Reviving a tradition: chariot racing

Chariot racing is an ancient pastime that became one of the sports at the Olympic Games in the ancient world. This sight was dangerous both for the riders and for the horses, who ran at breakneck speed. From time to time, competitors were injured and even died. There were times when chariots collided with one another and broke. At the same time, the driver could get tangled in the reins and, having dragged several tens of meters along the ground, die. Over time, the chariots became a thing of the past and were forgotten.

At the beginning of the 20th century, some daredevils revived the tradition of chariot competitions. But instead of horses, they decided to use motorcycles. The simplest version, described in Popular Mechanics magazine, involved the use of one motorcycle, but several more were soon added. The reins were tied to the steering wheel and thus controlled the vehicle. Competitions on motorized chariots were popular until the mid-1930s, today such designs can only be seen at exhibitions and in similar old photographs.