The race held at Altoona Speedway on June 12, 1926, was a 250-mile AAA National Championship event. It took place on the famous 1.25-mile high-banked wooden board oval in Tyrone (near Altoona), Pennsylvania, during the 1926 AAA Championship Car season.
Dave Lewis won the race in a front-drive Miller (car number 7), marking a significant milestone. This was the first victory in a major race for a front-wheel-drive racing car, designed by Harry Miller (Lewis’s brother-in-law). Lewis completed the 200 laps in approximately 2 hours, 13 minutes, and 25 seconds, with an average speed around 112.435 mph. He edged out second-place finisher Norman Batten by a narrow margin of just 4 seconds in a grueling, close-fought battle. Finishing third, three minutes behind Lewis, was John Duff followed by Fred Comer and Leon Duray.
The race featured intense competition typical of the board-track era. There were high speeds but also risks from splintering wood surfaces, tire failures, and mechanical issues under the new 91.5-cubic-inch engine formula introduced for 1926.
This victory contributed points toward the season standings, where Harry Hartz ultimately claimed the AAA National Championship title. Altoona hosted two championship races that year (the second on September 18, won by Frank Lockhart). The track, active from 1923 to 1931, was known for its steep banking and drew large crowds for these high-stakes events in the roaring ’20s. Tragically, Lewis’s promising career ended prematurely; he died by suicide in 1928 after personal hardships, including the loss of his ranch in a fire.
June 11, 1926
June 11, 1926
June 12, 1926
June 13, 1926
June 12, 1926
June 13, 1926