33 replies to this topic

[Buford]

http://auto-racing.s...dis-dies-at-92/

A member of my Quarter Midget club when I was a kid. Spoke at a Cub Scout meeting and showed movies. RIP.

[Ray Bell]

A grand age, I hope he went peacefully...

There mustn't be many left from your childhood, Buford? Your parents went at a good age, but some of the people who were very young then would surely still be around?

Not to detract from the loss of Danny Kladis. I'd never heard of him, but I'm sure he had friends all over in the sport.

[fines]

Danny Kladis was mostly a Midget driver, so I don't have that much on him. Chicago just before WW2 was a hotbed of Midget racing, and it really isn't any surprise that young Danny became attracted to the little "doodlebugs", with guys like Duke Nalon, Tony Bettenhausen, Jimmy Snyder, Emil Andres, Paul Russo, Wally Zale etc. trading exhaust fumes on a regular basis on tracks like Riverview Stadium, Raceway Park, the Chicago Armory, the Amphitheatre or Soldier Field. A few years earlier and he might have tried a Big Car at Roby Speedway or the Cook County Fairgrounds, but with these venues closed for good the focus of interest for the racing-minded in the Windy City shifted entirely to the Midgets - well, the Midgets and Andy Granatelli's "Hurricane Racing Association" Hot Rod races!

For the first postwar Indy 500, Tony Hulman and Wilbur Shaw couldn't afford to be picky when it came to accepting entries, and so the Granatellis with their "hot-rodded" Miller-Ford and Kladis were accepted without any sort of AAA credentials. They qualified dead last, only a couple of days before the big race, and retired early without making any impression - in retrospect, it's quite ironic that, today, Kladis is best remembered for this half-baked attempt at the glorious '500'! He subsequently returned to what he did best, and reigned three years in succession as the Mississippi Valley Midget Racing Association (or: Midwest Midget Auto Racing Association) Champion, which must've been a lot more fun!

In 1949, Kladis felt ready to take the plunge and sign up with AAA for good. For the next eight years or so, he raced Midgets in AAA and USAC events, mainly in the Midwest, and was a consistent mid-fielder, though sadly he never took a feature win. But it also gave him the chance to compete at Indy on a regular basis, yet here again he couldn't buy any piece of luck and never again qualified for the big event. Mostly because, it has to be said, he couldn't attract a really good ride, and for many years he campaigned outdated machinery for local (i.e. Chicago area) owners, like the 1939 Lencki in 1949, a 1938 Grand Prix Maserati in 1950, a 1941 "Gulf" Miller in 1951, and finally a 1948 GP Maserati and a 1939 GP Mercedes-Benz with a 1948 Jaguar sports car engine in 1957! It's really hard to see anybody doing any better in these circumstances...

His best year by far was 1954, when he came to Indy without a ride, but ended up running 125 miles in relief for Spider Webb on the ancient rail-frame Bromme/Offenhauser in the race. He also made history that year, for when he retired that car around half distance with an incurable oil leak, the days of the traditional ladder-type frame were over at Indy, once and for all. Later that summer, he managed to qualify for his only two starts (other than Indy) on the Championship trail, driving the old Kurtis/Offenhauser of Tom Sarafoff (ironically, one of the very first tube-frame cars to ever compete at Indy) at Milwaukee and Du Quoin, finishing 18th and 13th, respectively. When he failed to qualify for the prestigious Hoosier Hundred in September, though, he was fired on the spot, and the little Terre Haute racing team closed its doors for good - poof!

In retrospect again, that was probably the best that could have happened to him, and like a cat falling on its feet he was now available at a crucial moment for Pennsylvania Sprint Car owner Ted Nyquist, who had recently purchased a new Hillegass/Offenhauser for Bill Holland to drive, when the 1949 Indy winner decided to have to another "moody moment", his last in frontline racing as it would turn out. Anyway, Kladis was there when Nyquist desperately needed a new "shoe", and in their first race together, possibly Danny's very first appearance at an Eastern "Bull Ring" at all, they scored an upset victory at Allentown over Tommy Hinnershitz et al, and the next day he took the fast heat at Williams Grove, only to spin out in the main event while leading eventual Champion Johnny Thomson. Talk about the proverbial duck in the water!

Unfortunately for Kladis, Mike Nazaruk was soon to have another of his frequent bust-ups with his regular car owner Lee Elkins, and despite qualifying fastest for the big 100-lap Bill Schindler Memorial Race at Reading in October, he was replaced for the next two races by "Iron Mike", who left no doubt about him claiming the seat by winning both, and the 1955 opener to boot. We all know where that ended , and after a short interlude with Johnnie Parsons, Dutch Schaefer and Larry Tobias, Nyquist again turned to Kladis to drive his sprinter in the summer of '55, as did its new owner John Pfrommer later that year. Danny had several good results, including another fast time and a close second in the main to Hinnershitz at the Reading Fair Race, but sadly he couldn't replicate his debut win. He finished 13th in points that year, not bad, but also not good enough to garner him a regular ride, and so his Big Car career fizzled out over the next couple of years, ending with a 6th place finish in another 100-lapper at Reading, ironically the Mike Nazaruk Memorial Race, on June 16 in 1957.

With that, he left USAC to continue in the minor leagues, like the Mississippi Valley Championship Circuit (Big Cars) or the United Auto Racing Association (Midgets), taking the latter's Championship in 1962. By that time, his son George was beginning to step into his father's foot steps, racing Midgets in the Midwest, and even claiming the UARA title, nine years after his dad did the same! In USAC competition, though, George couldn't do any better than his father, and he was also "merely" a competent mid-fielder. In 1969, the name Danny Kladis appeared again in the final USAC Midget point standings, but I believe it was another son of the now deceased. Danny senior was, by the way, apparently never really a full "racing pro", and continued to make a living as an airline captain, a job that neatly continued his WW2 training as a flight instructor. For a "part-time amateur", he did decidedly well in racing!

Edited by fines, 02 May 2009 - 17:37.

[ensign14]

For the first postwar Indy 500, Tony Hulman and Wilbur Shaw couldn't afford to be picky when it came to accepting entries, and so the Granatellis with their "hot-rodded" Miller-Ford and Kladis were accepted without any sort of AAA credentials. They qualified dead last, only a couple of days before the big race, and retired early without making any impression - in retrospect, it's quite ironic that, today, Kladis is best remembered for this half-baked attempt at the glorious '500'!

You mean Granatelli was telling porkies in his autobiography when he said they were well on course for a victory had it not been for a disqualification on a technicality? The mind boggles.

I suppose in retrospect those early post-was 500s were a bit like the first IRL 500s. All sorts of drivers who ordinarily would not get the chance were able to have a stab at it because of the lack of entries. The likes of Romcevich and Salay do not seem to have done much else (IIRC Salay survived a vicious accident a few years later at Indy in an ancient special). Indeed, in Cy Marshall and Roland Free there was the equivalent of Danny Ongais coming back from a long absence...

[Flat Black 84]

Anybody know who the oldest living Indy 500 competitor is now?

[Jim Thurman]

Anybody know who the oldest living Indy 500 competitor is now?

I believe it's Chuck Weyant.

Earliest start would be Jim Rathmann ('49), but he's younger than Weyant.

A few guys around in their 80's that debuted in the 1950's (Rathmann, Weyant, Bob Christie, Eddie Russo). Probably a higher percentage per capita than NFL players.

Edited by Jim Thurman, 02 May 2009 - 23:41.

[Jim Thurman]

Michael, thanks for a good, well written piece on Danny Kladis I don't have a lot on Kladis either, but know of him primarily as a Midget racer (and a member of the Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame). He also reportedly won a long distance Stock Car race at Raceway Park near Chicago - driving a Jeep.

Kladis did get the Grancor car up to 13th...but then again, I haven't seen the lap chart to know how impressive, or unimpressive, that was.

[Buford]

Yes good report on Kladis - know more now than I did before and I knew him. I also knew Chuck Weyant.

WARNING OVER THE HILL GEEZER RECOLLECTION - EXIT BUTTON UPPER LEFT.

He had a Quarter Midget track in Springfield, Illinois and one year called my dad to bring our cars down to run in their "big race" which was a rare 100 lapper at the end of the year. That was a lot for kids - we had never run more than a 50 lap race. Being a small city our kids race actually got on the local TV news and there was a newspaper article announcing the Chicago Champions were coming down to challenge the locals and a big crowd came out. So we went, my parents were originally from Springfield. I was really impressed meeting Chuck as I always was with an Indy 500 driver and he said he was so glad we came and there was actually a big paying crowd! Who I found out were there to boo us lol. I was like 10 years old but I was the Yankee villain.

Anyway they had a point system starting order and because we were outsiders my brother and I were to start on the front row with the season point leaders at the back. But shortly before the race Chuck came to us and said there was a problem. The other fathers had voted not to race if we were allowed to start on the front row. They said it wasn't fair. After we had both won our heat races and I won the trophy dash they said starting in front would be too much of an advantage. There were a couple thousand people there to see the race and this was a big problem. My dad said, "Piss on them we will start at the back." I remember Chuck Weyant apologized to both me and my brother personally for the actions of the other fathers. I said I didn't care, I always started at the back.

So there was about 29 cars so I was alone on the back row and my brother on the row ahead - 20th of a mile track. We got the green, my brother beat his guy into one and got to the pole, I got behind him and tucked on his tail. It took us a long time but we finally worked our way through. my brother got a break in lapped traffic and took the lead and it took me a couple laps to get clear and by then he was a straightaway ahead with about 10 laps to go. I closed it down but time ran out. We were 1-2. The crowd was silent.

After the race Chuck Weyant went to the center of the infield with a microphone and addressed the crowd. Called my brother and I over. He got a huge trophy. Chuck said, "I want to tell you what happened here tonight. I personally called these boy's parents to come down here and help us put on a show for you people. And what happened? Despite our rules we have operated on all season, the proud fathers refused to race if these boys were allowed to start in the front which was their rightful position. Their dad, my good friend, graciously offered to start at the rear and you saw what happened. These boys just put on the finest driving exhibition I have ever seen in racing, any racing anywhere. Shame on all of you. And thank you (our names) for teaching us all something here today. Real racers will rise to the top regardless of politics. And he shook both our hands.

I never forgot that.

Edited by Buford, 03 May 2009 - 00:46.

[David McKinney]

Great story
And what a guy Chuck Weyant must have been (and no doubt still is)

[Buford]

Thinking back about that long ago event 50 years ago. I recall because we had grandparents and aunts and uncles in town we went a few days early and went over to Chuck's house in the days before the race. I should point out the kids were not the problem. They welcomed us it was the fathers who couldn't handle getting beat by big city outsiders. Southern Illinois is a little bit like the south and to them even thought we lived in the same state, we were Yankee city slickers.

Chuck and his brother had a farm and the sweet corn had just been picked. I recall some of us kids got wagons and piled them with corn and went around the neighborhoods selling corn door to door. I recall I made several dollars. It may have been my first ever job. Also I recall some of Chuck's family or hangers on had gone rabbit hunting and were cleaning the rabbits at the house. I remember the smell and I was horrified. City slickers. I also recall we were playing with hula hoops and there was a cute girl there I liked but I had no idea what to do about it. Maybe if I had only won the damn race

OK sorry I will shut up now.

[lil'chris]

Buford, at least tell us how the crowd reacted after Chucks speech !

[Buford]

Buford, at least tell us how the crowd reacted after Chucks speech !

I don't remember. Sorry. They were not bad people they were just rooting for the home team. May have forgotten though these were kids. There was and still is a lot of rivalry and animosity between Southern Illinois and Chicago. Which is why a bog crowd showed up. To see the locals whip the Chicagoans. However I was used to our stock car team being booed and being the outsider at tracks where we left our home track so it didn't bother me. When you win too much, most of the time, people don't like you.

In 1969, the name Danny Kladis appeared again in the final USAC Midget point standings, but I believe it was another son of the now deceased.

Yeah that was the kid who was in our quarter midget club.

Edited by Buford, 03 May 2009 - 22:09.

[HistoricMustang]

Buford, you do infact have a heart!

Thanks for memories as that is all we have.

Henry

[Lemnpiper]

Buford, you do infact have a heart!

Thanks for memories as that is all we have.

Henry

Another driver well into his 80's is Paul Goldsmith who had one of the more varied careers in racing.

[Buford]

Another driver well into his 80's is Paul Goldsmith who had one of the more varied careers in racing.

Drove often for Ray Nickels another father in our Quarter Midget club with his son Terry, my toughest competitor when we were kids.

Edited by Buford, 04 May 2009 - 04:59.

[Lemnpiper]

Anybody know who the oldest living Indy 500 competitor is now?

If you go over ot Richie Jenkin's "Where are they now" forum he has assembled a very detailed listing of all the current living drivers that once competed in the Indy 500 .
As far as Starters this is the top 10 with their birthdate with the 1st year they started

1 . Chuck Weyant April 2, 1923 1955
2 . Bob Christie April 4,1924 1956
3 . Paul Goldsmith October 2 ,1925 1959
4 . Ediie Russo November 19, 1925 1955
5 . Sir Jack Brabham April 2, 1926 1961
6 . Chuck Hulse October 3 , 1927 1962
7 . Jim McElreath February 18, 1928 1962
8 . Jim Rathmann July 16, 1928 1949
9 . Bob Harkey June 23, 1930 1964
10. Don Edmunds September 23, 1930 1957


Looking at that list i am struck by 2 things,


One is that until the recent passing of Danny Kladis , Lloyd Ruby and Jim McWithey..... Jim Rathmann wasnt even in the top 10 in age among living Indy 500 starters.
Also if you look at Rathmann's age compared to the others when they made their 1st start he was incredibly young in comparison.( I am aware he switched IDs with his brother Richard when he 1st started racing)

But for the group i have 1 question about the 1949 start .
As i have learned via history 1949 was also the 1st year Troy Ruttman started at Indy and i wonder in the AAA officials at Indy were so preoccupied with making sure Ruttman was old enough to compete they sorta overlooked Rathmann in regards to his actual age? I must admit i am not well versed on what the "standards" the AAA has back then regarding age or experience before running at Indyand any help would be greatly enjoyed

Thanks

Paul


BTW if there is a driver who did relief at Indy but never actually started the race i may have overlooked him by accident and if someone spots a case please feel free to edit the list to make it more complete and correct

[fines]

Ruttman was also using a phoney ID, I believe of a cousin. The standard was very easy, you had to come of age, i.e. be twenty-one years old.

It's interesting to see Jim Rathmann and Bob Harkey next to each other on that list, that's actually a bit like two different driver generations! Jim started in the forties, passed the baton in the sixties, and Bob stopped in the eighties!

Edited by fines, 04 May 2009 - 07:25.

[Richard Jenkins]

I think that list is correct.
Obviously there are many non-qualifiers older than Weyant:-
Frank Burany will be 94 later this year, Frank Munday 93 & John Fitch 92. All three are alive & accounted for - not so sure about Bob Droeger & of course there are a few complete unknowns who could've slipped the net - but in all likelihood, Kladis' passing marks the end of an era at Indianapolis.

[Buford]

I think that list is correct.
Obviously there are many non-qualifiers older than Weyant:-
Frank Burany will be 94 later this year, Frank Munday 93 & John Fitch 92. All three are alive & accounted for - not so sure about Bob Droeger & of course there are a few complete unknowns who could've slipped the net - but in all likelihood, Kladis' passing marks the end of an era at Indianapolis.

Wow Frank Burany is still alive? That's great. He along with Eddie Sachs were the two guys who used to baby sit me in 1948 when my parents would leave me in their cars after the races and circulate the pits meeting their friends. Eddie used to always tease me about being my babysitter when I was a teen. I don't recall ever meeting Frank but I know he was the other driver who used to keep an eye on me in his car while my parents partied after the races.

[Richard Jenkins]

Wow Frank Burany is still alive? That's great. He along with Eddie Sachs were the two guys who used to baby sit me in 1948 when my parents would leave me in their cars after the races and circulate the pits meeting their friends. Eddie used to always tease me about being my babysitter when I was a teen. I don't recall ever meeting Frank but I know he was the other driver who used to keep an eye on me in his car while my parents partied after the races.

Yep - he was at a few historic meets near his home last year. Seems like a really nice chap - he & his wife Helen have done a lot for charity & good causes in Wisconsin.

More on Burany for those who aren't aware of him: -http://www.worthyofhonor.com/Inductees/Frank_Burany.htm

[lotuspoweredbyford]

Bob Christie passed away Monday, RIP .

Edited by lotuspoweredbyford, 03 June 2009 - 20:02.

[Lemnpiper]

Bob Christie passed away Monday, RIP .

Godspeed Mr Christie


Geez the roadster drivers are slipping away into history right before our eyes.

The now 10th oldest Indy 500 competitor becomes ,

Dan Gurney April 13th 1931 (1962)


Paul

[Lemnpiper]

[quote name='Lemnpiper' date='May 3 2009, 23:59' post='3622504']
If you go over ot Richie Jenkin's "Where are they now" forum he has assembled a very detailed listing of all the current living drivers that once competed in the Indy 500 .
As far as Starters this is the top 10 with their birthdate with the 1st year they started
1 . Chuck Weyant April 2, 1923 1955
2. Paul Goldsmith October 2 ,1925 1959
3 . Ediie Russo November 19, 1925 1955
4 . Sir Jack Brabham April 2, 1926 1961
5 . Chuck Hulse October 3 , 1927 1962
6 . Jim McElreath February 18, 1928 1962
7 . Jim Rathmann July 16, 1928 1949
8 . Bob Harkey June 23, 1930 1964
9. Don Edmunds September 23, 1930 1957
10 Dan Gurney April 13th 1931 1962


info update as a companion piece for the Mickey Thompson thread that has a pic of some of the drivers, not sure how to link this info to that thread



Paul

Edited by Lemnpiper, 10 September 2011 - 20:40.

[Lemnpiper]

Good Day Everyone ,

 

 

    With the passing  of Chuck Weyant at age 93  I  thought now would be a good time to update the top  10  oldest living  starters  in the Indianapolis 500 .

 

  As an added bonus   if you read thru  this  thread you will come upon a great story about Mr  Weyant  posted  by a well remembered former visitor  to this forum .  It makes for a great tribute to the late Mr  Weyant  and is a great indication of just  the type of person he was .

 

    As a disclaimer   I owe Richard Jenkins and those that helped him  a debt of gratititude for gathering the needed info as his  Where Are Now Site  at Old racing cars .com

 

 

   Here we go  with names  birthdate  and year of their 1st start in the 500.

 

   

 

   1.   Paul Goldsmith     October  2, 1925        1958

   2    Chuck Hulse         October  3, 1927        1962

   3    Jim McElreath       Feb       18,1928        1962

   4    Don Edmunds       Sept      23,1930        1957   

   5    Dan Gurney          April      13, 1931        1962

   6    Joe Leonard         August    4,  1932        1965

   7    Mel Kenyon          April       15, 1933        1966

   8    Parnelli  Jones     August    12, 1933       1961

   9    Dick Simon          Sept        21, 1933        1970

   10  George  Follmer   Jan         27  1934        1969

 

 

   Edmunds  start in the 1957  is the earliest  one by a living driver  even though he is only the 4th oldest.

 

 

     BTW

 

   Waiting in the wings at  11 & 12?   Bobby Unser Feb 1934  and one   A J Foyt   Jan 1935

Edited by Lemnpiper, 25 January 2017 - 22:44.

[Henri Greuter]

Good Day Everyone ,

 

 

    With the passing  of Chuck Weyant at age 93  I  thought now would be a good time to update the top  10  oldest living  starters  in the Indianapolis 500 .

 

  As an added bonus   if you read thru  this  thread you will come upon a great story about Mr  Weyant  posted  by a well remembered former visitor  to this forum .  It makes for a great tribute to the late Mr  Weyant  and is a great indication of just  the type of person he was .

 

    As a disclaimer   I owe Richard Jenkins and those that helped him  a debt of gratititude for gathering the needed info as his  Where Are Now Site  at Old racing cars .com

 

 

   Here we go  with names  birthdate  and year of their 1st start in the 500.

 

   

 

   1.   Paul Goldsmith     October  2, 1925        1959 

   2    Chuck Hulse         October  3, 1927        1962

   3    Jim McElreath       Feb       18,1928        1962

   4    Don Edmunds       Sept      23,1930        1957   

   5    Dan Gurney          April      13, 1931        1962

   6    Joe Leonard         August    4,  1932        1965

   7    Mel Kenyon          April       15, 1933        1966

   8    Parnelli  Jones     August    12, 1933       1961

   9    Dick Simon          Sept        21, 1933        1970

   10  George  Follmer   Jan         27  1934        1969

 

 

   Edmunds  start in the 1957  is the earliest  one by a living driver  even though he is only the 4th oldest.

 

 

     BTW

 

   Waiting in the wings at  11 & 12?   Bobby Unser Feb 1934  and one   A J Foyt   Jan 1935

 

 

Paul Goldsmith drove the Demler Laydown last May on Race Day in the veteran carss lap of honour. I got hi autograph but never realized he was from 1925!!!

 

Henri

[Lemnpiper]

  Is Paul Goldsmith  still flying his plane ?  I'd like to know his health routine too , since seems to have done wonders for him.

 

 

 

  Also It was pointed out to me Weyant was the last living  starter   under AAA's days of running the Indy 500 .

Edited by Lemnpiper, 27 January 2017 - 16:54.

[Lemnpiper]

The passings of Joe Leonard & Jim McElreath having moved Bobby Unser and A J Foyt into the top 10 living Indy 500 starters  here are the  next group 'waiting" in the wings.

 

 

  11.  Mickey Rupp             Jan 17, 1936,   

  12.  Bill Puterbaugh         June 6 1936 

  13   Eldon Rassmuse      July  7 1936  

  14.  Gordon Johncock     Aug 5, 1936  

  15. John Mahler              Nov 16, 1936  

  16. Wally Dallenbach sr  Dec 12  1936

[E1pix]

Sorry, "Eldon Rasmussen" for the pedantics. 

[Lemnpiper]

  Good Day All ,

 

   Wow  lotta changes since Jan Jan 2017   , i gotta do updated more often 

 

 

    Here's an updated  List

 

 

   1   Paul Goldsmith        Oct 2 , 1925        1958

   2  Mel Kenyon              April 15 1933       1966

   3  Parnelli  Jones         Aug   12 1933       1961

   4  Dick Simon              Sept  21 1933       1970

   5  George Follmer        Jan 27  1934        1969

   6  Bobby Unser            Feb 20 1934        1963

   7  A J Foyt                    Jan 16 1935        1958

   8 Eldon Rasmussen     July 7 1935          1975

   9  Mick Rupp                Jan 17, 1936        1965

  10 Gordon Johncock     Aug 5 1936          1965  

 

 

 

    in the wings

 

  11 John Mahler            Nov 16  1936    1972

  12  Wally Dallenbach   Dec 12 1936     1967

 

 

 

 

    Paul 

[Lemnpiper]

Also with passing of Edmunds     Paul Goldsmith is only starter  left alive who started all his Indy500's in a front engined car .

[Lemnpiper]

Hello All,

Very few changes in just under 3 years , plus we now know Rasmussen was born in 1936, which means we are very very fortunate to have lost only Bobby Unser off the 2020 top list. As time goes on it
it's taking a longer lifespan reach the list, which has to be an effect of the greater desire for safety starting in the mid to late 1960s.


1. Paul Goldsmith Oct 2nd 1925 1958
2. Mel Kenyon Apr 15th 1933 1966
3. Parnelli Jones Aug 12th 1933 1961
4. Dick Simon Sept 21th 1933 1970
5. George Follmer Jan 27th 1934 1969
6. A J Foyt Jan 16th 1935 1958
7. Mickey Rupp Jan 15th 1936 1965
8. Gordon Johncock Aug 5th 1936 1965
9. John Mahler Nov 16th 1936 1972
10 Wally Dallenbach Dec 12th 1936 1967



Waiting in the wings:

11 Bobby Allison Dec 3rd 1937  1973
12 Janet Guthrie March 7th 1938  1977
13 Johnny Rutherford Mar 12th 1938
14 Larry Dickson Sept 8th 1938
15 Denny Zimmerman Dec 14th 1938


Paul

Edited by Lemnpiper, 14 March 2024 - 21:18.

[E1pix]

I have to say, that’s one amazing list.

Lots of memories, and the “anticipation of mass driver loss” is something crossing my mind in the past 20 years. I was not quite 3 for my first race in ‘63, so the drivers of “my” era are living longer than most, as I’m “only” 63.

While mostly into road racing, my Dad’s first cousin raced Midgets for decades starting in the mid-‘60s, I think. So we witnessed dozens of Midget races until the late-‘70s, sadly witnessed the graphic death of Native American driver David Whitehorse right in front of us when still 5, but stayed in love with dirt and Mel Kenyon was my only hero.

I still have my autographed photo of the light blue, #1 Thermo King midget. He was so fast, almost nobody could touch him, he had lost an arm in a race car, and he was sure great to this little kid.

Surprised only one is older than 90. Then again, maybe not...

[Lemnpiper]

Ack!!

 

    Hope i didnt jinx Mr Rupp (godspeed)

 

 

  Bobby Allison goes to No.10 on the list with Janet Guthrie at No 11.

 

 

   

 

   oh ack  #2    1000 post at AtlasF1  

    Paul

[Lemnpiper]

Hello All,

With the passing of John Mahler on Feb 6th 2024 the 1st woman to actually compete in the Indianapolis 500 moves into the top 10

1. Paul Goldsmith Oct 2nd 1925 1958
2. Mel Kenyon Apr 15th 1933 1966
3. Parnelli Jones Aug 12th 1933 1961
4. Dick Simon Sept 21th 1933 1970
5. George Follmer Jan 27th 1934 1969
6. A J Foyt Jan 16th 1935 1958
7 Gordon Johncock Aug 5 1936 1965
8 Wally Dallenbach Dec 12th 1936 1967
9 Bobby Allison Dec 3rd 1937 1973
10 Janet Guthrie Mar 7th 1938 1977




Waiting in the wings:


11 Johnny Rutherford Mar 12th 1938
12 Larry Dickson Sept 8th 1938
13 Denny Zimmerman Dec 14th 1938


Paul