Dempsey Cothrin Wilson (March 11, 1927 – April 23, 1971) 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 ...
.
Wilson was born in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. He began his racing career on Southern California short tracks, racing roadsters, then midgets and stock cars. He drove in the
USAC Championship Car
American open-wheel car racing, also known as Indy car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2022, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar.
Competitive event ...
series, racing in the 1956, 1958–1965, and 1968–1969 seasons with 32 starts, including the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
races in 1958, 1960, 1961, and 1963. He finished in the top ten 4 times, with his best finish in 8th position in 1960 at Milwaukee. Outside of racing, Wilson owned a business called "Dempsey Wilson Racing Cams," which refurbished
camshaft
A camshaft is a shaft that contains a row of pointed cams, in order to convert rotational motion to reciprocating motion. Camshafts are used in piston engines (to operate the intake and exhaust valves), mechanically controlled ignition systems ...
s.
He died in
Duarte Duarte may refer to:
* Duarte (surname), person's surname (or composed surname) and given name
* Duarte, California, United States
* Duarte Province, Dominican Republic
* Pico Duarte
Pico Duarte is the highest peak in the Dominican Republic, on th ...
, California, at
City of Hope after a long battle with
mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs (known as the mesothelium). The most common area affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall. Less commonly the lining ...
.
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. Dempsey Wilson participated in 2 World Championship races but scored no World Championship points.
References
1927 births
1971 deaths
Indianapolis 500 drivers
Racing drivers from Los Angeles
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