Author: Angela
Last saved by: William B. Jennings

1954

NEWS AND HAPPENINGS OF THE 1954 A.M.R.C.A. NATIONALS

The 1954 Miniature Race Car National Championships are History now.  They were hailed by many as the best we have ever had.  One thing sure the Banquet held on Friday evening was the biggest ever.  A very good attendance was had and all seemed to have had a good time.  There were over forty cars qualified in Custom Proto alone, with only seven cars running under 140.00 M.P.H.  A very good show of sportsmanship prevailed over the event, which was partly responsible for the good speeds, and amount of cars that qualified.  The results of these 1954 National is proof that the Sport of Model Car Racing has made its bid to say in the limelight of Hobbies.

The Mayor of Anderson, Indiana cut the tape promptly at the given starting time Thursday Morning and gave a short Welcoming speech, then pushed off the first car and the Qualifying heats were under way.  It was decided that the track would be cleaned every ten cars and that would give everyone a equal chance at a fairly clean track, which paid off in good speeds by nearly everyone.  It was apparent that the fellows were out to break Junior Wilson’s World Record, which set at this track a month earlier, but as the meet went on it his record still hold good.

The Mayor of Anderson ask personally for the 1955 Nationals to be held at this same track.  It was voted unanimously to hold them there again in 1955.  The City of Anderson sure went all out to make this Race a huge success.

Bill Cronin deserves a lot of credit for making the event one of the best. There just wasn’t anything that he didn’t take care of.  The food that we had at the Banquet was out of this world, a very good turnout was had at the meeting held after the banquet at Lindor’s.  A movie loaned to us about all kinds of Racing from the Champion Spark Plug Co. of Toledo, Ohio was very interesting and helped make our evening complete.  

WLBC Television of Muncie, Indiana covered the event and it was broadcast on three different broadcasts.  Watch your Magazines for pictures as there should be same in there.

The first place winners are listed in the following, and the rundown of all contestants are on the following pages.

Joe Kantrow Jr.	Detroit, Mich.	CustomClass Proto	1234 Car  147.78 M.P.H.
Carl Howard		Toledo,Ohio	Custom Sportsman	1234 Car  130.43 M.P.H.
Howard Fox		Bethlehem,PA Spur Gear		Borden     141.07 M.P.H.
Guy Richards	Akron,Ohio	BB Class		Invader     116.58 M.P.H.

At the meeting held after the banquet Friday evening, John Sybrandt our President conducted a very nice meeting, and Bill Wunderlich the Vice President of the A.M.R.C.A. gave a very good talk on the value of publicity to our local clubs in regards to promoting interest in the Hobby of Model Car Racing.  Nominations for officers were taken and they’ll be mailed out in the next month or so.  

Carl Howard