NEWS FROM THE U.S.A
NEWS FROM THE U.S.A. CUMMINGS, FOWLER, VVINN, SALL WINNERS OF DIRT TRACK CONTESTS DURING EARLY PART OF SUMMERGORDON’S NARROW ESCAPE—JENKINS TO TRY FOR NEW 24-HOUR RECORD.
A.A.A. Championship races, in years past held directly after the Indianapolis
500,” were not scheduled for 1934, but a large number of first-class dirt track contests attracted the eyes of the nation’s motor-minded during June and July.
Young Rex Mays, driving Fred Frame’s fast Miller” 4,” swept to a thrilling victory over Mauri Rose at Detroit shortly after the Indianapolis event, while Ken Fowler, Dayton, Ohio pilot, was the winner of Rose in a feature race over the Dayton track later in the month. Cummings retired from this race with motor trouble.
Al Gordon Wins at Langhorne.
Late in June, Al Gordon, the Pacific Coast, 1933 Champion, flashed his bright red Miller to victory over the mile Langhorne track, defeating a field of bigtime drivers. Cummings, who had shown the fastest qualifying speed, was forced out of the race. Gordon led the 50-mile contest almost from the start, and was never threatened.
Sall, Gordon Escape Disaster.
Bob Sall, Eastern champion, and Al Gordon had very close escapes from death at Albany, N.Y., in a mid-summer racing event. Gordon, rounding a curve on the half-mile dirt track at terrific speed, lost
BY Our American Correspondent T. MERIWETHER-SMITH
control of his Miller when the car struck a wet spot on the curve. The machine broke through the outer railings, and crashed into a tree. He escaped with a broken nose. A few seconds later, Bob Sall, sliding through the same curve, hit the wet spot, went into a broadside skid, and flipped over twice. Sall miraculously escaped with minor bruises. The races were postponed for three days, and when held, Sall came back to win the feature event after a bitter duel with Malcolm Fox. Gordon also returned despite his wreck, and won the first qualifying 5-mile race, but was forced out of the feature.
Billy Winn is Winner.
The diminutive Kansas City flyer Billy Winn, captured feature honours in the July 4th races at York, Penn., driving into the lead on the 13th lap of the 15-mile event. Cummings, in the lead until that point, lost the race when his front-axle broke.
Cummings Wins at Cincinnati.
Bill Cummings, 1934 Indianapolis winner, dodged his proverbial hard luck at Cincinnati-Hamilton Speedway, winning the feature event from Mauri Rose by a quarter lap. It was Cummings first victory after the Indianapolis triumph.
Jenkins to Try Again.
Ab Jenkins, famed hill climb and test driver, took a shot at his own 24-hour record last month. He drove a PierceArrow 12 again, but this time the machine was specially stream-lined, and designed for record work, and not merely the stripped sports car employed last year. It is alsd rumoured that Jenkins will make an attempt on the world’s one-mile land speed record next spring in a special machine.
Interest in Dixon Announcement.
A tremendous amount of interest in a rumoured try by Freddy Dixon for the world’s one-mile record is being shown in this country. The test will probably attract thousands of automotive men if held in this country.