Racing Legend Henry "Smokey" Yunick Dies - Maiy 9, 2001

May 25, 1923 – May 9, 2001
Henry "Smokey" Yunick

(Photo; www.smokeyyunick.com)
Born in Neshaminy, Pennsylvania, USA.
Yunick was deeply involved in the early years of NASCAR, and he is probably most associated with that racing genre. He participated as a racer, designer, and held other jobs related to the sport, but was best known as a mechanic, builder, and crew chief. Between 1958 and 1973, Yunick also participated in Indianapolis 500 racing, his car winning the 1960 race. Yunick also built a 1968 Camaro for Trans-Am racing. 

Yunick was twice NASCAR mechanic of the year; and his teams would include 50 of the most famous drivers in the sport, winning 57 NASCAR Cup Series races, including two championships in 1951 and 1953.

He was renowned as an opinionated character who "was about as good as there ever was on engines", according to Marvin Panch, who drove stock cars for Yunick and won the 1961 Daytona 500. His trademark white uniform and battered cowboy hat, together with a cigar or corncob pipe, were a familiar sight in the pits of almost every NASCAR or Indianapolis 500 race for over twenty years. During the 1980s, he wrote a technical column, "Track Tech", for Circle Track magazine.

He was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2000. Yunick is a member of over 30 Halls of Fame across the United States and the rest of the world. Some of his personal items, including hats, pipes, boots, engines, etc. are on display at museums from race tracks to the Smithsonian.

Yunick died from Leukemia on May 9, 2001 at the age of 77, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

For more; Tribute To "Smokey" Yunick

Tribute To "Smokey" Yunick

May 25, 1923 – May 9, 2001

Henry "Smokey" Yunick

(Photo; www.smokeyyunick.com)

Born in Neshaminy, Pennsylvania, USA.
A son of Ukrainian immigrants, Yunick grew up on a farm in Neshaminy, Pennsylvania and had to drop out of school to run the farm at age 16, upon the death of his father. This, however, gave him an opportunity to exercise his talents for improvising and optimizing mechanical solutions; for instance, constructing a tractor from the remains of a junked car. In his spare time, he built and raced motorcycles; this is where he got his nickname, "Smokey," derived from the behavior of one of his motorcycles.

When the Americans joined World War II, Yunick joined the Army Air Corps in 1941, piloting a B-17 Flying Fortress named "Smokey and his Firemen" on more than 50 missions over Europe. He was with the 97th Bombardment Group of the 15th Air Force, at Amendola Airfield, Italy, before being transferred to the war's Pacific theater following VE Day. In 1946, Yunick married and moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, because "it was warm and looked good" when he had flown over it on training missions.

Yunick ran "Smokey's Best Damn Garage in Town" on Beach Street in Daytona Beach, Florida from 1947, when he opened the garage repairing trucks, until 1987 when he closed it, claiming that there were no more good mechanics.

(Photo; www.blackout.nu)
When Yunick's reputation as a good mechanic spread through the town, Marshall Teague, a local stock car race team owner, invited him to join the team and Yunick accepted, despite being completely unfamiliar with stock car racing. He prepared a Hudson Hornet for driver Herb Thomas for the second running of the Southern 500 in Darlington, South Carolina, which won the race.

Between 1958 and 1973, Yunick also participated in Indianapolis 500 racing, his car winning the 1960 race. His innovations here included the "Reverse Torque Special" of 1959, with the engine running in opposite rotation than normal, and the Hurst Floor Shifter Special, a car with the driver's capsule mounted "sidesaddle" in 1964.

(Photo;motortrend.com)
In 1962, Yunick changed open wheel racing forever when he mounted a wing on Jim Rathmann's Simoniz Vista Special Watson Roadster.

(Photo; www.coastal181.com)
The wing, designed to increase downforce, allowed Rathmann to reach cornering speeds never before seen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway but created so much drag that it actually caused the car to record slower lap times. The United States Automobile Club immediately banned the use of wings but they soon began to appear on cars competing in Can-Am and Formula One and by the early 1970s USAC once again allowed their use. He also participated in drag racing.

Yunick's racing career brought him into contact with representatives of the automotive industry, and he became Chevrolet's unofficial factory race team, as well as heading NASCAR efforts for Ford and Pontiac. Much of the high-performance development of the Chevrolet Small-Block engine involved Yunick in design, testing, or both. Yunick raced Chevrolets in 1955 and 1956, Fords in 1957 and 1958, and Pontiacs from 1959 through 1963. It was with Pontiac that Yunick became the first team owner to win the Daytona 500 twice in 1961 and 1962, and first to put a driver, his close friend Fireball Roberts, on the pole three times for 1960–1962.

Following Fireball Roberts' 1964 crash at Charlotte, where after 40 days in pain from burns, he died, Yunick began a campaign for safety modifications to prevent a repeat of such disasters. After being overruled repeatedly by NASCAR's owner, Bill France, Sr., Yunick left NASCAR in 1970.

As with most successful racers, Yunick was a master of the grey area straddling the rules. Perhaps his most famous exploit was his #13 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle, driven by Curtis Turner. The car was so much faster than the competition during testing that they were certain that cheating was involved; some sort of aerodynamic enhancement was strongly suspected, but the car's profile seemed to be entirely stock, as the rules required. It was eventually discovered that Yunick had lowered and modified the roof and windows and raised the floor of the production car. Since then, NASCAR required each race car's roof, hood, and trunk to fit templates representing the production car's exact profile.

Another Yunick improvisation was getting around the regulations specifying a maximum size for the fuel tank, by using 11-foot coils of 2-inch diameter tubing for the fuel line to add about 5 gallons (19 liters) to the car's fuel capacity. Once, NASCAR officials came up with a list of nine items for Yunick to fix before the car would be allowed on the track. The suspicious NASCAR officials had removed the tank for inspection. Yunick started the car with no gas tank and said "Better make it ten," and drove it back to the pits. He used a basketball in the fuel tank which could be inflated when the car's fuel capacity was checked and deflated for the race.

Yunick also used such innovations as offset chassis, raised floors, roof spoilers, nitrous oxide injection, and other modifications often within the letter of the rule-book, if not the spirit. "All those other guys were cheatin' 10 times worse than us," Yunick wrote in his autobiography, "so it was just self-defense." Yunick's success was also due to his expertise in the aerodynamics of racing cars.

Yunick also built a 1968 Camaro for Trans-Am racing. Although Yunick set several speed and endurance records with the car at Bonneville Speedway, with both a 302 cubic inch and a 396 cubic inch engine, it never won a race while Yunick owned it. It was later sold to Don Yenko, who did win several races. In typical Yunick fashion, the car, although superficially a stock Camaro, had acid-dipped body panels and thinner window glass to reduce weight, the front end of the body tilted downwards and the windshield laid back for aerodynamics, all four fenders widened, the front subframe Z'ed, to physically move the front suspension higher and lower the front of the car and the floorpan moved up to lower the car, and many other detailed modifications. The drip rails were even brought closer to the body for a tiny aerodynamic improvement. A connector to the engine oil system was extended into the car's interior, to allow the driver to add oil from a pressurized hose during pit stops. In order to allow the driver enough freedom of movement, the shoulder harness was modified to include a cable-ratchet mechanism from a military helicopter. In 1993, Vic Edelbrock, Jr. purchased and restored the car. Contrary to popular opinion, Yunick designed the first "safe wall" in the early 1960s using old tires between sheets of plywood but NASCAR did not adopt his idea. Also Yunick developed air jacks for stock cars in 1961 but NASCAR did not deem them appropriate.

Yunick is the inventor of at least nine US patents. His innovations include variable ratio power steering, the extended tip spark plug, reverse flow cooling systems, a high efficiency vapor carburetor, a claimed high-efficiency "adiabatic" engine which never entered production, various engine testing devices, and a safety wall for racetracks, made of discarded tires, which NASCAR's France had refused to consider. He was granted twelve patents. He also experimented with synthetic oil and alternative energy sources such as hydrogen, natural gas, windmills, solar panels, as well as involving himself in developing the gold mining and petroleum industries in Ecuador.

Yunick was twice NASCAR mechanic of the year. He was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2000. Yunick is a member of over 30 Halls of Fame across the United States and the rest of the world. Some of his personal items, including hats, pipes, boots, engines, etc. are on display at museums from race tracks to the Smithsonian.

He was renowned as an opinionated character who "was about as good as there ever was on engines", according to Marvin Panch, who drove stock cars for Yunick and won the 1961 Daytona 500. His trademark white uniform and battered cowboy hat, together with a cigar or corncob pipe, were a familiar sight in the pits of almost every NASCAR or Indianapolis 500 race for over twenty years. During the 1980s, he wrote a technical column, "Track Tech", for Circle Track magazine.

His column "Say, Smokey" was a staple of Popular Science magazine in the 1960s and 1970s; it consisted of his responses to letters sent to him by readers regarding mechanical conditions affecting their cars and technical questions about how automotive performance could be improved. He also wrote for Circle Track magazine, and published his autobiography Sex, Lies, and Superspeedways in January 2001. The audiobook version was narrated by longtime friend John DeLorean. In 1984, Yunick published Smokey's Power Secrets.

Yunick died from Leukemia on May 9, 2001at the age of 77, in Daytona Beach, Florida. After Yunick's death, his shop's contents were auctioned off, according to his wishes. He had witnessed his friend Don Garlits' difficulties developing and maintaining a museum and did not want either his family to be saddled with such a burden, or a "high roller" to gain control of his reputation. Instead, he preferred that his tools, equipment, cars, engines, and parts go to people who would use them, and before his death he undertook to restore as much of it as possible to working condition. The proceeds of the auction went to a foundation to fund innovations in motorsport.

Bobby Labonte Born In Corpus Christi, Texas - May 8, 1964

May 8, 1964

Bobby Labonte

(Photo; bobbylabontefoundation.org)

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA.

The 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion, he currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, driving the No. 18 Toyota for RDV Competition, and is an analyst on NASCAR RaceDay for FOX Sports.

He and his older brother, Terry Labonte, are the only brothers to have both won Sprint Cup championships. He is also the uncle of former Nationwide Series race winner Justin Labonte. Labonte is the first driver to have won both the Winston Cup championship (2000) and the Busch Series championship (1991). He also won the IROC title in 2001.

In February 2014 it was announced that Labonte will appear as a reporter for the new program NASCAR America on NBCSN. He made his TV debut early in the 2014 season.

“The Wizard of Indy” A. J. Watson Born - May 8, 1924

May 8, 1924 - May 12, 2014
A. J. Watson

(Photo;hemmings.com)
Born in Mansfield Ohio, USA.
 He was a car builder and chief mechanic from 1949 through 1984 in the Indianapolis 500, winning the race six times as a car builder. His first win as a car builder came in 1956 when Pat Flaherty drove the John Zink entry to victory in that year's Indy 500. Watson had won the previous year as a crew chief for Bob Sweikert.

A native of southern California, Watson came to Indianapolis in 1948 but missed the race. He returned the following year with a home-built car that failed to qualify. For the next 11 years, his cars not only qualified but were leaders in many years. From 1955 to 1958 he was associated with the John Zink team, and from 1959 on with Bob Wilke. His cars dominated the race through 1964. His work gained such a reputation that a Sports Illustrated article from 1960 dubbed him “The Wizard of Indy.” Although he continued entering cars for another two decades, he was never able to regain the commanding position of his heyday.

In 1964, with many teams following Lotus's example and moving to rear-engines, Watson built a pair of cars based on Rolla Vollstedt's successful car. These worked reasonably well but could not reproduce the success he had with his front-engined "roadsters". He built monocoque rear-engined cars in 1966 and 1967 with ever-decreasing success.

From 1969 until 1977, Watson ran Eagles and then built a small series of highly derivative new "Watson" cars in 1977, 1978 and again in 1982 based on Lightning and March designs before retiring. He is frequently listed on the Indy 500 entry sheet as the "race strategist" for PDM Racing, though his role with the team is largely honorary.

Watson was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1996. He died on May 12, 2014 at the age of 90.

A.J. Foyt drove a Watson or Watson-Trevis roadster to 11 of his 67 career wins, including two (1961, 1964) of his four Indy wins as a driver. His 1964 win would would be the final ‘500’ win for a front-engine car.

“I was very good friends with A.J. Watson and his wife Joyce,” Foyt said in a statement released today. “He picked me up to drive his sprint car years back. We worked right there at his house, took the 220 Offy and built the Chevrolet".

“He was a pioneer. He came out against Kurtis and built the Watson roadster and I was lucky enough to win with it. In his day right here at the Indy 500, there was nobody that was going to beat the three W’s: Watson, Wilke and Ward".

(Photo;speedsport.com) 
Rodger Ward (in car), team owner Bob Wilke (center) and car builder/mechanic A.J. Watson.

Gilles Villeneuve Killed During Qualifying In Belgian - May 8, 1982

May 8, 1982

Gilles Villeneuve

(Photo: IDR via photopin cc)

On May 8, 1982, during the final qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, teammate Didier Pironi had set a time 0.1s faster than Villeneuve for sixth place. Villeneuve return to the track on his final set of qualifying tyres, some say he was attempting to improve his time on his final lap, while others suggest he was specifically aiming to beat Pironi, who Villeneuve felt betrayed him at the previous San Marino Grand Prix. 

With eight minutes of the session left, Villeneuve came over the rise after the first chicane and caught Jochen Mass travelling much more slowly through Butte, the left-handed bend before the Terlamenbocht double right-hand section. Mass saw Villeneuve approaching at high speed and moved to the right to let him through on the racing line. At the same instant Villeneuve also moved right to pass the slower car. The Ferrari hit the back of Mass' car and was launched into the air at a speed estimated at 200–225 km/h (120–140 mph). It was airborne for more than 100 m before nosediving into the ground and disintegrating as it somersaulted along the edge of the track. Villeneuve, still strapped to his seat, but without his helmet, was thrown a further 50 m from the wreckage into the catch fencing on the outside edge of the Terlamenbocht corner.

Several drivers stopped and rushed to the scene. John Watson and Derek Warwick pulled Villeneuve, his face blue, from the catch fence. The first doctor arrived within 35 seconds to find that Villeneuve was not breathing, although his pulse continued; he was intubated and ventilated before being transferred to the circuit medical centre and then by helicopter to University St Raphael Hospital where a fatal fracture of the neck was diagnosed. Villeneuve was kept alive on life support while his wife travelled to the hospital and the doctors consulted with specialists worldwide. At 9:12 that evening, racing lost a legend.

The Gilles Villeneuve Story - The Early Years

The Gilles Villeneuve Story - Home Hero And Legend Arrives

The Gilles Villeneuve Story - The Tragedy

The Gilles Villeneuve Story - The Legacy


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"USAC Veteran" Dave Steele Born - May 7, 1974

May 7, 1974 - March 25, 2017

Dave Steele

(Photo;Autoweek)

Born in Tampa, Florida, USA.

He won numerous sprint car racing championships and also competed in IndyCar and NASCAR races. Steele last drove a Winged Sprint Car on Florida's premier asphalt circuit, The Southern Shootout Sprint Car Series, where he won the first 5 races in series history.

He competed in several USAC sprint and Silver Crown races. He won the 2001 and 2003 Turkey Night Grand Prix midget car race. He won the USAC Silver Crown Series in 2004 and 2005.

Steele attempted to make his Indy Racing League IndyCar Series debut in 1996 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for ABF Motorsports but failed to qualify. He made his first start in 1998 at Phoenix International Raceway, the second race of the season, driving for RSM Marko, then drove in the final two races of the year for Panther Racing. He failed to finish all three races. He was entered in a Panther car for the 1999 Indianapolis 500 but crashed in practice.

Steele drove in the first two races of the 2000 NASCAR Busch Series for Felix Sabates. After finishes of 23rd and 34th he failed to qualify for the next three races and Steele and the team parted ways.

Steele also competed in four ARCA Racing Series races in 1999 and 2000 and two Infiniti Pro Series races (one each in 2002 and 2003).

Steele was killed in a crash at Desoto Speedway in Bradenton, Florida on March 25, 2017. He was 42. Steele was racing in the Southern Shootout Sprint Car Shootout Series when he crashed while trying to lap slower cars on the 3/8th-mile asphalt track, according to SpeedSport.com. Desoto Speedway released a statement saying "Desoto Speedway owners and staff are saddened by tonight's passing of David Steele in the Sprint Car feature. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends who were all in attendance, to see him try to win his 100th Florida race."

"Buzzie" Reutimann Born In Zephyrhills, Florida - May 7, 1941

May 7, 1941

Emil Lloyd "Buzzie" Reutimann

(Photo; "Buzzie Reutimann in 00 dirt car" by Ted Van Pelt)
Born in Zephyrhills, Florida, USA.
He is the father of current driver David Reutimann. He began working on race cars at age 13 despite his mother's protests. Primarily a Short track racer, he made one NASCAR start on November 11, 1962 in Tampa, Florida at Golden Gate Speedway. He started 18th and finished 10th in the event, which was considered part of the 1963 season. He was given the nickname "Buzzie" at birth after several nurses noticed he made buzzing sounds as an infant. He drove the number #00, and so did his son David in the Sprint Cup Series.

In 1972 Reutimann won the dirt modified track championship at the Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York. That same year he captured the win at the prestigious Eastern States 200.

Now in his 70's, Reutimann continues to race and win to this day. He competes weekly at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Florida.

Reutimann was inducted into the Dirt Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Eastern Motorsport Press Association Hall of Fame in 2006.

"Chaparral Cars Co-owner & Driver" James "Hap" Sharp Dies - May 7, 1993

January 1, 1928 - May 7, 1993

James "Hap" Sharp

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.

Sharp drove in six Formula One grands prix. He was best known as co-owner and driver of the revolutionary Chaparral sports racing cars built by Jim Hall and Sharp in Midland, Texas. In 1962 Jim Hall and Hap Sharp formed Chaparral Cars, Inc. and immediately began the design and construction of Chaparral 2, a mid-engined car with an aerospace inspired semi-monocoque fiberglass chassis.

Sharp retired from driving after the 1965 season, with two exceptions. Sharp drove a Chaparral 2E in the 1966 Nassau Trophy race, and substituted for Mike Spence driving the Chaparral 2F in the 1967 Targa Florio.

His nickname "Hap" came from "Happy New Year", in connection with his date of birth. At the time of his death he was running a cattle ranch in Argentina. He had been suffering from personal problems and tragically committed suicide after being told he was terminally ill.

(Photo; diecastxchange.com)

Chaparral 2/2C #65 - Hap Sharp Winner - 1965 L.A. Times Grand Prix.

" Wild" Bill Snowden Born In St. Augustine, Florida - May 6, 1910

May 6, 1910 – February 2, 1959
Bill Snowden

(Photo; slotcar-fever.com)
Born in St. Augustine, Florida, USA.
He was one of the racers whose career was interrupted by World War II. He was nicknamed "Wild Bill" and the "Florida Hurricane".

Snowden competed on various circuits before NASCAR was organize, and he had second place finishes at the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1941 and 1948. He competed in NASCAR's Strictly Stock/Grand National Series races between the series' inception in 1949 and 1952. He had 15 Top 10 and 5 Top 5 finishes in those 24 races.

In the NASCAR series first year in 1949, he competed in four of the eight events, with three Top 10s and a season-best fifth place finish at Occoneechee Speedway at Hillsboro, North Carolina. Snowden finished 11th in the season points.

Snowden competed in four events in the next season, finishing 40th in season points with 2 Top 10s. His season-best fifth place finish happened at Charlotte Speedway.

Snowden had a career-best ninth place season points finish in 1951. In 21 starts, he had 9 Top 10 finishes with two career-best fourth place finishes at Martinsville Speedway and Speedway Park in Jacksonville.

1952 was Snowden's final season in Grand National. He competed in four events, with one Top 10 with his sixth place finish at Hayloft Speedway in Augusta, Georgia. Fireball Roberts raced one event in Snowden's car that season, and Banjo Matthews used Snowden's car in three events with one fifth place finish at Darlington Raceway.

Snowden died in February 2nd, 1959. In 1992, he was inducted in the Jacksonville Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame.

Al Putnam Born In Tulare, California - May 6, 1910

May 6, 1910 - September 15, 1946
Al Putnam

Born in Tulare, California, USA.
He moved to Indianapolis with his wife and two sons and worked as a research engineer for the LGS Spring Clutch Company. He attempted to qualify for the Indy 500 on seven occasions. He made the grid in 1938, 1940, 1941 and 1946. His best finish was 12th in 1941.

Putnam was killed during qualifying for the first dirt-car race to be held at the Indiana State Fair. He was on his last warm up lap before his qualifying attempt when he crashed into a concrete bridge support. The steering column crushing his chest causing fatal injuries.

Sprint, Indy & Nascar Driver" George Lynch Dies - May 6, 1997

June 20, 1918 - May 6, 1997

George Lynch

(Photo;trackforum.com)

Born in Miles City, Montana, USA.

Enduring a rough childhood that saw his parents divorce, he was reared by his paternal grandmother in Nekoosa, Wisconsin, where Lynch bought a used open-wheel race car for $100 and began racing, even before obtaining his civilian driver's license.

Lynch's racing career spanned three decades, from 1935 through 1957. He completed over 300 races, primarily in open-wheel midget and sprint cars on small tracks primarily in the Midwestern United States. Lynch won few of his races but, in his own words, "pushed a lot of guys over the finish line." His aggressive driving style, characterized by bumping slower cars, earned him nicknames such as "Leadfoot Lynch" and "Red Devil." He also participating in the newly formed National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, now known as NASCAR.

The highlight of Lynch's career was his participation in the 1949 Indianapolis 500. He qualified in eighth position with a speed of 127.820 mph. He crashed into the wall on the first turn of the second lap and held the record for the shortest completed lap at Indy until 1964. Footage of Lynch's crash, along with other action from that race, was used in the 1949 motion picture The Big Wheel starring Mickey Rooney and Spring Byington.

After a failed attempt to qualify for the 1950 Indianapolis 500, Lynch continued racing in sprint and midget cars throughout the country, eventually bringing him to California. He participated in the 1951 Mexican Road Race (later Baja 1000) which was chronicled in the movie La Carrera Panamericana. Lynch officially retired from auto racing in 1957.

Lynch spent his remaining years in southern California as an auto mechanic, fisherman, and ambassador of auto racing. Lynch died in Los Angeles on May 7, 1997 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's Disease.

90-Year-Old Hershel McGriff Makes NASCAR History - May 5, 2018

May 5, 2018

(Photo; twitter.com)
At 90 years old, Hershel McGriff, made history at the Tucson Speedway tonight by being the oldest driver ever to race in a NASCAR sanctioned event. A long-time competitor in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, formerly known as the Winston West Series, he won the series' 1986 championship, and is also a four-time winner in Grand National competition.

McGriff competed in 2 races at the speedway, a 0.375-mile asphalt oval. He drove for Bill McAnally Racing, one of the top teams on the circuit, with sponsorship from South Point Hotel & Casino.  Not only that, but McGriff also played his trombone to perform the National Anthem before the race.  Something he was admittedly more nervous about than driving at high speeds on a race track. McGriff last raced in the K&N series in 2012, having finished 18th in the event at Sonoma Raceway.

"Sprint Car Hall of Famer" Mark Kinser Born - May 5, 1964

May 5, 1964

Mark Kinser

(Photo; By Ted Van Pelt [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons)
Hails from Oolitic, Indiana, USA.
A cousin to Steve Kinser, Mark won the 1996 and 1999 World of Outlaws championship and was runner-up in 1991, 1998, and 2001. Mark is the 1996, 1999, and 2000 Knoxville Nationals champion as well as the 2001 King's Royal winner. He retired from professional racing in 2006.

Mark is fourth on the all-time wins list with 153 A-feature wins, behind Donny Schatz, Sammy Swindell and cousin Steve, respectively.

In 1997, Mark attempted to qualify for four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races, driving the No. 92 Chevrolet for SKB Racing, but failed to qualify for any of them. Unlike his cousin, Steve, or Kraig Kinser, Mark Kinser never ventured into NASCAR Sprint Cup or IndyCar.

In 2014, Mark was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.

Bob Said Born in New York City, New York - May 5, 1932

May 5, 1932 - March 24, 2002

Bob Said

(Photo; www.flickr.com)
Born in New York City, New York, USA.
Said was the first American to win a road race in Europe after World War II, the 1953 Rouen Grand Prix. He participated in the first Formula One United States Grand Prix at Sebring on December 12, 1959. Said was also a bobsled racer, competing in the Olympics twice, 1968 in Grenoble and in 1972 at Sapporo, Japan achieving a best result of tenth.

He is the father of Boris Said III, a sportscar racer and NASCAR road course ringer. Said died in Seattle, Washington, USA on March 24, 2002.

Duane Carter Born In Fresno, California - May 5, 1913

May 5, 1913 - March 7, 1993
Duane Carter

(Photo;Find A Grave)
Born in Fresno, California, USA.
He raced midget cars, sprint cars, and IndyCars. His son Pancho raced in Indy cars, along with stepson Johnny Parsons, who he helped raise.

Carter started racing midgets at the 1/5 mile dirt track in the west side of Fresno while attending Fresno State University. He was one of six drivers who went to Western Springs Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand in 1937. He was a consistent winner on the Nutley board track in 1939 while future journalist Chris Economaki was his unofficial crew chief. He won the 1940 Detroit VFW Motor Speedway title, the 1942 championship at Sportsman Park in Cleveland. He captured a 500-mile victory in his midget car at the 1947 Los Angeles Coliseum Motordome.

He moved up to the sprint cars, and won the 1950 Midwest division. He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1948 - 1955, 1959 - 1960, and 1963 seasons with 47 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in each season. He finished in the top ten 23 times, with his best finish in 2nd position in 1953 at Phoenix. In his last race, at the Indy 500, he drove the innovative John Crosthwaite designed Harvey Aluminium Special ‘roller skate car’ with the then pioneering low profile, wide racing tyres and a stock Chevrolet engine.

He retired from competition in 1956 to take the Competition Director position for USAC. He returned to competition in 1959 after Henry Banks took over the position.

Carter was inducted into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame in 1967, the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1989 and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1991.

Carter died on March 7, 1993 in Indianapolis, Indiana at the age of 79.

(Photo;davemacdonald.net)
Duane Carter in Mickey Thompson's racer during tire testing at Indy in November 1963.

Art Pollard Born In Dragon, Utah - May 5, 1927

May 5, 1927 - May 12, 1973

Art Pollard

(Photo;artpollard.tripod.com)

Born in Dragon, Utah, USA.

He drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1965–1973 seasons, with 84 career starts, including the 1967 - 1971 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 30 times, with 2 victories, both in 1969, at Milwaukee and Dover.

Pollard died in Indianapolis, Indiana, as a result of injuries sustained in practice during the first day of time trials for the 1973 Indianapolis 500. The car clipped the wall coming out of turn one and did a half-spin as it headed to the grass on the inside of the short chute. The chassis dug into the grass and flipped upside down, slid a short distance and then flipped back over as it reached the pavement again in turn two, finally coming to a stop in the middle of the track. The total distance covered was 1,450 feet. The car was demolished. The impact tore off two wheels immediately, and the wings were also torn off during the slide. Pollard's lap prior to the crash was timed at a speed of 192 plus mph. His injuries were reported to include pulmonary damage due to flame inhalation, burns on both hands, face and neck, and a broken arm. He had just turned 46 one week before he died.

(Photo;indymotorspeedway.com)

Art Pollard - Indy 1969

"5-Time Rolex 24 Winner" Hurley Haywood Born - May 4, 1948

May 4, 1948

Hurley Haywood

(Photo;mshf.com)

Born in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

He is said to be America's most decorated endurance driver in history. Hurley has won multiple events, including five overall victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, three at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and two at the 12 Hours of Sebring. He is credited with the 1988 Trans-Am title, two IMSA GT Championship titles and 23 wins, three Norelco Cup championships, a SuperCar title and 18 IndyCar starts.

He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1977 (Porsche 936), 1983 (Porsche 956) and 1994 (Dauer 962 Le Mans) and is tied as the most successful driver at the 24 Hours of Daytona with 5 wins (1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, and 1991). He won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1973 and 1981. He also drove in the 1980 Indianapolis 500 finishing 18th. He represented IMSA four times in the International Race of Champions (1986, 1989, 1992, 1995). In 1970, he was drafted into the Vietnam War where he served as Specialist 4. After completing his tour of duty, he won his first IMSA GT title in 1971.

After Peter H. Gregg's death, Haywood has been the main leader behind Brumos Automotive dealerships. He is the chief driving instructor at the Porsche Sport Driving School, held at the Barber Motorsports Park outside Birmingham, Alabama. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005.

(Photo;oldcitylife.com)

"16-time NHRA Funny Car Champ" John Force Born - May 4, 1949

May 4, 1949
John Force

(Photo; shop.johnforceracestation.com)
Born in Bell Gardens, California, USA.
He is a 16-time Funny Car champion driver and a 20-time champion car owner. Force owns and drives for John Force Racing. He is one of the most dominant drag racers in the sport with 149 career victories. His nickname among several of the drivers, as well as several announcers within the sport of drag racing is "Brute Force", a nickname he earned by his dominating wins during his run of ten straight NHRA championships. He is the father of drag racers Ashley Force Hood, Brittany Force, and Courtney Force. Courtney is married to Indy Car racer Graham Rahal, who is the son of 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal.

(Photo credit: LowAltidude via photopin cc)
Courtney, Brittany, and Ashley Force.

His oldest daughter Adria Hight is the CFO of John Force Racing. Force, his daughters, Courtney, Ashley, and Brittany, and son-in-law Robert Hight are collectively known in drag racing as "The First Family of Drag Racing".


(Photo: LowAltidude via photopin cc)
Ashley Force, John Force, and son-in -law Robert Height signing autographs.

John was featured on A&E's reality show Driving Force with his wife Laurie and three of his daughters Ashley, Courtney, and Brittany.

(Photo: John Force via photopin (license))

Al Pease Dies At Home In Tennessee - May 4th 2014

October 15, 1921 - May 4th 2014

Al Pease

(Photo; en.espn.co.uk)
Born in Darlington, England.
He participated in three Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on August 27, 1967. He holds the unfortunate distinction of being the only competitor ever to be disqualified from a World Championship race, the 1969 Canadian Grand Prix, for being too slow. Pease was black-flagged after a series of on-track incidents, the last involving Matra driver Jackie Stewart. In response, Matra owner Ken Tyrrell protested to the officials and had Pease disqualified. At the time, Pease completed 22 laps in an uncompetitive car while the leaders finished 46. Pease's F1 history happened during the Canadian Grand Prix, where his career consisted of a NC (1967, finishing 43 laps behind the leaders), DNS (engine trouble in 1968), and DSQ (1969).

Despite the brief duration of his Formula One career, Pease was highly successful in domestic Canadian motor sport competitions, winning a steady stream of regional and national championships in a variety of cars for almost 30 years and was inducted as a member of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 1998.

He was also instrumental in getting the CASC to allow sponsors’ names on the side of racing cars, paving the way for a whole new generation of professional Canadian racing drivers.

Al Pease died on May 4th 2014, at his home in Tennessee.

John Watson Born In Belfast, Northern Ireland - May 4, 1946

May 4, 1946

John Watson

(Photo;snaplap.net)

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

He is a former racing driver and current commentator from Northern Ireland. He competed in Formula One, winning five Grands Prix and was third in the 1982 championship. He also competed in the World Sportscar Championship finishing second in the 1987 championship. After his retirement from motorsport, he became a commentator for Eurosport's coverage of Formula One from 1990 to 1996. He currently commentates on the Blancpain GT Series.

John Watson's Formula One career began in 1972, driving a March-Cosworth 721 for Goldie Hexagon Racing in a non-Championship event at Brands Hatch. Watson's first World Championship events came in the 1973 season, in which he raced in the British Grand Prix in a Brabham-Ford BT37, and the US Grand Prix, where he drove the third works Brabham BT42. Neither was particularly successful, as in the British race he ran out of fuel on the 36th lap and his engine failed after only seven laps in the United States event.

Watson scored his first championship point in Monte Carlo the following year, for Goldie Hexagon Racing. He went on to score a total of six points that season, driving a Brabham BT42-Ford modified by the team. He failed to score points the following year, driving for Team Surtees, Team Lotus and Penske Cars. At the Spanish Grand Prix he had the chance to score his first win. He was in 2nd position behind Mario Andretti until he had a problem with his car because it suffered vibrations and had to enter the pit lane. He still finished 8th which was his best result in 1975.

He secured his first podium with third place at the 1976 French Grand Prix. Later that season came his first victory, driving for Penske in the Austrian Grand Prix having qualified second on the grid. After the race he shaved off his beard, the result of a bet with team owner Roger Penske.

(Photo;snaplap.net)

In the third race of the 1977 Formula One season, the South African Grand Prix, he managed to complete the race distance, scored a point, and took his first ever fastest lap. His Brabham-Alfa Romeo let him down throughout the season but, despite this, he gained his first pole position in the Monaco Grand Prix and qualified in the top ten no fewer than 14 times, often in the first two rows. Problems with the car, accidents, and a disqualification meant that he raced the full distance in only five of the 17 races. The closest he came to victory was during the French Grand Prix, where he dominated the race from the start only to be let down by a fuel metering problem on the last lap which relegated him to second place behind eventual winner Mario Andretti.

In 1978, Watson managed a more successful season in terms of race finishes, even out-qualifying and out-racing his illustrious team mate Niki Lauda on occasion. He managed three podiums and a pole, and notched up 25 points to earn the highest championship placing of his career to that point.

For 1979, Watson moved to McLaren where he gave them their first victory in over three years by winning the 1981 British Grand Prix and also securing the first victory for a carbon fibre composite monocoque F1 car, the McLaren MP4/1. Later in the 1981 season, the strength of the McLaren's carbon fibre monocoque was demonstrated when he had a fiery crash at Monza during the Italian Grand Prix. Watson lost the car coming out of the high speed Lesmo bends and crashed backwards into the barriers. Similar accidents had previously proven fatal, but Watson was uninjured.

His most successful year was 1982, when he finished third in the drivers' championship, winning two Grands Prix. In several races he achieved high placings despite qualifying towards the back of the grid. At the first ever Detroit Grand Prix in 1982, he overtook three cars in one lap deep into the race on a tight, twisty track that was difficult to pass on; working his way from 17th starting position on the grid, he charged through the field and scored a victory in the process. A year later in 1983, he repeated the feat at the final ever Formula One race in Long Beach; another street circuit, starting from 22nd on the grid, the farthest back from which a modern Grand Prix driver had ever come to win a race. Watson's final victory also included a fight for position with teammate Niki Lauda, who had started the race 23rd, though Watson ultimately finished 27 seconds ahead of his dual World Championship winning team mate.

At the end of the 1983 season however, Watson was dropped by McLaren and subsequently retired from Formula One. He did return two years later, driving for McLaren in place of an injured Niki Lauda at the 1985 European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, in which he qualified 21st and placed seventh in the race.

In 1984 Watson turned to sports cars racing, notably partnering Stefan Bellof to victory at the Fuji 1000 km during Bellof's 1984 Championship year. He was also part of the driver lineup for Bob Tullius' Group 44 Jaguar team at the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans driving an IMSA spec Jaguar XJR-5 powered by a 6.0 litre V12 in the IMSA / GTP class. In what was Jaguar's first appearance at Le Mans since 1959, Watson briefly took the lead of the race towards the end of the first hour when the faster Porsche 956's and Lancia LC2's pitted. Driving with American Tony Adamowicz and Frenchman Claude Ballot-Léna, they failed to finish the race due to engine trouble though they were classified in 28th place.

Watson also finished second in the 1987 season alongside Jan Lammers in the TWR Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-8 when they won a total of three championship races (Jarama, Monza and Fuji). Watson competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans seven times over the course of his career between 1973 and 1990, finishing 11th, a career best, in his last start in 1990 driving a Porsche 962C for Richard Lloyd Racing alongside fellow Grand Prix drivers Bruno Giacomelli and Allen Berg.

After retiring from active racing, he has worked as a television commentator, ran a race school at Silverstone and managed a racetrack. He also became the first man to ever test a Jordan Formula One car in 1990.

(Photo;snaplap.net)

Wolfgang von Trips Born In Cologne, Germany - May 4, 1928

May 4, 1928 - September 10, 1961

Wolfgang von Trips

(Photo;http://f1.wikia.com/)

Born in Cologne, Germany.
He participated in 29 Formula One World Championship Grand Prix races, debuting on September 2, 1956. He won two races, secured one pole position, achieved six podiums, and scored a total of 56 championship points.

He sustained a concussion when he spun off track at the Nürburgring during trial runs for a sports car race held in May 1957. His Ferrari was destroyed. It was the only one of its marque to be entered in the Gran Turismo car class of more than 1600 cc. Von Trips was forced out of a Royal Automobile Club Grand Prix at Silverstone, in July 1958, when his Ferrari came into the pits on the 60th lap with no oil. The following August he was fifth at Porto in the 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix. Won by Stirling Moss in a Vanwall, von Trips completed 49 laps and was one lap behind at the finish. Moss was more than five minutes ahead of Mike Hawthorn, who finished second in a Ferrari.

In July 1960 von Trips was victorious in a Formula Two event in a Ferrari, with a newly introduced engine in the rear. The race was in Stuttgart and was called the Solitude Formula Two Grand Prix. It was a 20-lap event with the winner averaging 102.21 m.p.h. over 142 miles.

He won the Targa Florio, 10-lap 448 mile race, in May 1961. Von Trips achieved an average speed of 64.26 mph in his Ferrari with Olivier Gendebien of Belgium as his co-driver.

(Photo;snaplap.net)
Von Trips and Phil Hill traded the lead at Spa, Belgium during the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix, in June 1961. Hill led most of the way in front of a crowd of 100,000 people. Ferraris captured the first four places at the race conclusion with von Trips finishing second. The Formula One World Championship driver competition at this juncture in 1961 was led by Hill with 19 points followed by von Trips with 18.

The 1961 Italian Grand Prix on September 10th, could have been the culmination of von Trips's career, as a third place would have been sufficient to secure the Formula One World Drivers' Championship that year. At the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, his Ferrari collided with Jim Clark's Lotus. His car became airborne and crashed into a side barrier, fatally throwing von Trips from the car, and killing fifteen spectators. At the time of his death von Trips was leading the Formula One World Championship.

In 1961 von Trips had established a go-kart race track in Kerpen, Germany. The track was later leased by Rolf Schumacher, whose sons, Michael and Ralf, made their first laps there. Coincidentally, Michael's win in the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix was the first full-length Grand Prix won by a German since von Trips's last win at Aintree in 1961.

(Photo;Wikipedia)
A statue of Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips in Kerpen, Germany.

Charles Tidwell Dies In Macon, Georgia, USA - May 4, 1990

February 3, 1921 – May 4, 1990

Charles Tidwell

(Photo; www.findagrave.com)

Born in Lizella, Georgia, USA.
He was best known for his career driving stock cars in the NASCAR, GASCAR (Georgia Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing), and MARC (now ARCA) circuits. His hometown was Macon, Georgia, where he entered many races at the Central City Park racetrack. He was also on the board of governors with GASCAR. Charles Tidwell raced on dirt tracks all over the southeastern United States from 1948 to 1959, owning a small track at one time in Talladega, Alabama. He drove with a cigar clenched between his teeth, once swallowing a burning cigar when he was in an accident and was hanging out of the door of his car. Tidwell set track records at Albany, Georgia and Macon, Georgia during his career.

Tidwell was likely the first NASCAR driver to have a personal human mascot; "Little Willie" Leonard, an African American dwarf whom he befriended in spite of the racial prejudices that existed during the time. Little Willie traveled the racing circuit with Tidwell and danced in front of the grandstands for the crowd.

"The Flying B", as he was called by his opponents, raced with such greats as Fonty Flock, Tim Flock, Bob Flock, and, Lee Petty, Buck Baker, Junior Johnson, Fireball Roberts, and Nero Steptoe (aka "The Wild Indian). He also raced against the first woman racecar driver to compete against men in the state of Georgia, Ethel Flock Mobley, who was the sister of the Flock brothers. Tidwell lost his hearing during his racing career and was very likely the first totally deaf racecar driver.

Tidwell's main car number was "6". He chose this number because his home was at 6 Dessau Place in Macon, Georgia. The names of some of his racecars were "The Flying B", "The Dutchess", "Flying Saucer, and "Ali Khan". He built many of his own cars and mixed his own fuel formulas.

According to the Macon newspaper, he was rated as the top driver on the Strictly Stock circuit in the southeast and in his homestate, Georgia. During his third year of racing, he won 34 track victories in one year, which was a mark no other Georgia driver could equal. He also held the title of Southeastern Champion for 8 years. The Macon Telegraph had this to say about Tidwell, "This young blond fellow is completely fearless and has the grit and determination that sets him apart everywhere he goes. He is both a demon on his motorcycle and in his racecar."

Tidwell raced at the first annual race held at the Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. During that race, he drove an Oldsmobile 88, number 102, called the Heart of Georgia Special. He also raced at Daytona, Florida when the races were still being held right on the beach.

Due to popular demand, Tidwell and his rival, Barney Smith were matched to compete in a special 5-lap winner take all race, held September 11, 1949 at Central City Park Speedway in Macon, Georgia. The race was listed as a special feature event. Tidwell took the checkered flag for the victory in front of a crowd of 5,000.

Tidwell once participated in an added attraction at the Warner Robins, Georgia track, ran by the Warner Robins Civil Air Patrol, in which he raced six laps against a Cub airplane, flown by licensed pilot, Clive Hyatt of the Warner Robins Civil Air Patrol. Hyatt kept his wing tip almost right on top of Tidwell's car the whole race and would get ahead of Tidwell at the back leg of the track when the wind was at his back. Tidwell was the winner of the race.

A few years after he lost his hearing, Tidwell retired from racing in 1959. Later in years, Charles Tidwell said that the only place he ever wanted to race and never did was Indianapolis, Indiana.

Charles Tidwell died in 1990 from complications related to diabetes. Charles Tidwell is buried at Macon Memorial Park Cemetery in Macon, Georgia.

Charles Tidwell's racing memorabilia was on display at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Alabama for ten years and now may be seen at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Macon, Georgia.

"4-Time 24 Hours of Daytona Winner" Peter Gregg Born - May 4, 1940

May 4, 1940 - December 15, 1980

Peter Gregg

(Photo; loveforporsche.com)
Born in New York City, New York, USA.

Gregg was a 2-time Trans-Am Series Champion, a 6-time IMSA GTO Series Champion and a 4-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona. He was also the owner of Brumos, a Jacksonville, Florida car dealership. He died of a self inflicted gunshot wound.

At the time of his death Gregg had achieved a reputation as one of America's greatest and most successful road racers with 152 wins out of 340 races he started. He won the IMSA GTO overall championship in 1971 and 1973, the 1973 24 Hours of Daytona in a Porsche Carrera, co-driven by Hurley Haywood, and the Trans-Am Series in 1973 and 1974 in a Brumos Porsche.

Gregg won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1973 1975, 1976, and 1978. Gregg won IMSA GTO overall championships in 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1979, giving him six career titles in the class, and the Trans-Am Series in 1973 and 1974.

The 40-year-old was discovered at a sand dune south of Jacksonville by a hiker. An hour earlier he had written the suicide note found in his briefcase. Reports at the time suggested that Gregg was suffering from a progressive and incurable nervous system disorder which would have slowly degraded his physical capabilities and would have eventually been fatal and that this, in the context of his perfectionism for which he was known, was what motivated his suicide.

Gregg was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2000.

Johnny Aitken Born In Indianapolis, Indiana - May 3, 1885

May 3, 1885 – October 15, 1918

Johnny Aitken

(Photo; www.vanderbiltcupraces.com)

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Aitken competed in the Indianapolis 500 three times. He led the first lap of the first race in 1911. He also captured the pole position in 1916, but ended up in 15th place that year. In the 1915 Indianapolis 500, Aitken drove relief for two drivers, Gil Anderson and Earl Cooper (who ultimately finished 3rd and 4th). While Aitken never won the Indianapolis 500 as a driver, he did serve as team manager for two winning efforts, Joe Dawson’s victory in 1912, and Jules Goux’s win in 1913.

Aitken’s activity at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was not limited to the Indianapolis 500. He won a total of 15 races at IMS, the most of any driver in the 100-year history of the track. Aitken was the only driver to win races in each of the four automobile race weekends that were held during the track’s “pre-500” years of 1909-1910. He also won all three races which comprised the Harvest Auto Racing Classic, in September 1916. Aitken started a total of 41 races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is, the most of any driver in the track’s history. The driver with the second-greatest number of starts at IMS is A. J. Foyt, who started a total of 36 races from 1958 to 1994.

Outside of his participation at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Aitken is known to have started at least 33 AAA-sanctioned races, from 1907 to 1916, and to have driven relief in at least three others. He won seven of these races, including the 1916 1st International Sweepstakes 300 mile race at the Cincinnati Motor Speedway, the 1916 Astor Cup 250 mile race at Sheepshead Bay Speedway, and the 1916 Harkness Trophy 100 mile race at Sheepshead Bay.

Aitken is credited as co-winner of the American Grand Prize race, which was held at the Santa Monica Road Race Course on Nov 18, 1916. He started the race, but was the first driver to drop out, when his car suffered a broken piston after one lap. On Lap 21, he took over the car which had started the race being driven by Howdy Wilcox. Aitken drove that car for the remainder of the race, completing 28 of the total 48 laps, finishing first. Aitken, therefore, was credited with both first and last place.

Aitken died on October 15, 1918 of bronchopneumonia from the Influenza pandemic of 1918.