Al Gordon (racing driver)

Edgar Alan Gordon (March 27, 1902 – January 26, 1936) was an American racecar driver.[1]

Al Gordon
BornEdgar Alan Gordon
(1902-03-27)March 27, 1902
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 26, 1936(1936-01-26) (aged 33)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of deathInjuries from racing accident

Life and career

A postman from Redlands, California[2] who also became a Long Beach night club owner among other things,[1] Gordon took up racing in 1925.[2]

He made nine starts in the AAA-sanctioned national championship from 1932 to 1935 and entered two non-points paying races after that, scoring a win at Oakland Speedway in January 1936. He drove in the Indianapolis 500 in 1932, 1934, and 1935, but never finished the race, having qualified second in 1935.[3] A regular at Legion Ascot Speedway, Gordon won the AAA Pacific Coast championship in 1933.[2]

Death

While competing in another AAA non-championship race in January 1936,[3] both Gordon and his riding mechanic, Spider Matlock, were fatally injured in a crash at Ascot,[4][5] which ended racing at the Los Angeles track.[6]

Awards

Gordon was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1999.[2]

Indianapolis 500 results
Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
1932 2637111.290174030Crash T4
1934 5117116.273522660Crash T1
1935 62119.481230170Crash T4
Totals860
Starts 3
Poles 0
Front Row 1
Wins 0
Top 5 0
Top 10 0
Retired 3

[7]

References
  1. "Al Gordon". OldRacingCars.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-16.
  2. "Al Gordon". National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum. Archived from the original on 2019-06-19.
  3. "Al Gordon". ChampCarStats.com. Archived from the original on 2022-11-27.
  4. Donnelly, Jim (September 28, 2009). "Essential racing history". Hemmings Motor News. Archived from the original on 2022-03-05.
  5. "Legion Ascot Speedway 1924–1936". Lincoln Heights LA. Archived from the original on 2018-07-27.
  6. "Crash ends racing at Legion Ascot". Los Angeles Times. January 27, 2006. Archived from the original on 2022-02-28.
  7. "Al Gordon Indianapolis 500 stats". IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. Archived from the original on 2019-08-01.


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