Langhorne Speedway

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Langhorne Speedway
"The Big Left Turn" "The Track That Ate The Heroes" "Puke Alley"
Facility statistics
Location	Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Broke ground	unknown
Opened	1926
Owner	Ralph "Pappy" Hankinson
Operator	Langhorne Speedway
Construction cost	unknown
Architect	unknown
Former names
none
Major events
AAA Championship Car Langhorne 100 (1930-1955) USAC Championship Car Langhorne 100 (1956-1970) NASCAR Grand National (1949-1957)
Seating capacity
Approximately 60,000
Current dimensions
Track shape	Circle
Track length	1 mile
Track banking	minimal

Langhorne Speedway was a racetrack located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. The 1-mile dirt track was unique because it had no straightaways, giving the track the appearance of a giant circle. The first race run at the facility was a National Championship Stock Car Circuit (a forerunner to NASCAR) race in 1947, with Bob Flock taking home the checkered flag.

From 1947 to 1957, it became an annual race on the NASCAR schedule, with the following drivers who won those Langhorne races, Al Keller, Curtis Turner, Fonty Flock, Herb Thomas, Dick Rathmann, Tim Flock, Buck Baker, Paul Goldsmith, and Fireball Roberts. The track hosted USAC races. The track was paved in 1965. USAC ran open-wheel races there from 1956 to 1970 which were won by such famous names as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Gordon Johncock, and Eddie Sachs.

Sadly, the track became known as one of the more dangerous tracks in the motorsports circle. Larry Mann, Frank Arford, John McVitty, Joe Russo, Mike Nazaruk, and Jimmy Bryan were all killed racing at this track. It is now no longer in existence.

Today the site of the once infamous racetrack is home to multiple big-box stores, a major shopping center, and a future residential development. However, a marker has been erected to pay respect to the past speedway.

Contents 1 Race History 1.1 AAA Champ Car 1.2 USAC Champ Car 1.3 NASCAR Grand National

[edit] Race History

[edit] AAA Champ Car

All winners were American

Season	Date	Winning Driver	Chassis	Engine
1930	May 3	Bill Cummings	Miller	Miller
1935	October 13	Kelly Petillo	Wetteroth	Offy
1940	June 16	Duke Nalon	Adams	Sparks
1941	June 22	Duke Nalon	Adams	Sparks
1946	June 30	Rex Mays	Stevens	Winfield
1947	June 22	Bill Holland	Wetteroth	Offy
1948	June 20	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft	Offy
1949	October 16	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft	Offy
1950	June 25	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft	Offy
1951	June 24	Tony Bettenhausen	Kurtis Kraft	Offy
1954	June 20	Jimmy Bryan	Kuzma	Offy
1955	June 19	Jimmy Bryan	Kuzma	Offy

[edit] USAC Champ Car

All winners were American

Season	Date	Winning Driver	Chassis	Engine
1956	June 24	George Amick	Kuzma	Offy
1957	June 7	Johnny Thomson	Kuzma	Offy
1958	June 15	Eddie Sachs	Kuzma	Offy
1959	June 14	Van Johnson	Kurtis Kraft	Offy
1960	June 19	Jim Hurtubise	Kuzma	Offy
1961	June 18	A.J. Foyt	Meskowski	Offy
1962	July 1	A.J. Foyt	Meskowski	Offy
1962	August 26	Don Branson	Watson	Offy
1963	June 23	A.J. Foyt	Meskowski	Offy
1964	June 21	A.J. Foyt	Meskowski	Offy
1965	June 20	Jim McElreath	Brabham	Offy
1965	August 8	Jim McElreath	Brabham	Offy
1966	June 12	Mario Andretti	Brawner Hawk	Ford
1966	August 7	Roger McCluskey	Eagle	Ford
1967	June 18	Lloyd Ruby	Mongoose	Ford
1967	July 30	Mario Andretti	Brawner Hawk	Ford
1968	June 23	Gordon Johncock	Gerhardt	Offy
1968	July 28	Al Unser	Lola	Ford
1969	June 15	Bobby Unser	Eagle	Offy
1970	June 14	Bobby Unser	Eagle	Offy

[edit] NASCAR Grand National

All winners were American

Season	Date	Winning Driver	Manufacturer
1949	September 11	Curtis Turner	Oldsmobile
1950	April 16	Curtis Turner	Oldsmobile
1950	September 17	Fonty Flock	Oldsmobile
1951	September 15	Herb Thomas	Hudson
1952	May 4	Dick Rathmann	Hudson
1952	September 14	Lee Petty	Plymouth
1953	May 3	Buck Baker	Oldsmobile
1953	June 21	Dick Rathmann	Hudson
1953	September 20	Dick Rathmann	Hudson
1954	May 2	Herb Thomas	Hudson
1954	September 26	Herb Thomas	Hudson
1955	April 24	Tim Flock	Chrysler
1955	September 18	Tim Flock	Chrysler
1956	April 22	Buck Baker	Chrysler
1956	September 23	Paul Goldsmith	Chevrolet
1957	April 14	Fireball Roberts	Ford
1957	September 15	Gwyn Staley	Chevrolet

Tracks of the USAC Championship Series

Former Tracks (1956-1981) Arizona Fairgrounds • Atlanta • Darlington • Dayton • Daytona • Detroit • Dover • DuQuion • Hanford • Indianapolis • Lakewood • Langhorne • Michigan • Milwaukee • Nazareth • Ontario • Phoenix • Pocono • Sacramento • Sedalia • Springfield • Syracuse • Texas World • Trenton • Williams Grove Road Courses Brainerd • Castle Rock • IRP • Las Vegas • Mont-Tremblant • Mosport • Pikes Peak • Riverside • Sears Point • Seattle International Brands Hatch • Fuji • Monza • Rafaela • Silverstone