Historical Marker to Honor Lingenfelter
(photo courtesy of the National Corvette Museum)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana Racing Memorial Association will Friday unveil a historical marker in northeast Indiana honoring a motorsports legend. The organization says the marker will celebrate John Lingenfelter and his company, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, in Decatur.
Brian Hasler, co-founder of the IRMA, says Lingenfelter was a proud citizen of the Decatur community, in addition to his accomplishments as a racer and businessman.
"During his career he won 14 NHRA events in four different categories of competition within the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and was the first racer in NHRA competition to break the six second quarter-mile barrier on gasoline," said Hasler. "John achieved numerous other performance accomplishments outside of drag racing, including driving a 1400 horsepower, LPE modified Pontiac Trans-Am to a record breaking 298 mph pass at the Bonneville Salt Flats."
Lingenfelter died in 2003 after a crash at a drag racing event in California more than a year earlier left him severely injured.
The IRMA says an Indiana State Resolution honoring the event will be presented to members of the Lingenfelter family, along with a mayoral proclamation. The unveiling is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. at the LPE facility in Decatur.