Throwback Thursday: Chuck Palmgren Leads at the Harrington Half-Mile

Larry Lawrence | February 21, 2019

In this week’s Throwback we go back 44 years to 1975 and the AMA Grand National at the Harrington Half-Mile inside the Delaware State Fairgrounds.

John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” was number one on the Top 40 music charts, The Return of the Pink Panther topped the movie box office and All in the Family was the TV show everyone was watching.

The photo shows the start of the heat race with Chuck Palmgren (No. 38) leading the pack on Harrington’s cushion track made of crushed limestone. Palmgren pulled out a good lead and looked to have the heat won, the motor on his Dan Gurney-sponsored Yamaha went sour and he dropped back. Chasing Palmgren through the first turn are George Richtmeyer (No. 10B), Billy Schaeffer (No. 96), Bill Eves (No. 41), Corky Keener (No. 62), Phil McDonald (No. 58) and the rest of the field. Kenner went on to win the race.

Jay Springsteen won the national that night, becoming the first rookie to win back-to-back Grand Nationals.

You can read about this race and much more by subscribing to the Cycle News Archives by clicking:

https://www.cyclenews.com/cycle-news-archives/