|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
State
Rep. Dan Surra |
  
|
House honors Pennsylvania's auto race track heritage
HARRISBURG, June 10 – The state House of Representatives adopted a resolution (H.R. 771) today that marks Pennsylvania's important role in the growth of auto racing as a sport by designating June 21 as "Oval Race Track Day" in Pennsylvania.
The resolution was sponsored by state Rep. Dan Surra, D-Elk/Clearfield.
"Pennsylvania has played a key role in the growth of automobile racing, particularly the oval track format," Surra said. "Not only has auto racing become a tremendously popular sport in all areas of the country, but it also has become huge economically – and Pennsylvania has played a key role in the sport's development."
Surra said road racing was the prevalent form of auto racing in America before the beginning of the 20th century. However, by the early years of the 1900s, car manufacturers and dealers were starting to sponsor oval track races at local horse tracks and other venues. After World War I, specially built oval tracks for automobiles became more numerous. One of the most famous was the Altoona Board Track, constructed of wood and measuring 1-1/4 miles in length. Smaller wooden oval tracks were also built at many county fairgrounds in Pennsylvania.
Crowds grew at oval-track races as automobiles were modified to go faster around these wooden tracks, and on the growing number of oiled dirt tracks and paved tracks.
"The oval tracks have disappeared from most fairgrounds, but the tradition of weekly oval-track racing that they spawned in Pennsylvania has continued to grow," Surra said. "Today, there are many different versions of modified stock cars racing at tracks all across Pennsylvania."
Surra said Williams Grove Speedway, near Dillsburg and Mechanicsburg, Pa., is the second-oldest, continuously operating speedway in the nation, behind only the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"Over the years, Pennsylvania has had more than 300 oval tracks, and more than 50 of those tracks are still operating today," Surra said. "Oval-track racing and its fans represent an important part of Pennsylvania's economy and entertainment industry, and the tradition of oval-track racing in Pennsylvania played an important role in the multi-billion dollar business of stock-car racing that we know today."
The House adopted the resolution 202-0.
###