April

April 1
Alan Kulwicki, 1992 Winston Cup driver's and owner's champion, 1986 NASCAR Rookie of the Year, named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998, died in an airplane crash. (1993) 

April 2
Jack Brabham, 3-time Formula One World Champion, founder of the Brabham racing team, and race car constructor that bore his name, born in Sydney, Australia. (1926)

April 3
Mario Andretti, driving the John Player Team Lotus, edged Niki Lauda in a Ferrari by 0.773 seconds, to win the "United States Grand Prix - West" at Long Beach, California, USA. (1977)

Ed Spencer, racing driver and father of NASCAR driver Jimmy Spencer, died in Drums, Pennsylvania, USA. (2014)

April 4
Bill France Jr., the leading force behind the transformation of the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) from a regional sport into a multibillion-dollar industry with fans worldwide, born in Washington, D.C., USA. (1933)

April 5
Lee Petty, an early star of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and the patriarch of a racing dynasty that includes his son, NASCAR legend Richard Petty, dies at the age 86 in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. (2000)

April 6
Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, American drag racer and International Motorsports Hall of Fame member, born in San Fernando, California. (1941)

April 7
Jim Clark, 2-time Formula One World Champion, killed in a Formula Two motor racing accident in Hockenheim, Germany. (1968)

April 8
Gilles Villeneuve of Canada, finished 29.38 seconds ahead of Ferrari teammate Jody Scheckter, to win the "United States Grand Prix - West" at Long Beach, California, USA. (1979)

April 9 
Jacques Villeneuve, former "Indy 500" winner and Formula One World Champion , son of Canadian racing legend Gilles, born in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada. (1971)

April 10
Kasey Kahne, 2004 Nextel Cup Series "Rookie of the Year" and current NASCAR driver, born in Enumclaw, Washington, USA. (1980)

April 11
Ayrton Senna drove his Marlboro/ McLaren to victory at the "Sega European Grand Prix" at the
Donington Park Circuit, Castle Donington, England. (1993)

April 12
Carlos Reutemann, former Formula One driver, who scored 12 Grand Prix wins and six pole positions, born in Argentina. (1942)

April 13
Dan Gurney, the first driver to win races in Sports Cars, Formula One, NASCAR, and Indycar, born in Port Jefferson, New York, USA. (1931)

April 14
Jeff Andretti, 1991 Indianapolis 500 "Rookie of the Year" and son of racing legend Mario Andretti, born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA. (1964)

April 15
Washington Augustus Roebling II, a 31-year-old race car driver and engineer, who developed a race car known as the Roebling-Planche, which took second place in the Vanderbilt Cup Race in 1910 in Savannah, Georgia, dies in the sinking of the RMS Titanic in the icy waters of the North Atlantic. (1912)

April 16
Sir Frank Williams, founder and team principal of the Williams Formula One team, is born in South Shields, County Durham, England. (1942)

April 17
Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick, becomes the first NHRA Funny Car driver to run the quarter-mile in under 10 seconds, with a time of 9.97 seconds during a meet in York, Pennsylvania, USA. (1965)

April 18
Geoff Bodine, named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers, born in Chemung, New York, USA. (1949)

April 19
Al Unser Jr, 2-time CART "Indy Car World Series" Champion and "Indianapolis 500" winner, born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. (1962)

April 20
Danica Patrick, then 26 years old and competing in her 50th IndyCar Series race, won the "Indy Japan 300" at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan, making her the first female winner of a major United States sanctioned open-wheel race. (2008)

April 21
Kelly Collins, multiple victories at Petit Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona, and 12 Hours of Sebring, and four podium finishes at the prestigious "24 Hours of Le Mans", born in Sun Valley, Idaho, USA. (1965)

April 22
Ronnie Sox, five-time National Hot Rod Association champion, dies of prostate cancer at the age of 67, in Richmond, Virginia, USA. (2006)

Greg Moore, who competed in the Indy Lights and CART World Series,  where he had great success with several wins in both series and a championship in the 1995 Indy Lights series, born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. (1975)

April 23
Emerson Fittipaldi of Brazil, edged Jacques Villeneuve of Canada, to win the CART "Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix" at Nazareth Speedway, Nazareth, Pennsylvania, USA. (1995)

April 24
Rolf Stommelen, a four-time 24 Hours of Daytona champ as well as a Formula One driver, is killed at the age of 39 in a crash at California's Riverside International Raceway. (1983)

Drag racing's first reported 200 mph speed is set by John "The Golden Greek" Karamesines with a 204.54 mph run at Alton Raceway in Alton, Illinois, USA. (1960)

April 25
Michele Alboreto of Italy, Formula One driver and "24 Hours of Le Mans" winner, killed on a track in Germany during a test drive at the age of 44. (2001)

Formula One driver Felipe Massa, born in São Paulo, Brazil. (1981)

April 26
David Coulthard in a McLaren/Mercedes, wins the "Grand Prix of San Marino"at Autodromo Enzo & Dino Ferrari, Imola, San Marino. Canadian Jacques Villeneuve finished 4th in a Williams. (1998)

April 27
Bob Bondurant, former driver and owner of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, born in Evanston, Illinois, USA. (1933)

April 28
Ayrton Senna finished 1.675 seconds ahead of McLaren teammate Gerhard Berger, to win the "Grand Prix of San Marino" at Autodromo Enzo & Dino Ferrari, Imola, San Marino. (1991) 

April 29
Dale Earnhardt Sr., considered one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, born in Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA. (1951)

Bob Akin, successful business executive, journalist, television commentator and champion sports car racing driver, died of complications from injuries suffered during a testing accident for a historic sports car race at Road Atlanta. (2002)

April 30
Elliott Sadler, 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series "Most Popular Driver", born in Emporia, Virginia, USA. (1975)

Michael Waltrip, two-time winner of the "Daytona 500" and co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, born in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA. (1963)

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