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Champeau in With BrandNew MachineWins Gold Cup Eventat Grand Porks This YearDave Champeau, Los Angeles. California, dirt truck drivel and | former king of the midget tracks on the Pacific Coast, is the latest of the coast drivers to enter the annual championship auto races wihch will be a feature of the 193( Clay County Fair on Tuesday, Sep tcmbcr 15, and’ Saturday, Septem ber 19.Champeau first broke into the spoiling world as a wingman on the Dragon hockey team In his home town at Grand Forks, North Dakota, where he soon became the idol of the ice fans throughout the Northwest by his brilliant playing and his aggressiveness in com pet!* Mon. During the summer months Dave spent his time helping Georg* Guttu, well known lacing cai builder, around his garage doing odd jobs.First AlignmentFinally, the speed game won the hockey player'* fancy, and he Jeff home to find fame and fortune in the speed world on the Pacific Coast. After spendinga few months as a mechanic's helper in the shops of Harry Miller, famous builder of racing cars, Champeau was finally ; given a chance to prove his driving ability when he was assigned to drive one of the Offenhauser-Miller midgets of the Don Lee racing team at the,Gilmore Stadium.After a Tew minor spills the young Frenchman finally Settled down and began chalking up an occasional win much to the surprise of oveiyone. At the close of 1934, Champeau had developed1 Into one of the best midget drivers in the country and was one of the point leaders in the national standings for small car drivers.Early this spring Champeau left Los Angeles for Indianapolis where he acted as mechanic for Charley Allen's speedway job in the Memorial Day Classic. While working at Indianapolis previous to the bigrace, Dave purchased, a chassis from one of the well known Hoosier pilots and in his--spare.time beganINTERNATIONAL MOTOR CONTEST ASSOCIATIONOFFICIAL RECORDS ‘ONE-HALF MILE REGULATION DIRT TRACK«** a««' * ****Ms1 234 ,5* 7ft *10 *I2fc *15 . *20 . *25nilieJ :2(U5—Gua Schrader, niile :54.89—Ray La nip kin.miles. 1:54.50—Gus Schrader..miles , 2;66.80-Sig Haugdhl.. miles 3:56.80^Sig Haugdahl.. miles 4:45.43—John j. Gerber miles'.7:26.60—Gus Schrader.. miles ' 9:21.00—Gus ‘Schrader.. miles lltfM^Bert A. Ffcken miles/15:02.25—Emory Collins, miles 20:06.50—Emory Collins, miles 25:14.00—Emory Collins..Miller Special.. .Wis. Special...• Miller Special. .Miller Special. .Miller Special. .Gerber Special.• Miller Special. ..Miller Special. .Ramer Special. .Miller Special.• Miller Special. .Miller Special,Iowa Stale Fulr. Des Moines............... 8-27-36Arkansas Stale Fair, Little Rock, Ark 10-15-26.Iowa State Fair, Des Moines ... i 6-17-36Eastern Slates Expo., Springfield, Mass 9-19-24Eastern States Expo., Springfield, Moss 9-19-24Frontier Park, Cedar Rapids, Iowa ....... 9- 7-31Iowa State Fair, Des Moines ....... 8-25-33Iowa State Fair, Des Moines .............. 6-20-36Frontier Park, Cedar Rapids, Iowa ....... 9- 7-31Iowa State Fair, Des Moines ....... 6-17-36Iowa State Fair, Des Moines ................ 6-17-36Iowa State Fair, Des Moines .............. 6-17-36•Made in competition.••Intermediate distances.♦•♦Exhibition;Speed DemonDAVE CHAMPEAUconstruction of what is now one of the fastest arid most beautiful dirt track racing Jobs in the county.Wins Gold CupChampeau chose to jnakc his Initial start in hia new dirt track |ob in his home town of Grand Folks this -spring where he made the second fastest time of the day in the time trials and won . the Gold Cup Handicap from a field of ten of the fastest speedway and dirt track stars In the country on the state fair track.Since the first of the season/ Champeau has chalked up ten firsts, five seconds, two thirds, and Bring the children on Kid's Day, Monday, September 14.N.H.-failed to fintah three times in twenty starts. Many experienced racing experts who have followed the meteoric rise of this young racing star, claim that he will be one of the most dangerous contenders for the pole position next year in the Indianapolis Classic in which he will drive for Charley Allen, wealthy west coast sportsman. • '• Champeau has asked permission of the fair board for the use of their fast half-mile track a feW days previous to the races, in order to accustom himself to. the treacherous turns for which the Spencer oval is famous. Champeau claims that should his Miller-Scof* field handle properly in his preliminary trials, he will attempt to shatter some of. the truck fecords .now held by Gus Schrader. • ■N.-H.Everyone Gets to See Races! That’s Policy of FairClay County Fair—Sept. Ti to 19.If it should again occur that all seats are completely sold out at the Clay County Fair auto races, as In past years, the fair will continue its policy of admitting crowds to the Infield. Every available arrangement la made to provide seats fpr all who desire them, but due to great crowds, this is not always possible.The fair has in the past adopted the fair policy of allowing overflow crowds into the infield without charge of any kind and every effort la made to see that they are given advantages. Benches were provided last year, together with drinking fountains and other conveniences for the infield overflow throngs. The fair does not discourage rail birds, but does ask that spectators remain off the roofs of barns and exhibit buildings, becauseRetaining Wall IsFactor of SafetyFrom a spectator s point of view the Clay County Fair racing oval is one of the safest in the nation. Around - the outside a concrete retaining , wall has been built surmounted by; a high and strong steel wire fence. It is as positive a protection against injury to spectators that can be devised.However, from the racing driver's point of view, it ia not so safe. ' A driver would much rather crash through a wooden fence than try to buck a concrete dike with a steelfence, to .make it that much tough-er*. - . ' -•••.... To protect infield crowds, the association has strengthened the Inside wooden fences and has fended off areas for spectators so that they are at a reasonably safe distance from harm should a car crash through the Inner rail.N.-H.Dave Champeau in Several Race Films* • ■Dave Champeau, the furious Frenchman who will be one of the two dozen racing stars on the program of events at the Clay County Fair Tuesday. September 15, anil Saturday, September 19, has had several roles In motion pictures In films depicting auto racing. Because of his good screening he is often called by his pals handsome Dave of the flickers. The hard-boiled son of Sunny France does not take kindly to this name.Dave lives in Los Angeles in the winter and races out there. In the summer he Invades the cast and has a long record of successful.racing.of the danger of'Overloading thes* roofs and causing serious Jwjci dents. i
Newspaper Details
Spencer News Herald
Spencer, Iowa, US
Thu, Sep 10, 1936
Page 34
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA, USA 11 May 2019
Other Publications Near Spencer, Iowa
Spencer Daily Reporter
Spencer Reporter
Spencer News
Spencer Clay County News
Atlas of Clay County Iowa
