Mystery Friday Foto #30 Solved: Lee Frayer in the 1906 Frayer-Miller
Louis Chevrolet failed to stump people last week, but did you identify Lee Frayer?
Identify;
- The race car and driver
The #8 Frayer-Miller driven by Lee Frayer
- The race and date
The 1906 American Elimination race on September 22, 1906.
- While it is not 100% confirmed, who was the likely well-known, young mechanician?
While there is some dispute as to whether it is him or not, WW1 "Ace of Aces" Eddie Rickenbacker was Frayer's mechanician.
- What was the outcome for this racer?
The car broke down during the first lap and did not qualify for the Cup Race.
- Identify any other individuals around the car
The two most recognized individuals are Pete Prunty next to his megaphone, and Willie K. Jr. examining what appears to be a clipboard.
Comments (5)
Congrats to Kenneth Parrotte, Steve Lucas, Al Velocci, and Frank Femenias for correctly identifying Frayer.
Greg O.
The wide shot of the scene. Note: The front wheel drive racer of Walter Christie can be seen behind Frayer.
Close ups
Comments
Lee A. Frayer driving a Frayer-Miller in the September 22, 1906, American Vanderbilt Cup Elimination race. Lee Frayer and William Miller entered three Frayer-Miller’s in the race. The cars were manufactured by the Oscar Lear Automobile Co. of Columbus, Ohio. Eddie (Edward Vernon) Rickenbacher (changed to Rickenbacker in 1917) is the mechanician. There are articles in September 5, and 6, 1906 newspapers reporting “Lee Frayer’s mechanician was C. M. Foss who would ride with him in the race and daily going over the course”. Eddie Rickenbacker would race in the Indianapolis 500, Was Americas Ace of Aces in World War 1, own Rickenbacker Motor Co., own the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 1927-1945 and own Eastern Air Lines. Joe Tracey driving a Locomobile would win the American Elimination race. Lee Frayer would drop out of the race on the first lap with a broken radius rod at Roslyn. Some of the others around the car, A. L. Riker, A. R. Pardington, Fred Wagner, Jefferson de Mont Thompson, and William K. Vanderbilt.
That’s a 110HP Frayer-Miller being driven by Lee Frayer at the 1906 American Elimination Trial on September 22, 1906. The mechanician is yet-to-be world famous Eddie Rickenbacker. Frayer finished 12th. after breaking a radius on lap #1. I think I see Peter Prunty with his megaphone and possibly Fred Wagner to the left of Prunty. Willie K. might be just to the right of the left front wheel.
I thought I would attach this September 21, 1906, Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper page which posted the American Elimination Trial lineup of drivers, cars and mechanicians. Check out the Lee Frayer information. I do think that Eddie Rickenbacker is in the photo with Frayer.
Click here to Download this file
The car is a Frayer Miller and the driver is Lee Frayer. The race is the American Trials Elimination for the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The young mechanician is Eddie Rickenbacker of WW I fame. At the time of the photo he was 16 years old. The car did not even finish the first lap of the Elimination Race suffering both a broken clutch and a failed radius rod.
Lee Frayer, driving the Frayer-Miller #8 110hp at the 1906 American Elimination Trial on Sept 22, 1906. Photo is looking west down Jericho Tpke, just west of Powells Lane in Westbury. Racer is heading east and broke down on lap 1 finishing 12th place. WWI Flying Ace Eddie Rickenbacker, standing 6’2” matches the height of mechanician but the nose appears different. Willie K is standing by the mechanician looking down at the clipboard.
Greg, Eddie Rickenbacker went on to become an automobile race driver and has a connection of sorts with this website. First, he drove in one of the Vanderbilt Cup Races, drove at least once in an Indy 500 race and won at least one race in a Duesenberg around 1914.