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

[ezryder]

Here's a picture that goes way back to just about the beginning.
It's my Dad and I, taken by my mom. It was taken in 1949. I don't remember what race we were going to, but you can see that we were
not in Florida due to the rolling hills in the background.

'48 Packard convertible towing the racing rig that my Dad bought from Joe Swift. My Mishey M hydro is the one on top.
What a kool trailer that was. All sorts of storage room for motors and supplies.
The other two boats were Fillingers. An A/B hydro and a C hydro.
Joe Swift began building stock racing hydros soon after this point in time.

The engine line up in the trailer was as follows:
Evinrude Midget for me
Johnson KR for A hydro
Johnson SR for B hydro
Johnson PR for C hydro
My Dad never did anything "half ***"!

Click on the thumbnail to see full sized.
Stay tuned,
EZ

[ezryder]

Hey, did I mention I started riding motorcycles at an early age!

Here I am on my Dad's Indian Scout .
It was 1951. Soon after Indian closed it's doors.

EZ

[ezryder]

Here's a shot of me taken in June of 1959. We were all loaded up and ready to go to the first boat race ever held in Lake Lloyd, in the Daytona International Speedway.
The speedway opened with the Daytona 500 in February. There was also an Indy Car race held there in April. My Dad and I attended both.
That was the only Indy Car race ever held on the banks. The cars were not
up to the g forces due to their high speed.

That's me looking in the back of the trailer. The trailer used to be owned by Doug Creech. My Dad bought it and some boats and motors from Doug in '54.

I used this trailer for my boats for years. It started life with the boats stacked on top of one another. Then I converted it to on their sides.
Rumor had it that the boats were less likely to distort their bottom shape if they were hauled on their sides. Was that true? I don't have a clue!
But it looked cool!!

The runabout was a DeSilva A/B alky boat that the brothers built to my
specifications. The hydro seen was my Sid Craft "D" hydro that I ran my
factory Konig C engine on.
The boat that can't be seen is my Sid A/B hydro that I set a couple of world records with in '58 and '59

Just a few days later my world was turned upside down when my Dad was killed in the second heat of the C Racing Runabout class at Daytona.

EZ

[ezryder]

This is a picture of me taken at Daytona International Speedway in 1962. I had attended a drivers school earlier in the year and got my provesional
SCCA racing license.
The car I'm in is a Fiat Abarth Allemano. A production racer that was quite common in those days. Now days they are quite rare!

This was the beginning of my SCCA sports car racing years.
I raced sports cars until 1965 and had good success. And lots of FUN.
Then I went back to college and got my degree -- and got married.

EZ

[ezryder]

We have now arrived at my "dirt dobber" days! Better known as Motocross.
This shot was taken in '71 at the Orlando Sports Center MX track.
I raced motocross from '69 until '71. Then switched to motorcycle roadracing in '72.

EZ

[ezryder]

Here's a picture of me in my first professional AMA roadrace at Daytona
in 1973.
That was a BAD day! I didn't qualify for the final. And when we got home,
we found that our beloved kitty had been hit by a car. She died in my arms!
That was a HUGE downer!

EZ

[ezryder]

Daytona 1974. My second year of pro roadracing.
This is a picture of myself and my friend "Tricky Dicky" as I called him.
I'm on the right. Wow! Hard to believe how young I looked back then! Think it had something to do with actually BEING young! hehe.

This was a GOOD year. We both qualified for the final international lightweight 100 miler. And we both finished in the top 20.
Quite an accomplishment for two young guys with only a years experience racing in the big time.
There were 140 entry's for the race. And only 80 starting positions. And half
the entry's were from overseas. Qualifying was an achievement in itself!!
60 riders never even made the show.
We were both "over the moon" as they say!

FOND memorys of my miss-spent youth, don't 'ya know!!

EZ

[ezryder]

Back to car racing for a few years.
Here's a photo of me in my Merlyn FF open wheeler taken at Roebling Road Raceway close to Savannah, Ga in 1979

I temporarily retired from m/c roadracing in 1978 and decided to give
sport car racing another try. It was fun, but it broke me financially for a SECOND time.
Anyone reading this -- take my advice. Do NOT get involved in car racing unless you have VERY DEEP POCKETS!!!

I had a lot of fun, but ran outa bucks in '85. Been there, done that -- before!

ez

[ezryder]

Success! And it's costs! I kinda "wonder"!!
EZ

[ezryder]

I've not touched on my 20plus years of racing vintage motorcycles. That's for later.
But I have returned to my "roots" starting earlier this year.

Take a look at my 1952 Swift A/B hydro and my Merc KG7H.
The combo that created stock racing of the 50's as we knew it!

That's it for now --- more later
Regards,
EZ (George)