"1941 Indianapolis 500 Co-Winner" Floyd Davis Dies - May 31, 1977

March 5, 1909 - May 31, 1977

Floyd Davis

(Photo; nuvo.net)

Born in Oakford, Illinois, USA.

Davis was the co-winner of the 1941 Indianapolis 500. He drove the first 72 laps of the race before being replaced by Mauri Rose, who completed the race in the lead. Davis had been driving the Noc-Out Hose Clamp car for sixty laps, moving from 17th to 12th place when team mate Mauri Rose, the pole sitter, began experiencing problems with his car, the Elgin Piston Pin. The films show that he wasn’t too happy when at lap 72, team owner Lou Moore pulled Davis from his car and replaced him with Rose. “I was ready to go into the lead when they called me in,” he later joked.

That is exactly though what Rose did do, winning the first of his three 500 championships, and earning Davis an asterisk in the history books as a co-winner, despite the fact that he never led a single lap in any of his races. And though Davis received a 50-50 split of the prize money, he never drove in another 500, some say because of his disgust in having been relieved. His serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II might also have had something to do with his leaving racing.

He had driven in three previous 500s, coming in 15th in 1937, 27th in 1939, and 20th in 1940.

 Floyd Davis died in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 31, 1977. He is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.

(Photo; pinterest.com)

Gaston Chevrolet Brakes Dominance Of European Cars At Indy - May 31, 1920

May 31, 1920

Gaston Chevrolet broke the dominance of European built cars in the Indianapolis 500, winning the race in a redesigned Monroe-Frontenac. In the process, he became the first driver in the history of the 500-mile race to go the distance without making a tire change.

(Photo: clamshack via photopin cc)

Gaston Chevrolet (Brother Louis to the left) in the Frontenac powered Monroe Indy 500 winner.

Andrea de Cesaris Born in Rome, Italy - May 31, 1959

May 31, 1959 - October 5, 2014

Andrea de Cesaris

(Photo;newsf1.it)

Born in Rome, Italy.

De Cesaris was a multiple karting champion, he graduated to Formula 3 in Britain, winning numerous events and finishing 2nd in the championship to Chico Serra. From Formula 3, he graduated to Formula 2 with future McLaren boss Ron Dennis' Project 4 team.

In 1980, de Cesaris was picked up by Alfa Romeo for the final events of the 1980 World Championship, replacing Vittorio Brambilla who had, in turn, replaced Patrick Depailler when he was killed testing at Hockenheim. At just 21 years old, his first race in Canada ended after eight laps because of engine failure. In his second race, at Watkins Glen in the United States, he went off and crashed into the catch fencing at the Junction corner after two laps.

In 1981, largely thanks to his personal Marlboro sponsorship which also happened to be McLaren's main sponsor, de Cesaris landed a seat at McLaren which had after the 1980 season merged with the Project Four Formula 2 team run by Ron Dennis. Although he was quick the season was not a success, with de Cesaris crashing no less than nineteen times either in practice or the race and sometimes in both. It was at this point in his career that the nickname "Andrea de Crasheris" was coined.

He started 208 Formula One Grands Prix, achieving 5 podiums, one pole position, and scored a total of 59 championship points, but remains the driver with the most GP starts without a win. He drove for a total of 10 teams: McLaren, Alfa Romeo, Brabham, Rial, Tyrrell, Jordan, Ligier, Scuderia Italia, Minardi and Sauber.

After retiring from motor-racing, de Cesaris became a successful currency broker in Monte Carlo. It has been reported that he spent six months of the year in this occupation and the remainder windsurfing around the world. In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, de Cesaris gave a substantial donation to a sail manufacturer whose factory in Sri Lanka had been destroyed in the disaster.

De Cesaris was killed in a road incident on October 5, 2014 at age 55 while riding his Suzuki motorbike. Italian press reported that he died on impact with the guard rail on the outer lane of Rome's Grande Raccordo Anulare motorway, in proximity of the Bufalotta turn-off.

(Photo;andyblackmoredesign.com)

Gilles Villeneuve Wins Monaco Grand Prix - May 31, 1981

May 31, 1981

(Photo; pinterest.com)

 Gilles Villeneuve finished 39.91 seconds ahead of  Alan Jones to win the Grand Prix of Monaco. Nelson Piquet led for much of the race, but crashed out late on. New race leader Alan Jones then suffered a fuel feed problem in the latter stages of the race, allowing Gilles Villeneuve in his Ferrari, to take his first victory since 1979.

"Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame Member" Don Biederman Dies - May 31, 1999

February 26, 1940 - May 31, 1999

Don Biederman

(Photo; racersreunion.com)

Born in Port Credit, Ontario.

Biederman was the first Canadian ever to campaign for a full season in the NASCAR Cup Series, formerly known as the NASCAR Grand National Series. He won the prestigious Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway, Maine in 1977, one of only four Canadians to do so, with Junior Hanley, Derek Lynch, and Dave Whitlock being the others. He also won the IWK 250 at Riverside International Speedway in James River, Nova Scotia on three consecutive occasions from 1979–1981.

On May 31, 1999 Biederman died at his home in Brantford, Ontario at the age of 59 following a long battle with cancer. Since 2000 the OSCAAR Racing series holds a race in his honour entitled "The Don Biederman Memorial" at Flamboro Speedway in Millgrove, Ontario.

He was posthumously inducted Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2001. He was posthumously enshrined on the Riverside International Speedway Wall of Fame.

Hanley&Don Biederman-Grudge Run.mpg
A look at the Hanley & Biederman rivalry.

"Sprint Car Hall of Famer" Elmer George Shot Dead - May 31, 1976

July 5, 1928 - May 31, 1976
Elmer George

(Photo;snaplap.net)
Born in Hockerville, Oklahoma, USA.
He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1956 to 1963 seasons with 64 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1957, 1962, and 1963. He finished in the top ten 36 times, with one victory, in 1957 at Syracuse. George was also the 1957 USAC Sprint Car Series champion. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, George was the director of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.

On November 18, 1962, George suffered cuts and a left shoulder injury in a USAC Champ Car race held at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. Having hit another car's bumper, George lost control of his HOW Special, hit the guard rail before the grandstand, slid and headed towards the stands where he broke through a chain-link fence, landing upside down. 22 spectators were injured as a result.

Elmer George was married to Mari Hulman George, daughter of Tony Hulman, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Elmer and Mari had three daughters and one son, Tony George, founder of the Indy Racing League, and Ex-CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

On May 3, 1976, Mari filed for divorce. On the day of the 1976 Indianapolis 500, Elmer George argued by telephone with Guy Trolinger, a horse trainer at the family farm near Terre Haute, and Mari's alleged boyfriend. After the race, George drove to the farm and confronted Trolinger. At around 1 a.m., gunfire broke out, and George was shot and killed of multiple gunshot wounds. A grand jury ruled that Trolinger killed George in self-defense, and charges were dropped.

He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2005.

(Photo;jalopyjournal.com)
Mari and Elmer George - 1957.

This Day In Motorsport History - Home Page

Clint Bowyer Born In Emporia, Kansas - May 30th, 1979

May 30th, 1979

Clint Bowyer

("Clint Bowyer at the Daytona 500" by Nascarking) 
Born in Emporia, Kansas, USA.

He currently competes full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 14 Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing. Prior to driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, he drove for HScott Motorsports for one year, Michael Waltrip Racing for four years, Richard Childress Racing for eight years, and won the 2008 Nationwide Series championship. He has also competed in the ARCA series and the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

In April 2014, Bowyer married Lorra. Weeks after their marriage they announced that they were expecting their first child together, a boy. On October 1, 2014, their son Cash Aaron Bowyer was born. On June 15, 2016, it was announced that Bowyer and his wife are expecting their 2nd child. On December 9, 2016, his wife Lorra gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Presley Elizabeth.

Bowyer made a guest appearance on an episode of A&E's Duck Dynasty in 2012 on an episode titled "Drag Me To Glory". Bowyer was featured in the episode using his customized camouflage limousine in a race with the shows star, Willie Robertson, who was using a similar limousine.

(Photo; pinterest.ca)
Willie Robertson -Clint Bowyer

"2-Time 500 Winner" Bill Vukovich Sr Dies At Indy - May 30, 1955

December 13, 1918 - May 30, 1955

Bill Vukovich Sr

(Photo; indymotorspeedway.com)
Born in in Fresno, California, USA.
Before he began Indy racing, Vukovich drove midget cars for the Edelbrock dirt track racing team. He raced on the West Coast of the United States in the URA, and won the series' 1945 and 1946 midget car championships. Vukovich won the 1948 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Gilmore Stadium, and six of the last eight races at the stadium track before it was closed for good. He won the 1950 AAA National Midget championship.

In 1952, his sophomore year in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 500-Mile Race, he quickly moved up from his starting position in the middle of the third row to take the lead, and led 150 laps in dominant fashion before suffering steering failure on the 192nd of the 200 laps. He returned to win the race in consecutive years, 1953 and 1954. He led an astounding 71.7% of laps that he drove in competition at the track, and remains the only driver ever to lead the most laps in the race three consecutive years.

Vukovich was killed in a chain-reaction crash while holding a 17-second lead on the 57th lap of the 1955 Indianapolis 500. He was exiting the second turn, trailing three slower cars—driven by Rodger Ward, Al Keller, and Johnny Boyd—when Ward's car swerved as the result of a gust of wind. Keller, swerving into the infield to avoid Ward, lost control and slid back onto the track, striking Boyd's car and pushing it into Vukovich's path. Vukovich's car struck Boyd's, became airborne, and landed upside down after going over the outside backstretch retaining wall and somersaulting four-and-a-half times, bursting into flames. As the car burned Ed Elisian stopped his undamaged car and raced towards Vukovich in an attempt to save him. But it didn't matter as Vukovich perished instantly in the accident.

Vukovich was the second defending Indy 500 champion to die during the race, following Floyd Roberts in 1939, and the only former winner to have been killed while leading. Roberts' car was also thrown over the backstretch fence after exiting the second turn in his fatal accident. Since the 1955 race was counted as part of the Formula One World Championship, Vukovich is also the first driver to be killed during a World Championship race.

He was known variously as "Vuky" and "The Mad Russian" for his intense driving style, as well as the "Silent Serb" for his cool demeanor. Several drivers of his generation have referred to Vukovich as the greatest ever encountered in American motorsport. Vukovich was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1990. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1992.

His son, Bill Vukovich II, and his grandson, Bill Vukovich III, also competed in the Indianapolis 500, with Vukovich II taking second in 1973, and Vukovich III being named Rookie of the Year in 1988.

Mario Andretti Wins The 53rd Indy 500 - May 30th, 1969

May 30th, 1969

(Photo; www.indystar.com)
Mario Andretti led 116 laps and won the 53rd Indy 500 for car owner Andy Granatelli. The car in which Andretti won the 500 is on display at the Smithsonian, while a replica made from the original blueprints sits on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame and Museum.

("Indy500winningcar1969" by Doctorindymedia Commons)
Photo of the winning car of the 1969 Indianapolis 500 (Mario Andretti). Taken at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, during the month of May 2011, at the 100th Anniversary "Ultimate Indianapolis 500 Winning Car Collection."

Eddie Sachs & Dave MacDonald Killed During Indy 500 - May 30, 1964

May 28, 1927 – May 30, 1964

Eddie Sachs

(Photo;  www.laberezina.com)

Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA.

Sachs was known as the "Clown Prince of Auto Racing." He coined the phrase "If you can't win, be spectacular." His career included eight USAC Championship Trail wins, 25 top-five finishes in 65 career AAA and USAC starts, including the 1958 USAC Midwest Sprint Car Championship. He was an eight time starter of the Indianapolis 500, 1957–64, winning the pole position in 1960 and 1961, with his best finish being second in 1961. Leading the race with only three laps to go, he saw his right rear tire begin to delaminate and pitted, handing victory to A.J. Foyt.

July 23, 1936 - May 30, 1964

Dave MacDonald

(By Vintagesportscars (family photo at home)
Born in El Monte, California, USA.

Dave was a road racing champion noted for his successes driving Corvettes and Shelby Cobras in the early 1960s. In his four-year racing career, MacDonald competed in 115 races with 47 victories and 69 top-three finishes.

MacDonald was inducted into the 2014 class of the National Corvette Museum's Corvette Hall of Fame.

Ray Harroun Wins The Inaugural Indianapolis 500 - May 30th, 1911

May 30th, 1911
Ray Harroun

("Ray Harroun" by Source. Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia)

Born in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania, USA.

Nicknamed the "Little Professor" for his hand in creating the Marmon Wasp. Harroun is best known for winning the first running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 30, 1911. He is known to have started at least 60 AAA-sanctioned races, during the years 1905-1911. From 1909 to 1911, Harroun drove primarily for the team operated by Indianapolis-based auto maker, Marmon. However, at least one 1909 race result shows him driving a Buick. And, statistics from 1905 through 1908 show him driving cars described as "Harroun Custom" and "Harroun Sneezer."

Harroun won a total of 8 races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the second-most of any driver in the 100-year history of the track. The only driver with more victories at IMS is Johnny Aitken, with 15 wins in 1909-1916.

At the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911, his use of what would now be called a rear-view mirror, rather than the riding mechanic specified in the rules, created controversy, but was ultimately allowed. Harroun went on to win at an average speed of 74.602 miles per hour. Harroun, who came out of retirement to race in the first 500, would not race after 1911.

(Photo;"MarmonWasp" by The359 - Own work)
Harroun's historic Firestone-shod yellow #32 Marmon "Wasp," in which he won the Indianapolis 500, is on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

Swede Savage Involved In Fatal Indy Crash - May 30, 1973

August 26, 1946 – July 2, 1973

David Earl Savage, Jr.

(Photo; indymotorspeedway.com)

Born in San Bernardino, California, USA.
David "Swede" Savage was a Sports Car, F-5000, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR and Indy Car driver.

Competing in the 1973 Indy 500, Savage held the lead from laps 43-54, and then made his first pit stop. He rejoined in second place, closely behind Al Unser and just ahead of Bobby Unser. Savage emerged from his stop with 70 gallons of additional fuel and a new right rear tire. In his autobiography, Bobby Unser wrote that when Savage exited the pits, he became alarmed at how hard Savage was pushing, and dropped back slightly in anticipation of an incident. However, due to Savage’s reputation in the racing world as a highly skilled driver who didn’t take unnecessary chances, Unser’s comments have been attributed to his resentment of Savage’s rapid rise in the racing world as opposed to the “hard knocks” experiences of Unser’s career. On lap 58, just behind Al Unser, with Savage pushing hard in anticipation of a coming rainstorm, he lost control as he exited turn four. Savage's car twitched back and forth, then slid across to the inside of the track at nearly top speed, hitting the angled inside wall nearly head-on. The force of the impact, with the car carrying a full load of fuel, caused the car to explode in a 60-foot-high plume of flame. Savage, still strapped in his seat in a large piece of the car, was thrown back across the circuit. He came to rest adjacent to the outer retaining wall, fully conscious and completely exposed while he lay in a pool of flaming methanol fuel. Anchoring the event live for tape delay broadcast later in the day, ABC Sports broadcaster Jim McKay expressed disbelief upon seeing that Savage was actually moving in the post crash wreckage while he was engulfed in flames.

The exact cause of Savage's sudden turn across the race track and into the infield wall has not been settled. Television footage seems to show the right half of his rear wing had come loose, which would instantly change the downforce on the wheels and could explain the sudden back and forth twitching of the car. A second theory is provided by numerous drivers complaining over their radios about oil on the track, as pole sitter Johnny Rutherford had been given the black flag for dropping fluid, most likely oil. Among those that were complaining about oil on the track were Jerry Grant, who mentioned so in an interview with Dave Diles of ABC Sports while Savage's crash was being cleaned off the track. Diles later was filmed wiping oil off the front of Joe Leonard's car to prove the point.

A young crew member for Savage's Patrick Racing teammate Graham McRae, Armando Teran, ran out across the pit lane in an effort to come to Savage's aid and was struck by a fire truck rushing up pit road at 60 mph to the crash. Teran was killed instantly.

Savage joked with medical personnel after the wreck, and was expected to live when taken to Methodist Hospital Medical Center and for some time thereafter. However, he died in the hospital 33 days after the accident.......for more see; Remembering Swede Savage

Ken Schrader Born In Fenton, Missouri - May 29, 1955

May 29, 1955
Ken Schrader

(Photo; twitter.com)
Born in Fenton, Missouri, USA.
He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while driving part-time in the ARCA Racing Series, as well as at Eldora Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series. He raced in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1981-2013, with a total of 4 wins, 184 top ten finishes and 23 pole positions including 1988, 1989, 1990 Daytona 500 poles. His wins include the 1989 and 1990 Busch Clash. He is a first cousin once removed of fellow NASCAR driver Carl Edwards.

He races in many racing divisions, and has been successful in any division he has stepped into. He owns a dirt late model and dirt open wheel modified car. Both of these cars, along with his Camping World Truck Series and ARCA series cars, are sponsored by Federated Auto Parts. He owns I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri, and is co-owner of Macon Speedway, near Macon, Illinois, along with Kenny Wallace, Tony Stewart, and local Promoter Bob Sargent.

During the 1990s and the early part of the 2000s, Schrader was running as many as 100 races among many types of racing, including NASCAR's national and regional touring series, ARCA, short track, and dirt track.

Achievements and Awards include; The 1982 USAC Silver Crown Series Championship, 1983 USAC Sprint Car Series Championship, 1980 USAC Stock Car Rookie of the Year, 1985 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year and the 2009 National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Sportsman Award.

"The Clown Prince of Racing" Joe Weatherly Born - May 29, 1922

May 29, 1922 - January 19, 1964
Joseph "Little Joe" Weatherly

(Photo;mshf.com)
Born in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Weatherly won NASCAR's Grand National championships in 1962 and 1963, three AMA Grand National Championships, and two NASCAR Modified championships. He won NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award in 1961. He was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009 and the NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 30, 2015.

He also won three American Motorcycle Association (AMA) nationals between 1946 and 1950, including the prestigious Laconia Classic 100 Mile road race in 1948. In 1998 he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

"Little Joe" began racing cars in 1950 and won the first modified event that he entered. He won 49 of the 83 car races that he entered that season. In 1952 he won the NASCAR Modified National crown, and he again won 49 of 83 car races that he entered. Weatherly won 52 more races in 1953, and won the Modified National crown again.

Weatherly had partial interest in what would later be called Richmond International Raceway from 1955 to 1956. In 1956 he moved into the NASCAR Grand National series. He drove a factory-sponsored Ford car for Pete DePaolo Engineering. For the next two seasons, Weatherly drove for Holman Moody. In 1959, Weatherly recorded six top-five finishes and ten top-tens.

He won two consecutive championships in 1962 and 1963 for Bud Moore Engineering. Moore did not have enough resources to run the full season, so Weatherly frequently "bummed a ride".

Weatherly enjoyed behaving outrageously. He once took practice laps wearing a Peter Pan suit. Moreover, he frequently stayed out partying until the early hours, usually with fellow driver and friend Curtis Turner. This behavior earned him the nickname "The Clown Prince of Racing". In 1956 at Raleigh, while racing in the convertible series, Weatherly's engine blew. With the help of Ralph Liguori pushing from behind, he displayed showmanship to the fullest extent by crossing the finish line while standing in a 'chariot of fire'.

Weatherly died on January 19, 1964, from head injuries sustained in a racing accident at the fifth race of the 1964 season at Riverside International Raceway. His head went outside the car and struck a retaining wall, killing him instantly. Weatherly was not wearing a shoulder harness, and did not have a window net installed on his vehicle, because he was afraid of being trapped in a burning car.

He is one of two reigning champions of what is now known as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series to die during a season as the defending champion and the only one of the two to die during a race. The 1992 Winston Cup champion Alan Kulwicki, who died in a plane crash during the 1993 season is the other.

Weatherly's fatal crash, combined with Richard Petty's crash at Darlington in 1970, eventually led NASCAR to mandate the window net seven years later in 1971. Window nets are used in most stockcar racing series to this day.


Weatherly's grave marker is a sculpture of Riverside Raceway, a checkered flag marking the spot of his fatal crash.

Achievements  & Awards:
1962 Grand National Series Champion.
1963 Grand National Series Champion.
1952 Modified National Champion.
1953 Modified National Champion.
Three American Motorcycle Association championships.
Led Grand National Series in wins in 1961 and 1962.
1961 Grand National Series Most Popular Driver.
Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.
International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994.
Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009.
NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.

Al Unser Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico - May 29, 1939

May 29, 1939
Al Unser

(Photo; www.carlosghys.be)
Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Unser the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr.. Now retired, he is the second of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times, the fourth of five to have won the race in consecutive years, and won in American Championship Car Racing in 1970, 1983, and 1985. He is the only person to have both a sibling (Bobby) and child (Al Jr.) as fellow Indy 500 winners. Al's nephews Johnny and Robby Unser have also competed in that race.

After his son Al Jr. joined the top circuit in 1983, Unser has generally been known by the retronymic name of "Al Unser, Sr." or "Big Al."

His father Jerry Unser and two uncles, Louis and Joe, were also drivers. Beginning in 1926 they competed in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, an annual road race held in Colorado. Joe Unser became the first member of the Unser clan to lose his life to the sport, killed while test-driving an FWD Coleman Special on the Denver highway in 1929.

Al's oldest brother Jerry became the first Unser to drive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, qualifying 23rd and finishing 31st in the 1958 Indianapolis 500. However, tragedy struck the next year when he was killed from injuries sustained in a fiery crash during a practice session. Middle brother Bobby drove in his first Indianapolis 500 in 1963, becoming in 1968 the first member of the family to win.

Career highlights;
Unser has led the most laps of any driver in the history of the Indianapolis 500, at 644. He tied Ralph DePalma's long standing record of 612 laps led on the last lap of his 4th victory.

He holds the record of being the oldest driver to ever win the 500 at 47 years old, breaking the previous record set by his brother Bobby.

Unser won two 500-mile races at Pocono and two more at Ontario bringing his total of 500-mile race wins to eight, including four Indianapolis 500s.

He was the 1978 IROC champion. He also competed in the 1968 Daytona 500 and four other NASCAR Winston Cup & Grand National races, all held on road courses with a best finish of fourth.

He was the 1970 USAC National Championship Trail Champion, the 1978 Triple Crown Champion and the 1983 & 1985 PPG Indy Car World Series Champion.

Al Unser and family own and operate the Unser Racing Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1991 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 1998.

Bobby Hamilton Born In Nashville, Tennessee - May 29, 1957

May 29, 1957 – January 7, 2007
Bobby Hamilton

(Photo;findagrave.com)
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
A driver and owner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series circuit and the winner of the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, Hamilton owned Bobby Hamilton Racing. Hamilton's son, Bobby Hamilton, Jr., was also a NASCAR driver.

Hamilton, the 1991 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year, may be best remembered for two of his Winston Cup wins. His first career victory at the 1996 Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix was the first win for the #43 Petty car since Richard Petty's last win in 1984. He also had a memorable win at the Talladega 500 in April 2001 driving the #55 car for owner Andy Petree. The entire 500-mile race was run caution-free and was under intense scrutiny from both NASCAR and the media at large, being the first superspeedway race run since the death of Dale Earnhardt at the 2001 Daytona 500 two months earlier. A physically and mentally exhausted Hamilton slumped to the ground after exiting his car and was given oxygen from a tank before giving the standard post-race Victory Lane interview while sitting on the ground, leaning against the drivers door.

On March 17, 2006, Hamilton announced that he had been diagnosed with neck cancer. He took part in the Craftsman Truck Series race that night, before starting therapy the following Monday.

Kyle Busch paid tribute to Hamilton two months later for the Truck race at Lowe's Motor Speedway by driving a truck painted to resemble the Rowdy Burns car in Days of Thunder, complete with the #51 and "Rowdy" decals, a tribute that Busch continues today in late model and truck racing. It was a tribute to the very unusual way Hamilton  broke into the Winston Cup ranks. He was asked to drive one of the "movie cars" for the 1990 film Days of Thunder, qualifying fifth in a movie car at the 1989 Autoworks 500 in Phoenix, in a car that was not intended to be competitive. The car was the #51 Exxon-sponsored machine, portrayed in the movie as being driven by the character Rowdy Burns.

Hamilton returned to the track for the race at Kentucky Speedway, overseeing his team's operations. Knowing he would not be well enough to drive in 2007, he hired Ken Schrader to drive his #18 Fastenal Dodge for the full 2007 schedule while Hamilton was to continue his cancer treatment. 

Hamilton died of neck cancer on January 7, 2007, at his home in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee with his family by his side. He also died the day before his son's 29th birthday.

Richie Panch Born In Daytona Beach, Florida - May 28, 1954

May 28, 1954 - September 2, 1985
Richie Panch

(Photo;"RichiePanchNASCAR" by Source)
Born in Daytona Beach, Florida.
He was an aspiring driver and son of hall-of-famer Marvin Panch. Richie was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver from 1973 to 1976, earning three top-fives and eleven top-tens. He competed in forty-seven Cup Series and one Busch Series event in his career prior to dying on September 2, 1985. Most of Panch's success came in his second year of competition, when he ran a full schedule in 1974. Earning seven top-tens including a career-best third place effort at Richmond International Raceway, Panch finished a career-high 14th place in points.

Following a part-time schedule in 1975 that earned Panch four more top-tens, Panch only made one start in 1976. Following a 21st place finish at Atlanta, Panch never returned to Cup competition.

Panch's lone Busch start came in 1983, when Panch raced at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Starting 27th in the forty-two car field, Panch completed all but three laps in route to a respectable 15th place effort.

Panch died September 2, 1985, returning to Daytona Beach when his private plane crashed. Panch, age 30, was flying a Piper PA-28-235-B plane and flew into heavy rain and squall line over Rion, South Carolina and came apart in mid-air. Pilot error, poor judgment and planning was blamed. Four people died in the accident, including Richie Panch's close friend Dale Singleton, a famous motorcycle rider, two-time winner of the "Daytona 200".

Marvin Panch Born In Menomonie, Wisconsin - May 28, 1926

May 28, 1926 - December 31, 2015
Marvin Panch

(Photo; legendsofnascar.com)
Born in Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA.
He started his racing career as a car owner in Oakland, California. One week, his driver did not show up, and he raced the car to a third place finish. He won a championship and several races in six years, including five NASCAR races on the West Coast of the United States.

He attempted his first East Coast race at Darlington Raceway in 1953. NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. convinced him to come East for 1954. Lee Petty invited Panch to race in the 1954 Darlington race, where he finished third. The finish impressed Tom Horbison, who hired Panch to race his car during the 1955 season. His 1955 finishes impressed Pete DePaolo, who hired Panch to race in his factory Ford team. Panch won his first NASCAR race on July 20, 1956 at Montgomery Speedway after starting on the pole position and dominating the entire race.

He won the two races in 1957 for DePaolo. He added another victory in April before Ford ended its factory support in the middle of the season. Panch joined the legendary Holman-Moody team for the rest of the season. He won three more events in the season, and finished second in the final points standings.

The end of the Ford factory sponsorship hurt Panch's career. Over the next three seasons he was only able to race in 24 races. He was offered a ride by legendary NASCAR mechanic Smokey Yunick in the 1961 Daytona 500. The car was a year old 1960 Pontiac. Panch took the offer, and won the 1961 Daytona 500 to put his career back on track.

During the 1962 season he was offered a ride by legendary car owners the Wood Brothers. He accepted the ride in the Ford factory sponsored team. Panch had eight wins and 30 Top 3 finishes in 69 races for the team. He stayed with the team from 1962 to March 27, 1966, when Ford had another dispute with NASCAR. In 1965, A. J. Foyt finished the Atlanta 500 in Atlanta Motor Speedway in a car Panch started, taking it to victory. Panch received credit for the win.

Panch was hired by Lee Petty to race for Petty Enterprises for the 1966 World 600 in a year old car. Panch won the race for his final career victory, when Richard Petty was his relief driver. Panch raced for Petty Enterprises until he announced his retirement after the National 500 at Charlotte in October 1966.

 Panch was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. He inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1987, and the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in its first class in 2002.

Following his Daytona 500 win, Panch purchased property in Port Orange, Florida, relocating there after the end of his career. On December 31, 2015, Panch was found unconscious in his car, and was later pronounced dead of natural causes.

He was the father of aspiring young NASCAR driver Richie Panch who died in a plane crash on September 2, 1985.

(Photo; legendsofnascar.com)
Panch after he won the 1961 Daytona 500, with children Marvette and Richie.

Eppie Wietzes Born in Assen, Netherlands - May 28th, 1938

May 28th, 1938

Eppie Wietzes

(Photo; Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame)

Born in Assen, Netherlands.

Wietzes emigrated with his family to Canada when he was 12 years old. He is a two-time Canadian Driving Champion. He participated in two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on August 27, 1967 in the inaugural Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport. He retired on lap 69 with wet electrics. He scored no championship points. Wietzes later experienced success in the F5000 class and won the 1981 Trans-Am Series championship. He was the driver of the first safety car in Formula One, in the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix, taking a Porsche 914 course car on to the track after a collision involving François Cevert and Jody Scheckter.

In 1993, he was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame.

(Photo;asag.sk)

Jacques Villeneuve Wins The 79th Indianapolis 500 - May 28th, 1995

May 28th, 1995

(Photo;indianapolismotorspeedway.com)

The 79th Indianapolis 500 is won by Jacques Villeneuve. On lap 190, with the field coming back to green on a restart, leader Scott Goodyear of Toronto passed the pace car in turn four, and was assessed a stop-and-go penalty. Goodyear refused to serve the penalty, claiming that the green light was on, and stayed out on the track. Officials stopped scoring him on lap 195, which handed fellow Canadian Jacques Villeneuve the lead of the race, and ultimately, a controversial victory.

(Photo;racing.ap.org)
Scott Goodyear and his wife, Leslie, fight back tears.

Arie Luyendyk Wins The 81st Indianapolis 500 - May 27th, 1997

May 27th, 1997

(Photo;en.wikipedia.org)

Polesitter Arie Luyendyk finished ahead of teammate Scott Goodyear to win the  81st Indianapolis 500 . With two laps to go, Luyendyk led Goodyear. A caution came out on the 199th lap, but the pace car did not come out to pick up the field. Without warning, the green and white flag were displayed at the starter's stand on the final lap, signifying the field was back to racing conditions. None of the cars in the field were prepared for the restart, and yellow lights remained illuminated for many seconds afterwards. Luyendyk held on to win, but controversy erupted regarding the officials' poor handling of the situation. Less than a month later, USAC was permanently removed from sanctioning the IRL and Indy 500, in favor of in-house officiating. It was the third time in his career that Goodyear narrowly lost the Indy 500 in the closing stages.

Jeremy Mayfield Born In Owensboro, Kentucky - May 27, 1969

  May 27, 1969
Jeremy Mayfield

(Photo;usatoday.com)
Born in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA.
Mayfield is a former NASCAR driver who last competed in 2009 due to legal troubles and an indefinite suspension by NASCAR. Prior to 2009, Mayfield drove cars for the Sadler Brothers, T.W. Taylor, Cale Yarborough, Michael Kranefuss, Roger Penske, Ray Evernham, Bill Davis, and Gene Haas. He last drove for his own team, Mayfield Motorsports, before his suspension.

Mayfield was the 1993 ARCA Rookie of the Year and the 1987 Kentucky Motor Speedway Rookie of the Year. His NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career consisted of 433 races run over 17 years, with 5 wins, 96 top ten finishes and 9 poles.

On May 9, 2009, Mayfield was suspended indefinitely as both owner and driver by NASCAR following what NASCAR said was a positive test for methamphetamine. A federal judge weighed the evidence and subsequently temporarily lifted the suspension on July 1, 2009. On July 15, 2009, it was revealed by NASCAR that Mayfield had for the second time tested positive for methamphetamine after failing a random drug test on July 6. On July 24, a federal appeals court overturned the previous injunction Mayfield had been awarded, leaving him suspended from the sport.

Mayfield was working as a delivery person in while waiting for word on his appeals. By 2011, tax officials in Catawba County, North Carolina were on the verge of foreclosing on Mayfield's 388-acre spread there because he owed $82,000 in back taxes. In 2012, Mayfield was evicted from his home.

(Photo;wsoctv.com)
On December 19, 2013, firefighters burnt down Mayfield's former mansion in a controlled burn. On January 6, 2014, Mayfield was convicted on two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and one count for possessing stolen items, receiving 18 months of unsupervised probation, and was ordered to pay $88,124.41, adding an extra $1,100 in court costs.

In May 2014, Mayfield released a video, titled "The Mayfield Story", to explain the substance abuse controversy from his point of view.

In July 2014, Mayfield returned to organized racing competition, driving in an Pro Cup Series event at Tri-County Motor Speedway and finishing seventh of the ten cars that started. On September 29, 2014, Mayfield announced he would compete full-time in dirt and Super Late Model racing for 2015. On October 8, 2014, Mayfield started a Dirt Late Model team with plans to compete full-time in the World of Outlaws, with Mayfield as driver of the J2 car and Aaron Thomas as owner; Charlotte Motor Speedway owner Humpy Wheeler is an assistant for Mayfield. 

He currently competes around the northwest of the state of Georgia at local dirt tracks.


He earned his first career Late Model win on November 26th, 2018 at Lavonia Speedway, which was his first race win in any division of motorsports, since his final Cup victory of his racing career in 2005. Afterwards, an emotional Mayfield called it the "biggest win of my life."

He currently lives in Denver, North Carolina.

Miguel Duhamel Born In Lasalle, Quebec, Canada - May 26, 1968

May 26, 1968

Miguel Duhamel

(Photo: miguelduhamel.com)
Born in Lasalle, Quebec, Canada.
Miguel is the son of Canadian Motorsport Hall of Famer Yvon Duhamel. He is the second winningest rider in the AMA Superbike series at 32 wins and most wins in the AMA SuperSport series.

He won his first AMA Superbike race in 1990 at Heartland Park Topeka, and was the AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year. He won the 1991 Daytona 200 Superbike race, when he was replacing the injured Randy Renfrow. He also won seven races en route to winning the AMA 600cc SuperSport series championship.

He won the 1992 FIM World Endurance Team Championship with Team Kawasaki France. He was the 1993 AMA 600cc SuperSport champion on his Kawasaki after winning seven races.

Duhamel became the first Canadian to win the AMA Superbike title in 1995. He was named the 1995 AMA Pro Athlete of the Year. He had six consecutive AMA Superbike wins, which broke Wayne Rainey's record five victories. Duhamel also dominated the 600 SuperSport series by winning nine of the 11 events. His eight straight victories broke Doug Polen's record. Duhamel finished third and fourth at the U.S. round of World Superbike, mirroring the results of team-mate Mike Hale.

In 1996 he became the winningest rider in SuperSport with his 28th career victory. Duhamel won his fourth 600cc SuperSport title, after scoring podium in all but three events. Duhamel won four Superbike races and had six podium finishes in ten events.

He won another 600cc Supersport title in 1997, He had five wins and two additional podium finished on the way to his fifth series championship. He had four wins in the Superbikes, and finished second in the points.

Duhamel won four Superbike events in 1998 before he had a season ending accident while qualifying at the New Hampshire International Speedway. He still had lingering injuries as the 1999 season started. He stunned the crowd by winning both the AMA Superbike and 600 SuperSport events at season-opening Daytona 200 races. He had a second place finish at the Sears Point 600 SuperSport race before his season was cut short by crashing at Road Atlanta.

Duhamel won the 2000 Brainerd event in the Superbike Championship. He also won the Road America event for Honda. He had four 2001 AMA U.S. Superbike podium finishes for Honda. He won AMA U.S. SuperSport races at Daytona, Mid-Ohio and Brainerd.

Duhamel swept both 2002 events at Road America, and became the all-time AMA U.S. Superbike winner. He also had five Superbike podium finishes en route to finishing third in the Superbike points.

In 2003 Duhamel was with American Honda. He earned his fourth Daytona International Speedway AMA Superbike victory and made seven additional podium appearances in the series. He also raced in AMA Supersport, taking a win at Brainerd Intl Raceway and two additional series podium finishes.

Duhamel won his fourth Daytona 200 Superbike event in 2004. He had seven additional podium finishes. He had a Supersport victory at Brainerd and two additional podium finishes. He won the 2004 AMA Formula Xtreme championship.

Duhamel won the 2005 AMA Formula Xtreme championship title with four wins and five second place finishes in nine events. He battled Jake Zemke in a close race for the championship. In Superbike he had podium finishes at Road Atlanta and Mid-Ohio on his Honda.

Duhamel had a crash while practicing at Road Atlanta on August 8, 2007. He suffered a lacerated liver, a perforated lung and a bruised lung.

In 2008 Duhamel again raced for the factory Honda Superbike team in AMA Superbike, riding a CBR1000RR-based Superbike, and scored five top-five finishes. Duhamel finished seventh in the final AMA Superbike point standings.

In 2012, Miguel won the FIM e-Power & TTXGP race despite a three-year break from competition. The Canadian champion had lost nothing of his will to win as he rode the US Barracuda Lightning Racing Team's electric motorcycle.

In February 2016 Miguel Duhamel announced he will come out of retirement to race in the Bol d'Or Classic endurance race in France held September 15-17, 2016.

Alberto Ascari Dies Of Crash Injuries - May 26, 1955

July 13, 1918 - May 26, 1955

 Alberto Ascari

(Photo; en.espn.co.uk)
Born in Milan, Italy.
Alberto Ascari was twice Formula One World Champion. He is one of two Italian Formula One World Champions in the history of the sport, and he won both his championships in a Ferrari.

Alberto was the son of Antonio Ascari, a talented Grand Prix motor racing star in the 1920s, racing Alfa Romeos. Antonio was killed while leading the French Grand Prix in 1925 but the younger Ascari had an interest in racing in spite of it. He raced motorcycles in his earlier years; it was after he entered the prestigious Mille Miglia in a Ferrari sports car that he eventually started racing on four wheels regularly.

Following the end of World War II Alberto Ascari began racing in Grands Prix with Maserati. His team-mate was Luigi Villoresi, who would become a mentor and friend to Ascari. Formula One regulations were introduced by the FIA in 1946, with the aim of eventually replacing the pre-war Grand Prix structure. During the next four transitional years, Ascari was at the top of his game, winning numerous events around Europe. He won his first Grand Prix race in Sanremo, Italy in 1948 and took second place in the British Grand Prix the same year. Ascari won another race with the team the following year. His biggest success came when he joined Villoresi on the Ferrari team and won three more races that year.

The first Formula One World Championship season took place in 1950, and the Ferrari team made its World Championship debut at Monte Carlo with Ascari, Villoresi and the famous French driver Raymond Sommer on the team. The team had a mixed year, their supercharged Tipo 125 was too slow to challenge the dominant Alfa Romeo team so instead Ferrari began working on an unblown 4.5l car. Much of the year was lost as the team's 2-litre Formula Two engine was progressively enlarged, though when the full 4.5l Tipo 375 arrived for the Italian Grand Prix Ascari gave Alfa Romeo their sternest challenge of the year before retiring; he then took over team mate Dorino Serafini's car to finish second. The new Ferrari then won the non-championship Penya Rhin Grand Prix.

Throughout 1951, Ascari was a threat to the Alfa Romeo team though initially he was undone by reliability. However, after winning at the Nürburgring and Monza he was only two points behind Fangio in the championship standings ahead of the climactic Spanish Grand Prix. Ascari took pole position, but a disastrous tyre choice for the race saw the Ferraris unable to challenge, Ascari coming home 4th while Juan Manuel Fangio won the race and the title.

For 1952, the World Championship season switched to using the 2-litre Formula Two regulations, with Ascari driving Ferrari's Tipo 500 car. He missed the first race of the championship season as he was competing for Ferrari at the Indianapolis 500, at the time a World Championship event. He was the only European driver to race at Indy in its 11 years on the World Championship schedule, but his race ended after 40 laps without having made much of an impression. Returning to Europe he then won the remaining six rounds of the series to clinch the world title and recording the fastest lap in each race. He scored the maximum amount of points a driver could earn since only the best four of eight scores counted towards the World Championship. He won three more consecutive races to start the 1953 season, giving him nine straight championship wins before his streak ended when he finished fourth in France, although it was a close fourth as the race was highly competitive. He earned two more wins later in the year to give himself a second consecutive World Championship.

Following a dispute over his salary, Ascari left Ferrari at the end of the season and switched to Lancia for the 1954 campaign. However, as their car was not eventually ready for the final race of the season Gianni Lancia allowed him to drive twice for Maserati and once for Ferrari. Ascari did at least get to win the Mille Miglia driving a Lancia sportscar in the meantime. When the Lancia D50 was ready it took pole position on its debut and Ascari led and set the fastest lap before retiring, meaning a full season of competing against Fangio's previously dominant Mercedes was much anticipated.

His 1955 season started promisingly, the Lancia taking victories at the non-championship races in Pau and Naples, though in championship events he retired in Argentina and at Monaco, where he crashed into the harbour after missing a chicane while leading, reportedly distracted by either the crowd's reaction to Stirling Moss' retirement or the close attentions of the lapped Cesare Perdisa behind. He escaped with a broken nose.

Four days later, on May 26, he went to Monza to watch his friend Eugenio Castellotti test a Ferrari 750 Monza sports car, which they were to co-race in the Supercortemaggiore 1000 km race. Ascari was not supposed to drive that day but decided to try a few laps. In shirt sleeves, ordinary trousers and Castellotti's white helmet he set off. Ascari was a very superstitious man and had previously always insisted on using his distinct pale blue crash helmet. His usual helmet was at the repair shop, having a new chin strap fitted after the incident in Monte Carlo. As he emerged from a fast curve on the third lap the car unaccountably skidded, turned on its nose and somersaulted twice. Thrown out onto the track, Ascari suffered multiple injuries and died a few minutes later. The crash occurred on the Curva del Vialone, one of the track's challenging high-speed corners. The corner where the accident happened, renamed in his honour, has been subsequently replaced with a chicane, now called Variante Ascari.

There were several similarities between the deaths of Alberto and his father. Alberto Ascari died at the age of 36. Antonio Ascari was also 36 when he died, on July 26, 1925. Both were killed four days after surviving serious accidents and on the 26th day of the month.

Motor racing fans from all over mourned as Alberto Ascari was laid to rest next to the grave of his father in the Cimitero Monumentale in Milan, to be forever remembered as one of the greatest racers of all time. His distraught wife Mietta Ascari told Enzo Ferrari that "were it not for their children she would gladly have joined her beloved Alberto in heaven". His death is often considered to be a contributing factor to the withdrawal of Lancia from motor racing in 1955, though the company was also in considerable financial trouble, needing a government subsidy to survive.

A street in Rome named in his honour, while both the Autodromo Nazionale Monza and Autodromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez have chicanes named after him. In 1992, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. The British supercar manufacturer Ascari Cars is named in his honour.

Italian-born American racing legend Mario Andretti counts Ascari as one of his racing heroes, having watched him at the Monza circuit in his youth.

"Driver & Broadcast Journalist" Sam Posey Born - May 26th, 1944

May 26th, 1944
Sam Posey

(Photo;mycarquest.com)
Born in New York City, New York, USA.
Sam Posey started as an amateur sports car racer, and graduated to Can Am, Trans Am and USAC Champ Car. As an endurance racer, Posey appeared at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 10 times and finished in the top 10 five times. His best finish was a 3rd in 1971, driving a Ferrari 512M. He also won the 1975 12 Hours of Sebring.

He participated in two Formula One world championship events, the 1971 and 1972 United States Grand Prix, retiring from the first and finishing 12th in the second. He also competed in a single NASCAR Grand National event in 1970, held on the Riverside International Raceway road course in Riverside, California.

Posey went on to become an auto racing commentator for ABC Sports. Posey debuted on ABC for the Indianapolis 500 in 1974, serving as analyst. In subsequent years, he served as a pit reporter, and ultimately returned to the booth starting in 1981.

Along with the Indy 500, Posey's ABC Sports duties included commentary for the CART/PPG IndyCar World Series with Paul Page and Bobby Unser, lasting until the end of 1995. Posey also appeared on selected NASCAR broadcasts on ABC. The three-man booth of Page/Posey/Unser was a fixture of Indycar racing of the era, and Posey and Unser were known to engage in friendly but heated exchanges on-air.

In 1989, Posey was brought in as part of the ABC Sports broadcast team covering the 1989 Tour de France. Many people were surprised by Posey's knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for the sport. ABC would bring him back as the lead anchor for the 1990 and 1991 races. Posey also worked as the play-by-play announcer for luge during ABC's coverage of the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Posey later moved to Speedvision. He currently does essay work for the coverage of the Tour de France on the Outdoor Life Network, now known as NBC Sports, serving as the "Race Historian", and writes for Road & Track magazine.

Posey is also the author of Playing With Trains, a book on model railroading published by Random House, and The Mudge Pond Express, an autobiography which centers around his personal racing career and love of the sport. Posey is also an accomplished artist and painter. Posey now suffers from Parkinson's Disease, which has limited his activities in recent years.

Posey was the voice for the pre-race build-up montage slotted between the Mercedes-Benz Pre-Race Show and the actual race coverage for each Formula 1 race shown on the Speed Channel. Posey also comments on recent Formula 1 races and the championship in a segment called "Posey's Perspective" as part of the Formula 1 Debrief show, also featuring Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett, and Will Buxton on the Speed Channel. Posey now narrates F1 montages on NBC Sports Network after NBC purchased the rights to broadcast the 2013 season.

In 2013, the front straight at Lime Rock Park was renamed the Sam Posey Straight.

A.J. Foyt IV Born In Louisville, Kentucky - May 25, 1984

May 25, 1984

A.J. Foyt IV

(Photo;"AJ Foyt IV 2007" by Max Revs - Max Revs)
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
He competed in the IndyCar Series and briefly in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, then called the Busch Series. He is the grandson of A. J. Foyt.

He began his career racing karts. He moved up through the open wheel racing ranks, winning the 2002 Infiniti Pro Series. When Foyt made his first Indianapolis 500 race in 2003, he became the youngest driver to start in the event. He continued in IndyCar for two more years until his back was injured at the 2005 Indianapolis 500. Later that season he made several NASCAR Busch Series starts. He was scheduled to continue in the Busch Series in 2006, but the team was bought out and his contract didn't allow him to race in a non-Dodge car. He returned to IndyCar late that season. He has not raced since 2009, although he drove for his grandfather's A. J. Foyt Enterprises team in trials for the 2010 Indianapolis 500.

 He married Indianapolis Colts vice-president Casey Irsay, daughter of team owner Jim Irsay, in July 2009. On September 19, 2010, it was announced by commentators during the Indy Japan 300 that Casey Foyt had given birth to a son, A.J. Foyt V. Foyt has been employed by the Indianapolis Colts since 2010 as a scouting assistant.

Harry Cox Killed During Practice Run At Indy - May 25, 1932

May 25, 1932

Harry Cox, 28, of Indianapolis, was serving as the riding mechanic for driver Bennie Benefiel. During a practice run for the 1932 Indianapolis 500, the car crashed in turn one and went over the outside wall. The car fell 18 feet to the ground and crashed into trees. Benefiel was seriously injured, and Cox was killed.

Peter Kreis & Robert Hahn Killed During Indy Practice - May 25, 1934

May 25, 1934
During a practice run for the 1934 Indianapolis 500, Peter Kreis was the driver and Robert Hahn was the riding mechanic. Entering turn one, a car in front of him spun, followed by Kreis' car spinning, possibly due to trying to avoid a collision. The car went over the outside wall backwards, tumbled, and hit a tree. Both men were dead when the ambulance arrived. Kreis was a wealthy contractor who would take a month off each year to drive in the 500.

Photo;findagrave.com
A.J. "Pete" Kries

Eli Vukovich Born in Oakland, California - May 25, 1916

May 25, 1916 - Aug. 23, 2001
Eli Vukovich

(Photo; findagrave.com)
Born in Oakland, California, USA.
Eli, who was inducted into the BCRA Hall of Fame in 1966, was the older brother of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Bill Vukovich Sr. Eli was not as renowned as Bill, but his name still carried weight in California, where he and Bill tore up tracks together in the 1930s and 1940s.

In a 1984 "Fresno Bee" newspaper interview Vukovich asserted that "Racing was my life, and it paid well, too. Bill and I worked in the fields as kids picking grapes and everything. Then I got into racing and won some money. That was the end of field work. Dirt has always been my favorite place to race. Bill and I used to run everywhere we could. We'd drive five, six and even seven times a week."

The Vukovich brothers started in midgets and stepped up to modifieds. His brother's death during the 1955 Indianapolis 500 while he was attempting to win his third straight classic-eventually led Eli to quit racing in 1961. "After Bill got killed at Indy," he said, "I just didn't have the desire anymore."

Eli remained associated with the sport as a mechanic in a Fresno auto shop for several years before retiring. In 1996, Eli, his brother Bill, nephew Bill Jr., great nephew Billy III and brother Mike Vukovich were together inducted into the Bay Cities Racing Association Hall of Fame.

Eli died Aug. 23, 2001 in Fresno, California, USA.

Racing Legend Henry "Smokey" Yunick Born - May 25, 1923

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.

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

Jim Trueman Born In Cleveland, Ohio - May 25th, 1935

May 25, 1935 – June 11, 1986

Jim Trueman

(Photo; columbus.gov)
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Trueman was a businessperson, champion racecar driver, racing team owner and owner of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He began driving sports cars in 1962. He entered the Can-Am series and drove through the 1970s. He won 125 races in 23 years. He was the SCCA national championship in 1975 and 1978.

(Photo; teamterrificracing.net)
 Jim Trueman collecting a checkered flag at the 1975 Runoffs.

One of Jim Trueman's first business interests was Deibel's, a German-style restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. In 1972, Trueman opened his first Red Roof Inn motel. Soon he had three. The business was very successful, and by 1986, there were at least 155 motels in the chain.

On October 1, 1981, Trueman purchased Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, a race track near Lexington, Ohio. Immediately he began improving the facility. The track welcomed the CART series back in 1983. The facility became one of the most popular road racing tracks in the United States, hosting also IMSA, Grand-Am, IROC, SCCA, motorcycle racing, vintage events, and various other races.

Trueman used his riches from the motel business to expand his auto racing interests. He signed on Red Roof Inns to sponsor Vern Schuppan in the 1981 Indianapolis 500. Schuppan finished a strong third. In 1982, Trueman switched from Can-Am to CART and experienced instant success.

In 1985, Trueman was diagnosed with cancer. He kept his illness secret for many months.  At the 1986 Indianapolis 500 Trueman spent the entire month of May at the track, but was visibly frail and quiet.

(Photo;"Jimtrueman1986" by Doctorindy (talk) - self-made)
Trueman during practice at the 1986 Indy 500

The race was originally scheduled on his 51st birthday, but rain delayed the race. Bobby Rahal's car was fitted with a "Happy Birthday JRT" decal to celebrate. The following Saturday, May 31, 1986, the race was finally run. With two laps to go Rahal passed Kevin Cogan on a restart, and held on to win. The emotional Rahal nearly broke down in victory lane.

(Photo: omninate via photopin cc)

Bobby Rahal's March/Cosworth - 1986 Indianapolis 500 winning car.

In victory lane, Trueman stood up and took the traditional milk for winning Indy. Several years later, ABC television reporter Jack Arute revealed that Trueman whispered in his ear "I can go now." Later that year, Rahal won his first CART championship, and successfully defended it the following year. In 1988, Rahal won the last race the Truesports team ever won, the Quaker State 500 at Pocono

On Thursday June 5, 1986, five days after the victory, the city of Columbus held a victory parade downtown. Trueman was too sick to attend. Six days later he died at the age of 51.

The rookie of the year award in CART was named in his honor.