1984 – Al Sweeney Dead at 78

 

Al Sweeney (right) turns over the presidency of National Speedways to Gene Van Winkle of Lincoln, Neb. Starting in 1935, Sweeney promoted IMCA races throughout the Midwest and started the successful “Hawkeye Futurity” for sprint cars and the “Iowa 300” for the stock car division.

Tampa, Fla. (May 21, 1984) – Al Sweeney, 78, nationally-known as one of the top auto racing promoters from 1935 until the early 1970’s, died Monday of an apparent heart attack in Tampa.

Apparently, Sweeney was traveling from his home to a Tampa hospital when stricken. He was involved in a minor traffic accident, but he died before he could be taken to the hospital. Sweeney’s wife, Brunch, is hospitalized after suffering a stroke and he was on his way to visit her.

Sweeney resigned as president of National Speedways in 1972. He stayed on in an advisory role until he got out of auto racing altogether in 1976.

Sweeney was originally from Ottawa, Canada, but resided in Chicago for 50 years until moving to Tampa in 1959. Sweeney’s career began in the 1930’s as a boxing promoter but he soon followed in the footsteps of legendary racing promoter J. Alex Sloan, “The Grandaddy of Dirt Track Racing.”

Sweeney promoted many IMCA races throughout the Midwest. In Iowa, he also started the highly successful “Hawkeye Futurity” for sprint cars and the “Iowa International (Iowa 300)” for stock cars, annual mid-summer events at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. At one time, during the height of National Speedway’s involvement in promoting IMCA events, Sweeney, and Van Winkle, working with two separate teams, presented 125 races in 17 states and four Canadian provinces.

In addition to his automobile racing endeavors, Sweeney was past president of the Showman’s League of America, an organization in which he remained active until his death.