This article was written by Suzanne Sickler Ohl, an early member of the Tyrone Area Historical Society.  It was first published in October 1992.

            “Lots of cars going to the Speedway – counted 1019 cars in one hour.”  This excerpt was taken from a diary written on September 4, 1923.  The destination of these cars was the Altoona-Tyrone Speedway at Tipton and the occasion was the inauguration of the one and a quarter mile oval board auto racing track.  As luck would have it, rain fell at 2:10 PM that day causing the race to be postponed until September 9, 1923.  Then began one of the nation’s biggest auto racing meccas.  World renowned racers and tens of thousands of racing fans from across the country flocked into this area.

            This new speedway in 1923 was the only racing bowl east of Indianapolis and Kansas City.  It came to be considered the finest example of speedway construction in the world.  The two grandstands and the infield could accommodate sixty to seventy thousand spectators.  The races, run on boards for eight years, took place on Labor Day in September and on Flag Day in June.  It became so popular that all spectator spaces were filled.

            Even though today the Speedway is no longer in existence, memories of its glorious past remain part of Tyrone’s heritage.  Memories and artifacts have been collected by many local residents.  One resident’s grandfather helped to supply the lumber used in building the Speedway.  In its heyday the Speedway was important to the economies of Tyrone and Altoona.  Geographically, it was located six miles north of Altoona and just four miles south of Tyrone.  Historically, it is important that future generations know that its correct name was “Altoona-Tyrone Speedway.”