THE IRISH PRINCE: From the archives of Bob Montgomery, motoring historian.
Jimmy Murphy's story is not the conventional tale of the son of poor Irish immigrants to the United States. Orphaned at 11 years of age when his father died in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, Jimmy went on to become the greatest driver in a great era of American drivers, winning more races on the wooden board tracks of the 1920s than any other driver, as well as winning the 1921 French Grand Prix and the 1922 Indianapolis 500.
Jimmy's parents met in San Francisco. Like so many Irish, his father James, worked for the San Francisco Fire Department. His mother Margaret, a Moran from Crossmolina, Co Mayo, died when Jimmy was just two years old.
When his father was killed in the San Francisco earthquake, Jimmy was sent to live with his mother's sister and her husband in Los Angeles. His interest in motor racing was stirred by visits to the Beverly Hills Raceway and in 1916 he made his debut as a riding mechanic for Eddie O'Donnell, a driver for the Duesenberg team at Corona Raceway. They took the win at an average 85.60mph but Jimmy's first taste of victory was marred by the death of a spectator and several horrific crashes.
Over the next few years Jimmy acquired a good reputation as riding mechanic to O'Donnell, as well as to the great Tommy Milton.
In September 1919 he had his first race as a driver at Uniontown. It wasn't an auspicious start - Jimmy crashed the Duesenberg in practice and came close to being demoted to riding mechanic once more.
However, just two races later, he won at Beverly Hills and was already showing the flair which would make him, along with Milton, the greatest of all the drivers on the wooden board tracks then used in the US. As Jimmy's fame grew, he became known as "the Irish Prince" and became the most successful driver both in terms of wins and earnings on the American racing circuit between 1919 and 1924.
Unlike most American drivers of the time, Jimmy's interest encompassed Grand Prix racing as well as the American oval tracks and in 1921 Duesenberg entered three specially prepared cars for the French Grand Prix at Le Mans. In practice, Jimmy had a serious accident avoiding a horse which had somehow strayed onto the circuit - several badly bruised ribs were the result.
Despite this, all three Duesenbergs proved fast and it was clear that they would be in contention for victory. As things turned out, despite the pain from his bruised ribs, Jimmy drove an epic race, finally bringing the white Duesenberg home at an average speed of 78.1 mph - a record that was to stand until 1930.
The partisan French crowd reportedly did not applaud or show any kind of emotion, but remained silent at this unexpected victory. The Americans were snubbed at the drivers' banquet after the race, such was the totally unexpected nature of their win.
Today, some 84 years later, this remains the only wholly American victory in a Grand Prix.
Returning to the US, Jimmy busied himself on the board tracks over the next three years, enhancing his reputation not just with fine race victories - the 1922 Indianapolis 500 among them - but also by the manner in which he won them. Jimmy also drove the odd dirt track event, although he always expressed his distaste for this form of racing.
At one such race, at Syracuse in September 1924, Jimmy pushed his luck too far while trying to take the lead. His car skidded through the wooden barrier and one of the wooden splinters struck him in the chest.
Fatally injured, he died some hours later. "The Irish Prince" was buried in Los Angeles while a plane flew overhead dropping white carnations.
The last word belongs to the Motor West magazine: "When men weep broken-heartedly for a departed friend as men who do not weep easily did for Jimmy, there must have been something rare about him; and there was."