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Quin Epperly
Quincy David "Quin" Epperly (March 3, 1913 – January 7, 2001) was an American racing car constructor. He was born in Floyd, Virginia, to John Wesley and Iowa Texas Epperly. After completing a correspondence course in "Theory of Aircraft Construction", Epperly moved to Southern California in 1940 to work for Lockheed and Pacific Airmotive. During the war, he joined the Coast Guard Reserve to spend evenings after work on watch at the Wilmington Coast Guard Patrol Base. In the late 1940s, he went to work for Frank Kurtis building racing car bodies; this led to a lifelong career in the racing business. During the mid-1950s Epperly opened his own shop in Lawndale, CA, where he came up with a radical approach in racing car design, by placing the four-cylinder Offenhauser engine on its side, rather than in the upright position, as was the usual custom for the Indy roadsters of that era. Called the "laydown Offy", it allowed for better high-speed aerodynamics and oval-track weight ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Offenhauser
The Offenhauser Racing Engine, or Offy, is a racing engine design that dominated American open wheel racing for more than 50 years and is still popular among vintage sprint and midget car racers. History The Offenhauser engine, familiarly known as the "Offy", was an overhead cam monoblock 4-stroke internal combustion engine developed by Fred Offenhauser and Harry Arminius Miller. Originally, it was sold as a marine engine. In 1930 a four-cylinder Miller engine installed in a race car set a new international land speed record of . Miller developed this engine into a twin overhead cam, four-cylinder, four-valve-per-cylinder racing engine. Variations of this design were used in midgets and sprints into the 1960s, with a choice of carburetion or Hilborn fuel injection. When both Miller and the company to whom he had sold much of the equipment and rights went bankrupt in 1933, Offenhauser opened a shop a block away and bought rights to engines, special tooling and drawings ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sam Hanks
Samuel Dwight "Sam" Hanks (July 13, 1914 – June 27, 1994) was an American race car driver who won the 1957 Indianapolis 500. He was a barnstormer, and raced midget and Championship cars. Racing career Hanks was born in Columbus, Ohio and lived in Alhambra, California from the age of six. He attended Alhambra High School. Hanks won his first championship in 1937 on the West Coast in the American Midget Association (AMA). He barnstormed the country, racing on the board tracks at Soldier Field in Chicago. Hanks reportedly won the first two board track races at Soldier Field in 1939. He won the 1940 VFW Motor City Speedway championship in Detroit. After World War II, Hanks captured the 1946 United Racing Association (URA) Blue Circuit Championship. He won the 1947 Night before the 500 midget car race. He was the 1949 AAA National Midget champion. He won the 1953 AAA National Championship in the ''Bardahl Special''. He won the 1956 Pacific Coast championship in the US ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim McWithey
Jim McWithey (July 4, 1927 – February 1, 2009) was an American racecar driver. He was born in Grammer, Indiana. McWithey raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1956, 1957, 1959 and 1960 seasons, with 20 career starts, including the 1959 and 1960 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 9 times, with his best finish in 3rd position in 1960 at Trenton. His best season was 1959, when he placed fourth three times and also won dirt track sprint car features at Terre Haute, and Williams Grove. He died in February 2009 in Gainesville, Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ..., aged 81. Indy 500 results Complete Formula One World Championship results ( key) References 1927 births 2009 deaths Indianapolis 500 drivers People ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wayne Weiler
Wayne Weiler (December 9, 1934 in Phoenix, Arizona – October 13, 2005 in Phoenix, Arizona) was an American racecar driver. Weiler started as a dirt track driver in Arizona in 1951. He drove in the USAC Championship Car series from 1958 to 1961 with 19 starts. He finished in the top ten 10 times, with his best finish in 3rd position, in 1960 at Phoenix. Weiler competed in the Indianapolis 500 race in 1960 and 1961, with a best finish of 15th in 1961. Weiler suffered a severe accident in a USAC sprint car race in Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ... on June 11, 1961. Despite many erroneous reports stating the accident ended his career, he returned to race, just not nationally or in USAC any longer. He raced primarily in Arizona and in midge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red Amick
Richard "Red" Amick (January 19, 1929 – May 16, 1995) was an American racecar driver. Indy 500 overview Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Amick died in Crystal River, Florida. He drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1958-1960 seasons with five starts, including the 1959 and 1960 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten once, with his best Indy finish in 11th in 1960. 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 * 1929 births 1995 deaths Champ Car drivers Indianapolis 500 drivers Racing drivers from Kansas City, Missouri {{US-autoracing-bio-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1960 Indianapolis 500
The 44th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Monday, May 30, 1960. The event was part of the 1960 USAC National Championship Trail and was also race 3 of 10 in the 1960 World Championship of Drivers. It would be the final time World Championship points would be awarded at the Indy 500. Often regarded as the greatest two-man duel in Indianapolis 500 history, the 1960 race saw a then-record 29 lead changes (a record that stood until 2012). Jim Rathmann and Rodger Ward battled out nearly the entire second half. Rathmann took the lead for good on lap 197 after Ward was forced to slow down with a worn out tire.'' The Talk of Gasoline Alley'' – 1070-AM WIBC, May 21, 2007 Rathmann's margin of victory of 12.75 seconds was the second-closest finish in Indy history at the time. The inaugural 500 Festival Open Invitation was held at the Speedway Golf Course in the four days leading up to the race. Time trials Time trial ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johnny Boyd
Johnny Boyd (August 19, 1926 – October 27, 2003) was an American racecar driver. Racing career Born in Fresno, California, Boyd drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series from 1954 to 1966 with 56 starts. He finished in the top ten 31 times, with his best finish in 2nd position, in 1959 at Milwaukee. Boyd qualified for the Indianapolis 500 for the first time in 1955 but finished 29th after being involved in an accident that killed driver Bill Vukovich. In a dozen starts, his best race was in 1958, when he led 18 laps and finished 3rd. In total, he finished in the Top 10 at the 500 five times. After 1949 Boyd had become close friends with Bob Sweikert of Hayward, California when he met him on the California racing circuit. The two often raced together, and Boyd qualified for entry in the 1955 Indianapolis 500 when Sweikert helped him overcome mechanical handling problems in Boyd's car. Sweikert won the race that day, but was overshadowed by the death of Vukovich. Boy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Goldsmith
Paul Goldsmith (born October 2, 1925) is a former USAC and NASCAR driver. He is an inductee of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, and the USAC Hall of Fame. Later in life Goldsmith became a pilot and, flying primarily a Cessna 421, transported engines and parts to and from races. Goldsmith is currently the oldest living veteran of the Indianapolis 500. Motorcycle career Goldsmith was a famous A.M.A. Grand National Championship motorcycle racer during the late 1940s through the mid-1950s. His first victory came in 1952 aboard a Harley-Davidson at the Milwaukee Mile in Harley's hometown. Paul was a full-time worker at a Chrysler plant in Detroit. His most famous victory was in the 1953 Daytona 200. Later in 1953, he won a event at the grueling Langhorne (Pennsylvania) cinder track. He was awarded the Most Popular Rider of the Year Award for his efforts. In 1954, Goldsmith had one victory at Charity Newsies at Columbus, Ohio, and four podiu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1959 Indianapolis 500
The 43rd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1959. The event was part of the 1959 USAC National Championship Trail and was also race 2 of 9 in the 1959 World Championship of Drivers. Rodger Ward earned the first of two career Indy 500 victories. A record sixteen cars completed the full 500 miles. All cars were required to have roll bars for the first time. Practice and time trials Two drivers, Jerry Unser and Bob Cortner, were killed in separate crashes during the month. On May 2, Unser lost control in Turn Four, spun, and flipped down the main stretch. The car caught fire and Unser suffered significant burns; he died from complications of his burns on May 17. On May 19, rookie Cortner crashed in turn three after being pushed by a wind gust. He was killed instantly of head injuries. On the morning of pole day, Tony Bettenhausen suffered a bad crash during a practice run. His car hit the outside wall and flipped o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Amick
George Reggie "Little George" Amick (October 24, 1924 – April 4, 1959) was an American racecar driver, mainly competing in the American National Championship. He was killed in a crash in a USAC race at Daytona International Speedway. Racing career Amick began racing in jalopies in the Northwestern United States before switching to midget car racing. He competed in USAC National midgets for three seasons, finishing in the top ten points each season, and won 16 feature races. He totaled 38 wins including the 1957 Turkey Night Grand Prix. He moved to Indy cars and won three times in 43 starts. In his rookie appearance at the Indianapolis 500 in 1958, Amick was assigned a "lay-down" roadster commissioned by car owner Norm Demler, designed by Quinn Epperly, and built by master Indianapolis chief mechanic George Salih. Amick found himself running a comfortable second to leader Jimmy Bryan with just 20 laps remaining. Demler and Salih felt Amick was in a position to catch Bryan and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1958 Indianapolis 500
The 42nd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30, 1958. The event was part of the 1958 USAC National Championship Trail, and was also race 4 of 11 in the 1958 World Championship of Drivers. The race is best known for a massive first-lap, 15-car pileup that resulted in the death of fan-favorite driver Pat O'Connor. Jimmy Bryan was the race winner. This marked the first time that one car would carry two drivers to separate wins at the race, in back-to-back years, with Sam Hanks winning the previous year's race in the same car. The race featured young rookie A. J. Foyt's debut at Indy. On lap 148, he spun in an oil slick, blew out the tires, and dropped out of the race. Juan Manuel Fangio arrived at Indy under much fanfare as he attempted to qualify for the Indy 500 and score points towards the World Championship. He practiced early in the month, but withdrew when he could not get up to speed. Time trials Time trials were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
