The September 1, 1924, race at Altoona Speedway—known as the Fall Classic—was the fifth round of the AAA National Championship. Held on the 1.25-mile high-banked board oval in Tyrone, Pennsylvania (near Altoona), this 250-mile event took place on Labor Day. Ernie Ansterberg set the 1.25-mile closed course record during qualifying with a speed of 125.7 mph. Starting positions for the 200-lap race were determined by draw which resulted in Jimmy Murphy starting last in the 14-car field.
Jimmy Murphy dominated in his #2 Miller Special in front of over 70,000 fans, leading 169 laps and winning $9,000 with an average speed of 113.659 mph. The race featured an intense battle in the late stages between Murphy, Tommy Milton, and Joe Boyer. Tragically, the event was marred by Boyer’s fatal crash on lap 191 while chasing Murphy and Milton at high speed. Boyer blew a tire and struck the outer guard rail, suffering injuries that led to his death hours later.
This victory marked Murphy’s third win of the season (following June at Altoona and July at Kansas City), solidifying his points lead. He would win the title posthumously when he was killed just two weeks later while challenging for the lead in Syracuse, New York. National Championship racing exemplified the extreme speeds, fierce competition, and deadly risks that existed all too often.
