CROCKER SPEEDWAY BIKES 1931-34

Interest in European-style speedway had exploded in the USA after its introduction by Lloyd "Sprouts" Elder during 1931. Several high school sports fields in the Los Angeles area had been turned into speedway tracks during the summer vacation. Local Indian dealer, Albert "Al" Crocker was fascinated with this new sport, so, in partnership with his chief engineer Paul Bigsby, they decided to build their own speedway bike. The initial 1931 prototype was a special Crocker frame into which they installed a regular 45 cubic inch (750cc) sidevalve Indian 101 Scout engine. Satisfied with this frame design, Crocker next turned his attention to a better engine, so for the 1932 campaign several Scout engines were converted into 30.50 cubic inch (500 cc) overhead valve units.

1931 OHV Crocker Indian V-Twin

The first of the Crocker-powered overhead valve singles appeared at Emoryville Speedway in California in November 1933. Cordy Milne rode the machine in twelve races and took nine first places and one second place during the meetings held on November 11th and 14th. His brother Jack had four first places during the same two meetings. Other top riders who used the first Crocker dirt trackers were Miny Waln, Earl Farrand and Snooky Owens, so the marque was well represented.

Unfortunately for Al Crocker, the British J.A.P. powered bikes were beginning to dominate speedway in Europe and were rapidly replacing the Douglas and Rudge machines which had dominated the sport since 1928. The 40hp Crocker proved itself the equal of the Rudge, and was superior to the Harley-Davidson CAC. However, the J.A.P. machines were good for 42-43 hp, so Crocker's new baby needed further development to be competitive. He therefore had two overhead cam motorcycles built during 1934, one of which was ridden a few times by Miny Waln. The 1934 Crocker catalogue stated....
"These machines competed continually at Long Beach, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Santa Ana. In the winter they were sent to Mexico City for a series of eighteen races, where practically every event was won by a Crocker machine. Competition with the imported equipment forced the decision in favour of a newly designed power plant - a type which would have acceleration, the right power output, low cost of maintenance plus a low first cost. A single cylinder type was decided upon."

Meanwhile, Crocker's attention was turning to a long cherished dream of building the fastest road-going motorcycle in the nation - perhaps the world. Facing stiff competition from the J.A.P. engines, and not being a true factory owner, he abandoned his shop-built speedway bikes at the end of 1934 to launch the far more famous Crocker v-twins which debuted in 1936. During the speedway project, the Crocker machine shop had built between forty and fifty of the pushrod speedway motorcycles.

Key specifications of the 1934 Crocker speedway machine:

Bore: 3 1/4 in (82.55mm)

Stroke: 3 5/8 in (92.085mm)

Displacement: 30.06 cubic inches

Compression Ratio: 14 : 1

Crankpin: 1 1/8 in, drilled for oil

Main Shafts: 1 in, with 7 degree taper

Bearings: roller for mainshafts and crankpin

Valves: 1 3/4 in, set at `close angle' in `shallow domed interior'

Valve Springs: three coil springs per valve

Ignition: gear driven Lucas magneto

Carburetor: two bowl Amal

Power Peak: at 6,000 rpm

Fuel: alcohol

Frame: chrome molybdenum tubing

Gear Ratio: for 1/5 mile track, 8.75 : 1

Weight: 235 pounds

Cost: $385

Information taken from the Book "American Racing Motorcycles" by Jerry Hartfield.

YANKEE DOODLE DANDIES....

I've already written about American speedway riders Sprouts Elder and the late Kelly Moran on this blog, and it seems that just like me, speedway poet Ian Paterson also found the Stateside riders compelling.

Some pre-war names who graced the show

Were Elder, Milne and Lamoreaux

But fifties Yanks who made their mark

Were based at Dublin's Shelbourne Park

Then Leicester signed up DeWayne Keeter

(He never was a World beater)

The next who tried to make his way

Scott Autrey (Mauger's protege)

Soon Uncle Sam produced a crop

They flew across the pond non-stop

Like Penhall, Hamill and Hancock

To face an English culture shock

Now training tracks in USA

Have all but closed I'm sad to say

The fear of civil litigation

Speeded their annihilation

And just to show why these Americans built up such a following over here in the UK, Ian gives his view in rhyme too...

The Yankee guys are elegant in TV, clothes or leather

But half the bloody English boys can't string two words together.

So if I was a sponsor with money in the bag

I know which ones I would choose to fly my firms flag.

LLOYD "SPROUTS" ELDER - The First American Speedway Superstar.

Lloyd "Sprouts" Elder was one of the pioneers of speedway racing and possibly the first great international speedway superstar.

Elder learned his racing skills on some of the last surviving board tracks during the 1920s, but he really began to make a name for himself during the late 1920s by racing overseas, notably in Australia and South Africa.

With motorcycle racing in America at a low ebb in the late 1920s due in equal measures to the depression and the failing image of board track racing, Elder turned his attention to racing in Great Britain, where Elder became one of the most popular riders in the country in the new sport of dirt-track racing. Crowds of 30,000 to 40,000 were not uncommon during the heyday of speedway racing in England. The lanky, spectacular Californian was hugely successful on the british dirt tracks, alledgedly earning around £150 per meeting, and the "Speedway News" honoured Elder by calling him the "Greatest showman of all time!".

He was not without controversy though and was actually suspended by the ACU from Oct 1st 1929 to Apr 30th 1930 for "conduct prejudicial to the sport" (i.e failing to fulfill bookings - for example, at Lea Bridge Sept 25th when he failed to arrive for a match race with Jack Parker, and was replaced at the last minute by Tommy Croombs). The suspension was "national" (only in the UK), so on Oct 3rd he went off to Hamburg to race, then to South America for the British winter. One report also suggested that Sprouts had been riding without a competition licence.

Sprouts returned to the UK in 1930 and continued to race in Europe too but during the early 1930s. League racing was becoming more and more popular in the UK and despite a high profile transfer to Southampton and riding as their captain, the discipline of team riding did not appeal to the devil-may-care Elder and to the dismay of his fans, Sprouts eventually packed his bags, pocketed his money and returned to the USA.

Once he was settled back home, Elder was instrumental in getting speedway organised on the east and west coasts of America and for a short period during the mid 1930s, speedway racing was one of  the most popular forms of motorcycle sport in the country. Elder, along with Jack & Cordy Milne, Wilbur Lamoreaux, Miny Waln and Bo Lisman, were the real pioneers of speedway racing in America.

Unfortunately, Elder ran into financial trouble when an investment in a silver mine cost him his fortune. He retired from the speedway scene and joined the Highway Patrol in his native Fresno. Speedway racing was still very close to his heart though and he was responsible for getting the Highway Patrol to sponsor a number of speedway races during the late 1930s. That career came to an abrupt end when he was seriously injured in a traffic accident and was left disabled. Later, when his wife died, Sprouts Elder took his own life. It was a sad end for a man who had thrilled speedway fans the world over.

Lloyd "Sprouts" Elder was inducted into the American Motorcycle Association Hall of Fame in 1998

This magnificent painting of Sprouts in action aboard a 500cc dirt-track Douglas is by the artist John Proud. You can see more of John's action packed, vintage speedway artwork by clicking on this link.