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Earl Cooper began his racing career in 1908 in San Francisco in a borrowed car. He won the race, but lost his job as a
mechanic after he beat one of his bosses, so he became a full-time racer. He joined the Stutz team in 1912. In 1913 he
won seven of eight major races (and finished second in the other), and won the AAA National Championship. He started his
first Indy 500 in 1914, but was injured for the that season. He missed the first several months of the 1915 season, but won
the AAA championship anyhow. In that year he started his second Indy 500 starting fourth and finishing fourth. Cooper got
another late start in 1916 after Stutz pulled out of racing, and he finished fifth in the championship. He won his third
title in 1917 when the season was shortened by the outbreak of Word War I, after which Cooper officially retired from full-time racing.

Cooper raced in the 1919 Indianapolis 500 starting 9th and finishing 12th. He didn't race in the Indy 500 again until 1923. Cooper
raced in the 1924 Indianapolis 500, and was leading after 400 miles. A tire blew, and he had to pit. He returned second, and worked
his way back to the lead with 30 miles (48 km) left in the race. He blew another tire just as he was passing Joe Boyer, and the pit stop
forced him to settle for second. He started at Indy in 1925, and won the pole in his final Indy 500 in 1926 finishing 16th after having
transmission problems. He retired for good in in 1928. This image measures 8"x10" and has no backmark. #0006=$35.00