Uniontown Speedway Explained

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Uniontown Speedway was a wooden board track in Hopwood, near Uniontown, Pennsylvania. The track was built in 1916, after the Summit Mountain Hill Climbs were outlawed, and held its final race in June 1922. The May/June race was known as the Universal Trophy, so named because Carl Laemmle, president of Universal Films, had sponsored the $3,000, solid silver trophy.[1] Laemmle's company filmed each race, playing them at local theaters. Two National Championship races were held at Uniontown, in 1921 and 1922.

History

Motorsport was extremely dangerous in the days of the board tracks, but the inaugural race at Uniontown on December 2, 1916 was an especially bloody event, even for the standards of the day. Two were killed (a driver and his riding mechanic) during practice a few days prior, and five (two spectators and three participants) died during the race.[2] [3] [4]

A second Uniontown Speedway, adjacent to the original site, was active in 1946, as a half-mile (.805 km) dirt track. It held a National Championship-level sprint car race won by Ted Horn.

AAA Championship Car results

Non-championship races in italics

Year Date Winner Car
1916December 2 Louis ChevroletFrontenac
1917May 10 William TaylorStutz-Wisconsin
September 3 Frank ElliottDelage
October 29 Eddie HearneDuesenberg
1918May 16 Ralph MulfordFrontenac
July 18 Louis ChevroletFrontenac
September 2 Ralph MulfordFrontenac
1919May 19 Tommy MiltonDuesenberg
July 19 Tommy MiltonDuesenberg
September 1 Gaston Chevrolet / Joe BoyerFrontenac
1920June 19 Tommy MiltonDuesenberg
September 6 Tommy MiltonDuesenberg
1921June 18 Roscoe SarlesDuesenberg
September 5 I. P. Fetterman[5] Duesenberg
1922June 17 Jimmy MurphyDuesenberg-Miller
[6]

Shared drive

Year Date Winner Car
1946August 25 Ted HornHorn-Offy
[7] [8]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: McGuinness, Marci. Uniontown Speedway Program, 1916: Preliminary Opening Race. 2009. Shore Publications. 978-0938833291. 7.
  2. News: Auto Racer and Aid Killed. 22 July 2012. The New York Times. November 28, 1916.
  3. News: Auto Racer Kills Two at Uniontown Track. 22 July 2012. The New York Times. December 3, 1916.
  4. Web site: McGuinness. Marci. 108 Years of Racing History - Never Before Seen Board Track Photos. https://web.archive.org/web/20090503102837/http://www.uniontownspeedway.com/. dead. 3 May 2009. 22 July 2012. www.uniontownspeedway.com.
  5. News: Fetterman Scores In Uniontown Race. Averages 99.8 Miles an Hour Capture 225-Mile Auto Classic on Speedway. Murphy Finishes Second. Is Less Than Two Minutes Behind the Winner, With Sarles Third and Miller Fourth . I. P. Fetterman of Pittsburgh today won to Autumn classic at the Automobile Speedway ... . . September 6, 1921 . 2012-10-03 .
  6. Web site: Uniontown Speedway. Champ Car Stats. 11 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20121004235609/http://www.champcarstats.com/tracks/uniontown.htm. 4 October 2012. live.
  7. Web site: Uniontown Speedway. Champ Car Stats. 11 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20121004235623/http://www.champcarstats.com/tracks/uniontowndirt.htm. 4 October 2012. live.
  8. Web site: AAA Sprint Car Race. Ultimate Racing History. 11 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120324102726/http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=788. 24 March 2012. live.