Michael Stott in his #8 Allard leads Jim Herlinger in the 1949 "flathead" Mercury V8 powered Baldwin Special.  It's hard to imagine "side valve" engines as competitive racers, but in their day the Ford and Mercury "flatheads" were favorites of hot-rodders, straightline racers ? early road racing Special builders.

Allards originally were fitted with "flathead" Ford engines, but usually were powered by more modern "overhead valve" Cadillac and Chrysler V8s.