| IndyCar Fatalities at other Tracks |
DRIVER DATE AGE TRACK DURING
Al Livingstone 11/01/1910 Atlanta Motordrome Practice aka "The Dirt Track King"
Ralph Ireland 08/21/1911 Elgin IL Practice
William H. Pearce 10/19/1911 Woodland Park, Sioux City IA Practice
Harry Knight 07/05/1913 23 Columbus OH Race aka "Hero of Indy Speedway"
Harry Endicott 09/05/1913 Jackson, MI Practice
"Jack" Forest 10/24/1913 El Paso to Phoenix course Race
Jack Callaghan 02/07/1915 25 Ascot Park, L.A. Race 100-mile
Guy Knease 05/05/1915 Coffeeville KS Race
Clarence O. King 06/27/1915 State Fair Grounds, Sacramento Race
William Carlson Jr 07/04/1915 Tacoma Speedway Race 200-mile aka "Wild Bill"
Billy Chandler 08/07/1915 Des Moines IA Race 300-mile
Richard Clark 11/01/1915 Tuscon AZ Practice for AZ Fairgrounds 100
S.L. Price 04/7/1916 Corona Road Race Practice
Bob Burman 04/08/1916 Grand Boulevard Race
Carl Limberg 05/13/1916 Sheepshead Bay Speedway Race
Jack Peacock 08/27/1916 Kalamazoo Fairgrounds Race
Harry Horstman 11/10/1916 Santa Monica Road Race Course Practice
Lewis Jackson 11/18/1916 American Grand Prize Race
Frank Galvin 12/02/1916 Uniontown Speedway PA Race - track just opened
Hughie Hughes 12/02/1916 34 Uniontown Speedway PA, After crashing was hit standing by pressbox
Nina V. Torre 03/03/1918 Stockton, CA Race CA then Banned Women Races
S.O. Bottorff 11/03/1919 47 Vail AZ Race
Gaston Chevrolet 11/25/1920 Beverly Hills Speedway Race He won 1920 Indy 500
Eddie O'Donnell 11/25/1920 Beverly Hills Speedway Race
Alton Soules 10/01/1921 Fresno Speedway Race
Roscoe Sarles 09//17/1922 Kansas City Speedway Race
Howdy Wilcox 09/04/1923 Altoona Speedway Race He won 1919 Indy 500
Joe Boyer 09/01/1924 Altoona Speedway Race
Jimmy Murphy 09/15/1924 New York State Fairgrounds Race He won 1922 Indy 500
Ernie Ansterburg 10/16/1924 Charlotte Speedway Practice
Fred Wells 04/22/1925 Long Island Motor Parkway Testing
Ray Cariens 11/29/1925 Culver City Speedway Race
Jack Foley 07/04/1926 Rockingham Speedway Qualifying
Fred Comer 10/12/1928 Rockingham Speedway Race
Ray Keech 06/15/1929 Altoona Speedway Race He won 1929 Indy 500
Jimmy Gleason 09/12/1931 New York State Fairgrounds Qualifying
George Brayen 09/09/1934 New York State Fairgrounds Race
Al Gordon 01/26/1936 Legion Ascot Speedway Race
Billy Winn 08/20/1938 Illinois State Fairgrounds Race
Lou Webb 09/02/1940 New York State Fairgrounds Race
Mitchell Siemienski 06/22/1941 Langhorne Speedway Qualifying
Joe Sanko 04/14/1946 Williams Grove Speedway Race
Bumpy Bumpus 06/16/1946 Flemington Speedway Race
Bus Wilbert 08/11/1946 Winchester Speedway Race
George Robson 09/02/1946 Lakewood Speedway Race He won 1946 Indy 500
George Barringer 09/02/1946 Lakewood Speedway Race
Al Putnam 09/15/1946 Indiana State Fairgrounds Qualifying
Ted Horn 10/10/1948 DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Race
Bill Sheffler 06/19/1949 Trenton Speedway Practice
Rex Mays 11/06/1949 Del Mar Speedway Race
Walt Brown 07/29/1951 Williams Grove Speedway Warm-up Heat
Cecil Green 07/29/1951 Funk's Speedway Qualifying
Bill Mackey 07/29/1951 Funk's Speedway Qualifying
Johnny McDowell 06/08/1952 Milwaukee Mile Qualifying
Joe James 11/02/1952 San Jose Speedway Race
Bob Scott 07/05/1954 Darlington Raceway Race
Jack McGrath 11/06/1955 Arizona State Fairgrounds Race
Art Bisch 07/04/1958 Lakewood Speedway Race
Jimmy Reece 09/28/1958 Trenton Speedway Race
Marshall Teague 02/11/1959 Daytona International Speedway Testing
George Amick 04/04/1959 Daytona International Speedway Race
Dick Linder 04/19/1959 Trenton Speedway Race
Van Johnson 07/19/1959 Williams Grove Speedway Race
Ed Elisian 08/30/1959 Milwaukee Mile Race
Jimmy Bryan 06/19/1960 Langhorne Speedway Race He won 1958 Indy 500
Al Keller 11/19/1961 Arizona State Fairgrounds Race
Hugh Randall 07/01/1962 Langhorne Speedway Race
Bill Horstmeyer 08/22/1964 Illinois State Fairgrounds Race
Bobby Marshman 11/27/1964 Phoenix International Raceway Testing
Ronnie Duman 06/09/1968 Milwaukee Mile Race
Bob Criss 03/12/1973 Phoenix International Raceway Testing
Jim Hickman 07/31/1982 Milwaukee Mile Practice
Jeff Krosnoff 07/14/1996 Toronto street circuit Race
Gonzalo Rodríguez 09/11/1999 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Practice
Greg Moore 10/31/1999 Auto Club Speedway Race
Paul Dana 03/26/2006 Homestead-Miami Speedway Practice
Dan Wheldon 10/16/2011 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Race He won 2011 Indy 500
Justin Wilson 08/23/2015 Pocono Raceway Race-Died the next day
Ralph Ireland 08/21/1911 Elgin IL Practice
William H. Pearce 10/19/1911 Woodland Park, Sioux City IA Practice
Harry Knight 07/05/1913 23 Columbus OH Race aka "Hero of Indy Speedway"
Harry Endicott 09/05/1913 Jackson, MI Practice
"Jack" Forest 10/24/1913 El Paso to Phoenix course Race
Jack Callaghan 02/07/1915 25 Ascot Park, L.A. Race 100-mile
Guy Knease 05/05/1915 Coffeeville KS Race
Clarence O. King 06/27/1915 State Fair Grounds, Sacramento Race
William Carlson Jr 07/04/1915 Tacoma Speedway Race 200-mile aka "Wild Bill"
Billy Chandler 08/07/1915 Des Moines IA Race 300-mile
Richard Clark 11/01/1915 Tuscon AZ Practice for AZ Fairgrounds 100
S.L. Price 04/7/1916 Corona Road Race Practice
Bob Burman 04/08/1916 Grand Boulevard Race
Carl Limberg 05/13/1916 Sheepshead Bay Speedway Race
Jack Peacock 08/27/1916 Kalamazoo Fairgrounds Race
Harry Horstman 11/10/1916 Santa Monica Road Race Course Practice
Lewis Jackson 11/18/1916 American Grand Prize Race
Frank Galvin 12/02/1916 Uniontown Speedway PA Race - track just opened
Hughie Hughes 12/02/1916 34 Uniontown Speedway PA, After crashing was hit standing by pressbox
Nina V. Torre 03/03/1918 Stockton, CA Race CA then Banned Women Races
S.O. Bottorff 11/03/1919 47 Vail AZ Race
Gaston Chevrolet 11/25/1920 Beverly Hills Speedway Race He won 1920 Indy 500
Eddie O'Donnell 11/25/1920 Beverly Hills Speedway Race
Alton Soules 10/01/1921 Fresno Speedway Race
Roscoe Sarles 09//17/1922 Kansas City Speedway Race
Howdy Wilcox 09/04/1923 Altoona Speedway Race He won 1919 Indy 500
Joe Boyer 09/01/1924 Altoona Speedway Race
Jimmy Murphy 09/15/1924 New York State Fairgrounds Race He won 1922 Indy 500
Ernie Ansterburg 10/16/1924 Charlotte Speedway Practice
Fred Wells 04/22/1925 Long Island Motor Parkway Testing
Ray Cariens 11/29/1925 Culver City Speedway Race
Jack Foley 07/04/1926 Rockingham Speedway Qualifying
Fred Comer 10/12/1928 Rockingham Speedway Race
Ray Keech 06/15/1929 Altoona Speedway Race He won 1929 Indy 500
Jimmy Gleason 09/12/1931 New York State Fairgrounds Qualifying
George Brayen 09/09/1934 New York State Fairgrounds Race
Al Gordon 01/26/1936 Legion Ascot Speedway Race
Billy Winn 08/20/1938 Illinois State Fairgrounds Race
Lou Webb 09/02/1940 New York State Fairgrounds Race
Mitchell Siemienski 06/22/1941 Langhorne Speedway Qualifying
Joe Sanko 04/14/1946 Williams Grove Speedway Race
Bumpy Bumpus 06/16/1946 Flemington Speedway Race
Bus Wilbert 08/11/1946 Winchester Speedway Race
George Robson 09/02/1946 Lakewood Speedway Race He won 1946 Indy 500
George Barringer 09/02/1946 Lakewood Speedway Race
Al Putnam 09/15/1946 Indiana State Fairgrounds Qualifying
Ted Horn 10/10/1948 DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Race
Bill Sheffler 06/19/1949 Trenton Speedway Practice
Rex Mays 11/06/1949 Del Mar Speedway Race
Walt Brown 07/29/1951 Williams Grove Speedway Warm-up Heat
Cecil Green 07/29/1951 Funk's Speedway Qualifying
Bill Mackey 07/29/1951 Funk's Speedway Qualifying
Johnny McDowell 06/08/1952 Milwaukee Mile Qualifying
Joe James 11/02/1952 San Jose Speedway Race
Bob Scott 07/05/1954 Darlington Raceway Race
Jack McGrath 11/06/1955 Arizona State Fairgrounds Race
Art Bisch 07/04/1958 Lakewood Speedway Race
Jimmy Reece 09/28/1958 Trenton Speedway Race
Marshall Teague 02/11/1959 Daytona International Speedway Testing
George Amick 04/04/1959 Daytona International Speedway Race
Dick Linder 04/19/1959 Trenton Speedway Race
Van Johnson 07/19/1959 Williams Grove Speedway Race
Ed Elisian 08/30/1959 Milwaukee Mile Race
Jimmy Bryan 06/19/1960 Langhorne Speedway Race He won 1958 Indy 500
Al Keller 11/19/1961 Arizona State Fairgrounds Race
Hugh Randall 07/01/1962 Langhorne Speedway Race
Bill Horstmeyer 08/22/1964 Illinois State Fairgrounds Race
Bobby Marshman 11/27/1964 Phoenix International Raceway Testing
Ronnie Duman 06/09/1968 Milwaukee Mile Race
Bob Criss 03/12/1973 Phoenix International Raceway Testing
Jim Hickman 07/31/1982 Milwaukee Mile Practice
Jeff Krosnoff 07/14/1996 Toronto street circuit Race
Gonzalo Rodríguez 09/11/1999 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Practice
Greg Moore 10/31/1999 Auto Club Speedway Race
Paul Dana 03/26/2006 Homestead-Miami Speedway Practice
Dan Wheldon 10/16/2011 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Race He won 2011 Indy 500
Justin Wilson 08/23/2015 Pocono Raceway Race-Died the next day
The list on this page covers deaths that occurred on the National Championship trail.
Champ Car, now called IndyCar, was the name for a class and specification of open wheel
cars used in American Championship car racing for many decades, associated primarily with
the Indianapolis 500.
In 1905 the AAA established the national driving championship and became the first
sanctioning body for auto racing in the United States. The AAA ceased sanctioning auto
racing in the general outrage over motor racing safety that followed the 1955 Le Mans
disaster. In response, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony Hulman formed USAC
to take over the sanctioning of what was called "championship" auto racing. USAC was
replaced by CART in 1979 and by INDYCAR in 2008.
Champ Car, now called IndyCar, was the name for a class and specification of open wheel
cars used in American Championship car racing for many decades, associated primarily with
the Indianapolis 500.
In 1905 the AAA established the national driving championship and became the first
sanctioning body for auto racing in the United States. The AAA ceased sanctioning auto
racing in the general outrage over motor racing safety that followed the 1955 Le Mans
disaster. In response, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony Hulman formed USAC
to take over the sanctioning of what was called "championship" auto racing. USAC was
replaced by CART in 1979 and by INDYCAR in 2008.
| DRIVERS WHO WERE KILLED |
MECHANIC DRIVER DATE TRACK DURING
Milton McCallis Harry Knight 07/05/1913 Columbus OH Race
John O. Jenter Spencer Wishart 08/22/1914 Elgin National Trophy Race Race
Paul Franzen Billy Carlson 07/04/1915 Tacoma Speedway Race 200-mile
Morris Keeler Billy Chandler 08/07/1915 Des Moines IA Race 300-mile
Erick Schrader Bob Burman 04/08/1916 Grand Boulevard Race
Roxie Pallotti Carl Limberg 05/13/1916 Sheepshead Bay Speedway Race
Dan Colombo Aldo Franchi 07/15/1916 Omaha Speedway Race
Marion Arnold Andy Burt 08/27/1916 Kalamazoo Fairgrounds Race
Bert Shields Gil Andersen 09/04/1916 Cincinnati Motor Speedway Race
Charles Schwartz Harry Horstman 11/10/1916 Santa Monica Road Race Course Practice
France Gaston Weigle Frank Galvin 12/02/1916 Uniontown Speedway Race
Lyall Jolls Eddie O'Donnell 11/25/1920 Beverly Hills Speedway Race
Harry Barner Alton Soules 10/01/1921 Fresno Speedway Race
Spider Matlock Al Gordon 01/26/1936 Legion Ascot Speedway Race
John O. Jenter Spencer Wishart 08/22/1914 Elgin National Trophy Race Race
Paul Franzen Billy Carlson 07/04/1915 Tacoma Speedway Race 200-mile
Morris Keeler Billy Chandler 08/07/1915 Des Moines IA Race 300-mile
Erick Schrader Bob Burman 04/08/1916 Grand Boulevard Race
Roxie Pallotti Carl Limberg 05/13/1916 Sheepshead Bay Speedway Race
Dan Colombo Aldo Franchi 07/15/1916 Omaha Speedway Race
Marion Arnold Andy Burt 08/27/1916 Kalamazoo Fairgrounds Race
Bert Shields Gil Andersen 09/04/1916 Cincinnati Motor Speedway Race
Charles Schwartz Harry Horstman 11/10/1916 Santa Monica Road Race Course Practice
France Gaston Weigle Frank Galvin 12/02/1916 Uniontown Speedway Race
Lyall Jolls Eddie O'Donnell 11/25/1920 Beverly Hills Speedway Race
Harry Barner Alton Soules 10/01/1921 Fresno Speedway Race
Spider Matlock Al Gordon 01/26/1936 Legion Ascot Speedway Race
| RIDING MECHANICS WHO WERE KILLED |
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A grim reminder of the darkness of the board-track era of the 1920s.
This was the Kansas City Speedway, a 1.25-mile oval with turns banked 35 degrees.
On September 17, 1922 Roscoe Sarles, a respected racer with six AAA feature wins
and four starts at Indy, broke a steering knuckle on his Durant, tangled with Pete
DePaolo, and flew over the guard rail. The car landed far below, upside down and on fire
on the spot marked in the lower right. Sarles was trapped beneath and did not survive.
This was the Kansas City Speedway, a 1.25-mile oval with turns banked 35 degrees.
On September 17, 1922 Roscoe Sarles, a respected racer with six AAA feature wins
and four starts at Indy, broke a steering knuckle on his Durant, tangled with Pete
DePaolo, and flew over the guard rail. The car landed far below, upside down and on fire
on the spot marked in the lower right. Sarles was trapped beneath and did not survive.
April 19, 1959 at Trenton race track - On the 56th lap of the 100-miler, third-place runner
Don Branson, who had broken the track record qualifying, spun in turn three in the Bob
Estes #9. As shown above, Dick Linder caught one of his wheels, flew out of the park,
flipped, and perished. Linder, 36, was no kid at the time, but he was moving up. After
amassing over 100 feature wins in the Pennsylvania area, Linder had run some
NASCAR on the Beach and was now trying USAC. He was driving the Jake Vargo
KK4000 and hoped to make Indy the next month.
Don Branson, who had broken the track record qualifying, spun in turn three in the Bob
Estes #9. As shown above, Dick Linder caught one of his wheels, flew out of the park,
flipped, and perished. Linder, 36, was no kid at the time, but he was moving up. After
amassing over 100 feature wins in the Pennsylvania area, Linder had run some
NASCAR on the Beach and was now trying USAC. He was driving the Jake Vargo
KK4000 and hoped to make Indy the next month.
Nov 6, 1949 - Rex Mays was running in 2nd at the Del Mar horse track in California.
On the 13th lap, Mays’ “Wolfe Special” caught a rut and flipped, throwing him from
the car. Rex, who adamantly refused to wear a seat belt, had been thrown out onto
the middle of the track. Eyewitnesses watched as several cars nearly missed and
hit Mays while he was lying prone on the ground, but physicians attributed his death
to a broken neck, likely caused when he hit the ground head first.
On the 13th lap, Mays’ “Wolfe Special” caught a rut and flipped, throwing him from
the car. Rex, who adamantly refused to wear a seat belt, had been thrown out onto
the middle of the track. Eyewitnesses watched as several cars nearly missed and
hit Mays while he was lying prone on the ground, but physicians attributed his death
to a broken neck, likely caused when he hit the ground head first.
| OTHER INDYCAR DEATHS |
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