George Brayen was the eldest of the six children of William G. Brayen, a farmer in Cazenovia, New York, and his wife Laura. He was born in an unknown location in Connecticut in 1902. Little is known about George Brayen's early years besides the fact that his mother passed away in March of 1920.
As an adult Brayen worked as a mechanic for the Bresee Chevrolet Company in Syracuse, New York, while he continued to live at his father's farm. Attempting to become a full-time racer, Brayer began entering races at local short tracks. Brayen finished seventh in the 1933 New York State Fair races held in Syracuse. He then moved to Barneveld, a small village in the town of Trenton, New York, and opened his own garage.
In 1934 Brayen raced a bright red Oakland own by a friend - Gene Simmons, the proprietor of a garage in East Syracuse - in races in Syracuse. On Sunday, 09 September Brayer entered with that vehicle in a 100-mile race valid for the American Automobile Association National Championship. The event was held at the 1.0-mile dirt oval at the New York State Fairgrounds in that town. The leaders were completing their seventy-fifth lap when Brayen, eight laps behind, lost control of his car. The Oakland crashed against a guard-rail; Brayen was thrown from it; hit by the vehicle of Frank Brisco, and then run over by his own car. Brayen was fatally injured. His riding mechanic, David Damon, climbed out of the wreck uninjured.
An unmarried man, George Brayen was survived by his father, two brothers, Fred and Charles Brayen, and three sisters, Mrs. Nelson Fults, Mrs. Harold Jones, and Mrs. Emma Lagore. Services on Brayen's memory were on held at the Daley & Evans undertaking rooms, and he was buried at the Wallkill Valley Cemetery, section F, lot 476, in Walden, New York, on 11 September. George lies in an unmarked grave.
R.I.P