The Desert Classic, derisively dubbed the Cactus Derby, was a headline grabbing series of automobile races that bracketed the year of Arizona statehood. Today it is an obscure chapter in the history of the American auto industry. But between 1908 and 1914 it was a major motor sports event that served as a catalyst for the development of automobile based toursim in the southwest. And there is a direct connection to these races and to the initial promotional campaigns that would transfrom Route 66 from a highway into an icon.

In The Beginning

The late 19th and the early 20th century was a time of unprecedented technological advancements. At the forefront of developments that ushered in a tsunami of societal changes was the automobile. In 1896 a Duryea Motor Wagon was given top billing at Barnum & Bailey Circus as a sidehow curioisty. Within five years the first American automobile race was held in Chicago, and the nations first auto show with more than a dozen manufacturers represented took place at Madison Square Gardens in New York City. Electric busses and taxis on the streets of New York City were viewed as a glimpse of the future.

Automobile racing and endurance tours became all the rage. Manufacturers used the events as marketing venues, and to test vehicles in real world conditions. Some of these became annual events that garnered international headlines, attracted large crowds, and the biggest names in automobile racing. The Desert Classic that tested the limits of drivers and machines was one of these races.

Dubbed the Cactus Derby these races were held from 1908 to 1914. Each year a new course was charted across the stark and desolate Mojave Desert but the starting point was always in Los Angeles.The finish line was the fairgrounds in Phoenix, Arizona.

Their Off!

The inaugural race in 1908 was a bold statement by the Los Angeles Auto Club, busnessmen in Phoenix, an the owners of the Arizona Republican newspaper to showcase the durability of automobiles. Some organizers viewed the race as comptetion between gasoline and steam powered cars. The winner of the first race was Colonel FC Fehner, a Phoenix doctor, that averaged 17.6 miles per hour. Interestingly he drove a White steam that was four years old.

Over the years, the Cactus Derby grew in popularity and notoriety. But it was the 1914 race that was the most celebrated. This was a spectacle that featured prominent automotive celebrities such as Louis Chevrolet, Barney Oldfield, and the Nikrent brothers, local racing legends.

The course for this race was the National Old Trails Road, predecessor to Route 66 in the southwest. The starting line in Los Angeles was unchanged. From there the drivers would pass through small farming communities like Cucamonga and San Bernadino, and then climb the Cajon Pass to the Mojave Desert. Drivers ended day one at Needles, California. The following day they continued into Arizona passing through Kingman, Hackberry, Seligman, and Ash Fork before turning south toward Prescott, and down the grades of Yarnell Hill and into Phoenix.

The Men, The Machines

Louis Chevrolet, a name synonymous with American automotive history, made a triumphant return to racing in the 1914 Cactus Derby after his venture into automobile manufacturing with partner William Durant, founder of General Motors. Chevrolet began his racing career with bicycles in the 1890s. But shortly after immigrating to the United States, and being joined by Arthur and Gaston, the brothers joined the newly formed Buick race team. Chevrolet’s racing exploits became legendary. So, his participation in the Cactus Derby behind the wheel of a new Chevrolet was seen as a marketing opportunity not to be missed.

Barney Oldfield, known as the “Grand Old Man” of auto racing, was another legendary figure in the 1914 race. He too had commenced his racing career with bicycles. By 1914 he was one of the most recognized names in motor sports.

He chose to drive the same Stutz racer that he had driven to fifth place in that year’s Indianapolis 500. The Stutz proved to be poorly suited for such grueling conditions, but Oldfield persevered with his signature grit and tenacity. Even though he finished after the Nikrent brothers, Oldfield was deemed the winner as the race was a timed event.

Though they were local boys the Nikrent brothers, Louis and his sibling, were noteworthy competitors for the likes of Chevrolet and Oldfield. Louis Nikrent, a previous winner of the Cactus Derby in 1909, was a seasoned racer who knew the rigors of the course well. The brothers’ participation added to the race’s competitive spirit and highlighted the family’s dedication to the sport.

End of An Era

The 1914 Desert Classic marked the end of an era. Participating racers had to be as resilient as the cars they drove, facing mechanical failures, natural obstacles, and the sheer unpredictability of a road that had seen litle improvement since the territorial days.

But by 1915 things had changed. Working with the Automobile Club of Southern California, the board of directors for the National Old Trails Road organization initiatied an array of road and infrastructure projects in the desert that would be used by Route 66 after 1926. Estimates are that more than 20,000 people traveled west on the National Old Trails Road in 1915. That included Emily Post, Rdsel Ford, and some buddies from college.

The popularity of the races gave the Good Roads Associations a promotional boost as they sought to develop tourism. They also led to a marked increase in autmobile sales in Phoenix and other desert communities.

You can learn more about the connection between the 1914 Cactus Derby and Kingman, Arizona at the Kingman Main Street initiatied kingman.tours project website. And you can learn more about this race series as well as other early automobile races in the blog postings on the Jim Hinckley’s America website.