Byrne/George Taylor Family Racing History -- 1948 to 1963

[Mark75H]

Evinrude sold more 4-60's for midgets than they sold 4-60 outboards

[ezryder]

Something happened -- my pix didn't post.
I'll try again. AGGGGHHH!

[ezryder]

More pictures and MORE pictures!

[ezryder]

Hav'n FUN yet? hehe

[ezryder]

Sorry 'bout that!! When I got done posting I realized I'm not too good at posting when I went to look at the results.
Seems as though you'll have to do a lot of "slider bar" moving to see all my
posts.

Hey, cut me some slack -- I turn 72 in 37 days!!! AGGHHH
But hey - every day I wake up and realize I'm another day older, I'm a "happy camper"!! Even with all the "aches and pains"!! Because the alternative SUCKS!!!

Regards to all:
Geo (EZ)

[Master Oil Racing Team]

You are able to do more on the computer than many 30 years younger George. You can play around with sizing. I learned more about posting pictures and using the computer after I discovered BRF than anyone could ever teach me. I had an incentive to learn.

You know you're really having a bad day George when you happen to stumble across your birth certificate and find it has an expiration date on it.

ADD: That looked like a fantastic racing facility. Did you ever race on the road course at Firebird Lake near Phoenix? The last time I went by there, there were in the middle of a motorcycle road racing weekend.

[russhill]

EZ Rider,
Beautiful collection. Not with the intent of arguing or criticizing, but in the interest of what I think is accurate, I have a couple comments.
First, using 72 as an old age excuse—hell, I got socks older than that. I screw up things also, but it’s not due to old age, I’ve always screwed things up.
You VR50—I don’t believe there was ever a VR50 (1930), just a VR55 (1931).
Your 1931 PR was a 1933. Vincent heads, etc. were for PR65 (1933).
Your 1936 KR was only 14 Cu in. There was really only one KR, it came out in 1931 as a KR55. It was built in subsequent years as a KR60 (1932), KR 65 (1933), etc.
I may very well be wrong on this stuff. I have no documentation, just memory, and understanding of the Johnson Model # / year relationship.

[Mark75H]

There were 2 KR's; one in 1928 and then in 1931 as a series thru 1937.
The first KR, the KR 40, was an opposed twin like the other Johnsons and was just under 20 cubic inches, the later series were inline/alternate firing, KR-55 thru KR-80 with very minor improvements along the way, not necessarily yearly and not exactly 55, 65, 75 ... but Russ is correct, they were 13.9 cubic inch, not 15. The class size was 15 ci and under, and many people make the mistake of assuming the manufacturers went right up to the last little bit with every motor.

There was a VR 50 in 1930 and a VR 45 in 1929.

[russhill]

Sam, You're right, as usual about the old opposed K40 (I didn't know there was a KR40.)

I don't agree about the Vs. Yes there was a V45 and V50, but I don't think there was a VR until '31. What gearcase did it use? The V45 was a "small valve" 25 HP. It used a full speed rotary valve, as contrasted with the "big valves" which ran half engine speed and were called 32HP. I don't know which valve was used on the 1930 V50s.

As for the class rule, it was definitely 14 inches. We helped get the rule changed allow the Mercuries to compete legally in the early '50s.

I wish this stuff were better documented.

[ezryder]

You are able to do more on the computer than many 30 years younger George. You can play around with sizing. I learned more about posting pictures and using the computer after I discovered BRF than anyone could ever teach me. I had an incentive to learn.

You know you're really having a bad day George when you happen to stumble across your birth certificate and find it has an expiration date on it.

ADD: That looked like a fantastic racing facility. Did you ever race on the road course at Firebird Lake near Phoenix? The last time I went by there, there were in the middle of a motorcycle road racing weekend.

I never raced at Firebird. But I've raced at most of the top road racing circuits in the US.
For me, the only two I'm sorry I missed are Road America and Laguna Seca.
I've raced at Riverside and Ontario Motor Speedway before they were closed.

Geo