Died in hospital of injuries sustained in a crash the day before in an AAA race. An excellent road racer, he was Eddie Rickenbacher's racing mechanic who helped save his driver's life after an incident during a race in 1914. O'Donnell's best year of racing was 1915 when he won three times at Glendale, Ascot and Galesburg. At the height of his career however, he suffered a serious arm injury in 1916 and never had full use of his arm again. That didn't stop him racing - he often drove with one hand - or serving in the US Army during World War One. In 1919, Jimmy Murphy became his riding mechanic and Eddie helped him with his career which became immensely successful. Sadly Eddie never saw how his friend and mechanic blossomed.

Biography last updated 25 Jan 2016