1954 Indianapolis 500
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1954 Indianapolis 500
The 38th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1954. The event was part of the 1954 AAA National Championship Trail, and was also race 2 of 9 in the 1954 World Championship of Drivers. Time trials Time trials was scheduled for four days. *Saturday May 15 – Pole Day time trials *Sunday May 16 – Second day time trials *Saturday May 22 – Third day time trials *Sunday May 23 – Fourth day time trials Starting grid = Indianapolis 500 rookie; = Former Indianapolis 500 winner Alternates *First alternate: Eddie Johnson (#26) — Johnson drove relief during the race Failed to qualify *Henry Banks (#26) - Retired *Joe Barzda (#54) * Bill Boyd (#47) * Wally Campbell (#66, #81) - Failed rookie test * Bob Christie (#66) * George Connor (#27, #32) - Retired * Ray Crawford (#32) - Entry declined *Jimmy Davies (#53) *Billy Devore (#93) *Duke Dinsmore (#62, #67) *Walt Faulkner (#44, #97) * Pat Flaherty (#39, #76, ...
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Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United States Grand Prix. It is located on the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road, approximately west of Downtown Indianapolis. Constructed in 1909, it is the second purpose-built, banked oval racing circuit after Brooklands and the first to be called a 'speedway'. It is the third-oldest permanent automobile race track in the world, behind Brooklands and the Milwaukee Mile. With a permanent seating capacity of 257,325, it is the highest-capacity sports venue in the world. Considered relatively flat by American standards, the track is a rectangular oval with dimensions that have remained essentially unchanged since its construction. It has two straightaways, four geometrically identical turns, connected by two short straightaways, termed ...
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Pat O'Connor (racing Driver)
Pat O'Connor (October 9, 1928 – May 30, 1958) was an American racecar driver. He was killed in a 15-car pileup, after sustaining a fatal head injury after rolling his car and catching fire on the first lap of the 1958 Indianapolis 500. Champ Car O'Connor competed in 36 races in his champ car career. He took his first win in 1956 at Darlington Raceway. In 1957, he won the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 and he finished eighth. Later in the year, he won at Trenton Speedway. He was on the cover of ''Sports Illustrated'' in May 1958 (one week before the race), adding to the legend of the Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx. Death For the 1958 Indianapolis 500, Dick Rathmann and Ed Elisian started the race on the front row, with Jimmy Reece on the outside of the front row. Elisian spun in turn 3 of the first lap and collided with Rathmann's car, sending them both into the wall, and starting a 15-car pileup. According to A. J. Foyt, O'Connor's car hit Reece's car, sailed fifty f ...
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Len Duncan
Len Duncan (July 25, 1911 Brooklyn, New York – August 1, 1998 Lansdale, Pennsylvania) was an American race car driver. Duncan raced midget cars in seven decades from 1920s until the 1980s. During World War II, received the honor of being assigned as President Harry S. Truman's driver during one of his visits to England. Mario Andretti credits Duncan with having a great influence on his professional life. Andretti raced against Duncan in the American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) series in 1963. Midget car career Duncan began racing in 1928. Duncan was the AAA Eastern Midget Champion. Duncan won eight American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) championships during the thirteen years between 1955 and 1967. Career award *He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1991. Indy 500 results Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) : ''* Indicates shared drive with George Fonder George Thomas Fonder (June 22, 1917 Elmhurst, Pennsylvania – J ...
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Larry Crockett
Larry "Crash" Crockett (October 23, 1926 in Cambridge City, Indiana – March 20, 1955 in Langhorne, Pennsylvania) was an American racecar driver. Crockett made 10 Championship Car starts all in the 1954 season with a best finish of 4th in the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb which counted for National Championship points at the time and finished in 11th in the 1954 points championship. Nicknamed "Crash" because of frequent racing mishaps, Crockett qualified for his first Indianapolis 500 in 1954. He finished ninth and earned Rookie-of-the-Year honors. He was killed in a racing accident at Langhorne Speedway the following spring. Indy 500 results Complete Formula One World Championship results (key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...) External links ...
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Fred Agabashian
Levon "Fred" Agabashian (August 21, 1913 – October 13, 1989) was an American racer of midget cars and Indy cars. Career Midget car racing Agabashian competed in his first midget car race in his teens. His first championship was the 1937 Northern California Racing Association against such drivers as Duane Carter, Lynn Deister, and Paul Swedberg.Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
He captured the 1946 BCRA championship for . He won the 1947 and 1948 BCRA championships for George Bignotti.


Championship rac ...
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Andy Linden (racing Driver)
Andrew Logan "Andy" Linden (April 5, 1922 – February 11, 1987) was an American racecar driver. Early life and military service Linden was born on April 5, 1922 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. He served in the United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ... and the National Guard. Career He raced with great success until a 1957 crash caused a piece of metal to break his helmet, causing career ending brain damage. He is also technically a former Formula One World Championship driver, as the Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960, meaning that drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Linden thus participated in 7 World Championship races, accumulating a to ...
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Manny Ayulo
Manuel Leaonedas Ayulo (October 20, 1921 – May 17, 1955) was an American racecar driver. His efforts, along with those of friend and teammate Jack McGrath, helped establish track roadsters as viable race cars. Ayulo was killed in practice for the 1955 Indianapolis 500 when his car crashed straight into a concrete wall. He was found to have not been wearing a seat belt and his pockets "were filled with wrenches". Racing record Complete AAA Championship Car results Indianapolis 500 results * shared drive with Jack McGrath Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) : ''* Indicates shared drive with Jack McGrath. See also *List of fatalities at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway The following is a list of 73 individuals killed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 42 drivers, one motorcyclist, 13 riding mechanics, and 17 others including a pit crew member, track personnel, and spectators. All fatalities are related to Ch ... References Extern ...
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Tony Bettenhausen
Melvin Eugene "Tony" Bettenhausen (September 12, 1916 – May 12, 1961) was an American racing driver, who won the National Championship in 1951 and 1958. Bettenhausen was nicknamed the "Tinley Park Express" in honor of his hometown. He was nicknamed "Tunney" after heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney. "Tunney" later became "Tony." Bettenhausen was part of the midget car " Chicago Gang" with Emil Andres, Cowboy O'Rourke, Paul Russo, Jimmy Snyder, and Wally Zale. They toured tracks in the Midwest and East Coast of the United States. Racing career Midget cars Bettenhausen won the track championship at the Milwaukee Mile in 1942, 1946, and 1947. He was the Chicago Raceway Park champion in 1941, 1942, and 1947. In October 1950, he was involved in a race in Sacramento, California, when his car locked wheels with another racer's car, causing a crash through the guard rail, resulting in fatal injuries to spectator Peter Bernard Stuberak, and injuries to two other spectator ...
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Ernie McCoy (racing Driver)
Ernest "Ernie McCoy" Musser (February 19, 1921 in Reading, Pennsylvania – February 4, 2001) was an American racecar driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organis .... McCoy's real name was Ernest Musser. Indianapolis 500 results World Championship career summary The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Ernie McCoy participated in 2 World Championship races but scored no World Championship points. References 1921 births 2001 deaths Indianapolis 500 drivers Sportspeople from Reading, Pennsylvania Racing drivers from Pennsylvania {{US-autoracing-bio-stub ...
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Bill Homeier
Bill Homeier (August 31, 1918 Rock Island, Texas – May 5, 2001 Houston, Texas) was an American racecar driver. He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1953–1955 and 1958–1960 seasons with 14 starts, including the 1954 and 1960 Indianapolis 500 races. He was a relief driver for Walt Faulkner in the 1955 Indianapolis 500 He finished in the top ten 5 times, with his best finish in 5th position, in 1959 at Sacramento. He holds a unique record from the 1954 Indianapolis 500 The 38th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1954. The event was part of the 1954 AAA National Championship Trail, and was also race 2 of 9 in the 1954 World Championship of Drivers. ...; he finished in last place, but completed 74 laps, the most for a last place finisher. Indy 500 results World Championship career summary The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1 ...
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Gene Hartley
Leslie Eugene "Gene" Hartley (January 28, 1926 – March 13, 1993) was an American racecar driver. He was born and died in Roanoke, Indiana. Hartley was the son of midget car driver Ted Hartley, who competed into his 60s.Biography
at the
"Auto racing is all I’ve ever known," Gene once said in an interview at the .


Racing career

He drove in the

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Rodger Ward
Rodger M. Ward (January 10, 1921 – July 5, 2004) was a World War II Lockheed_P-38_Lightning, P-38 aviator in the United States Army Air Forces, and an American race driver with 26 victories in top echelon open-wheel racing in North America, two Indianapolis 500 victories, and two United_States_Automobile_Club#USAC_Championship_Car_Series, USAC National Championships, who conceived the classic tri-oval design and layout of Pocono International Raceway, modeled after his three favorite signature turns, at Trenton_Speedway, Trenton, Indianapolis_Motor_Speedway, Indianapolis and Milwaukee_Mile, Milwaukee. Early history Ward was born in Beloit, Kansas, the son of Ralph and Geneva (née Banta) Ward. By 1930, the family had moved to California. He died in Anaheim, California. Ward's father owned an auto wrecking business in Los Angeles. Rodger was 14 years old when he built a Ford Motor Company, Ford hot rod. He was a P-38 Lightning fighter pilot in World War II. He enjoyed fly ...
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