Before they got into producing passenger cars, the Duesenberg brothers ( Fred and Augie ) had developed some successful race cars during the 1913 to 1916 period. They built a total of 5 cars during those years. This car is the second oldest Duesenberg known to exist. The racing in those days was usually staged on high-banked wooden tracks about 1 mile in length. The car here finished second in the 1916 Indy 500 race.

This car had a very unusual engine. It was a 300 c.i. " walking beam " motor in which the over-head valves are directly activated by 2-foot long rocker arms. That engine also saw some use in early passenger cars. It produced 100 HP at 2,50 RPM.

Racing ceased during the WW I years. In late 1921, it resumed. This car was sold later in the '20s to a circus performer who used it to perform stunts. After he died in 1933, the car was put away in a barn. It was taken out in 1941 and restored to running condition. In the late '40s, a new owner had a complete engine rebuild performed, including a new cast iron block.