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Notable people · Sports · Automotive

Barney Oldfield

Born near Wauseon in Fulton County and raised in Toledo, Oldfield became America's first celebrity race driver. On 20 June 1903 he was the first to lap a mile track in one minute.

Barney Oldfield
Albert Witzel, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

Born
1878-01-29
Died
1946-10-04
Known as
Sports, Automotive
Organizations
Ford Motor Company, Winton Motor

Life story

Barney Oldfield was born near Wauseon, Ohio, in 1878 to Henry Clay Oldfield and Sarah. His first name came from his father's Civil War bunkmate. The family moved to Toledo in 1889, where his father worked at a state asylum.

He began serious bicycle racing in 1894, married Beatrice Oatis in 1896, and drove Henry Ford's No. 999 car against Alexander Winton in 1902. On June 20, 1903, he was the first driver to circle a mile track in one minute.

He won at Indianapolis in 1909 in a Blitzen Benz and set a 131.724 mph record at Daytona Beach in 1910. He married four times and died in Beverly Hills in 1946. A Barney Oldfield race has been held at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon since 1990.

Timeline

  • 1878-01-29: Born (York Township, near Wauseon, OH) source
  • 1889: Family moves to Toledo (Toledo, OH) source
  • 1894: Begins serious bicycle racing (Toledo, OH) source
  • 1896: Marries Beatrice Oatis; hired by Stearns bicycle factory (US) source
  • 1902: Drives Ford No. 999, beating Alexander Winton (Grosse Pointe, MI) source
  • 1903-06-20: First mile in one minute (Indianapolis, IN) source
  • 1909-08-21: Wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Blitzen Benz (Indianapolis, IN) source
  • 1910-03-16: Sets 131.724 mph world speed record (Daytona Beach, FL) source
  • 1946-10-04: Dies of a heart attack (Beverly Hills, CA) source

What Barney is known for

  • First driver to circle a mile track in 60 seconds, Indiana State Fairgrounds, 20 June 1903
  • Drove the Ford 999 to victory over Alexander Winton in 1902 Manufacturers' Challenge Cup
  • First mile track lap in 60 seconds (1903)
  • 131.724 mph record (1910)

Honors and things named for them

  • Auto Racing Hall of Fame, 1952
  • Automotive Hall of Fame, 1968
  • International Motorsports Hall of Fame, 1990
  • Barney Oldfield Race, Oakshade Raceway, Wauseon (since 1990)

Family

  • father: Henry Clay Oldfield
  • mother: Sarah Oldfield
  • wife: Beatrice Lovetta Oatis
  • wife: Bessie Gooby Oldfield

Places in Ohio to see

Ohio places

Where Barney Oldfield was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.

Myths and corrections

  • Disputed: Most accounts place his birth near Wauseon, while some older accounts say Toledo.

Further reading

Sources

Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.

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