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.