The Spring Classic at Altoona Speedway, held on June 13, 1925, was a key 250-mile event on the AAA National Championship schedule. It took place on the 1.25-mile high-banked wooden board oval located near Tipton (often listed as Tyrone), Pennsylvania. This mid-season race, sometimes referred to as the Flag Day/Spring Classic, featured intense competition on one of the era’s most demanding board tracks, known for its steep 32-degree banking in the turns that enabled sustained high speeds but posed significant risks from tire wear, mechanical stress, and potential structural issues.
Peter DePaolo, driving a Duesenberg Eight Speedway Roadster (car #12), secured victory after starting 14th and overcoming gusty wind conditions that led officials to ban disc wheels for safety. He completed the 200 laps in 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 45.1 seconds, averaging approximately 115.606 mph. Initially, Tommy Milton was declared the winner, but a scoring check changed the results. DePaolo finished ahead of Frank Elliott (Miller) in second (just 9 seconds back) and Tommy Milton (Miller) in third, with other top finishers including Harry Hartz, Fred Comer, and Peter Kreis. The race highlighted endurance and strategy, as relief drivers were common due to driver fatigue on the punishing wooden surface, and tire wear remained relatively manageable compared to some later events.
Altoona Speedway, operational from 1923 to 1931, was a premier venue in the Golden Age of American board track racing, drawing large crowds for its blistering velocities (qualifying laps often exceeded 130 mph). This win marked one of DePaolo’s five championship victories that year (including the Indianapolis 500), solidifying his path to the national title with dominant performances across the grueling AAA schedule. The event exemplified the thrills and perils of 1920s oval racing before board tracks fell out of favor due to high maintenance costs and safety concerns.
June 10, 1925
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June 15, 1925