20 replies to this topic

[circa1939]

I'm doing a little digging here and would like to know where and how I can find listings for fellows who would have raced (board tracks, dirt tracks, etc.) from the Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania area in the U.S. during the 1920s - early 30s?

I know there were some board tracks in PA in the 1920s, Uniontown, Altoona to name two that I know of, but I'm more than sure there were lots of dirt tracks across the state of pennsylvania at that time.

I thought I could do some research and possibly come across someone locally where I'm from and see if I could get any photos of the car, and then re-create it for history's sake! Since I'm looking to build a racer, what better way then to have a real piece with something of
story behind it to build??

Thanks in advance.
J.

[circa1939]

Probably petty much anything pertaining to PA dirt tracks and board tracks would probably help....

[HistoricMustang]

Originally posted by circa1939
Probably petty much anything pertaining to PA dirt tracks and board tracks would probably help....

A lot of good period photograhs here if you discover the fromer track locations.

It does take some digging and you have to work with the different links at the web site.

Good Luck and if others provide information I will attempt to help you locate the tracks.

Henry

http://www.pennpilot.psu.edu/

[circa1939]

Henry..

Thank you.... I'll see what I can find.

[circa1939]

After searching the internet, I found a neat site with a small listing of "Pennsylvania Race Tracks of the past".
(here's the link to that particular page: http://www.wheelsofs...com/pahist.html )

I noticed that the only one realatively close to my old hometown was a track in Kingston, PA.
Here's what that website had as far as information on the track:

West Side Park - Kingston, PA
1/2-mile dirt oval (1919)

The track that was supposed to be the first race track with lights although cars never raced under the lights and only horses did. Only several car races were held on the track before it closed. It was closed for progress as new housing was built on the site. The track would have been on the west end of Kingston.


Though not a true "oval" in design, could this airial photo from the 1940s show the location of that old dirt track?

[Buildy]

Where is the Wyoming Valley located in PA?

There were some famous racing drivers from Eastern PA such as Tommy Hinnershitz, who ran from the 30s until 1960. He was from Oley,PA. Johnny Thomson,while originally from New England,lived in Boyertown Pa. This was in the 1950s though....
Eddie Sachs lived in the Allentown area.
I`m sure there were others.

[fines]

Unusual shape, and obviously too long for a half-mile. Unfortunately, I draw a complete blank on Kingston.

Not far away, however, are Lehighton and Allentown, two famous playgrounds for Big Cars for many decades! Also, Scranton to the North has some Big Car history (Lackawanna Speedway), and was home to driver/constructor Sam Greco ("Scranton Special").

Of all these, the Allentown Fairgrounds have the most storied history, staging Big Car races during the annual Fair in September from 1919 to 1968. Ira Vail was a regular winner in the twenties (7 times, from memory!), and many famous drivers and owners lived in Allentown. Vail also was a winner at Lehighton's Carbon County Fair (sounds modern! ), staged mostly a week after Allentown. Both tracks were regulars on the AAA Eastern Circuit for many decades, and Lehighton often ran a "still date" (non-Fair meeting) on Memorial Day. I don't have much on Lackawanna, other than that it was used in the twenties already.

[circa1939]

Originally posted by Buildy
Where is the Wyoming Valley located in PA?

Around the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton, PA area. It would include a lot of area up there.

Yes, I'm only interested in 1920s and early 30s info right now, but thank you for the names of those drivers, regardless.

[circa1939]

Originally posted by fines
Unusual shape, and obviously too long for a half-mile. Unfortunately, I draw a complete blank on Kingston.

Not far away, however, are Lehighton and Allentown, two famous playgrounds for Big Cars for many decades! Also, Scranton to the North has some Big Car history (Lackawanna Speedway), and was home to driver/constructor Sam Greco ("Scranton Special").

Of all these, the Allentown Fairgrounds have the most storied history, staging Big Car races during the annual Fair in September from 1919 to 1968. Ira Vail was a regular winner in the twenties (7 times, from memory!), and many famous drivers and owners lived in Allentown. Vail also was a winner at Lehighton's Carbon County Fair (sounds modern! ), staged mostly a week after Allentown. Both tracks were regulars on the AAA Eastern Circuit for many decades, and Lehighton often ran a "still date" (non-Fair meeting) on Memorial Day. I don't have much on Lackawanna, other than that it was used in the twenties already.

I actually live not far from Allentown these days, about 20 minutes from there I'd say.

I forgot about the Lackawanna Speedway!?? I knew about its existance in the past, but how far does its history go back,...1920s you say??
Sadly in that region history has fallen to the wayside in many ways. Things like the history of that speedway will probably be some hard history to dig up.

Do you have anymore info or places where I can read up on Ira Vail or others from that area? Thanks.

[Buildy]

Automobile Quarterly had a story on Ira Vail.


# AQ Vol. 15-4 "The Great Vail" - Russ Catlin

[circa1939]

Originally posted by Buildy
Automobile Quarterly had a story on Ira Vail.


# AQ Vol. 15-4 "The Great Vail" - Russ Catlin

Think I just found one on ebay??!! Thanks

[fines]

You should find plenty on Ira Vail on the internet, he was the Jimmy Bryan of the twenties. Anyway, he's not your man as he was a New Yorker. I only mentioned him to indicate the level of competition in those events.

As for Lackawanna, I have the info that it opened ca. 1924 from Allan Brown's seminal "History of America's Speedways" - I personally have no info on pre-WW2 racing at that venue.

Your best bet is really to go to your local library or newspaper and search in old newspapers. It's often amazing what kind of info you can find! If you're lucky, you'll get photographs of racing cars and background stories of local competitors, I mean it! Search for reports of the Fairs, they were big events in those days - racing was usually the closing day attraction, and the Fairs would usually open sometime in late summer, early fall.

I have a few dates as a lead:

Allentown 1919-09-27, 1920-09-25, 1922-09-23, 1923-09-22, 1923-11-29, 1924-09-27, 1925-09-25, 1926-09-26, 1927-09-24, 1927-10-22, 1930-09-20, 1931-09-26, 1932-09-24

Lehighton 1922-09-30, 1927-05-30, 1931-10-03, 1932-05-22, 1932-10-01

Pottsville/Cressona/Schuylkill Haven 1930-09-05, 1932-06-05, 1932-09-05

Bloomsburg 1932-07-09, 1932-10-01

etc. - these dates are non-exclusive! I.e. I know there were more races at Allentown e.g. but I don't know the exact dates!

Another thing, please be a nice person and post your finds here! This is a difficult era to research, almost the "dark ages", and it takes a lot of effort to get anywhere in terms of "results". If we pool resources, it will make life easier for all of us!!!

[circa1939]

Originally posted by fines
Y
Another thing, please be a nice person and post your finds here! This is a difficult era to research, almost the "dark ages", and it takes a lot of effort to get anywhere in terms of "results". If we pool resources, it will make life easier for all of us!!!

No problem,...more than happy to.

I have an email in to a historical society's librarian that I talked to a few days ago. still awaiting her reply though.

[circa1939]

Here's a little bit I found on the Allentown Fairgrounds Raceway.

http://www.earhs.org...ary04Newsletter
(you can see photos, etc. at this link)

Here's all of it up to the 1940s.....

For many years the annual Saturday afternoon sprint car racing program was the anchor event for the Allentown, PA Fair’s grandstand entertainment. The half-mile at Allentown has a long history of auto racing, playing host to the sprint cars, stock cars, and midgets over the years. In addition, Agricultural Hall on the fairgrounds presented both micro-midget and three-quarter (TQ) midget racing indoors on a flat concrete oval for several winters during the 1960’s. Of all the events presented, however, the sprint car programs were the longest running and most historically significant.

The Allentown Fair half mile was constructed as a horse racing track in 1888 and the current 7500 seat concrete, brick, and steel grandstand was added in 1911.


8-time Allentown Fair champion, Ira Vail




The first recorded auto racing event at the Allentown Fairgrounds took place on July 31, 1915 with Joe Lambert taking the first 5-mile event in his #11 Stutz and Geroge Jessup claiming the final two 5-milers in a #7 Chevrolet.

When racing resumed after World War I, Ira Vail drove his Philbrin-Duesenberg Special to fast time of 33.6 seconds and the victory in the 5-mile feature during the first fair program of auto racing at Allentown on 9-27-19. Vail was the dominant driver over the next seven years, winning on 9/25/20, 9/22/23, 11/29/23, 9/27/24, 9/25/25, 9/26/25, and 9/26/26.


The 1928 Allentown Fair lineup.





The 1921 Allentown Fair Sweepstakes was won by Bob Hoffman and Larry Beals drove his Hisso to win the 10-mile feature on 9-23-22. A special 4 th of July event was won by Tom Dawson, defeating a strong field of thirteen entries, which included Indianapolis veteran, Russ Snowberger. Bob Robinson won the 9-24-27 event in a Miller after Vail retired as a driver.

In 1928, Ray Keech, famous for his world's land speed record set on the sands of Daytona Beach , FL where he drove a 36-cylinder Triplex Special at an average of 207.55 m.p.h., drove his Duesenberg Special to tie the Allentown 1-lap record set by Vail four years earlier at 30.5 seconds. This was the same two-man car Jimmy Gleason used to lead the 1928 Indianapolis ‘500' for many laps. Although Keech won both the dash and the third heat, Herman Schurch won the 10-mile feature driving the Hollywood Special, which he towed east from California .

Zeke Meyer won the 1929 race in his beautiful #16 Miller, a car that took second place on the board track at Woodbridge , NJ in both 100-mile races won by Lou Moore.

In 1930 sprint car racing was attracting larger fields with quality cars and longer races were the order of the day. Ten cars started the 9-20-30 Allentown Fair feature event with 20 miles the new distance. Fred Frame drove his light green #4 Miller to take the win at Allentown . Frame won his share on both the board tracks and dirt tracks, including a 100-lap event on July 4 th at Langhorne. Had points been awarded in 1930, Fred Frame would surely have been national champion.



Billy Winn scored two consecutive wins at Allentown in 1931 and 1932, driving his famous #36 Fronty on 9/26/31 and moving to the Murray Tire Special #1 to claim the 9/24/32 event. Winn lowered the Allentown track record to 29.1 seconds on 9/23/33, but Johnny Sawyer put the Burd Piston Ring Special #36 into victory lane.


Winner Bob Sall (5) and Tommy Hinnershitz (9) duel at Allentown during the 1935 Fair Sweepstakes.


September 22, 1934 found another mid-western driver in victory lane over a field that included Doc MacKenzie and Chet Gardner. Floyd Davis, who was to share victory in the 1941 Indy ‘500' with relief driver Mauri Rose, drove the blue #24 Bagley Cragar to victory. This car was used by Doc McKenzie to win the 1935 sprint car title.

Local favorite Bob Sall scored a popular win at Allentown on 9-21-35 in his revamped #5 McDowell Special. Johnny Ulesky surprised the crowd by setting fast time of 29.0 seconds in his #3 Blackbird Special. Frank Beeder, in the Bagley Cragar #1, won the Allentown Fair Sweepstakes on September 26, 1936 and repeated at the wheel of Ben Shaw's #48 Curtiss Special on September 25, 1937.

The 1937 sprint car champion and winner of two consecutive events at Allentown was fatally injured, as was fellow driver Roy Lake, during the running of the 1938 Allentown event on September 24 th . Duke Nalon's spectacular drive to victory at the wheel of Pop Dreyer's #25 was overshadowed by the double tragedy.


Ted Horn in Allentown victory lane, 9-21-40.


Reading , PA 's Joie Chitwood was on the warpath on September 23, 1939 as he notched his only Allentown win at the wheel of the Hank O'Day Offy. The O'Day sprinter would return to Allentown 's victory lane with Tony Willman at the wheel on July 6, 1940. It still carried the #2, but sported a beautiful cream and blue paint combination. The Fair held its race on September 21 and Ted Horn crossed the line first n his #1 Riverside Tire Special. Joie Chitwood, in the #5 Peters Offy, had fast time at 26.4 seconds. Horn repeated at Allentown in 1941 when many drivers left the AAA sanction in favor of the Central States Racing Association (CSRA).


Jimmy Wilburn won the first post WWII Allentown main.



World War II brought an end to all racing for 1942-44, but the end of hostilities on September 2, 1945 allowed time for Jimmy Wilburn to dust off his gold colored Offy #39 and claim victory at Allentown in one of the first post-war events.

AAA returned to Allentown as the sanctioning body for the September 23, 1946 event and Bill Holland scored the win in Ralph Malamud's famous #29 white and red Offy.

[circa1939]

Something else I found pertaining to Allentown's racing history....I could not post the photo on here.

(caption from webpage)
This is the #3 big car built int he late 20s. There was a track in Allentown made of wooden boards where they raced these.

See it here. I believe this car is at the Eastern Motor Museum in York Springs, PA. I wonder what it had as a power plant??
http://www.flickr.co...9@N00/26565102/

another thing of interest...

http://www.flickr.co...in/photostream/

[fines]

The first one looks like a poor Miller 122 replica to me, probably built in the 80s rather than the 20s. Wouldn't surprise me if it hadn't any engine at all. And I wonder what the horses said about a wooden board track surface at the fairgrounds...

The second picture is about post-WW2 Sprint Car builder Hiram Hillegass. As you can see, these are body parts for a tubular chassis, not used until the late forties. Hillegass built complete racing cars that were the cream on the Eastern dirt tracks until committing suicide in 1959 or '60, iirc.

[fines]

http://www.flickr.co...in/photostream/

This is Tommy Hinnershitz's Hillegass/Offenhauser. He had two of those, I cannot recall clearly which one this is, but the other one did not survive. Always a question, of course, how much of this one was actually "re-created"...

[circa1939]

Originally posted by fines
The first one looks like a poor Miller 122 replica to me, probably built in the 80s rather than the 20s. Wouldn't surprise me if it hadn't any engine at all. And I wonder what the horses said about a wooden board track surface at the fairgrounds...

Yeah the fellow who took the photo of the car doesn't seem to know much about the fairgrounds there??!!

However, I've been to the museum there and unless that car toted as a replica, then its would be the real thing. I have two friends who have been involved in the past with that museum, and its a top notch place. In fact I have been thinking of planning atrip down there as I was only there once about two years ago. I think they'll be able to help me with the research I'm doing and maybe I can take a look at some photos they have there of the Allentown track back in the 20s.

[Buildy]

Yeah, that guy goofed with his caption,and fines pretty well nailed it. That car is a copy of a Miller and it is in the EMMR in Latimore PA. The fellow confused Allentown with Altoona,as the EMMR has a lot of items from the Altoona Board track.

As far as I know,there is nothing to indicate to the unknowing that the car is a replica at the EMMR,but the car is clearly not an original Miller.

[fines]

Don't get me wrong, I think the EMMR is a wonderful place , I would love to get there one day!

But Americans have a rather laisser faire approach to historic racing cars, and most are not what they seem (or are supposed) to be. Not that there is that much wrong with that, Europeans often get hung up about terms such as "original", "restored" or "replica" - you can't turn back time!

[circa1939]

Originally posted by Buildy
Yeah, that guy goofed with his caption,and fines pretty well nailed it. That car is a copy of a Miller and it is in the EMMR in Latimore PA. The fellow confused Allentown with Altoona,as the EMMR has a lot of items from the Altoona Board track.

As far as I know,there is nothing to indicate to the unknowing that the car is a replica at the EMMR,but the car is clearly not an original Miller.

really? Yeah i hadnt seen it there yet,....they really should have some info on it if its a replica and not the real deal. just my opinion.

thanks for the info guys.