| Fatality - May 1926 |
| Herbert Jones - driver |
He was 21 years old in 1925 - the youngest driver in his first Indy
race. His Jones-Whitaker Special caught fire, burning him slightly;
and he failed to finish. He was also the youngest driver at Indy for
the 1926 race.
Herbert Jones had relatively little racing experience (about four
years), but he had great determination. When he returned to the
track his second year, he showed real promise. He completed
the first qualifying lap at 105.67 mph, a speed which would have
put him in the race if he had maintained that average. Only 10 of
the cars that qualified exceeded that speed average. But on the
second lap, as he rode high around the northwest turn, his
Miller-motored Elcar Special dashed away from him while still
traveling at about 105 mph. The car slipped down to the inside
retaining wall where it skidded, smashed to the left front wheel,
and overturned . It skidded and twisted across the track until it
crashed into the outside wall, then rolled about 200 yards before
it came to rest with Jones still in the cockpit. He pulled himself
clear of the wreckage and collapsed.
Jones fractured his skull when the car turned over. He died the
following afternoon and was survived by his mother. Jones, born
and reared in indianapolis, worked for Haag Drug Company and
chauffeured for Miss Lenore Haag.
Frank Lockhart, the "boy wonder," won the exciting 1926 race
in the rain. It was his first 500 at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, and he was driving Pete Kreis's car because Kreis
was ill with flu. Lockhart was only 23 years old, had qualified
at an average speed of 95.783, had set a 1-lap record of
120.918, and had started 20th in the field. (Lockhart was fatally
injured in 1928 at Daytona Beach.) John Diff from England
drove Jone's car in the race, starting 28th and finishing 9th.
race. His Jones-Whitaker Special caught fire, burning him slightly;
and he failed to finish. He was also the youngest driver at Indy for
the 1926 race.
Herbert Jones had relatively little racing experience (about four
years), but he had great determination. When he returned to the
track his second year, he showed real promise. He completed
the first qualifying lap at 105.67 mph, a speed which would have
put him in the race if he had maintained that average. Only 10 of
the cars that qualified exceeded that speed average. But on the
second lap, as he rode high around the northwest turn, his
Miller-motored Elcar Special dashed away from him while still
traveling at about 105 mph. The car slipped down to the inside
retaining wall where it skidded, smashed to the left front wheel,
and overturned . It skidded and twisted across the track until it
crashed into the outside wall, then rolled about 200 yards before
it came to rest with Jones still in the cockpit. He pulled himself
clear of the wreckage and collapsed.
Jones fractured his skull when the car turned over. He died the
following afternoon and was survived by his mother. Jones, born
and reared in indianapolis, worked for Haag Drug Company and
chauffeured for Miss Lenore Haag.
Frank Lockhart, the "boy wonder," won the exciting 1926 race
in the rain. It was his first 500 at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, and he was driving Pete Kreis's car because Kreis
was ill with flu. Lockhart was only 23 years old, had qualified
at an average speed of 95.783, had set a 1-lap record of
120.918, and had started 20th in the field. (Lockhart was fatally
injured in 1928 at Daytona Beach.) John Diff from England
drove Jone's car in the race, starting 28th and finishing 9th.
| Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, IN |
| Herbert Jones's Indy Record |
Year Car No. Car Laps Completed Start Finish
1925 29 Jones-Whitaker 69 -wrecked T1 17 19
1926 18 Elcar Special Wrecked T4 - died
1925 29 Jones-Whitaker 69 -wrecked T1 17 19
1926 18 Elcar Special Wrecked T4 - died
| The Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
| INDY 500 MEMORIAL - 1926 |
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