When it didn't bleep Matsushita I knew I was good.Originally Posted by bryant guy
Tommy Hinnershitz
Can you say that here?
When it didn't bleep Matsushita I knew I was good.Tommy Hinnershitz
Can you say that here?
April 7:
Emanuel Cedrino (b. 1879)
I believe Cedrino is the first of the 1905 AAA National Circuit Championship drivers on the list. This was the AAA's first attempt at a national championship series, before the national championship for Indy Cars first began in 1916 (or 1909, depending on your view). It was a series of short sprint races, usually five laps, around a mile dirt oval. A number of high profile incidents put the series square in the newspapers' crosshairs, and the series was abandoned after that first year.
As for Cedrino, he came to the US from Italy and showed a quick affinity for dirt track racing, picking up a number of wins from 1905-1908, while also competing in hill climbs and road races. His two starts in the 1905 series resulted in a pair of 2nd place finishes. Cedrino was killed in an accident at Pimlico (the famous horse track) in 1908, making him the first driver on this list to die in a racecar. Here he is in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup, where an early crash knocked him out:
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/vc...R_edited-1.jpg
Herman Schurch (b. 1903)
Schurch was born in Switzerland and came to America as a boy. He was a skilled sprint car racer, winning a good number of races in the Northeast and east coast. Schurch made five Indy Car starts from 1929-31, with two coming at Indy. His best result was a 6th at Syracuse in his final start. He was killed in a sprint car crash at Legion Ascot late that year. In 2010 in was inducted into the Sprint Car Racing Hall of Fame. Here he is in action at Woodbridge, NJ:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/a...8&d=1267394401
Franco Scapini (50)
Scapini spend most of the 1980s bouncing between F3 and F3000 with mild success. In 1990 he became the official test driver for the Life F1 team, one of the worst teams in F1 history. After that mess he made his one Indy Car start, finishing 11th at Surfers Paradise in 1991. He later briefly resurfaced in GT racing before retiring for good. Here he is in the Life:
http://life-engines.voila.net/scapini.jpg
Roger West (71)
West was a winner in the USAC midget series during the late 60s and early 70s. He made two Indy Car starts in 1968, finishing 10th at Springfield and 19th at Milwaukee. Here he is in a race at Davenport, IA in 1969, he's the one closest to the camera:
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums...4&d=1330813046
Catching up after Easter...
April 8:
Frank Lockhart (b. 1903)
Lockhart's Indy Car career was brief (just two years, 1926-27) but it was spectacular. All he did in his first start was win the Indianapolis 500. He won four more races later that year, with three non-points wins thrown in for good measure. A mechanical failure knocked him out of Indy the next year, but he still picked up four more wins, with another three non-points wins added in as well. There would be no follow up to that, as Lockhart was killed in a land speed record attempt the next February at Ormond Beach, FL. Here he is in Indy's Victory Lane:
http://www.motorsportmagazine.co.uk/...ctory-Lane.jpg
Mark Blundell (46)
Blundell came out of small formula cars first to sports cars (where he won the pole at Le Mans by a ridiculous six seconds in 1990) and then to F1. He spent four seasons in Formula 1 before coming stateside to CART in 1996. He came heartbreakingly close to his first win at Detroit in 1997, running out of fuel two corners from the end, but came back from that the very next race at Portland and won a three car drag race to the checkered. He won three races that year, but never came close again, failing to record even a top five finish over his last three seasons. Here's that famous Portland finish, with Gil de Ferran and Raul Boesel:
http://szykana.files.wordpress.com/2...pg?w=421&h=191
Fred Winnai (b. 1905)
Philadelphia's Fred Winnai was a solid driver on the Northeast short track circuit. He broke the world for the fastest lap on a mile oval in 1926, and also won the first ever race held at Langhorne Speedway. He appeared on-and-off in Indy Cars from 1927 through 1946, failing to qualify as often as he did make it, but he had a pretty solid 1929, finishing in the top seven in all five starts, with a best of 3rd. While he never won a points-paying race, he did take a non-points event on the Atlantic City boards in 1928. Here he is at Indy in 1929, where he finished 5th:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Mml3Nhg5KQU/R2...g%29%205th.jpg
Don Olds (b. 1916)
Olds is one of the few Indy Car drivers from North Dakota. He moved to Seattle, where he spent a decade racing sprints and midgets. He would be killed in a sprint car race at Phoenix on his 40th birthday. His lone Indy Car start came in 1953, a 16th at Sacramento. Here he is behind the wheel of a midget in Seattle:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oRAnNWtVVB...+45+MIDGET.jpg
Potsy Goacher (b. 1917)
Goacher was an Indiana midget racer who did not have an enviable record in the Indy Cars. 10 times he entered a race, and 10 times he failed to make the field. He did take part in two races as a relief driver, and even scored points in 1953 when he took Andy Linden's ride to an 8th place finish at Milwaukee. He also invented an early shoulder harness for use in midgets. Here he is in his ride for Indy in 1950, when he passed his rookie test:
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._5427797_n.jpg
April 9:
Jacques Villeneuve (41)
This is the younger Villeneuve, the one who won Indy and the series title in 1995 and the F1 title in 1997, and then immediately fell off the face of the earth. His most recent appearances were a couple of Nationwide series races last year. No idea what this year has in store for him. Here he is in his glory days of 1995:
http://www.allf1.info/gallery/pictures/jacques4.jpg
Johnny Thomson (b. 1922)
Thomson was one of America's best dirt track racers of the 1950s. He's been inducted into both the sprint and midget halls of fame, and also picked up seven Indy Car wins in a career lasting from 1953-1960. He made history at Langhorne in 1957, becoming the first driver to ever complete a 100 mile event in under an hour. His winning time was 59 minutes and 53.74 seconds, an average of 100.174 mph. He showed speed on the pavement as well, winning the pole at Indy in 1959. Thomson was killed in a sprint car race at Allentown, PA the next year. Here he is at Sacramento in 1958, where he won from pole:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/2145/...df565ca894.jpg
April 10:
Paul Russo (b. 1914)
Russo's Indy Car career spanned all the way from 1940 to 1965, though he was only a full time competitor in the later 40s and early 50s. From 1954 onward he restricted himself to Indy and maybe another race or two each year. Prior to his Indy Car career he was a part of the "Chicago Gang", a group of star midget drivers, and won the 1938 AAA eastern midget championship. He picked up a pair of wins in an Indy Car, at Springfield in 1950 and Detroit in 1951. Here he is at Indy in 1957, on his way to a personal best 4th place:
http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/w..._Novi_1957.jpg
Duke Dinsmore (b. 1913)
Dinsmore first came onto the sprint car scene in the mid-30s, and 10 years later he would find himself on the National Championship trail for the first time. 1950 was his best year, picking up his lone Indy Car win at Sacramento, but that would be the last full season he ran. He showed up sporadically over the next six years but never found the front of the field again. Here he is at Indy in 1950, where an oil leak made him the first one out of the race:
http://www.imscdn.com/gallery/500/in...t715b-6327.jpg
Mike Hawthorn (b. 1929)
Mike Hawthorn drove in his first auto race in September of 1950. Less than two years later he made his F1 debut, and within another year he was a GP winner for the first time. In 1955 he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and in 1958 (despite just one win) he found himself at the pinnacle as the F1 World Champion. 1958 was the time of his only Indy Car appearance as well, driving a Ferrari in the "Race of Two Worlds" at Monza, where he finished 3rd in the third heat. He announced his retirement immediately after winning the world title, but he didn't have long to enjoy it. Hawthorn was killed in a road car accident in January of 1959. Here he is on the Monza banking:
http://a10.idata.over-blog.com/500x3...rn-it-1958.jpg
Mark Smith (45)
Smith came up through the US junior formula car ranks, winning the 1989 Super Vee title before moving on to Indy Lights, where he won three races in three years. In 1993 he made the move up to Indy Cars, where he came painfully close to finally being the first Smith to race at Indy. He was bumped from the field by Didier Theys with just six minutes remaining. He failed to qualify again in 1994, and was out of the series after that season. His best finish was a 5th at MIS in 1994. Here he is at Long Beach in 1993, on his way to 10th:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._race_CART.jpg
Gene Haustein (b. 1907)
Detroit's Gene Haustein joined the Indy circuit in 1930, and spent six seasons there. A solid though unspectacular driver, his best finish came in 1931, a 4th place at Syracuse. Here he is at Indianapolis in 1934, when early contact knocked him out:
http://www.imscdn.com/gallery/indyca...e_Haustein.jpg
April 11:
Ralph Hepburn (b. 1896)
Hepburn's Indy Car career stretched nearly a quarter century from 1924 to 1948, but after 1931 he was virtually an Indy only driver. He was consistently near the front of the field, with three 2nds and three 3rd (including one apiece at Indy), but could never quite break through for that win. At the age of 52 he came back to try and put one of the Novis in the field at Indy, and was killed in a practice crash. Here he is back in 1926 at the Fulford-Miami Speedway, where he took the pole with a 141 mph lap (that's Barney Oldfield standing by him):
http://speedwayposters.com/blog/wp-c...ph-Hepburn.jpg
Waldo Stein (b. 1891)
Stein was a longtime associate of Barney Oldfield, riding with him as riding mechanic and also working with him as a race promoter. He occasionally got behind the wheel, and made three Indy Car starts in 1919-20, with a best of 6th in his debut on the Elgin, IL road course. Here he is at Beverly Hills in 1919 (he's on the right, Oldfield is on the left):
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s...ieldwaldos.jpg
Johnny Fedricks (b. 1925)
Fedricks was a Midwestern midget star, picking up over 100 wins across the late 40s and 50s. He also made 10 Indy Car starts from 1949-1953. He failed to finish eight of those races, but he did pick up a 3rd place finish at Langhorne in 1949 in one of the races he did finish. Here's his ride for Indy in 1953, where he failed to qualify (as he did in all four of his Indy attempts):
http://173.12.230.43/sak907.jpg
Danny Collins (b. 1928)
Collins had a long and productive history in Colorado racing. He raced formula and sports cars for 50 years, and served as a trainer and driver coach for countless racers over the years. He designed and built Formula Fords and F2000 cars, and also helped design several tracks in the state. His lone Indy Car appearance came at Pikes Peak in 1965. He qualified 17th, but was unable to start the race itself. Here's a photo of Collins:
http://www.coloradoscca.org/redline/...nnyCollins.jpg
Wayne Selser (b. 1920)
Selser was a quality midget racer, first around his hometown of St. Louis, and then later in California. He made one attempt at Indy in 1953 but failed to qualify. No photo available.
Hi Vic,
Really enjoy this thread and thanks for all the effort putting it together. Crew up watching midgets at Joliet Memorial Stadium ( 50's, 60's ....) and it's fun seeing how many guys I saw as a kid show up on their birthdays.
I hate to be picky but on March 27, the link for Cale Yarborough's picture is actually Leroy Yarbrough. Here’s the link for Cale's image from the same 67' Indy 500. http://dixierunners.speedgeezers.net/Indy1967/indy67race/images/indy_grid_yarborough_big.jpg
That was my first year at the Speedway and is pretty hard to forget especially since it was the year Parnelli Jones drove the turbine car.
Whoops! Thanks for finding that, I went back and edited the original post to have the right picture now.
April 12:
Curtis Turner (b. 1924)
Turner was one of the early legends of NASCAR racing. He was a part of the very first Cup level race in 1949, and won 17 races at that level, mostly in the 1950s. His first appearance in the Indy Car record books comes in the 1952 NASCAR Speedway Division, where he entered a pair of races. The tracks were hoping to use him as a drawing card, but he didn't show for either one. He popped up again a decade later, after NASCAR had banned him for life for attempting to create a drivers' union. He had four entries in 1962-63, but his only start came at Trenton in '63, a 12th place finish. Here he is at Indy that year, where he was knocked out for the month in a practice crash:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...NERINDY-63.jpg
Ryan Dalziel (30)
Dalziel got one start in a Dale Coyne car in 2005 before getting the ride in PCM's car for most of 2007. A 7th at Toronto was his best run. His career nearly came to a halt when he and his father were swindled out of most of their money in a Ponzi scheme, but a surprise win in the 2010 24 Hours of Daytona got him back on track. Just last month he took a class win in the 12 Hours of Sebring. Here he is at Road America in 2007:
http://www.automobilsport.com/upload...ad-america.jpg
Corrado Fabi (51)
The younger brother of Teo, Corrado Fabi was a solid driver in his own right, winning the 1982 Formula 2 championship and moving in to F1 in 1983. He spent 1984 as essentially his brother's fill-in when Teo was trying to race both F1 and CART at the same time. He spent three mid-season races driving for Brabham in F1 while Teo was stateside, then drove four late-season Indy Car races while his brother was in Europe. His best Indy Car result was a 6th at Phoenix. That was pretty much the end of his career, as late that year his father died, and he returned home to run the company business. Here's a shot of Corrado:
http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/2...rradofabi1.jpg
Ross Cheever (48)
Eddie's younger brother made a very nice career for himself racing in Japan in the late 80s and early 90s. Five times in six years he finished either 2nd or 3rd in the Japanese F3000 (now Formula Nippon) standings, though he never quite got over the hump to win the championship. He did come back to the US in the summer of 1992, when he made four starts for AJ Foyt's team. An 11th in his debut at Portland was his best run. He came out of retirement in 2000 to pass rookie orientation in one of his brother's cars at Indy, but didn't make a qualifying attempt. Here's a pic of him from his Japanese days:
http://www009.upp.so-net.ne.jp/antin...an/Ross/16.jpg
Phil Threshie (59)
Threshie raced part-time on the Indy circuit from 1977 to 1981, making 15 starts. His lone top 10 finish came at the Texas World Speedway, an 8th in 1979. Since his driving career ended he's gone on to do design work for Porsches, and recently has been developing alternative fuel/hybrid systems. Here he is at Indy in 1979, when he finished 17th:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/...90547cc84b.jpg
April 13:
Dan Gurney (81)
We all know Gurney is a racing legend, but it's crazy to see just how much of a ringer he was in Indy Car road races. In just 14 starts he had 10 poles and seven wins. Every race he started in the top four, and outside of two first lap mechanical failures he finished every race in the top four. You know you're good when you have an Indy Car race named after you - not long after you retired or died, but one you're competing in. That would be the 1969 Dan Gurney 200 in Seattle, where oddly he only finished 3rd and 4th in the two heats. Here he is at Riverside in 1967, grabbing his first win from his first pole:
http://www.allamericanracers.com/fan...erside1967.jpg
Christian Lautenschlager (b. 1877)
Lautenschlager looked like a rising star for Mercedes when he drove to victory in the 1908 French Grand Prix. Rather than build upon this though, he decided to return to his job in the Mercedes factory instead. He would be coaxed back into the cockpit a few years later, and would take victory in the historic 1914 French Grand Prix, the last major race held in Europe for a few years as the wheels had been set in motion a few days earlier for the start of WWI. He again only raced part-time after the war, and came to Indianapolis in 1923. He crashed out of the race (his only Indy Car start) early, and after the next year retired for good. Here he is at Indy:
http://www.sportscardigest.com/wp-co...S-Archives.jpg
Larry Cannon (b. 1937)
"Boom Boom" Cannon found himself racing across all of USAC's divisions during his career, finding his best success in the sprint cars. He made 48 starts in an Indy Car from 1970-1981, with a pair of 8ths his best results. In 12 attempts at Indy, Cannon made the field three times. In an odd coincidence, every time he made the field Johnny Rutherford won. Here he poses before his first 500 start in 1974:
http://ims.cdn.racersites.com/prod/p...89186/FULL.jpg
Alton Soules (b. 1893)
Soules worked his way up from mechanic into a driver's seat for the 1921 season. He was starting to show some promise as a board track racer, but that was snuffed out in a late season wreck at Fresno, when he and his riding mechanic Harry Barner were killed. Here's a portrait of Soules taken at Tacoma that year:
http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.or...3/t1/30891.jpg
Leroy Van Conett (77)
Van Conett had already long established his sprint car credentials by the time he got his Indy Car shot in 1982 at the age of 47. He had already racked up seven NARC titles prior to his Indy Car run, and would later pick up an 8th while on his way to the Sprint Car Hall of Fame. One of his sprint car owners purchased an ex-Josele Garza car for 1982, and Van Conett was entered at Phoenix and Indy, but didn't make either race. Those were his only Indy Car attempts. Here he is racing inside of Rick Ferkel at Calistoga in 1978:
http://www.hammerdownusa.com/1978LeRoyFerkel.jpg
Liked ol' Boom Boom! For a barber he sure had some bad hair in that pic!
Time to catch up from the race weekend
April 14:
Joie Chitwood (b. 1912)
Much better known for the thrill show he ran later on, but he was a very good driver in the 1940s. He picked up three 5ths in seven starts at Indy, and during the 1946 season when sprint car races counted toward the National Championship he racked up seven sprint car wins. Here he is at Indy in 1948:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/mult.../1948.8341.jpg
Jeff Andretti (48)
Andretti was a winner in Indy Lights, but was a few years removed from his last full-time ride when he ran his only full Indy Car season in 1991. (He had made one prior Indy Car start in 1990). His best finish came in the season opener at Surfers Paradise, a 7th. He finished 11th in the historic Milwaukee race where his brother, dad and cousin made up the podium. He only had three starts total after that season. Here he is in Australia on his way to that 7th:
http://driversedge.org/content/image...ar_460_306.jpg
Peter Kuhn (b. 1955)
Kuhn was a Super Vee star, sweeping both the SCCA and USAC titles in 1980. He went into IMSA GT racing afterward, and it wouldn't be until 1984 that he made his three Indy Car starts. His best result came at MIS, a 16th in the fall race. Here he is in that event:
http://mwphoto.smugmug.com/Cars/CART...67_MNMtX-L.jpg
Dan Drinan (52)
Drinan has had a long and storied short track career as both a driver and builder. His Indy Car career didn't go near as well. He was 0-4 in qualifying for Indy Car races, missing at Indy in '96, '98 and '00, as well as Phoenix in '96. Here he is at Indy in 1998:
http://www.theautochannel.com/callah...6/drinan01.jpg
Last edited by Vic Mackey; 04-16-2012 at 01:24 PM.
April 15:
Mel Kenyon (79)
Quite possibly the greatest midget racer ever, Kenyon also had 60 Indy Car starts spanning 1963-1976. A quartet of 3rd place finishes would be his best. He had a very solid record at Indy, with four Top 5 finishes in eight starts. Here he is running outside Jim Malloy on his way to a 4th place finish in the 1969 500:
http://melkenyon.tripod.com/1969-with-malloy.jpg
Paul Dana (b. 1973)
Dana picked up a win in Indy Lights before moving up to Indy Cars in 2005. A 10th in his debut at Homestead would be his best finish. Here he is at rookie orientation at Indy that year, before the accident that ended his season:
http://www.indymotorspeedway.com/j/05/pdana1.jpg
Michael Greenfield (49)
Greenfield won his Indy Lights debut at Pocono in 1988, which may have signaled he was on his way to something big. That didn't happen however, as he made just nine Indy Car starts with backmarker teams in 1990-91. A 12th at the Meadowlands in 1990 was his best finish. In 1994, Penske and Mercedes weren't the only ones looking to exploit the stock block loophole. Greenfield also developed an engine, though with nowhere near the success, missing the field in 1994 and 1995. Here he is at Mid-Ohio in 1991, the only race he was ever running at the finish of:
http://mwphoto.smugmug.com/Cars/CART...73_AYc3k-L.jpg
Wallace Reid (b. 1891)
Reid's background wasn't in racing, but on the big screen. He was one of Hollywood's biggest actors of the late '10s and early '20s. His most popular films found him behind the wheel in daredevil stunts and races. With that background he entered the 1922 Indianapolis 500 but withdrew. By that point his health had deteriorated thanks to alcohol and morphine addictions, and he died early the next year. Here's Reid i his heyday:
http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV...0,214,314_.jpg
Bud Wilmot (64)
Wilmot spent some time racing USAC sprints and Silver Crown in the '70s and '80s. He has one Gold Crown dirt start in 1983, coming in 14th at DuQuoin. No photo available.
Roscoe Ford (b. 1897)
Not much out there about Ford, other than that he was a mechanic and car dealer from Indiana. He made one Indy Car appearance, driving relief for Fred Winnai at Indy in 1929. No photo available.
The tripod image for Mel Kenyon doesn't work
RIP Daniel Clive Wheldon, 2005 & 2011 Indianapolis 500 Champion
April 16:
Jigger Sirois (77)
The most famous non-qualifier in Indianapolis history. Had he just taken that qualifying time in 1969 he would have had pole, with rain washing away everyone else's attempts. Instead he missed the show that time and his other six tries. Oops. He did make 10 Indy Car starts in the late 60s and early 70s, and picked up a 5th place finish at Phoenix in 1969. Here he is during that infamous year at Indy:
http://www.imscdn.com/gallery/500/in...69203-7462.jpg
Bob Cortner (b. 1927)
Cortner spent 10 years in the California midget ranks before coming to Indy for his first crack at the 500 in 1958. He missed the show that year, and the next year was killed in a practice crash, one day after passing his rookie test. Here's a small headshot of Cortner:
http://www.laberezina.com/images/pil...ortner_bob.gif
Louis Gerard (b. 1899)
Gerard started racing in 1937, making his first ever race start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He finished 4th. He became a solid sports car racer in a career that continued through 1951. He entered a Maserati at Indianapolis in 1946, but failed to qualify in his only Indy Car attempt. Gerard would live on until the ripe old age of 101. Here he is at his Le Mans debut:
http://www.e-espai.org/gallery2/d/12...t+12-32-18.jpg
Lou Fink (b. 1889)
Fink spent some time racing in the Northeast, without a high level of success. His lone Indy Car attempt was at Altoona in 1925, a DNQ. He was killed in a sprint car at Langhorne the next year, making him the track's first fatality. No photo available.
Just worked for me, not sure what the problem is.The tripod image for Mel Kenyon doesn't work
April 17:
Steve Knapp (48)
Knapp had started making a name for himself in SCCA Pro and Club racing in the mid-'80s, but got out of the cockpit to focus on a career in the racing parts business, including starting an engine building company he still runs to this day. It wasn't until 1995 when he came out of retirement for some club racing, and by May of 1998 he was the Rookie of the Year at Indy with a 3rd place finish. In total he made 13 Indy Car starts form 1998-2000, with that first run being his best. Here he is leaving pit lane that year:
http://www.theautochannel.com/callah...16/knapp01.jpg
Les Anderson (b. 1910)
Born in Chicago, Anderson moved to Portland and became an ace sprint car driver. He made a racing return to the Midwest in 1947, finishing 11th at Indianapolis in his Indy Car debut. He also ran at Milwaukee, where he started on the front row and again came home 11th. He made two Indy Car starts the following year as well. Anderson was killed in a sprint car back in Portland in 1949. Here he is in his Indy debut:
http://ims.cdn.racersites.com/prod/p...93132/FULL.jpg
Cy Marshall (b. 1902)
Marshall has an oddly spaced Indy Car career. All of his appearances were at Indy, starting in 1928 when he drove relief for Earl Devore. Two years later he made first start. He was badly hurt in an accident, and his riding mechanic (and brother) Paul was killed. It would be 17 years before Cy Marshall came back, with a solid run to 8th in 1947. He made one more try in 1950 but failed to qualify. Here he is in 1947:
http://ims.cdn.racersites.com/prod/p...93084/FULL.jpg
Loral Tansy (b. 1904)
Tansy was an Indy-area garage owner without much of a driving pedigree. He entered the 500 in 1948, but did not qualify. That was his only Indy Car appearance. Here's a portrait of him from his driving days:
http://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/i...cd36f317/l.jpg
April 18:
Jochen Rindt (b. 1942)
Rindt was a European star, winning Le Mans in 1965 and the 1970 F1 World Championship (albeit posthumously). His time in an Indy Car didn't go nearly as well. He struggled with several cars before finally making the field at Indy in 1967 in the 32nd position. He was knocked out by a mechanical problem, and broke in the opening laps of the 1968 race as well. Those were his only Indy Car starts. Here he is in his 1967 Indy ride:
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lq...b5xmo1_500.jpg
Dick Fraizer (b. 1918)
Fraizer was a successful midget racer from Indiana who made infrequent appearances at Indy Car races in the early 50s, more often that not failing to qualify. He did find success in the NASCAR Speedway Division in 1953 though. He won a non-points race at Hickory, NC and followed that up with a 2nd place finish at Fayetteville, NC. Here he sits behind the wheel of a midget:
http://www.hoseheads.com/Dick.JPG
Mark Alderson (67)
Alderson was a veteran of the Silver Crown ranks when he took to the track at Pocono in 1981, the odd race where Silver Crown cars filled out the field. He came home 11th, tops among the Silver Crown cars. He's also one of the few drivers to have started all seven of the Gold Crown dirt races on the USAC schedule from 1981-83, picking up two 4ths and a 5th. He had one run in a proper Indy Car at Indy in 1983, but failed to qualify. Here he is leading a young Jeff Gordon in the Silver Crown race at Milwaukee in 1990:
http://www.realracinusa.com/forums/a...1&d=1328106850
Bill Milliken (101)
That's not a misprint, 101-year old Bill Milliken is still with us. One of the very few Indy Car driver born in Maine, he spent the earlier part of his career in aviation, working with flight testing before his starting his racing after WWII. He was a founding member of the Watkins Glen Road Races, and has a corner on the original street circuit named for him. In addition to driving he also served as a race official, including a stint as Chief Steward of the USGP. His two Indy Car starts came at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, a 6th in 1974 and a 15th in 1948. He also entered in 1953 but was too slow to qualify. Here he is racing up the mountain in 1947:
http://silodrome.com/wp-content/uplo...-Hillclimb.jpg
Butch Brickell (b. 1957)
Brickell was a sports car racer and Hollywood stunt man who entered all three races in the 1996 IRL season. He was injured in a practice crash at Orlando, and was not cleared to drive in either Phoenix or Indy. That was it for his Indy Car career. Here he is in the 1998 12 Hours of Sebring:
http://www.racingsportscars.com/wm/m...i=&mode=Car440
April 19:
Al Unser, Jr. (50)
I think we're all familiar with his story. Here he enjoys the spoils of victory in 1992:
http://baggyparagraphs.files.wordpre...r_at_indy1.jpg
Townsend Bell (37)
Looks like we'll be seeing him move out of the reporter's role and back into the cockpit next month. He'll be looking to replicate this 4th place run in 2009:
http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/360/PA592661.jpg
Robert Evans (b. 1890)
Evans was a participant in the first Indy 500, serving as both riding mechanic and relief driver for Jack Tower. He would make two Indy Car starts of his own, picking up a runner-up finish on the Santa Monica roads in 1912 and finishing 13th at Indy in 1913. Here he is at Indy in 1913:
http://ims.cdn.racersites.com/prod/p...94520/FULL.jpg
April 20:
Phil Hill (b. 1927)
Hill was one of America's true greats, winning the 1961 F1 title and all three major sports car endurance races. His Indy Car career was much shorter and less successful. His only start in a points paying race came back in 1950 at Pikes Peak. He finished 21st. He also took part in the Race of Two Worlds at Monza in 1958, splitting his time between two different Ferraris in that event. Here he is at Monza in the red #12:
http://www.f1pulse.com/UserFiles/Ima...-sp-090911.jpg
Adrian Fernandez (49)
Crazy stat of the day: Adrian Fernandez has more Indy Car wins than Parnelli Jones and Bill Vukovich combined. Let that one sink in for a minute. Here he is in front of the home country crowd at the inaugural Monterrey race in 2001:
http://www.fernandezracing.net/media...ianupfront.jpg
Mauricio Gugelmin (49)
Big Mo came to the states in 1993 after a five season run in F1. His best year came in 1997, when he picked up his lone win at Vancouver and set a world closed course speed record by turning in the first 240 mph lap (240.942) at Fontana. Here he is in his series debut at Mid-Ohio:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47048718@N02/5251330127
Gordon Smiley (b. 1946)
Smiley came up through the SCCA ranks, winning races in F5000, Can-Am and Super Vee before making his first Indy Car start in 1980. He made eight starts prior to his death in Indy practice in 1982, with a best result of 6th in his debut race at Ontario. Here's Smiley in practice earlier that May in 1982:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3510/...bc468be3_o.jpg
Chuck Gurney (63)
Gurney made his Indy Car debut in 1975, and made five starts scattered across the next few years, without much success. He later made two dirt Gold Crown starts, which is where he picked up his best finish in a National Championship race, a 2nd at DuQuoin in 1983. His greatest success came after his time in Indy Cars. He won a USAC supermodified title in 1985 and the Silver Crown championship in 1989, plus a number of high profile race wins, including five at the Copper World Classic. Here his car sits on the outside of row 10 at Pocono prior to 1977's race:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2766684...6850/lightbox/
Arthur Gibbons (b. 1883)
Gibbons was a member of the Velie team, serving as the team's junior driver. He was entered in the first Indy 500 in 1911, but the car was eventually withdrawn. That was Gibbons' only Indy Car appearance. He would later move out of the cockpit and onto the showroom floor as a salesman for Velie. Here he is at Indy:
http://www.bleedinggreen.com/GG2002/...140racecar.jpg
George Joerimann (b. 1894)
One of the more obscure Indy Car race winners, the 18 year old Joerimann picked up the win in the light car class in his Indy Car debut at Santa Monica in 1912. He made one other start, finishing 5th at Santa Monica two years later. No photo available.
April 21:
Michael Chandler (54)
Chandler was a race-winning Super Vee driver who made the move up in 1980, making a few starts a year. He scored one top five finish, a 4th at Riverside in 1981. A severe head injury suffered in a practice crash at Indy in 1984 essentially ended his career. He did make one Indy Lights start four years later, but his comeback never got farther than that. Here he sits in the pits at MIS in 1981, prior to the inaugural Michigan 500:
http://api.ning.com/files/gp8IzEL0no...737&height=477
Bob Droeger (b. 1915)
There's not much out there on Droeger's career. His lone Indy Car attempt came in 1948, when he failed to qualify at Indy. He was killed in a small plane crash in 1950. Here's Droeger during Indy practice:
http://indiamond6.ulib.iupui.edu/cgi...B=1&DMROTATE=0
Charlie Rogers (b. 1917)
Rogers was a short tracker out of KC in the 1930s and 1940s. After a DNQ in his first Indy Car attempt in 1938, Rogers returned eight years later. Though he missed the field as often as he made it from 1946-48 (seven starts, seven DNQs), when he did make the show he turned in some nice runs. He picked up three 5th place finishes, including back-to-back efforts in his first two starts (Milwaukee and Goshen, 1946). No photo available.
April 22:
Only two birthdays today, and neither driver needs any introduction here...
Greg Moore (b. 1975)
Here is what is easily the most requested picture of him in action:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3wKKgQNZmT...%2BMontoya.jpg
Milka Duno (43)
Here she is at Sears Point in 2010:
http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/M...7mb2temoRl.jpg
April 23:
Bob Burman (b. 1884)
Comfortable and fast in any car on any type of track, Burman was one of the sport's early stars. He began his career in 1901, and in 1906 was signed as a factory driver for the Buick team. Among his six Indy Car victories were a pair at Indianapolis, but not the race you're thinking of. His wins predated the 500, coming in 1909 and 1910. Had there been a podium back then he would've finished on it 15 times in 41 starts. Burman was still on top of his game when he was killed in a race on the streets of Corona, CA in 1916. Here's a photo of him taken in 1911:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Bob_Burman.jpg
PJ Jones (43)
After picking up several Indy Lights wins, Jones got his break with Dan Gurney's GTP team, jumping into one of the dominant Toyotas in 1992, and winning the 24 Hours of Daytona the next year. That let to a spot in Gurney's Indy Car team starting in 1996. After three years saddled with the terrible Toyota engine, and one rough season with Patrick Racing after, he disappeared from the Indy Car scene outside of a couple of one-offs at Indy. He does still pop up in the occasional NASCAR race. Here he is at Detroit in 1998:
http://mwphoto.smugmug.com/Cars/CART...35_cXSsu-L.jpg
Chris Kneifel (51)
Kneifel came out of the Atlantic ranks to make his Indy Car debut in 1982. His 6'5" frame made things a bit difficult for him, to the point of having a car (the Primus) built specially to fit him. In three seasons his best finishes were a trio of 8ths. He made a successful transition to sports cars afterward, winning on the Trans-Am circuit, and eventually finding his way into an ALMS Corvette, where he took an overall win in the 2001 24 Hours of Daytona. Following that he had an interesting run as CART's chief steward for four years. Here he is aboard the Primus at Riverside in 1983:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/...364deaca9a.jpg
Dick Atkins (b. 1936)
Atkins was a rising star on the California midget scene in the mid-'60s. He made his Indy Car debut late in the 1965 season, and his win at the Turkey Night Grand Prix that fall would lead to a ride in the Agajanian Indy Car in 1966. Atkins put in a number of good runs, culminating with a win on the Sacramento dirt. It would be his last Indy Car start, as he was killed in a sprint car at Ascot several weeks later. Here he is in his debut at Sacramento in 1965:
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums...&pictureid=384
April 24:
Billy Garrett (b. 1933)
Garrett was a winning midget driver who made his first Indy Car start in 1956. Garrett put together a number of good qualifying efforts, including a pole at Langhorne in just his third series start. His best finish would be a 5th at Sacramento the next year. He started on the front row at Milwaukee in 1958, but crashed and suffered severe head injuries that he never really recovered from. Here he is prior to his first start at Indy in 1956:
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums...pictureid=2740
Jack Etheridge (b. 1916)
Etheridge was an Atlanta-area short tracker for around 20 years, starting in the early '30s. Prior to WWII his focus was on sprints and midgets, while afterward he mostly raced stock cars. He's known to have competed in AAA sprint cars in 1946, the year they counted toward the National Championship, though no specific results are currently available. Here he is enjoying victory at Atlanta's Peach Bowl after a 1951 stock car event:
https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/im...WILD0Ken6pFAJi
Dioscoride Lanza (b. 1898)
Lanza was a minor figure in sports car and GP racing in Europe from the mid 30s through the mid 50s. He was one of four drivers entered in Harry Schell's fleet of Maseratis for Indy in 1946, but his car wound up never making the trip over from Italy. That's his only Indy Car entry. Here he is later that season in Turin, Italy:
http://leonardasf1.narod.ru/F1_Chall...40s04062dj.jpg
April 25:
Arthur Chevrolet (b. 1884)
The middle Chevrolet brother, Arthur's driving resume isn't quite the same as Gaston's or Louis', but he was still a pretty solid driver. Five of his six Indy Car starts came at Indianapolis, including three top 5 finishes in 1910 (pre-500 races). He and Louis would later become leaders in the early development of sprint cars, earning both brothers induction into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame's inaugural class. Here's Arthur in the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup, where a mechanical failure knocked him out early:
http://blog.roadandtrack.com/wp-cont...01-439x293.jpg
Herb Ardinger (b. 1910)
Ardinger was primarily an Indy-only driver in the latter half of the 1930s, though he did make a couple of appearances elsewhere. He put the car on the front row in 1937, and in 1947 (following an eight year layoff) he had his best run, starting and finishing 4th in a Novi. Here he is in 1947:
http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/w...I/imsc4046.jpg
April 26:
Geoff Boss (43)
One of three racing Bosses, Geoff made his way through Barber Dodge and four full seasons of Indy Lights, with a little time off afterward, before hooking up with Dale Coyne partway through the 2003 season. There wasn't much in the way of results, as he never started better than 17th, but he did pick up a 9th place finish in his final start at Surfers Paradise. Here he is in Toronto, on his way to 14th:
http://www.scheuern.com/photoblog/ar.../tor03gb01.jpg
George Howie (b. 1899)
Howie has the distinction of being the only Indy Car driver born in Syria; his father was a US diplomat working there at the time. Howie only made one of the six Indy Car races he attempted from 1931-1933, but he made that one start count by getting in the field at Indy in 1931 and finishing 11th. He also ran a few laps in the 1933 race as a relief driver for Russ Snowberger. Here he is at Indy in 1932, when he did not qualify:
http://www.quincylooperracing.us/ima...ie-carRace.JPG
Going rapid fire here to catch up from the weekend...
April 27:
Bob Bondurant (79)
Dominant sports car driver in the early 60s... 9 F1 starts as well... now better known for racing school... DNQ at Indy in 1967, only Indy Car attempt... 1966 F1 race:
http://richardsf1.com/wp-content/upl...bBondurant.jpg
Carlo Felice Trossi (b. 1908)
Pre-WWII GP driver going back to the early 30s... two major GP wins (Italy 1947 and Switzerland 1948)... lone Indy Car appearance was in relief of Frederick McEvoy at 1936 Vanderbilt Cup, drove car to 6th... posing prior to winning minor GP at Montreux, Switzerland in 1934:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...e_Montreux.jpg
Don Horvath (b. 1935)
Solid California midget racer from mid 50s to mid 60s... 4 Indy Car entries, 1 start (13th at Trenton in 1961)... photo from that Trenton race:
http://www.thevintageracer.com/nise/horvath.jpg
Russ Klar (b. 1914)
Standout midget racer in the Northeast... had a career spanning nearly 50 years... 3 DNQs in 1955, only Indy Car attempts... here he is racing a midget at Reading, PA in 1954:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/...398fa50b_o.jpg
April 28:
Al Miller (b. 1907)
This is the earlier of the two Al Millers... appeared in Indy Car from 1932-1950... best finish 2nd in Springfield in 1940... driving rear engined Tucker entry at Indy in 1947, his final start:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JBA_90Mrxs...+al+miller.png
Arthur Greiner (b. 1884)
Talented amateur driver who made four Indy Car starts in 1909-11... has a 3rd and two 4th place finishes... finished last in very first Indy 500, injuries from that crash sent him on a downward spiral, leading to his eventual death five years later... portrait of Arthur in 1910:
http://www.chuckstoyland.com/nationa...ner%20C301.jpg
Steve McGrath (b. 1925)
3 time ARDC midget champ who also raced in and later headed NASCAR's midget division... 4 NASCAR Cup level starts as well... started 3 Speedway Division races in 1952, best of 10th at Charlotte... behind the wheel of a midget in 1948:
http://www.thevintageracer.com/vow48/dt41.jpg
Frank Chianelli (b. 1956)
Pittsburgh driver who raced late models as well as formula cars... entered 1985 Pocono 500 but withdrew... later put a body on his Indy Car and raced in Can-Am... racing it in the 1986 Can-Am race at Mosport:
http://www.racingsportscars.com/wm/m...i=&mode=Car440
Frank Gelnaw (b. 1884)
Most of his Indy Car starts came in 1910... picked up a win in his final Indy Car start on the undercard for the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup... no photo available
Bill Lipscomb (b. 1901)
Dirt track racer during the 30s... entered Indy in 1940 and 1941, DNQ both times... no photo available
April 29:
Jerry Karl (b. 1941)
Very good sprint/midget driver who showed versatility with good runs in F5000 and Can-Am as well... Indy Car career stretched from 1969 to 1985... never had particularly good equipment, best result in 73 starts was a 7th at Ontario in 1974... on his was to best Indy finish of 13th in 1975:
http://www.500legends.com/uploads/me...20wing%208.jpg
Cal Niday (b. 1914)
Put together a nice midget career despite losing a leg in a motorcycle accident... won several midget titles while touring Australia... made 18 Indy Car starts, including (mostly) full season efforts in 1953 and 1954... best finish of 5th at Springfield in 1953... pictured before his final Indy 500 in 1955:
http://images52.fotki.com/v641/photo.../d74Nk6-vi.jpg
H. A. Wetmore (b. 1877)
Best known for farm equipment, including developing top-of-the-line tractors... also owned a car dealership and raced to show off the reliability of his cars... lone Indy Car start came at Sioux City, IA in 1914, finishing 10th on the dirt track... portrait of Wetmore:
http://www.farmcollector.com/uploade...zed600X400.jpg
Ronnie Burke (67)
USAC sprint car/Silver Crown driver from the 60s into the 90s... entered four dirt track Indy Car races in 1970 with no starts... made two Gold Grown dirt starts, with best of 9th at DuQuoin in 1983... old shot of Burke:
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...VOLUME-117.jpg
Mike Burch (b. 1907)
One of the most obscure Indy entrants... came up from Texas in 1950 but never saw the track... no real driving career to speak of... no photo available
April 30:
Norman Batten (b. 1893)
Generally uncredited Indy 500 winner... relieved Peter DePaolo in 1925, but because he didn't start or finish the race he wasn't listed as co-winner... does get credit for a win in Atlantic City in 1926... qualified on pole for his Indy Car debut at Syracuse in 1924... died along with fellow driver Earl Devore when their boat sank on their way to race in South America in 1928... classic photo of Batten driving his car while on fire at Indy in 1927:
http://www.imscdn.com/gallery/500/in..._fire_h751.jpg
Darren Manning (37)
Japanese F3 champ in 1999... that year became first driver to start on pole for prestigious Macau GP, lead every lap, win the race and set the track record since Ayrton Senna... made Indy Car debut at Rockingham, driving for Dale Coyne in 2002... had two 2nd place finishes, in Australia in '03 and Watkins Glen in '08... racing at Mid-Ohio in 2008:
http://www4.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/H...xqrW8dBIyl.jpg
Leon Duray (b. 1894)
Was born George Stewart, and changed his name in honor of another racer, Arthur Duray... 50 Indy Car starts from 1922 to 1931... specialized in the board tracks, with all 12 top five finishes, including four wins, coming on those tracks... won two poles at Indy (1925 and 1928) but never finished better than 6th there... here he makes his Indy debut in 1922:
http://www.motorsnaps.com/d/21785-4/...+laps+axle.jpg
Andy Hillenburg (49)
Not to be confused with WoO driver with the same name... this Andy was a 10 year ARCA veteran who won at Daytona in 1997... now the owner of Rockingham Speedway... entered Indy in 1989 but was declined due to lack of experience, came back 11 years later and made the field, finishing 28th... here's that run:
http://indymotorspeedway.com/j/00/andyhill.jpg
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