Langhorne 100 in 1941

Does anyone know the results of the US race Langhorne 100 in 1941? As this race was not a round of the '41 AAA championship I do not find the results, except the name of the winner: Duke Nalon.
Rémi Paolozzi

Do you have a date? In those years there were sometimes several hundert-milers at the 'horn, and most were won by the "Iron Duke"

From memory, I think he won the Flag Day event in 1941, around June 14, driving the Paul Weirick Offy ("Poison Lil", a 1932 Sparks-Weirick chassis). I think this may be the race he set the 100-mile dirt track record that stood for more than 10 years.

Another traditional Langhorne date besides Flag Day was late April/early May, but race distances often varied. If no one beats me though, I'll have a look when I get home and get back to you next time I'm online.

The exact date was June 22, 1941.
This is all I found on the web: 1st Duke Nalon (Adams Sparks) in 1:04:57 (avg. 92.375mph)
Rémi

Well, Adams/Sparks is nonsense. Clyde Adams may have had a hand in constructing the thing (as had several other craftsmen, no doubt), but the original Sparks-Miller engine was no longer eligible in 1941 - besides it had already been replaced by an Offy in 1937, maybe even earlier.

Not sure if I quite understand that, Michael
There were several appearances of cars described as Adams-Sparks after 1937 - and even after the War
Are we at cross-purposes?

Totally different cars, David. Those cars most often named Adams/Sparks (although I prefer to call them simply Sparks, or Thorne-Sparks) are the ones that Art Sparks designed and built after splitting up with Paul Weirick. There were three in all, commonly called the "Big Six" and the two "Little Sixes", and they are well documented in the literature. In short, they were supercharged 6-cylinder jobs, the first one with a two-seater body and the latter two with offset driving position.

The Langhorne winner was a "completely different animal", so to speak: a 1932 Legion Ascot single-seat sprint car with a 200 CID 4-cylinder Offy engine.

OK, so you're saying the reference quote by Paolozzi is wrong
I should have read the whole thread more thoroughly

Interesting. At least one "mistery" is solved.
Another detail about the 1941 Langhorne 100: the driver Mitchell Siemienski died there. I can't remember if it happened during practice or during the race.
Rémi

Nalon was driving a car salvaged from the fire at the Indianapolis garages but this did not prevent him completing the 100 miles at Langhorne in 1 hour 4 minutes 39.88" smashing the former record of 1:09' 47.86"

Other finishers were

2 Joey Chitwood (4 laps down)
3 Mark Light
4 Vic Nauman
5 Ted Horn, relieved by Buster Warke after 67 laps
6 Bob Sall
7 Tommy Hinnershitz

Mitchell Siemienski, who raced as Metz Simons, was killed during qualifying.

The NSSN (26 June, 1941) was very brief and car types were not mentioned.

John

Originally posted by humphries
Nalon was driving a car salvaged from the fire at the Indianapolis garages but this did not prevent him completing the 100 miles at Langhorne in 1 hour 4 minutes 39.88" smashing the former record of 1:09' 47.86"

Other finishers were

2 Joey Chitwood (4 laps down)
3 Mark Light
4 Vic Nauman
5 Ted Horn, relieved by Buster Warke after 67 laps
6 Bob Sall
7 Tommy Hinnershitz

Mitchell Siemienski, who raced as Metz Simons, was killed during qualifying.

The NSSN (26 June, 1941) was very brief and car types were not mentioned.

John

I am very interested about the non-championship races of the 30's and the early 40's. Thanks.
Why were there so few championship races in the 30's and early 40's.

Gerrit Stevens

Great! Thanks a lot for these details.
Do you know if there were other entrants? I read in an american newspaper that the French drivers René Le Bègue and Jean Trévoux wanted to enter the Langhorne 100 in order to prove the quality of thier Talbot. They tried to qualify in Indy but did not succeed.
Rémi Paolozzi

Remi

Although the race is only reported briefly in the June 26 issue of National Auto Racing News (later NSSN), the race meeting received quite a build-up in the June 12 issue.

An International Match Race was to be staged between Rene le Beque and Jean Trevoux against Indy winner Mauri Rose and Tommy Hinnershitz, all in the cars they used at Indianapolis. It was the first time for Langhorne that the Indy 500 winning car and driver were to race at the "curve".

The international race was to be in three parts - the first race was to be with a rolling start and the second was to be a standing start with the cars already fired up but in echelon ( a la Le Mans). The decision as to what type of start would be employed in the third heat was to be decided by the AAA Contest Board officials.

The "100" had over 50 entries but only the fastest 18 in qualifying would start. A hefty purse, plus a gold cup and a bonus $1000 for any driver beating the 100 mile record time, resulted in the huge entry. Tony Wilman who was the previous year's winner and record holder was there in the Floyd Dreyer Spl.

The schedule was for the gates to be opened at 9 a.m., qualifying at noon, some preliminary races, then the International Match and finally the "100".

On Sunday, 15 June (June 19 NAAN - again a brief report), 45,000 people turned up for the races. Rose beat the two Frenchmen in the two (not three) international match races but the "100" had been running for only 14 laps when a downpour of rain halted the race with Joey Chitwood leading.

The meeting was abandoned but the "100" was held on the "rain date" on 22 June, the full 100 laps, and the ticket holders could attend for free, hence another 45,000 crowd. The results were as my previous post.

There is no record of the full entry list or starters, or whether le Beque and Trevoux tried to qualify for the main event. Michael probably knows more.

John

Humphries,
Thanks a lot for these details. Usually it is said that the 1941 US experience of Le Bègue was only in Land's End hillclimb. Thanks to your info it seems that He and Trévoux did more than that, even if it was not really successful!
Rémi

Not a lot that I can add, thnx John! But one correction: it wasn't the first time the Indy winning car and driver were at Langhorne, I know that Petillo and his two-man car won a 100-miler in October 1935, I think (and yes, I know, the mistake was not yours but NARN's).

About the Talbot match races: Apparently, only one of the cars actually ran, I believe it was '90131' (it would be easy to say if there was a photograph as the cars were not identical). LeBègue had never driven on the track, as practie was rained off, and he subsequently ran a very timid race to the disappointment of the crowd. He was replaced by Nalon in the second heat, who took a big lead, but was overtaken on the last lap (sounds a bit like hippodrome, imho). Of the American cars, only Rose and the Moore/Offenhauser appeared, and won of course.

About the fatality, my info is that the name was Mitchell Siemiensi and the alias "Metz Simmons" - anyway, not a name driver.

About the cars in the main event: As said, Nalon drove the Sparks-Weirick "Poison Lil", but interestingly the car had been a no show on June 15! The car usually carried #2 in 1941.

Chitwood probably drove the #1 Peters/Offenhauser, Horn the #3 Horn/Offenhauser, Sall the 1932 Schrader/Offenhauser now owned by Horn, Holland the #29 Malamud/Offenhauser, Hinnershitz either a third Horn entry or the Wayne Moser owned 1933 Gerber, Willman a 'works' Dreyer, Nauman a Hal and Light possibly a Hal, too.

Thanks a lot fines for those precious info!
Rémi

Not a lot that I can add, thnx John! But one correction: it wasn't the first time the Indy winning car and driver were at Langhorne, I know that Petillo and his two-man car won a 100-miler in October 1935, I think (and yes, I know, the mistake was not yours but NARN's).

Pre-race reports in the local newspaper, the Reading Eagle, made the same claim.

About the Talbot match races: Apparently, only one of the cars actually ran, I believe it was '90131' (it would be easy to say if there was a photograph as the cars were not identical). LeBègue had never driven on the track, as practie was rained off, and he subsequently ran a very timid race to the disappointment of the crowd. He was replaced by Nalon in the second heat, who took a big lead, but was overtaken on the last lap (sounds a bit like hippodrome, imho). Of the American cars, only Rose and the Moore/Offenhauser appeared, and won of course.

I think you could be mistaken there Michael. Again quoting the Reading Eagle, Rose won both races after Hinnershitz was a no-show due to engine trouble with what was previously reported to be an ex-Billy Winn car. No mention of Nalon whatsoever.

Possible. My info came from the Duke Nalon bio, which is certainly not infallible. The new Langhorne book (also far from being free of mistakes) only mentions Rose outdistancing Le Bègue and Trévoux "in their match race", but it gives qualifying times for the first four: Chitwood 36.24", Nalon 36.65", Horn 36.80" and Sall 36.89". It also states that Simmons died at the wheel of the (Herman) Hoppe/Riley.

As for Hinnershitz driving an ex-Billy Winn car, that would support my guess that he was driving Wayne Moser's 1933 Gerber. Winn had taken three Reading track records (1, 10 and 30 laps) with that car in 1936, and another one in 1937 (30 laps), before Hinnershitz again bettered the 30 laps in 1938 - sure to have left a lasting impression on the Reading Eagle hacks...

As for Hinnershitz driving an ex-Billy Winn car, that would support my guess that he was driving Wayne Moser's 1933 Gerber. Winn had taken three Reading track records (1, 10 and 30 laps) with that car in 1936, and another one in 1937 (30 laps), before Hinnershitz again bettered the 30 laps in 1938 - sure to have left a lasting impression on the Reading Eagle hacks...

Your knowledge of (and interest in) such American iron far exceeds mine, but if "flashy", white paint and the number 7 fit the bill, then it did indeed leave an impression on them!

Possible. My info came from the Duke Nalon bio, which is certainly not infallible. The new Langhorne book (also far from being free of mistakes) only mentions Rose outdistancing Le Bègue and Trévoux "in their match race", but it gives qualifying times for the first four: Chitwood 36.24", Nalon 36.65", Horn 36.80" and Sall 36.89". It also states that Simmons died at the wheel of the (Herman) Hoppe/Riley.

As for Hinnershitz driving an ex-Billy Winn car, that would support my guess that he was driving Wayne Moser's 1933 Gerber. Winn had taken three Reading track records (1, 10 and 30 laps) with that car in 1936, and another one in 1937 (30 laps), before Hinnershitz again bettered the 30 laps in 1938 - sure to have left a lasting impression on the Reading Eagle hacks...

I am late but possible interesting infos:

The time trial results was(over the first four):

Willman 36.96"
Light 37.12"
Randolph 37.81"
Nauman 37.02"
Hinnershitz 38.45"
Toran 38.14"
Bean 38.42"
Ross 38.96"
Matera 40.07"
Purick 41.73"
Buster Keller 42.87"

About the cars in the main event: As said, Nalon drove the Sparks-Weirick "Poison Lil", but interestingly the car had been a no show on June 15! The car usually carried #2 in 1941.

Chitwood probably drove the #1 Peters/Offenhauser, Horn the #3 Horn/Offenhauser, Sall the 1932 Schrader/Offenhauser now owned by Horn, Holland the #29 Malamud/Offenhauser, Hinnershitz either a third Horn entry or the Wayne Moser owned 1933 Gerber, Willman a 'works' Dreyer, Nauman a Hal and Light possibly a Hal, too.

Entries were:

Chitwood #1 Riverside Tire Spl.,Nalon #2 Weirick Spl.,Horn #3 Riverside Tire Spl.,Lou Morrow #5 Hankins Spl.,Hinnershitz #7 Corley-Miller Spl.,Sall #7 Horn Spl.,Willman #7 Dreyer Spl.,DeVore #8 Miller Spl.,Zarka #21 Hal Spl.,Toran #24 Zarka-Miller Spl.,Breslin #24 McDowell Spl.,Jim Brubaker #28 Maserati Spl.,Bean #29 McDowell Spl.,Holland #29 Miller Spl.,Mike Saranese(of Philladelphia) #32 Hal Spl., a Scopa entry in #32,Records #34,Ader #42(??or 40 or 49) Hal Spl.,Randolph #55 Cragar Spl.,Matera #72Rutheford Spl.,Sam Swartz(of Apollo,PA) #74 Hudson Spl.,Carpenter #95 Clarks-Riley Spl...others were without numbers Brown(McDowell Spl.),P. Russo(Marchese Spl.)Redmond(Redmond Spl.),Goss(McDowell Spl.),Andres(Miller Spl.),Duke Burke of Rutheford,NJ(Hal Spl.),Wallard and B. Keller(McDowell Spl.)

Don't have any info for Simmons,Matson and Purick's car and number...

Edited by sramoa, 09 June 2012 - 13:18.

Nalon was driving a car salvaged from the fire at the Indianapolis garages but this did not prevent him completing the 100 miles at Langhorne in 1 hour 4 minutes 39.88" smashing the former record of 1:09' 47.86"

Other finishers were

2 Joey Chitwood (4 laps down)
3 Mark Light
4 Vic Nauman
5 Ted Horn, relieved by Buster Warke after 67 laps
6 Bob Sall
7 Tommy Hinnershitz

Mitchell Siemienski, who raced as Metz Simons, was killed during qualifying.

The NSSN (26 June, 1941) was very brief and car types were not mentioned.

John

8 Tommy Matson

I am late but possible interesting infos:

The time trial results was(over the first four):

Willman 36.96"
Light 37.12"
Randolph 37.81"
Nauman 37.02"
Hinnershitz 38.45"
Toran 38.14"
Bean 38.42"
Ross 38.96"
Matera 40.07"
Purick 41.73"
Buster Keller 42.87"


Entries were:

Chitwood #1 Riverside Tire Spl.,Nalon #2 Weirick Spl.,Horn #3 Riverside Tire Spl.,Lou Morrow #5 Hankins Spl.,Hinnershitz #7 Corley-Miller Spl.,Sall #7 Horn Spl.,Willman #7 Dreyer Spl.,DeVore #8 Miller Spl.,Zarka #21 Hal Spl.,Toran #24 Zarka-Miller Spl.,Breslin #24 McDowell Spl.,Jim Brubaker #28 Maserati Spl.,Bean #29 McDowell Spl.,Holland #29 Miller Spl.,Mike Saranese(of Philladelphia) #32 Hal Spl., a Scopa entry in #32,Records #34,Ader #42(??or 40 or 49) Hal Spl.,Randolph #55 Cragar Spl.,Matera #72Rutheford Spl.,Sam Swartz(of Apollo,PA) #74 Hudson Spl.,Carpenter #95 Clarks-Riley Spl...others were without numbers Brown(McDowell Spl.),P. Russo(Marchese Spl.)Redmond(Redmond Spl.),Goss(McDowell Spl.),Andres(Miller Spl.),Duke Burke of Rutheford,NJ(Hal Spl.),Wallard and B. Keller(McDowell Spl.)

Don't have any info for Simmons,Matson and Purick's car and number...

Richard, I'm curious as to where you got that info from - something's fishy here...

Richard, I'm curious as to where you got that info from - something's fishy here...

I have a copy of this event's entry list!This is my only base!Do you have any idea?

Well, I just noticed by chance that Honey Purick, present in the list of qualifying times, had actually died in a Midget accident in 1940...

So, I did a little search myself, and found a Trenton newspaper with the list of times, probably the same source as yours. At first glance, it does look like "Purick" in the list, but on closer observation I think it actually says "Furick", which I take to refer to Jimmy Fearick instead - problem solved!

Anyway, do you think you could send me a scan of that entry list, or perhaps post it here? I'd like to double check a few of those entries, thanks!

I sent to you my files!