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1955 Indianapolis 500
The 39th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30, 1955. The event was part of the 1955 AAA National Championship Trail and was race 3 of 7 in the 1955 World Championship of Drivers. The race is notable to many as the race in which Bill Vukovich was killed in a crash while seemingly on his way to an unprecedented third consecutive Indy 500 win. Time trials Time trials was scheduled for four days. Saturday May 14 – Pole Day time trials Gusty winds, as well as the threat of rain, was observed on pole day, therefore nearly all of the competitors stayed off the track. Around the garage area, the drivers and teams agreed amongst themselves to sit out time trials for the afternoon, and instead qualify together in better conditions on Sunday. However, in the final 20 minutes, Jerry Hoyt, who had not been informed about the agreement, suddenly put his car in line, and pulled away for an unexpected qualifying attempt. His speed o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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, ter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Art Cross
Art Cross (January 24, 1918 – April 15, 2005) was an American racecar driver. He was the first recipient of the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award in 1952. Racing career Cross began racing midget cars in 1938. He received a Purple Heart for his wounds during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.Biography at the He returned to midget cars after the war, and raced in one of Pappy Hough's "Little Iron Pigs." Cross won the first Indy 500 [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ray Crawford
Ray Crawford (October 26, 1915 – February 1, 1996) was an American fighter ace, test pilot, race-car driver and businessman. Biography Born in Roswell, New Mexico, Crawford served as a U.S. Army Air Corps fighter pilot and flew the P-38 Lightning in combat over North Africa in 1943. He was tied as the top-ranking fighter ace of the 97th Fighter Squadron with six enemy aircraft confirmed destroyed and one probably destroyed. Rotated home, he eventually became an early jet pilot. At war's end Crawford was evaluating the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star at Burbank, California and was to have flown the very aircraft that fighter ace Richard Bong was eventually killed in. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with fourteen Oak Leaf Clusters before separating from active duty as a Captain in February, 1946. Crawford remained in the Air Force Reserves until April 1953. Crawford was introduced to racing by Sam Hanks, a former high school classmate, and compe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al Keller
Alvah August “Al” Keller (April 11, 1920 in Alexander, New York – November 19, 1961 in Phoenix, Arizona) was an American racecar driver. NASCAR Keller participated in the NASCAR Strictly Stock/Grand National series from 1949 to 1956 with 29 career starts. He won two races during the 1954 season and was the first driver in the history of NASCAR's top division to have won a race in a foreign-built car. Keller won the 1954 Grand National road-race at the Linden Airport in New Jersey, driving a Jaguar owned by big band leader Paul Whiteman. He also won by a two-lap margin at Oglethorpe Speedway in 1954. IndyCar In 1954 Keller began a transition to Championship Cars. He drove in the AAA and USAC Champ Car series, racing in the 1954-1959 and 1961 seasons with 32 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 six times. He was involved in the crash that killed Bill Vukovich in 1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * Ja ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don Freeland
Don Freeland (March 25, 1925 – November 2, 2007) was an American racecar driver who is best known for competing in the Indianapolis 500 eight times. Born in Los Angeles, California, Freeland served in the Navy as a mechanic during World War II. After the war, he began racing. He raced in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series from 1952 to 1962, with 76 career starts. He finished in the top ten 41 times, with a best finish of second place occurring 3 times. Freeland competed in the Indy 500 each year from 1953 to 1960. He appeared headed for a second-place finish in 1955 before a transmission failure ended his day 22 laps prior to the end of the race. He came back with a best Indy finish of third the next year. He also finished in the top ten in 1954 and 1958. Freeland died in San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 popu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Rathmann
Jim Rathmann (July 16, 1928 – November 23, 2011), born Royal Richard Rathmann, was an American race car driver who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1960. He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series in the 1949–1950 and 1952–1963 seasons with 42 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in each of those seasons. Rathmann also participated in the two runnings of the Race of Two Worlds at Monza, Italy, winning the 1958 event. He had 6 victories in addition to his Indy 500 win. He also drove in 3 races in the NASCAR series from 1949 to 1951. Rathmann and his older brother swapped names while teenagers. As a 16-year-old going by the name of "Dick Rathmann," he wanted to start racing. To enter races, he borrowed his older brother's I.D. and assumed the identity of "Jim Rathmann." The name change stuck for life in public circles. On August 15, 2007, Rathmann was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duane Carter
Duane Carter (May 5, 1913 – March 7, 1993) was an American racecar driver. He raced midget cars, sprint cars, and IndyCars.Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame Carter was born in , and he died in . His son raced in Indy cars, along with |
Jimmy Daywalt
Jimmy Daywalt (August 28, 1924 – April 4, 1966) was an American racecar driver. Born in Wabash, Indiana, he drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950, 1953–1957, 1959, and 1961–1962 seasons with 20 starts. He finished in the top ten 3 times. His best finish was in the 1953 Indianapolis 500, where he finished 6th and was named Rookie of the Year. Daywalt died of cancer in Indianapolis, Indiana, aged 41. He is interred at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. 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 (ma ...) References External links Profile on Historic Racing {{DEFAULTSORT:Daywalt, Jimmy 1924 births 1966 deaths Indianapolis 500 drivers Indianapolis 500 Rook ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al Herman
Al Herman (March 15, 1926 – June 18, 1960) was an American racecar driver. Born in Topton, Pennsylvania, Herman died in West Haven, Connecticut as a result of injuries sustained in a midget car crash at the West Haven Speedway. Herman was involved in a multi-car crash on the first lap of the feature race and his car rolled. He drove in the American Automobile Association (AAA) and United States Automobile Club (USAC) Championship Car series, racing in the 1955-1957 and 1959-1960 seasons with 11 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in each of those years. He finished in the top ten 3 times, with his best finish in 7th position, in the 1955 Indianapolis 500 The 39th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30, 1955. The event was part of the 1955 AAA National Championship Trail and was race 3 of 7 in the 1955 World Championship of Drivers. The ra ..., earning him Rookie of the Year. Indianapolis 500 results ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jimmy Reece
Jimmy Reece (November 17, 1929 – September 28, 1958) was an American racecar driver. He died in an accident during a 1958 Champ Car race at Trenton Speedway. 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. Jimmy Reece participated in 6 World Championship races but scored no World Championship points. 1954 Bobby Ball Memorial race On November 8, 1954, Reece crashed during the Bobby Ball Memorial, an AAA Champ Car event held at the Arizona State Fairgrounds, sustaining "a punctured lung, fractured right shoulder and possible internal injuries when his car flipped coming out of the south turn ..and crashed into the east wall." AAA Championship Trail Reece and Bill Vukovich tied for 4th in the 1954 AAA championship standings. Reece scored 1000 points in 6 races b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eddie Russo
Eddie Russo (November 19, 1925 – October 14, 2012) was an American racecar driver. Russo won the midget car racing track championship Raceway Park in Chicago in 1950. Russo competed in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series in the 1952-1957 and 1960 seasons, with 21 career starts, including 3 times in the Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 5 times, with his best finish in 1955 at Langhorne. His father, Joe, and his uncle, Paul, also entered the Indianapolis 500.Reed, TerrIndy:the race and ritual of the Indianapolis 500 p 134 Indy 500 results * shared drive with Ed Elisian Ed Elisian (born Edward Gulbeng Eliseian; December 9, 1926 – August 30, 1959) was an American racecar driver, mainly competing in the National Championship. He died in a crash at the Milwaukee Mile. In the 1955 Indianapolis 500, he stoppe ... World Championship career summary The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
