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  *Comments on Langhorne Speedway:*
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  1.   Cooper posted:
  03.15.2010 - 12:21 pm
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Langhorne Speedway was an automobile racetrack in Middletown Township
near the borough of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of
Philadelphia.

The speedway was built by a group of Philadelphia racing enthusiasts
known as the National Motor Racing Association (NMRA), and held its
first race on June 12, 1926 (scheduled for May 31 but postponed by
rain). Freddie Winnai of Philadelphia qualified in 42.40 seconds, a new
world's record for a one-mile (1.6 km) track; and went on to win the
50-lap main event. According to Walter Chernokal, Langhorne was the
first dirt track built specifically for automobile racing. The track's
unique circular layout earned Langhorne the name "The Big Left Turn".

The NMRA operated Langhorne through the 1929 season, staging 100-lap
events on Labor Days and occasional shorter races. Difficulties in track
preparation, management disputes, and poor attendance drove the speedway
to the brink of bankruptcy until noted promoter Ralph "Pappy" Hankinson
took over in 1930. With partner "Lucky" Teeter, Hankinson brought in AAA
Championship 100-lap races and continued stage shorter Sprint car racing
on the circular track. One of the first stock car races in the
northeastern U.S. was held at Langhorne in 1940. Roy Hall of Atlanta,
Georgia was victor in the 200-lap event.

Both Hankinson and Teeter died during World War II, and control of
Langhorne Speedway passed to John Babcock and his family. Then in 1951,
Irv Fried and Al Gerber became promoters. During this era, Langhorne
hosted races for the United States' major national series: AAA and USAC
Championship Cars, and NASCAR Grand National. It also hosted the
nation's most noted race for the Modified division. The first post-war
stock car 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.

Catering chiefly to USAC's Championship Car division, in 1965 Fried and
Gerber changed the track layout to a "D" by building a straightaway
across the back stretch, and they paved the surface. However, as
suburban growth engulfed the speedway, the offers from developers became
too tempting to refuse. Fried and Gerber announced the sale of the
property to mall developers in 1967, but the speedway held on through
five more seasons. The final checkered flag fell on October 17, 1971 at
the National Open for Modified stock cars.

Track Nicknames:
"The Big Left Turn"
"The Track That Ate the Heroes"
"Puke Alley"


  2.   ii posted:
  09.29.2010 - 6:34 pm
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Very dangerous in the dirt, if NASCAR had raced it paved, it may still
be here today.


  3.   DieselDan posted:
  12.19.2010 - 9:10 pm
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Now a Super Walmart and Sam's Club.


  4.   Rusty posted:
  06.28.2011 - 5:36 pm
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Very unique track, it was shaped as a circle.


  5.   Sebastien posted:
  03.14.2018 - 2:01 pm
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Check out some aerials, Langhorne was not a circle, it was an oval
without straights until it's reconfiguration.


  6.   Andy U posted:
  12.14.2018 - 1:01 pm
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Hey #5, Geometry Cop.....By definition an oval does not have straight
lines so your post is a violation of the Geometry Ordinance.

#4, you just keep trying.


  7.   A posted:
  07.16.2020 - 9:21 pm
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Both the earlier and later configurations of Langhorne were unique
shapes. It had quite a bit of seating too. Would have been a neat track
if it survived to the modern era. There are several views on historic
aerials and about half the speedway grounds are undeveloped, but today
it looks to just be a wooded area.


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