PA shows Langhorne some respect

Promoter Ralph “Pappy” Hankinson led to crowds over 50,000

MIDDLETOWN, PA - The Langhorne Speedway, billed as the first dirt track built exclusively for auto racing and where an often rutted and slippery surface tested the nerve of the likes of Johnny Rutherford, Mario Andretti and brothers Bobby and Al Unser, will be commemorated by a state historical marker to be dedicated tomorrow.

“Definitely, Langhorne was the biggest challenge,” Rutherford, a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, said when reached at his home in Fort Worth, Texas. “You went out to the edge. It was fun and it was stark terror.”

The track was opened in 1926 on a swampy 89-acre site. Promoter Ralph “Pappy” Hankinson took over in 1930. Sanctioned by the American Automobile Association, the speedway’s popularity exploded, with crowds of 50,000 to 60,000 paying 25 cents to 30 cents a ticket.

Top drivers from NASCAR, the United States Auto Club, the modified stock division and American Motorcycle Association took on the surface as it built a reputation as the world’s most demanding. Andretti once said he couldn’t sleep the night before driving at the speedway.

As dirt roadsters gave way to rear-engine open-wheel cars, Langhorne was paved in 1965.

“Paving ruined it,” Rutherford said. “We were going way too fast for the cars we had at the time.” The track closed in October 1971 after a 45-year run.