walker for the lead in Los Angeles, CA. Johnny Seymour drafted past both Weishaar and Walker to take the lead. Ray's motorcycle was sent into a high speed "death wobble" and began to skid. Ray fought to recover but crashed through the wooden fence on the edge of the track, sending him tumbling into the dirt. Still conscious, but with a broken leg, he wasn't thought to be seriously injured. His young wife, Emma, drove him to the Los Angeles General Hospital. He died a few hours later from internal injuries that weren't apparent at the time of the crash. The father of the Hog was gone at the young age of 33 leaving a wife and a 6 month old son. Many of the country's top racers attended his funeral. In a showing of how close the racing community was despite their fierce competition on the track, his fellow racers came to the aid of his widow, raising the needed funds to pay off the debt on her home.

  

Eugene Walker: The Gentleman Racer

   Some would say that Eugene Walker was your typical Southern Gentleman. Quiet and friendly, he was affectionately known as "Gene" by all who knew him. Born in 1893 in Plevna, Alabama, Birmingham was his hometown from a very young age. History remembers Gene Walker as one of the friendliest and most successful motorcycle racers of early 20th century. 

Gene Walker aboard his 8 valve racer, 1915

   In 1910, he got his first taste of motorcycles at the age of 17, on an Excelsior. That same year he began working as a Postman, delivering the Birmingham mail astride an Indian. Gene entered a 5 mile race at the Alabama State Fair in 1912. His 1st place finish attracted the attention of a local Indian distributor and racer named Robert Stubbs. Stubbs offered to train and coach Walker, in addition to supplying him motorcycles to race. It must've sounded like a dream come true to the young 19 year old. Gene left the Postal Service and went to work for Stubbs.

  Still racing as an amateur, Walker was soon out pacing the professional riders on the circuit. Turning pro in October of 1914, Walker began racing for the Indian factory team on boards and on dirt tracks. In July of 1915, he led the Indian team to it's first National Victory. 

Gene Walker (right)

  Racing was halted during WW1. The motorcycle manufacturers turned there attention to war efforts and many of the riders enlisted to serve their country. Gene returned to Birmingham Alabama and found work at the local Harley Davidson dealership. He kept his riding skills honed in local races, aboard Harley Davidson motorcycles.

  After the war ended, Walker returned to Springfield Massachusetts to work for Indian as a test rider, returning to the track when racing resumed in 1919. The back and forth battle between Indian and the Harley Davidson "Wrecking Crew" was at a fever pitch. With Walker at the lead, the Indian factory team achieved 6 National wins in 1919.

Gene Walker, Ormand Beach, FL 1920

  In the spring of 1920, Walker and fellow racer Herbert McBride were sent to Ormand Beach, FL to attempt several speed records. The machine supplied by Indian was a modified 61 cubic inch Powerplus V-twin, a side valve, or "flathead" engine. It had oversized valves for better performance and an increased number of cooling fins on the heads. Twenty four national and international records fell to Walker and McBride before the dust settled. Gene Walker and his Powerplus became the first to successfully complete an officially timed mile run at over 100 mph, setting the record at 104.12 mph (167.56 km/h).

               The "Daytona Engine"

  The success shown that day led to the modified Powerplus engine being known as the "Daytona Engine." Walker also made some passes on his specially race prepped 61 cubic inch 8 valve V-twin. The "8 valve" engine was an early 4 valve per cylinder design built solely for the track and powered Walker to a blistering pass at 115.79 mph (186.35 km/h).

Indian 8 valve racer

The 8 valve racer was very efficient and fast, but complex and costly to build, it would be the Powerplus sidevalve that would power the future of Indian on and off the track.

  In 1921, just a year after his record breaking runs, Gene Walker was scheduled to race in Dodge City, KS. Having some safety concerns, he refused, and was let go from the Indian team. For the next three years, Walker bounced between piloting Harley Davidson and Indian motorcycles on the track, still claiming victories. In June 7, 1924 Walker, on his birthday, was conducting practice laps on a dirt track in Stroudsburg Pennsylvania. Accounts vary, but most believe that he collided with a tractor that was too close to the track. He died on June 21, 1924 at the age of 31, leaving behind a pregnant wife and two daughters. Remembered for his kind, soft spoken ways, Gene Walker was mourned by many, both fellow racers and fans.