Quote:
Originally Posted by openwheelfan1
On this day 46 years ago we lost James McElreath in a tragic accident during the first of twin 50 lap USAC sprint features at Winchester. A rising star, James was a genuinely nice guy with an immense pedigree and a ton of talent. Thankful to have known you. Race in Peace!
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I was just getting ready to post about this when I saw your post. Seems like Winchester always produced drama. On my first visit October 17, 1971, Larry (Boom Boom) Cannon contacted the wall at the flagstand and flipped the length of the straightaway, winding up at the bottom of the track in the first turn. He gained considerable altitude during the flip and his arms extended out of the cockpit over his head in a spectacular fashion. At the time we still had an afternoon newspaper in Evansville and a photo of Larry flying through the air was posted. The caption read, Cannon misfires.
On a personal level 50 years ago on October 14, 1973 I was involved in a serious accident north of Vincennes while returning from Winchester when a drunk driver made a left turn in front of me. My dad spent 17 days in the hospital as a result.
I miss the days of the twin 50s that were run at different tracks every Sunday in October for several years.