1941 AMA Trophy question

[duffeycycles]

I have this trophy from the 1941 AMA Mississippi Championship Tourist Trophy Race, won by Charles Chenoweth, Ottumwa Iowa Indian dealer. Does anyone have info on where this TT track was ?

DSC_0520.JPG

[JoJo357]

Hey Duffy, i've checked the Harley Enthusiast magazine from August 1941, and in the Victories column they show a TT race in Flat River, Missouri that was sponsored by the Lead-Belt Motorcycle Club of Flat River. Eddie Price & A.C. Douglas finished one-two in that featured final. Outside of that, there was no mention of the track. I also checked Charles Chenoweth and Ottumwa Iowa Indian dealer with zero luck! I don't have many pre-war Enthusiast's, but racing was non-existent between 1942 to 1945 because of WWII. Maybe someone here can check their 1941 issues of the H-D Enthusiast from April on, and more than likely they featured or posted information on that particular race.

*P.s That is one nice looking quality trophy!!

*M.A.D.*

[badger34]

I came up with, Aug 31st Mississippi Valley Championship Black Hawk Speedway Waterloo IA on Black Hawk Rd 2 miles southwest of Falls Ave.

[duffeycycles]

Thanx Guys, Waterloo it is. You would expect closer to the Mississippi river or in the state. I was thinking Waterloo as possible. I remember an antique store in Waterloo that had 40-50 motorcycle trohies for sale. It must have been in my head that I saw Mississippi Valley trophys there. Lets dispell the story that no races were held in 1942. That was true for Daytona & other big races. Here is a similar trophy won by Chenoweth, Gypsy tour at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids IA. July 5th 1942. Best Dressed Club. The race was won by Johnny Spiegelhoff, Indian Guy from Millwaukee Wis. Somehwhere I have newspaper clips for this trophy. Side note; Chenoweth & Harley Dealer "Baldy" Lentner took in trades from opposite manufacturers. They used sledge hammers & knocked the front cylinder off & put them in Ottumwa dump. Smitty told me that the Cedar Rapids Gypsy tour meet in 1942 was the most fun of all. It was always fun but the war was on many were heading to war & they had a wild time that year. Bob Pazour, Indian Dealer from Cedar Rapids sponsored the Hawkeye Downs Gypsy Tours....AMA Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame | Johnny Spiegelhoff


Trophy 2.JPG

[duffeycycles]

Another trophy I have, July 29th 1935 Bob Stebor, High Point Man, Waterloo M.C. Field Meet. Also a pic of Waterloo Blackhawk Motorcycle Club. [Waterloo is in Black Hawk County] Tibbitt's HD Waterloo IA. Trophy 3.JPG Trophy 4.JPG blackhawk mc1.jpg

[badger34]

The Black Hawk Speedway TT track in Waterloo seems to have been very short-lived, 1940-1941. The 1941 championship race may have been the last race run there.

The war effort racing ban was originally slated to go into effect on July 10 1942, but was postponed until July 31 1942.

Johnny Spiegelhoff was a H-D rider through 1938 when he won the first annual Sturgis race meet on a H-D, he made the switch to Indian for 1939. During the 1934-35 speedway period in Milwaukee he received a Crocker speedway machine from the west coast to ride. Johnny's brother-in-law was Harold "Hal" Deckert, well known as a H-D experimental dept employee. My g'pa and Hal were fellow Milw MC members, co-workers and friends. I asked my grandmother about Johnny Spiegelhoff and she recalled him as being "quite the character" and popular with the ladies.

[duffeycycles]

Good stuff, Smitty said Spiegelhoff was a fun guy. I did know that he raced HD before Indian but more famous with wins on Indian. Smitty said the reason 1942 Hawkeye downs was the best ever was the number of women that showed up to send "Their Boys" off. Pazour continued selling motorcycles long after Indian's demise. Tuman told me that Bob Pazour bought by far, the most Mag bases to build Little Base Indian racers from Hess Engineering in Blue Island Illinois.

Pazour gravestone.jpeg

Pazour Cycle Company ashtray.JPG

[badger34]

Roger, here are newspaper clippings to keep with your Chenoweth trophy.

1941-08-29 The Courier pt1.jpg 1941-08-29 The Courier pt2.jpg

1941-09-01 Des Moines Tribune.jpg