1965 Langhorne 100

[old racer]

Here's one for you guys. Who won the qualifying races, who won the 100.
Steve-are all these tracks dirt? How many tracks are still around?

[Brent Leach]

Winner - Bill Slater

[LarryJ]

The Oilzum company would have ads in the racing papers leading up to the race. Here are the qualifiers I found:
Freeport Stadium - Bruno Brackey
Williams Grove - Ray Tilley
Spencer Speedway - Dutch Hoag
Catamount Speedway - Gaston Desmeris
Islip Speedway - Fred Harbach
Heidelberg Speedway - Bob Wearing
Reading Fairgrounds - Freddy Adam
Fonda Speedway - Ken Shoemaker
Victoria Speedway - Pete Corey (Shoemaker won race)
East Windsor - Herbie Tillman
Hatfield Speedway - Stan Ploski
Lincoln Speedway - Bobby Myers
Shangri La Speedway - Lee Osborne
Silver Spring Speedway - Gary Wolford
Victory Speedway - Rags Carter
Greater Latrobe Speedway - Jake Campbell
Harmony Raceway - Frankie Schneider
Dorsey Speedway - Bobby Abel
Jennerstown Speedway - Jimmy Burns
Norwood Arena - Hop Harrington
Riverhead Speedway - Jim Malone
South Penn Speedway - Gerald Chamberlain
Nazareth Raceway - Bob Malzahn
Hagerstown Raceway - Elmer Ruby (Abel won race)
Onteora Speedway - Pete Keator
Winchester Speedway - Ray Doval
Selinsgrove Speedway - Johnny Crawford
Lebanon Valley - Ed Demolino
Flemington - ? I did not find that one

[LarryJ]

Flemington Speedway was Al Tasnady
The track made that race a double qualifier with a big S-M race at Charlotte.

[old racer]

Thanks Larry

[RT88]

No some of the tracks were asphalt. Norwood, Shangri-La, Riverhead, Old Bridge, Islip, Spencer, Freeport, Vineland, and Catamount were asphalt. Steve

[1080]

No Lincoln...Port Royal....Susquehanna..????? Fairly certain I recall seeing pictures of "qualifier bowls" being given out at these tracks during some years...

What was the deal to determine which track had a race?

[crzee_27]

I was at EMMR for a get togrther Saturday and brought this post up in converstion with Lynn Paxton. I thought it was sad that out of all the tracks on the list, only 7 still remain.
Lynn said he won a Langhorn race at Bedford, got the cup, but, not a starting spot. That could explain why some tracks are not on the list.
Paxton went on to tell me he took a semi-late to race against the mods one year at the 'Horne. He missed the feild bt one spot in T.T. and started on pole for a qualifiyer. he had the last qualifing spot till last lap, turn 2, when the driver ha had been battling all race long gave him a wheel and dropped Lynn from qualifing.

Look again at the list 1080, Bob Myers won at Lincoln!

[LarryJ]

In the early years of the Langhorne Race of Champions, the race was NASCAR sanctioned. They established a series of qualifying races at their sanctioned tracks. The winners of championship elimination races at the tracks were eligible for the first 25 starting positions. This was a big advantage considering the large field of cars.
When the NASCAR sanction was dropped, the qualifying races continued with sponsors like OILZUM.
I knew a driver from Baltimore, Lou Bee who won the 1957 qualifier at Westport Stadium. I can still see that big silver bowl sitting in his dining room. Sure would like to find one of those.

[1080]

I see Hilly's Flathead Palace now.....

We know Mackison was the first "Modified" to average 100 MPH during TT's in 1962 on the dirt.....but wasn't it a requirement after it was paved that you had to average 100 MPH to make the race? Seems to me Wolford or Weirman only got 99 and couldn't race in 1965(?)...

[LarryJ]

1080, you are correct. Each year there was some minimum speed that had to be met. I believe this would even eliminate Langhorne qualifier winners from making the race.