33 is just a number
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| Even the great Juan Fangio was not fast enough to make the Indy 500 |
[Editor's Note: All information from OldRacingCar.com ]
Since the split of IndyCar racing in 1996 by Tony George there has been almost zero bumping for the Indy 500. 33 was just a number we were told by the Hulman George family in case less than 33 drivers can be drummed up. Today everyone makes the race.
There are hundreds that have entered the Indianapolis 500 but who were unable to make the field in a given year. Jon Noggle researched those who "almost made it" just since WWII, many of whom we remember. The year after the driver's name indicates a year they failed to qualify. You might be surprised at some of the big names who DIDN'T make it.
Tony Adamowicz – '70-71 (history at Le Mans, now works with a safety manufacturer and is a driver instructor)
Chris Amon – '67 (now works on his NZ farm and is a consultant to a few motor racing projects in his homeland)
Scott Atchison – '88 (US Formula Ford in '85 &'87, Super Formula Vee champion, raced in CART but never lived up to promise, also raced in Trans-Am & sportscars, including a few Baja 1000's)
Dick Atkins – '66 (outstanding sprint car driver, killed in a sprint car accident with Don Branson [Gardena, CA, 11/22/66])
Johnny Baldwin – '56 (midget racer from California, continued to race until 1990 in vintage midgets)
Stanton Barrett – '09 (stunt driver, tried his skills in various racing divisions without much success, concentrates on his film stunt coordinator roles, but also bobsleds, involved in a racing team management role)
Kevin Bartlett – '70 Still very much involved with motorsport, both current and historic)
Buzz Barton – '52-'53 (midget, supermodified, and sprint car driver)
[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]Joe Barzda – '51-'53 (quit after involvement in Van Johnson's fatal crash [Wms. Grove, PA, 7/15/59], with brother Jim, he ran the Californian Speed & Sport shop in NJ which fielded cars in CART & endurance racing)
Rollie Beale – '68 ('73 USAC sprint champ, "Little 500" winner, later, a USAC sprint official)
Justin Bell – '96 (endurance racer, now runs a racing school in FL and drives in endurance events and is a car tester, a Speed TV pit-lane commentator, and writes an online column, son of Derek Bell)
George Benson – '69 (lives on sailboat in CA, wrote his autobiography, inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame ['14], began racing motorcycles ['52], reputation as a safe and capable driver)
Ross Bentley – '93-'94 (sports car driver in '90's, known for his books on driving techniques, is a driver coach, involved in traffic safety, has a performance consultancy, was driver in Grand-Am ['00-'10])
Merle Bettenhausen – '72 (badly burned and lost right arm in a '72 MI Speedway crash, recently retired from IN auto dealership, motivational speaker at Veteran's hospitals and elsewhere)
Lucien Bianchi – '67 (versatile racer, was probably best in sportscars, won '68 Le Mans race, killed in a test for'69 Le Mans race)
Tony Bonadies – '55,'57 (experienced midget driver, killed in an ARDC midget crash [Wms. Grove, PA, 7/5/64])
Bob Bondurant – '67 (from F-1, now has driving schools & writes books on performance driving; also does TV commentary)
Neil Bonnett – '79 (stock car driver who left IMS practice to accept a Nascar ride)
Mike Borkowski – '99 (works mainly as a car tuner, occasional endurance racer [since 2010])
Lindley Bothwell – '49 (successful orange grove farmer & cattle breeder, best known for his huge private car collection and Hall of Fame, which is still run by the family)
Bill Boyd – '51 (excellent midget driver, supplemented his racing by selling racing parts)
Lee Brayton – '72-'74 (owns Brayton Engineering, close ties to Buick, racing career ['53-'75]but forced to retire so bank would approve a loan for him to go into sand & gravel business, father of Scott Brayton)
Steve Bren – '86 (now is a property developer & art collector)
Leslie Brooke – '47 (in post-war Grand Prix & rallies in the '50's, then became an engine builder. Won a George Medal for bravery during the Coventry Blitz of WWII)
Bert Brooks – '61 (started his career on motorcycles, best known as a sprint car driver, a 1961 crash left him with only one good arm, killed in a midget crash [Hershey, PA, 9/2/68])
Norm Brown – '67 (dirt-track and sprint car ace, badly burned in IndyCar crash that killed Ronnie Duman [Milwaukee, WI, 6/9/68], now retired from owning steel hauling business, still bears the scars of his crash)
Jim Brubaker – '46-'49 (mainly a dirt sprint car racer, PA-based private entrant and car owner, failed to qualify four times in a car with an exotic history. after failing in '49, he sold it to fellow racer George Weaver)
[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]Jim Buick – '81-'83 (airline pilot, original entrant at 1st IRL race [Orlando, FL, '96], retired in '01 from racing, now chief pilot & flight dept. manager for 5 corporations, flying 2 corporate aircraft, still follows racing)
Frank Burany – '49 (midget driver, later became a helicopter pilot for TV coverage and also ran a motel near Milwaukee, supports local racing and auto trade activities, regularly attends Bench Racing Weekend)
Steve Butler – '89 (sprint car ace who retired in the early 90's, now works in the sheet metal business and as an engineer)
Red Byron – '47-'48 (recovered from serious injuries sustained in WWII, first ever Nascar champion, in ill-health, he retired as a driver to become a sportscar team manager)
Buddy Cagle – '56 (shop teacher at Will Rogers H. S., Tulsa, OK, after long racing career, builds experimental aircraft, 4-time Tulsa Fairgrounds Speedway Track Champion [1960's], started racing midgets as teenager [late 1940's], injured in crash & began stock car and supermodified racing, inducted into the Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame [2014])
Phil Caliva – '80-'84 (retired from racing, a dog sled fan and often visits races)
Earle Canavan – '79 (heads up the Magnesium Automotive Group, which produces magnesium parts for Nascar and hot rod racing cars)
John Cannon – '70-'74 (Can-Am winner, also raced in F-2 and F-5000; killed in a light plane crash near Quemado, NM when an air supply fault led to a fatal crash-landing)
Willard Cantrell – '53 (became the USAC regional midget supervisor after racing retirement, he later ran the NMRATA midget group)
Rudi Caracciola – '46 (one of the greatest and quickest European racers ever, pre-war he was a colossus of racing and won the European Championship 3 times)
Dana Carter – '79 (brother of Pancho, son of Duane, involved in motorsport until his early death from a heart-attack)
Neal Carter – '52 (instrumental in medical & safety development in US single-seaters ['80's], many a midget wins before retiring in '55 to concentrate on raising his family, seen each May wearing his white [40-year] Oldtimer's cap)
Ross Cheever – '00 (younger brother of Eddie, spent a long time in Japan, joined Eddie as test and back-up driver, then was a driver coach at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington,OH, now working in California real-estate)
Chuck Ciprich – '83-'84 (retired from 25 year successful racing career, mostly spent in supermodifieds, did particularly well at Oswego Speedway, also was electrician for the Conrail railroad operation in the NY area)
Bob Cleberg – '60-61 (still follows racing, was Grand Marshall at the Western World Sprint Car Championships [2008])
Bud Clemons – '57-'58 (midget driver, later became a pipe-fitter)
Leon Clum – '61-'62 (raced hot rods & in AAA and USAC events, lost an eye after the crash that finished his career, when a stone went through his goggles [New Bremen, OH], later worked as a mechanic at a Ford garage)
Jack Conely – '62 (helps the family-run motorsport team & formerly supplied parts to racing garages)
Russ Congdon – '60-'61 (midget and sprint car driver, involvement was limited after burns sustained in a crash [1964])
Tommy Copp – '62 (verstatile racer, mostly in midgets)
Bob Cortner – '58-'59 (veteran midget ace, killed in a Indy 500 practice, one day after his rookie test [1959])
Johnny Coy – '62 (midget legend, who was a regular visitor to historic events, continued racing until 1984 and helped his two sons race)
Dale Coyne – '88 (IndyCar team owner for nearly 30 years, winner in 2009 at Watkins Glen, with Justin Wilson, runs a landscape business, designed, built, & owned [until 2007] the Route 66 Speedway, in Joliet, IL
Ed Crombie – '76 (drove in USAC and Canadian supermodifieds, also flew planes, raced in the CAMRA (Canadian American Modified Racing Association) series, ran USAC events for two years, including the Indianapolis 500)
Guido Dacco – '90-'91 (also involved with driving in historic festivals and as a team boss in the FIA GT series)
Chuck Daigh – '59-'62 (worked in engineering into his 80's, was a frequent visitor to historic events, also was a car restorer)
Paul Dana – '05 (journalist and mechanic, whose career had been blighted by injury, Paul was killed in a practice crash at the IRL season opener at the Homestead-Miami track in 2006)
Jorge Daponte – '53 (was a businessman after his racing career)
John de Vries – '02 (built sandwich shop empire as a teenager, moved to Australia to develop it, began racing for fun, moved back to the US for business reasons & began racing again, now runs a number of restaurants, a cosmetic company & an ATM business)
Bruce Denslow – '46 (active in the sport '35 to '46, without much success)
Doug Didero – '00 (better known as a supermodified racer, runs a fabrication business in NC, continued to race in supermodified events until recently)
Darrell Dockery – '70 (sprint car driver & in desert racing, started racing in 1950's in modifieds, raced flat-bottomed K boats, inducted into the AZ Motorsports Hall of Fame [2013], kept ties to sport through various racing assns)
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| Mario Dominguez |
Mario Dominguez – 08 (racing full-time in Mexican Nascar and IndyCar after a few lean years with only rallies & karting events, was involved in promoting tourism & safe driving in Mexico City, but recent legal problems have prevented that)
Dan Drinan – '96-'00 (runs a custom metals fabrication shop in Indianapolis, supplies racing products, including exhausts, & develops both anti-roll systems & car wash systems, raced mainly in midgets, but got started as a mechanic at Newman Haas, and then worked with Mario and Michael Andretti, also for a while Operations Manager and chief mechanic at Hemelgarn Racing)
Bob Droeger – '48 (obscure entrant, who was killed when the plane he was flying near his IN home, exploded and crashed)
Lee Drollinger – '60 (a regular backmarker in USAC events in the '50's and early '60's)
Max Dudley – '69 (better known for Trans-Am, later ran a trucking company, has often raced north of the border around Vancouver and keeps ties with the Canadian historic scene, also enjoys working with cars)
Teddy Duncan – '49-'50 (successful midget driver, especially in MO and IL)
Rex Easton – '58-'59 (frequent competitor in USAC and AAA events in the '50's, won the '54 Midwest midget title, coming in 2nd in the AAA national series that year)
Kenny Eaton – '49-'51 (WWII vet, grocery store & apple orchard owner, was real estate dealer, and served as police officer)
Chuck Engel – '63 (also worked as an excavator, record-setting qualifier in sprint car events, once holding the records at both Salem & Winchester Speedways, now lives in Frankfort, OH and keeps in touch with sprint car racing)
Jack Ensley – '58-'61 (best known as a sports car driver, owned many businesses, mainly in IN & AZ, including golf centers, restaurants, gambling establishments, & cocktail lounges, also ran a garage, which specialized in sportscars, was also a proficient dancer, and one of his main dancing partners was Joan Crawford, one of oldest ever rookies [age 51] in the Indy 500's history)
Brandon Erwin – '01 (Erwin's mother died as he was attempting to qualify for Indy, so he never had a proper chance at the event, sometimes races in his home state of TX, mostly in sprint cars, but also works in law and real estate)
Cy Fairchild – '69 (regular visitor to historic events, runs a MI cattle farm, has done promotional work)
Jack Fairman – '62 (ran a garage business in London and a mechanical parts concern in Surrey, an exceptional test and development driver which overshadowed his racing career, great success in sports cars)
Juan-Manuel Fangio – '58 (the legendary driver, arguably the greatest of them all, was a roving ambassador for the sport and Mercedes until just a few months before his death)
Giuseppe Farina – '56 (killed in a road crash in France while on way to the '66 French GP, in which he was filming throughout the season, was a doctor of engineering, & won the first World Championship, despite being an intelligent and undeniably great driver, his controversial driving style and aloofness have dented his legacy somewhat)
Cotton Farmer – '61 (real name Alvin, was also a rodeo rider before racing, grew up on a ranch, also worked as automotive chemical salesman, visitor to events and a friendly host to those interested in his era)
Johnny Fedricks = '50-'57 (midget ace, with over 100 wins, raced for most of the 1950's and also attempted a couple of endurance touring events as well)
Ed Finley – '79 (car owner, mostly a backmarker during his career, mostly in late '70's, was a Marine Corps veteran who later served as a South Dakota National Guard staff sergeant, was jailed for a year in 2009 for tax fraud, falsifyng his son's tax returns and upon his release, has kept a relatively low profile)
Nick Firestone – '99 (great-grandson of Harvey, the tire magnate, no relation to Dennis, lives in Scottsdale, AZ where he runs a motorsports PR and promotion service, also raced in Europe briefly)
John Fitch – '53 (former manager of Lime Rock road course and its team boss, biggest legacy is motor racing safety, as well as pioneering work to road car safety, has worked on advanced driver safety capsule systems, was also a track design consultant and invented many automotive devices)
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| Emerson Fittipaldi |
Emerson Fittipaldi – '95 (former IndyCar and 2-time F1 champion. Now grows Oranges in Brazil and lives in Miami)
Dick Fraizer – '49-'52 (retired after his Indy attempts, and later became a mechanic, worked in a number of garages and in a muffler shop)
Tom Frantz – '77-'79 (ran a garage and auto body shop in Denver, now lives in Littleton, CO)
Franck Freon – '95 (drove in Indy Lights and CART for a few years, also drove in sportscars and GT racing, now retired & lives in NJ where he runs a classic car dealership called "Pumpkin Fine Cars and Classics")
Bob Frey – '82 (outstanding pavement sprint car driver winning many classic events, owned his own mortuary in Wickenburg, Arizona, but retired in '05)
Andy Furci – '57 (Brooklyn driver who raced into his '60's, also ran some Italian restaurants with his brothers and for a few years, while in his late '70's, would sing "The National Anthem" at the annual Oldtimer's Bar-Be-Que)
Louis Gerard – '46 (first major driver to reach the 21st Century, Louis died at the grand age of 101 in 2000, continued in motorsports until the 1950's, he also ran an alcohol distributorship)
Bruno Giacomelli – '84 (also made a few attempts in the Porsche Supercup on rare one-offs in the 90's and early 00's, drove in F1 for a couple of years, now lives in Italy)
Joe Giba – '58 (well-respected, well-mannered racer who raced for over 30 years, mostly in midgets, but also in motorcycles, starting as a youngster in the late '20's in hillclimbing trials. Became a midget and sprint car builder after his driving retirement finally came about in the 1960's, and also built engines, as he was a proficient engineer and mechanic, later became master machinist at Merrill Engineering)
Todd Gibson – '77-'79 (now retired, but still helps son Gene Lee, who is a veteran winner himself in open-wheel racing, formerly built and designed racing cars & engines, other sons are in the sport, as well as his grandson Zach, but one of his sons Terry was killed in a race crash in 2008, lives in Ohio)
Memo Gidley – '00-'02 (races in USCS and US Touring Cars., but is recovering from serious injuries sustained in a nasty crash in '14. Born in Mexico of US and Canadian parents, he spent much of his first eight years on a boat as his father was a fisherman and his mother a writer, races jet skis and also sails)
Richie Ginther – '67 (technically superb driver, retired from driving as he no longer enjoyed the driving enough to warrant the risks, he later ran a few teams and worked as a mechanic, later lived in Mexico, his love for fireworks saw him once get in trouble at Daytona when he let a firework off that went under a police car by accident and he endured a night in jail, a big fan of Native American history)
Charlie Glotzbach – '69-'70 (raced until the 1990's, mostly in stock cars, still attends historic events and runs a truck sales company)
Potsy Goacher – '53-'54 (from Anderson, IN, real name was Paul, brothers also dabbled in the sport, mostly in sprint, midget and dirt cars)
Roy Graham – '62 (midget star, had a lot of success in Indiana after moving there in the '40's, working closely with Marion Roberts, then returned to New York, where he took a few more titles before retiring)
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| Andy Granatelli |
Andy Granatelli – '48 (car owner & designer, promotion man, etc. during long time in the sport, later became a successful business entrepreneur in California, & also ran a supercharger business, had a number of property interests)
Michael Greenfield – '89-'95 (vice-president of manufacturing at Greenfield Industries, a custom die casting/manufacturing company)
Bob Gregg – '50 (his son Mike Gregg also became a successful midget star like his father)
Perry Grimm – '52 (one of the top midget drivers of the '40's, peaked in the very late 1940's driving for Vic Edelbrock Sr., gave up racing after sustaining serious injuries in a couple of bad crashes, won two Turkey Night Grand Prix's at Gilmore Speedway in '46 and '49)
Olivier Grouillard – '93 (an F1 & sports car driver, works as a carriage builder, also works for a collision repair company, Fix Auto, a worldwide collision and insurance concern)
Chuck Gurney – '85 (no relation to Dan, began as crew member of a NM sprint car team, excelled in midgets particularly on the West Coast, regularly ran USAC sprints & Dirt Champ cars in the '70's and '80's, retired in the late '90's to help son, Chuck Gurney, Jr., inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in '04)
Ed Haddad – '49 (killed in a midget crash, of Syrian background, who often played up to the part of a villain for publicity, but was well liked & respected within the racing fraternity, was also a racing pioneer of nitromethane fuel)
Peter J. Hahn – '52 (German-born racer, who resided most of his life in Detroit, MI, was primarily a sportscar racer)
Ken Hamilton – '82 (father of Davey Hamilton, continued racing until he was 70 in USAC events, promoter and manager of the Meridian [ID] Speedway, still races on occasion in selected events and helps his son and grandson in their racing, most successful in supermodifieds and sprints & midgets, especially on dirt tracks, attempted his Indy qualification in his own car)
Red Hamilton – '53 (midget & stock car dirt track driver in the late 1940''s and the 1950''s, still follows the sport.)
Art Hartsfeld – '48 (midget driver who raced both pre and post war, started in motorcycles)
Allen Heath – '52 (midget racing legend, who raced for over 20 yrs. winning titles over a space of 15 yrs, mainly in CA despite losing a hand in a racing accident, this later led him to support & advise disability groups & charities)
Jim Hemmings – '62 (killed shortly after his Indy 500 attempt in a midget race when hit by a car avoiding Shorty Templeman's fatal accident [Marion, OH, 8/24/62], was particularly good in midget cars, taking a few wins)
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| Johnny Herbert |
Johnny Herbert – '02 (now works for Sky Sports as a commentator, raced in sportscars and won Sebring in 2002, also worked as sporting relations manager for both Midland and Caterham's F-1 teams, has also appeared in Speedcars, ALMS, Le Mans and the BTCC since leaving Formula 1 in '00, also runs a kart track, was an outstanding talent who had a crash at Brands Hatch in a Formula 3000 race in '88 which left him with serious leg injuries)
Doug Heveron – '83 (supermodified star, now lives in Jensen Beach, FL where he is also a landscaper)
Don Horvath – '64 (killed in a midget crash [Vallejo, CA, 2/14/65], a midget regular, he was based almost exclusively in California, and was a committed racer)
John Hubbard – '75 (stock, sprint and supermodified driver killed in a stock car crash [Reading, PA Fairgrounds, 9/19/76])
Bob Hurt – '66-'68 (paralyzed after qualifying crash at the '68 Indy 500, died in sleep while fighting prostate cancer, had gone to Toronto for care, refused to allow his paralysis to beat him, became an inspiration for Sam Schmidt)
Gary Irvin – '77-'78 (step-father to sprint driver Ron Gregory, later became a sponsor and a team owner, mainly raced in sprints and midgets, career spanned 5 years, best on ovals, also worked on charitable fundraising in his local area and other community projects, often attends local "Race Chaser" luncheons)
Bruce Jacobi – '62-'74 (ran USAC sprints, died in a coma after suffering head injuries in a stock car crash 3 and a half years earlier at Daytona, FL)
Ronnie Johncox – 00 (ran in USAC, now runs a metal stamping business, Technique Inc. in Jackson, Michigan, where he also supports local projects, also makes prototypes for various industries, using state-of-the-art cutting technology, and this includes parts for Nascar, rarely drives now, except for an occasional go-kart race)
Junior Johnson – '63 (real name Robert, moved into motor racing to avoid crime, later became a Nascar driver and team owner, now running his beef cattle farm near his home in NC, practiced at IMS in a roadster but left saying, "Those guys are crazy!")
Van Johnson – '58 (first name Dale, he was killed in a USAC sprint car race [Williams Grove, PA, 7/19/59] just 5 weeks after winning his first champ car race)
Danny Jones – '61 (now retired from Ford, who he joined shortly after his Indy effort, runs his own development company and still attends races, also known as "Termite" Jones and largely raced in dirt track racing and stock cars, his father, also called Danny, was 1/2 of the Smith and Jones Camshaft company, and this led to Danny getting involved in racing at a younger age, but the younger Jones also was a qualified mechanic)
Dee Jones – '64-'73 (best remembered as a sprint car driver, especially dirt oval racing, this Tucson, AZ driver always wore a white cowboy hat when his helmet was off, IndyCar effort was called the "Minnesota Serendipity Sp.", failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 five times)
Johnny Kay – '53-'59 (ace midget driver from CT, very popular, kept contact with the sport for most of his life, mainly through his role as a racing photographer)
Rupert Keegan – '86 (had a rapid rise to reach F-1 with his father Mike helping him with backing from the family British Air Ferries aviation company & with publicity, started his career in Formula Ford, before moving to F-3, F-2, then F-1 in '77, his rise possibly came a bit too quickly as more experience may have helped him, he was not without talent, as he proved by winning the Aurora AFX British F-1 title in 1979, went into sportscars after F-1 before failing to qualify at Indy, which ended his top-flight career, returning 9 years later to race in sportscars before retiring for good competitively)
Russ Klar – '55 (made occasional visits to vintage meetings, raced from the '30's onwards and raced competitively until his 60's, finally retiring for good in '83, mainly in midget cars, sprints, & Nascar modified's)
Ray Knepper – '51 (older brother of Arnie Knepper, dirt track and midget star with a few wins in the 1950's)
Ed Kostenuk – '62 (USAC regular, excellent in sprint and midget cars in Canada, but did not do as well in the US)
Bill Krause – '63 (sportscar driver, came close to racing in F-1 in '63, retiring in '66, he ran bike and car dealerships, still has ties with Penske and spends time restoring cars)
[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]Jan Lammers – '86 (returned to F-1 in '92 and then went on to F3000, touring cars, sports cars and GT's. In '02 and '03, he won the FIA Sportscar championship, named boss of the Dutch A1 GP series team and competed in the GP Masters, runs a few endurance teams, but still races, mainly in endurance events, but also in rallies like Dakar, also does driver coaching)
Joe Langley – '46 (later was a car owner and builder, chief mechanic to Bobby Marshman, worked as a mechanic in Southport, IN, where he ran a garage and workshop in Madison, IN, also ran a number of cars, but Bill Mackey was killed in one of his specials [Winchester, IN 7/29/51], runner-up in the 1950 AAA Midwest Big Car series)
Anthony Lazzaro – '02 (races in endurance – now in the USCS, after periods in ALMS, Nascar and Grand-Am, progress up the ranks of US single seaters included winning the '95 Hooter Formula Cup, appeared in IndyCar for a time, better known either for ARCA & Nascar stockcars or his more recent sportscar efforts, it is his road course ability that has been his strongest attribute, runs his own motorsport firm)
Chuck Leighton – '50 (raced sprints and midgets from the '30's onwards, almost exclusively in CA, was later honored by the Roadster Association and ran a plastics company in Torrance, CA)
Mark Light – '50 (later became a racing promoter and also ran a muffler shop in Lebanon, PA)
Ralph Liguori – '59-'68 (raced & won in an amazing 7 decades, winning a minor race in 2000! his grandson races, while Ralph's son aids his career, lives in Tampa, FL, often seen at Don Kay's Autosport Radio programs in summer)
Frankie Luptow – '52 (real surname Lueptow, was killed in a stockcar crash [Atlanta, GA, 9/21/52] when the car's front axle broke, widow later married Bobby Grim)
Harry MacDonald – '81-'83 (lawyer out of Bloomfield Hills, MI, now retired)
Jovy Marcelo – '92 (killed in practice for Indianapolis, the Phillippines' greatest driver, he picked up the racing bug from his dad who raced at an amateur level, Jovy raced in Asia, Europe and the US – winning the 1991 Toyota Atlantic Championship, a prize for drivers in his name, in that series, is still awarded every year)
Tommy Mattson – '49 (killed at Salem, IN Speedway on track's opening day [7/24/49] when he collided with Chick Barbo, who also died in the crash, drove mainly in midgets and big cars, based out of California)
Jim Mayes – '53 (raced midgets and appeared briefly in Nascar, his Indy attempt appears the only type of effort at that particular level of single-seater racing, had nine children, real name was James B. Maines)
James McElreath – '77 (son of Jim McElreath, killed in a sprint car crash [Winchester Speedway, 10/16/77], regarded as a top prospect, he already had three titles to his name in both sprint and supermodified cars)
Mike McGreevy – '62-'66 (midget legend, nicknamed ''Dyna-Mike'' or "Mighty Mite" due to his 5ft 1 inch) stature and spectacular driving style, popular driver, who kept ties with the sport for years, now lives in FL, where he runs a horse breeding farm, was based in CA much of his 23 year career, best at midgets, also raced in sprint cars, among other disciplines, retired in '70, and in '87, was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame)
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| Bruce McLaren – seen here with Mario Andretti after winning Sebring in 1967 |
Bruce McLaren – '68 (top driver and engineer, who came into the sport at a very young age, was killed in a test at Goodwood [6/2/70], his name lives on with his still successful team)
Don Meacham – '67 (now involved with historic racing, travelled recently to Australia, where he drove a midget car in an exhibition race, real name Charles, lives in California)
Chip Mead – '81-'82 (killed in plane crash [Altamont Pass, CA, 3/31/93] one day before Alan Kulwicki's fatal plane crash, best remembered as a sportscar driver, was an IMSA regular who took many class wins)
Casey Mears – '01 (son of Roger Mears, currently racing in Nascar, won a Daytona race in 2006)
George Metzler – '47-'49 (injured qualifying for the Indy 500 [d. 6/3/49], an enthusiastic, hard-trying but rather inexperienced and limited driver, he worked as his own chief mechanic)
Rick Miaskiewicz – '86-'87 (now runs a business restoring and selling classic cars, in which he has been involved for some years now, 1985 Can-Am Champion, also raced motocross and was formerly an alpine skier)
Eddie Miller – '96 (hurt in his only Indianapolis 500 attempt, quit racing shortly after that, builder and property developer, he largely raced in sportscars but also appeared in F-5000 and won the '75 Formula Super Vee title, an ex-pilot, he later trained quarter horses for shows)
Jerry Miller – '81 (USAC midget, sprint car and Dirt Champ driver, worked as a car owner, still has contact with racing & lives in Indianapolis, runs an automobile repair shop, working as a mechanic and chassis builder)
Wally Mitchell – '46 (technical expert, drove in minor F-1 events, also a race car builder, patented over 350 devices in his lifetime for a range of industries – after struggling at school, barely being able to read and write when he left)
Johnny Moorhouse – '59 (midget racer, retired in '69 and later ran a gas station in Julian, CA, was also very active with the local vintage open wheel groups)
Lothar Motschenbacher – '69 (still keeps in contact with racing, now lives in California, where he formally ran a repair shop, better known as a sportscar and Can-Am driver, his career ended early due to injury)
Earl Motter – '59 (top midget driver with over 40 AAA & USAC wins, later married the widow of Bill Vukovich, died of a heart attack in 1992).
Frank Mundy – '54 (worked with Roger Penske for years until the late '80's, inducted in the GA Hall of Fame in the mid '00's, started as a stunt driver before becoming one of Nascar's early stars)
Dan Murphy – '75 (builder of the Cicada Indy Car, he was a joint boss of Phoenix based Yaw Performance, an engineering advisor/supplier, worked as an advisor and representative of Ecoscapes, a landscape development and ecosystem concern, raced in Europe before retiring in 1990)
Roy Newman – '53 (from Hammond, IN, often played the organ with his wife Mary Lou, a midget ace, but started as a motorcycle racer, a varied racer and person, he was a very accomplished piano player, his son Ronnie, was named after his hero, Ronnie Householder)
Mike Nish – '85-'86 (better known for landspeed record attempts, the Nish family has also had varied careers in other fields, runs the Servi-Tech firm, a machinery parts supplier to the beverage industry, lives in Utah)
Cowboy O'Rourke – '48 (excellent midget driver, wild and crazy character, real name was Cletus)
Danny Oakes – '53, '54 ('60's Chief Mechanic, remarkably energetic, regular attendee at reunions, historic meetings and to any race at the Irwindale Speedway, also raced in boats for 10 years after retirement, passed away on '07)
Jim Packard – '59, '60 (killed in a midget race [Fairfield, IL/10/1/60], just after his first Champ Car win at Springfield, many sprint car wins, served in the Korean War, widow, Betty, later worked in F-1 and at Indianapolis publishing the "Ladies 500", a who's who of females in the sport)
Carlos Pairetti – '70 (still very much involved with Argentine motorsport, both current and historic. Has a circuit named after him in San Luis, Argentina)
[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]Joe Perkins – '48 (also involved in car-building later in life, based in California)
Jiggs Peters – '55 (real name Fred, he has been unusually active since death [12/25/93], as his ashes have been taken by a friend to parties and for a ride in a midget car)
Marvin Pifer – '52-'56 (Marvin''s son, of the same name, also competed in sprint cars, Marvin himself ran a Jeep and Triumph dealership in Adrian, MI, was diagnosed with MS in '63 which killed him 11 years later, began racing under his brother Aldon''s name, Korean War vet, also ran an automotive repair business)
Teddy Pilette – '77-'82 (later a builder in the sport, he appears at many historic events, has a role in his late father's racing school, also has many ties on the web in historic motorsport)
Ralph Pratt – '49-'50 (he was Roger Penske's boyhood hero, perhaps the greatest midget driver of them all, he took a colossal 142 wins in 4 years and even won, in the same day, three different races at three different tracks in Ohio! Fought in WW2, and then worked for a firearms company in Pennsylvania after retiring from racing)
Keith Rachwicz – '62 (also known as Porky, began racing midgets in '46, also ran sprint cars, raced across America for most of the '60's)
Bill Randall – '61 (began racing in '37 before serving in the navy in Japan during WWII. '57 USAC East Coast Sprint Car champion, killed in an ARDC midget race [7/31/63, Lime Rock, CT]. a construction supervisor)
Roscoe Rann – '51 (raced mostly in stock, sprint and midget cars, died of pancreatic cancer in '76)
Dickie Reese – '56 (continued racing in vintage events until he was 75 in '00, later ran a string of muffler shops and manufacturing businesses, also raised show horses with great success)
Gordon Reid – '51 (killed in a sprint car crash [4/20/52, Dayton, OH], based for a large part in California, he mainly drove in midgets and roadsters)
Red Riegel – '66 (killed when he collided with Jud Larson (who also died) in a sprint-car crash [6/10/66], real name William, he was an excellent East Coast midget and dirt track racer)
Pedro Rodriguez – '63-'67 (fearless driver killed in sportscar crash [7/11/71, Nuremberg], a very religious man, a true great in wet-weather racing, loved racing with a passion, strong success in sportscars and F1, elder brother of Ricardo)
Michael Roe – '85 (now living back in Ireland, helping with his brother's garage, also enjoys kart racing, has a deep involvement with rugby club there, still keeps ties to racing through guest-speaking & visits to local tracks, dad is a vet, the family firm is still run by Michael and family)
Charlie Rogers – '48 (mainly a dirt-track racer, he had a long career, racing both well before and well after WWII)
Bud Rose – '46-'50 (also raced under his real name, Harry Eisele, popular man who also worked as a mechanic, due to his facial likeness to the star, Rose was a stunt double to Clark Gable in the movie "To Please a Lady")
Jack Rounds – '60-'61 (also did sky-diving after his racing career, was a qualified pilot, also raced sprint cars)
Buddy Rusch – '46 (mainly a dirt track racer, based both in Texas and Florida, occasionally prepared his own cars for races)
Steve Saleen – '89 (formed a car company in 1983, which manufactures limited edition, but high quality Mustangs, has commercial success on the roads & done well in racing, particularly GT's, lives in CA & left his own company in '07 to set up SMS, a high-performance car manufacturer)
Vinicio Salmi – '91 (Italian motorcycle racer, briefly raced in the US, later raced in powerboats, flies both commercial and private planes, based in Switzerland as well as Italy where he still lives)
Harry Sauce – '88 (circuit judge from Noblesville, IN, badly injured in a crash which caused him to retire from driving, still is a partner in his law firm and although he is still recovering, plays as much golf as he can)
Harry Schell – '46 (popular driver who died in practice for the International Trophy [5/13/60, Silverstone])
Rusty Schmidt – '82 (raced in sportscars for over 20 years, mostly in Trans-Am and IMSA events, stopped racing in '90, son Max (which is Rusty's real name) also built a career in sportscars, and so Rusty, who started racing in '72 returned until '00 racing with Max, retired from racing after that. Eldest son Scott also raced briefly, he now lives in Vail, CO)
Ken Schrader – '83 (stock car & modified driver, retired in '13 from driving full-time, runs an ARCA team, races occasionally, only Indy attempt was ended by a crash in practice, has also written a book about his career)
Bob Schroeder – '59 (no relation to Rob, mainly in sprint cars in the late '50's, before making a brief attempt in USAC events in '58 and '59, didn't get his chance at Indy as he was denied qualifying attempt due to lack of experience)
Les Scott – '67-'71 (test driver for American Motors in Detroit, also had time to go racing, accomplished midget driver, he later became CORA President, continued racing til the '80's, passed away on 1/28/00)
Colby Scroggin – '63 (midget and sprint dirt-track specialist, many-time entrant in Hoosier Hundred)
Wayne Selser – '53 (successful and respected predominantly in midgets)
Bud Sennett – '51 (big car specialist, decent in road races, a lover of the ocean, died in Hawaii and was buried at sea)
Doc Shanebrook – '51-'52 (real name Beuford, worked as a doctor for many years in a variety of different areas, but always kept up his racing wherever he could)
Mickey Shaw – '67 (crashed at Toledo, OH, complained of chest pains afterwards, released & raced the next weekend, after qualifying, became ill again and died in hospital, best known as sprint car driver with many wins)
Roy Sherman – '51 (operated a garage in Denver, became a mechanic in CA & Johnny Thomson's Indy 500 Chief Mechanic, worked for Pratt and Whitney, before opening a speedshop in Indianapolis, real name was Scheuermann)
Ron Shuman – '80 (younger brother of Billy Shuman, who came close but failed his rookie test in 1973, Ron is a sprint car legend, and is still involved as a promoter and as President of the Sprint Car Racing Association, returned to the tracks to race again in '08 and '09, lives in Arizona)
[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]Jigger Sirois – '69-'75 (son of Frenchy Sirois, real name Leon, named after racer Leon Duray, qualified too slowly on pole day and team waved him off, with the rain occurring afterward, it was learned that he would have made the race on the Pole, continued racing until '77, he then became a welder, makes many visits to current and historic events, & remains very popular)
Al Smith – '67 (full name Albert, best known for his success in sprint cars, first driver to qualify at Michigan International Speedway [10/12/68], MIS car was a roadster)
Guy Smith – '00 (2003 Le Mans winner with Bentley, has had a varied racing career, more recently in endurance racing, he appeared in CART in 2004, still racing in endurance as of '14)
Mark Smith – '93-'94 (no longer racing and is believed to be involved with the family air cargo transportation firm)
Joe Sostilio – '53 (sprint and midget regular who won the New England Dirt Series in 1935, 1936 and 1938, the Eastern Sprint Car Title in 1953 and the Bayside Midget Racing Championship in 1947. Later worked as a contractor)
Scott Speed – '11 (1st Am. driver for awhile in F-1, raced for Scuderia Toro Rosso until dropped in '07, a stop-start career: settled in Nascar, in '14, he moved into the new World Rallycross series)
Mike Spence – '68 (killed in testing crash at Indianapolis [5/7/68], overcame polio as a child, and started racing in '57 by rallying his motorsport-mad father's car, excelled in Formula Junior, which led to Grand Prix contract with Lotus, very capable driver, he won the 1965 Race of Champions)
Dave Steele – '99 (sprint and midget pavement specialist from Tampa, FL, also works as a car preparer and driver coach, still very active)
Leonard "Gig" Stephens – '56-'67 (attempted for 12 years to start the 500, was still visiting vintage meetings when he passed in 2014, served in the US Navy in WWII, worked as an airline executive for over 30 years, specializing in air cargo, also founded a detective agency. enjoyed restoring antique cars)
Harry Stockman – '53 (Southern CA roadster and midget racer, often based in AZ)
Wally Stokes – '49 (dirt track legend killed a road crash, when his wife lost control of their car, crashing into a tree [8/21/49,Springfield, OH]
Dave Strickland – '69 (from CO, originally a rodeo rider before switching to racing and later helped his son into midgets as well, Dave kept in contact with racing and enjoyed watching his son race, passed away on 6/14/05)
Sammy Swindell – '87 (sprint car legend, recently announced retirement from the World of Outlaws,despite a huge accident in 2001, accomplished engineer, also runs a motorsports team)
Loral Tansy – '48 (obscure entrant, with little racing experience, for the 1948 event, Tansy was a garage owner and Marion County deputy sheriff)
Bob Tattersall – '66 (very successful midget driver, who also was one of the few US drivers of his era to race in Australia and New Zealand, '69 USAC midget champion)
Bill Taylor – '49-'53 (racing director for Mobil Oil Logistics and a director of USAC's stock-car program. He also worked as a rep for Simpson's Racing equipment and had a long connection with Nascar)
Bill Tempero – '80,'81,'83 (raced in CART a few years, created American IndyCar Series in '88 using year-old or older CART cars, failed to qualify for first IRL race at Walt Disney World Speedway in 4 year-old car and retired, now a constructor and also runs a high performance center for cars in Fort Collins, CO, and is heavily involved in racing safety, also has a huge US Cavalry collection, after growing up in a cavalry background)
Don Thomas – '67 – (based in El Cajon, CA, car builder and owner of sprint cars, he has kept contact with the sport)
George Tichenor – '52-'55 (Logansport, IN dirt track and midget great, won the AAA national midget title in 1951, but AAA Big Car backmarker)
Jerry Titus – '68 (1967 SCCA Trans-Am champion, died of his injuries after a Trans-Am accident [8/5/70, Elkhart Lake, WI], motorsport and car journalist, prestigious SCCA award is named for him)
Randy Tolsma – '96 (USAC midget driver, now retired, still does some race driver instructing, his main role is in business (AMCI), a vehicle testing, marketing and sponsorship agency, finished career with a brief return in Grand-Am)
Steve Truchan – '46 (dirt track sprint car racer, competing for 10 years in the '30's, an engineer, based in IN & FL, ran a machine shop and service facility for the construction & manufacturing industries and prepared old racing engines)
Ho-Pin Tung – '11 (Dutch-born Chinese GP2 racer, mostly now in endurance events in Asia, including the Asian Le Mans Series, also races in Europe and the US, including one-off events like Le Mans, and from 2014 onwards, is in the new Formula E series and the World Endurance Championship)
Curtis Turner – '63 (much more success in Nascar, killed in an aircraft accident [10/4/70, Punxsutawney, PA]
Brian Tyler – '98-'99 (from Parma, MI, '96 & '97 USAC sprint car champion, still racing in USAC Silver Crown Series finishing 7th in '10, won Little 500 in '06, has also raced in Nationwide series, ARCA, and rallycross)
Leroy van Conett – '82 (CA sprint car legend, continued racing into his 70's, but has now retired, still has contact with the sport)
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| Al Unser Jr. |
Al Unser Jr. – '95 (IndyCar champion, Pike Peak ace and Indy 500 winner, now works as a driver coach in IndyCar)
Achille Varzi – '46 (Italian racing ace, who surely would've been one of the top drivers in the 1950's but for his untimely death in practice for the Swiss GP of 1948)
Dean Vetrock – '82 (Wisconsin driver who now lives in Naples, FL, has no contact with the sport anymore, raced successfully in Can-Am but his CART efforts were a disaster for varying reasons, now runs an automotive maintenance and service firm, a former engineer, he has worked for a water treatment system business)
Leroy Warriner – '51-'58 (retired from driving in 1962 and then ran the Indianapolis Speedrome with Gene Hartley, before selling it in 1977, allowing Leroy to live a contented retirement)
George Weaver – '47 (father was also an engineer, later became manager of Thompson [CT] Raceway – 1st purpose-built road course in US & a huge influence in promoting early road racing – best known for his sports car career)
Frank Weiss – '80 (forced to retire through injury, set up a racing components firm, which supplies Nascar and IndyCar manufacturers and also builds exhausts for speedway bikes, business continues despite his death in Jan. of '14)
Roger West – '69 (midget ace from Joliet, IL, won the 1967 UARA Midget championship, also raced sprint cars, stock cars and Trans-Am, makes visits to midget events, both current and historic, also enjoys power boating, 40 years as real estate agent in his home town for his wife's firm)
[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]Desire Wilson – '82-'84 (still races in historic events, raced in the 1981 South African GP, but the race was later deprived of championship and Grand Prix status, along with husband, Alan, she owns and is involved in 'Wilson Track Design' which helps design real or computerized race tracks or corners)
Rob Wilson – '96 (still racing in historic events, also a session guitarist, now lives in London where he is driver-coach to a lot of the current F-1 drivers, has a band called Grand Prairie, which performs all over the world, came close to a GP start as well in 1981)
Jeff Wood – '90-'92 (raced in CART for awhile, an oil driller by profession while racing in IndyCars, he is still in the industry and runs an oil and gas exploration business)
Eddie Zalucki – '48 (got into racing by helping a friend prepare a car, before his friend backed out and Eddie drove instead, enjoying it immensely, he drove for about 15 years, initially on dirt-tracks, and then in big cars, winning among other things, the 1939 and 1940 Michigan State Championship, retired from driving in 1949, and then later became a very noted mechanic, particularly for Chevrolet, and also built a couple of Indy roadsters)