Chester Miller (July 19, 1902 – May 15, 1953) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

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 ...

. He was killed in a crash in the south turn of the

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 Sta ...

during practice for the

1953 Indianapolis 500 The 37th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1953. The event was part of the 1953 AAA National Championship Trail, and was race 2 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers. Bi ...

. Yates, Brock W. "The Indianapolis 500: The Story of the Motor Speedway." Harper and Brothers: New York. 1956. Page 67. During his long Indy career, Miller earned the nickname "Dean of the Speedway." He died at age 50 while driving a Novi-engined Special. He is interred at

Crown Hill Cemetery Crown Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. The privately owned cemetery was established in 1863 at Strawberry Hill, whose summit was renamed "The Crown", a high point ...

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indianapolis 500 results

*Although Miller posted the fastest qualifying time for the

1952 Indianapolis 500 The 36th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was a motor race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30, 1952. It was the opening race of the 1952 AAA National Championship Trail and was also race 2 of 8 in the 1952 World Championsh ...

, he started on the outside of the ninth row. No other fastest qualifier has started this far back in the field. *Miller drove 2,061 laps, or at Indianapolis without leading a lap, an all-time record.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

( key) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

World Championship career summary

Although run to a completely different set of rules, the Indianapolis 500 was part of the

FIA FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used. Fia or FIA may also refer to: People * Fia Backs ...

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Chet Miller participated in 2 World Championship races - the

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

and

. He retired from both races, and therefore scored no championship points. With his death during practice for the 1953 Indianapolis 500, Miller became the first driver to die as a result of a crash during a World Championship event, and the second driver to die either in a Formula One car or at a World Championship event, after Englishman

Cameron Earl Cameron Charles Earl (8 May 1923 – 18 June 1952) was a British automotive engineer. Early life Earl was born in Yorkshire in 1923. German research Earl was sent to Germany after the Second World War by the British Intelligence Objectives Sub-C ...

had died 11 months earlier while testing an ERA Formula One car at the

MIRA Mira (), designation Omicron Ceti (ο Ceti, abbreviated Omicron Cet, ο Cet), is a red-giant star estimated to be 200–400 light-years from the Sun in the constellation Cetus. ο Ceti is a binary stellar system, consisting of a vari ...

proving ground in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

References

Indianapolis 500 drivers Racing drivers who died while racing 1902 births 1953 deaths Racing drivers from Detroit Sports deaths in Indiana AAA Championship Car drivers Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery {{US-autoracing-bio-stub