Tragedy at Lakewood: Remembering Tex and George


George “Tex” Barringer

George Barringer in 1929, already a seasoned veteran.  Note the trailer in the background.  Photo courtesy Bill Barringer

George Barringer in 1929, already a seasoned veteran. Note the trailer in the background. Photo courtesy Bill Barringer

A pre-race article, for which Sam Nunis’ racing promotions were so famous, referred to George Barringer as “Tex” Barringer.  In a phone conversation with Bill Barringer, we found that George was a real Texan and very proud of it.  Nunis hung the moniker of “Tex” on him.  George was born May 2, 1906 in Wichita Falls, Texas, northwest of the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  His father was a blacksmith for the MKT Railroad (Missouri-Kansas-Texas) and George grew up working in the roundhouse.  He became quite skilled at building engines.

Barringer driving Harry Miller's rear engine car in 1939.  In 1940 they took it to Bonneville and set 33 records.  It was the first rear engine four wheel drive car built.  Photo courtesy Bill Barringer

Barringer driving Harry Miller's rear engine car in 1939. In 1940 they took it to Bonneville and set 33 records. It was the first rear engine four wheel drive car built. Photo courtesy Bill Barringer

Barringer's 33 speed records "using the same Gulf No-Nox gasoline available at all Gulf Stations was a successfull idea.  Photo couresy Bill Barringer

Barringer's 33 speed records "using the same Gulf No-Nox gasoline available at all Gulf Stations" was a successfull idea. Photo courtesy Bill Barringer

By the time Barringer was 21 he had been racing a couple of years and he built his own racecar.  He drove all over Texas and Oklahoma, and then throughout the Midwest.  He first raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1933.  In 1941 and 1946 (there were no races held during the war), George drove the famous “Miller-Gulf” rear engine car designed by Harry Miller.  Though he qualified 15th in 1941, a garage fire the night before the event destroyed the car and any chance Barringer had to race that day.

Driving the "Tucker Torpedo Special" in his last Indy race in 1946, Barringer only made 29 laps before gear trouble.  The car was named after Preston Tucker's automobile, which had a Torpedo model for the public.  The Tucker itself was also a rear engine automobile.  In a 1941 garage fire at Indy, the night before the race, three of the four Miller-Tucker machines were destroyed.  After the war, the last one was bought by Barringer himself.  Photo courtesy Bill Barringer

Driving the "Tucker Torpedo Special" in his last Indy race in 1946, Barringer only made 29 laps before gear trouble. The car was named after Preston Tucker's automobile, which had a Torpedo model for the public. The Tucker itself was also a rear engine automobile. In a 1941 garage fire at Indy, the night before the race, three of the four Miller-Tucker machines were destroyed. After the war, the last one was bought by Barringer himself. Photo courtesy Bill Barringer

The article in VOR was about the Gulf Oil Company’s entry at Indy.  Harry Miller came up with a rear engine placement design with a six-cylinder engine.  It was never successful at Indy, but Barringer set many records at the Bonneville Salt Flats, as noted in the article.

In a 1941 interview, Barringer explained why speed chasers left the beaches of Daytona in the early 1930s and headed west.

“Bonneville is a racing paradise when dry flats give you 13 miles of driveway that is perfectly straight.  You’ll notice that I said when the course is dry.  That is a very important point.  You see, once in a while it rains at Bonneville.  And if you ever want to hear what a race driver thinks or has to say about weather conditions, arrange to be on hand some day when one of the boys has his heart set on new records and Jupiter Pluvius upsets plans with a downpour.  After such, you may have to wait up to two months before driving conditions return.”

During the same interview about his 33 record-breaking runs at Bonneville, Barringer ironically mentioned superstitions.

“I’ve raced at Indianapolis since 1932,” he told the interviewer.  “But I skipped the 1938 season.  I took the entire year off.  That was my 13th year as a driver and I was not behind the wheel all year.  Peanut shells around their cars bother some drivers.  Others don’t like you to whistle.  And you can believe this or not, but no driver will let a woman sit behind the wheel of his machine.”

© 2009-2024 Every Other Man Productions All Rights Reserved -- Copyright notice by Blog Copyright