The Indy 500 drivers — Where are they now?
by Richard Jenkins
| See also |
|---|
|
World Championship drivers Formula 3000 drivers Indy 500 drivers North American Racers World Championship team bosses |
I have endeavoured to try and provide as up-to-date and accurate information as possible for everyone featured on this site, and I am always indebted to the many contributors who help with the information on this site and sadly, space doesn't allow for me to thank everyone here. However, I would like to dedicate the ongoing work, progress and achievements on this site to those contributors who are sadly no longer with us but helped aide this project so much: Len Calinoff, Phil Harms, Gene Heeter, Earl Ma, Don Radbruch and Roscoe H Rann.
Updates and corrections are always welcomed — please either join the debate here or feel free to contact me on with any information you might have.
This part of the site is also dedicated to the memory of Tony Marsh, as it was his post-Grand Prix life that served as the initial inspiration for "Where Are They Now" back in 1998 For more about what this part of the site is trying to achieve, please read my full introduction.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| Name | Born | Died | Nat | Indy 500s | Biography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian Saavedra |
02 Jun 1990 Bogota |
|
COL |
1 (2010) |
Competing in the Indy Lights in 2010, with an Indy 500 drive as well. |
| Eddie Sachs |
28 May 1927 Allentown, Pennsylvania |
30 May 1964 Indianapolis, Indiana |
USA |
8 (1953-1964) |
Killed in the horrific crash at the start of the 1964 Indy 500, possibly one of the worst accidents ever seen in motor racing. One of the greatest drivers in the US in the 1950's and early '60's, Eddie was particulary excellent in sprint cars, but was established as one of the AAA's best and most popular drivers. |
| Karl Sailer |
11 Jun 1897 Esslingen, nr. Stuttgart |
unknown |
D |
0 (1923) |
Nephew of Max, who came over with his uncle's effort in 1923 mainly as an aide/mechanic, but got a brief chance to practice himself. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Max Sailer |
20 Dec 1882 Esslingen, nr. Stuttgart |
05 Feb 1964 Esslingen, nr. Stuttgart |
D |
1 (1923) |
Later ran Mercedes' racing efforts pre-war, handing over to Alfred Neubauer, when Max retired in 1942 and remained a director of the firm till death. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Mike Salay |
10 Jun 1909 South Bend, Indiana |
19 Nov 1973 South Bend, Indiana |
USA |
1 (1948-1951) |
Real name Mike Szalai. Raced a variety of machinery for about 5 years, but did not have a lot of success. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Eliseo Salazar |
14 Nov 1954 Santiago |
|
RCH |
6 (1995-2001) |
Vastly experienced racer, who went on to compete at Le Mans, the Indy 500 and NASCAR. A huge crash in 2002 spelt the end of his single-seater career and it took over a year to recover from his injuries. Still racing in a variety of formulae, including a lot of off-road racing and rallying, especially in his homeland. He was manager of young Chilean Ramiro Scuncio, until the youngster's tragic death in a road accident in 2008. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Joe Saldana |
14 Nov 1944 Clay Center, Nebraska |
|
USA |
2 (1977-1982) |
Son Joey is now in sprintcars and Joe has not only encouraged his career, but also runs his son's team, which he has done since 2000. Has lived in Indiana for nearly 40 years now. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Steve Saleen |
02 Apr 1949 Diamond Bar, California |
|
USA |
0 (1989) |
Formed a car company in 1983, which now manufactures limited edition, but high quality vehicles. As well as commercial success on the roads, it has done well in racing, particulary GT's. Steve, who lives in California, left his own company in 2007 to set up SMS, a high-performance car manufacturer. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Bob Sall |
22 Jan 1908 Ridgewood, New Jersey |
14 Oct 1974 Creamridge, New Jersey |
USA |
1 (1935) |
Sprint car ace who later became NASCAR's Eastern field manager. |
| Vinicio Salmi |
03 Jul 1956 Ferrara |
|
I |
0 (1991) |
Former motorcycle racer who had a brief spell in the USA. Still well, and enjoys flying planes. |
| Roscoe Sarles |
04 Jan 1892 New Albany, Indiana |
17 Sep 1922 Kansas City, Missouri |
USA |
4 (1919-1922) |
Killed in an Indy car event, when his steering broke. A decent racer, he was particulary successful in 1919, winning 3 races. |
| Takuma Sato |
28 Jan 1977 Tokyo |
|
J |
1 (2010) |
Was the Super Aguri F1 driver, until the team's collapse. After a long time without a drive, he moved to the IRL in 2010. (Last updated 6 Apr 2010) |
| Harry Sauce |
02 Sep 1946 Jackson, Mississippi |
|
USA |
0 (1988) |
Born in Mississippi and grew up in France and Japan, and only settled in Indiana in the early '70's. Although Harry is now a circuit judge and lawyer, he still races, but in 2008, he was very badly injured in a crash. He still has mobility problems from this, but hasn't yet retired as a driver. He still is a partner in his law firm and although he is still recovering, he does try and play golf as well. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Bryan Saulpaugh |
1906 Taylor Ridge, Illinois |
22 Apr 1933 Oakland, California |
USA |
2 (1931-1932) |
Sprint car ace who was entered into the field's Hall of Fame in 2004. At the time of his death, he was at his peak, both on track and in land-speed record attempts. |
| Swede Savage |
26 Aug 1946 San Bernardino, California |
02 Jul 1973 Indianapolis, Indiana |
USA |
2 (1972-1973) |
Gravely injured in the 1973 Indy 500, when he lost control of his car and it disintegrated into flames and fibre, 'Swede' passed away about a month later, from pneumonia, after his kidneys failed. Real name was David. |
| Johnny Sawyer |
07 Jun 1902 Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
17 Jun 1989 Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
USA |
3 (1933-1938) |
Successful racer in Midwest USA, but never really excelled at Indy. A regular racer for some years, a crash in 1936 led to him scaling back most of his activities before retirement in 1938. |
| Everett Saylor |
08 Oct 1909 Brockville, Ohio |
31 May 1942 Cape Girardeau, Missouri |
USA |
1 (1941) |
Former school teacher, killed in a race in Missouri. Dirt track specialist, he had a number of titles to his name. |
| Jack Scales |
18 Feb 1886 Leytonstone, London |
23 Oct 1962 Surbiton, Surrey |
GB |
0 (1920) |
Well known British racer in the Brookland days, who raced for Fiat in 1914 and raced on until the mid 1920's. Later set up a garage and engineering company in London, and also did some subcontracting during the war. The Scales family was originally from Norfolk and Jack started his business life walking horses from Norfolk to London and vice-versa. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Carl Scarborough |
03 Jul 1914 Benton, Illinois |
30 May 1953 Indianapolis, Indiana |
USA |
2 (1951-1953) |
Died of heat exhaustion after the gruellling Indy 500 in sweltering heat of 1953. A reliable racer, he was normally a midfield runner. |
| Tomas Scheckter |
21 Sep 1980 Monte Carlo, Monaco |
|
ZA |
9 (2002-2010) |
Son of Jody. His career took a nosedive after a run-in with the law in the UK. Has since crossed Stateside and into the IRL, albeit part-time in 2010. |
| Herbert Scheel |
31 Jul 1894 Sauk City, Wisconsin |
26 Jun 1973 Dallas, Texas |
USA |
0 (1923-1924) |
An engineer from St. Louis, who developed the Scheel-Frontenac for Chevrolet. Scheel was a dirt track specialist who then became a car mechanic in Indiana before setting up his own engineering company. Later moved to Texas, where amongst other things, a explorer, treasure hunter and adventurer overseas before settling back to Texas and becoming a mechanic. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Harry Schell |
29 Jun 1921 Paris, France |
13 May 1960 Silverstone Circuit, Buckinghamshire, England |
USA |
0 (1946) |
Popular fellow who died in a practice for the International Trophy at Silverstone. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Bill Schindler |
06 Mar 1909 Middletown, New York |
20 Sep 1952 Allentown, Pennsylvania |
USA |
3 (1950-1952) |
Raced with only one leg after a crash in 1936, but died in an AAA sprint car race at Allentown. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Rusty Schmidt |
04 Nov 1959 Edwards, Colorado |
|
USA |
0 (1982) |
Was still racing until 2000, in sportscars and endurance racing internationally and stock-cars nationally. Still lives in Colorado. (Last updated 6 Apr 2010) |
| Sam Schmidt |
15 Aug 1964 Lincoln, Nebraska |
|
USA |
3 (1997-1999) |
Sam was one of the top IRL drivers until an accident at Orlando left him a quadriplegic. Now heavily involved with paralysis and spinal cord injury organisations, but his injury has not stopped Sam from being involved in motorsport as he runs an Indy Lights team and has run an IRL team, with a few other attempts at the Indy 500. Lives in Nevada and hopes he can be successful as his new inspiration, Sir Frank Williams. |
| Louis Schneider |
19 Dec 1901 Indianapolis, Indiana |
22 Sep 1942 Indianapolis, Indiana |
USA |
6 (1927-1933) |
1931 winner, Louis was also an ex-traffic policeman before racing. Died of tuberculosis. |
| Gus Schrader |
22 May 1895 Newhall, Iowa |
22 Oct 1941 Shreveport, Louisiana |
USA |
1 (1932) |
Killed in a crash in his last ever race, after which he planned to run the family farm. Sprint car ace, Gus died later in hospital. |
| Ken Schrader |
25 May 1955 St. Louis, Missouri |
|
USA |
0 (1983) |
Veteran NASCAR driver, still in the series in 2010. His only Indy attempt was ended by a crash in practice. Also wrote a book about his career. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Bob Schroeder |
21 Nov 1926 Chester, Illinois |
|
USA |
0 (1959) |
No relation to Rob despite them both being around at the same time! Still alive. Mainly in sprint cars, he didn't get his chance at Indy because of a lack of experience. |
| Jeret Schroeder |
13 Nov 1969 Vineland, New Jersey |
|
USA |
3 (1999-2001) |
Jeret was involved with the 'Indycar Experience' promotional program, where he drove a two-seater Indycar, so that members of the public experienced first-hand what it's like to go round the tracks at near 200mph. Jeret was one of the main drivers after losing his seat in 2002, and hasn't found a drive since. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Vern Schuppan |
19 Mar 1943 Booleroo, Whyalla, South Australia |
|
AUS |
3 (1976-1982) |
Raced in historic events and worked as both a mechanic and a motorsport team advisor for some while. Now has bases in Portugal and Adelaide, where he is involved in the property development business. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Herman Schurch |
07 Apr 1903 Sumiswald |
08 Nov 1931 Alhambra, California, USA |
CH |
3 (1929-1931) |
Killed in practice for a dirt track race in Legion Ascot Speedway. Born in Switzerland, moved to the US as a boy. A varied racer, he was excellent on dirt tracks and had a very successful season in 1929, taking many wins. |
| Louis Schwitzer |
29 Feb 1880 Bielitz |
09 May 1967 Indianapolis, Indiana, United States |
A |
1 (1911) |
A good driver in the early days of racing, Louis later became a hugely successful and innovative design engineer. He developed the 1st 6-cylinder engine and was an integral name in the development of the supercharger, turbocharger and pressure oil pumps, amongst others. He was also head of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Technical Committee until 1945. |
| Billy Scott |
10 Oct 1948 San Bernardino, California |
|
USA |
1 (1975-1976) |
Lives in California. Now retired, but had been racing in dry lakebed and speed trials. A very versatile racer, he even competed in drag racing! Has also done some commentary. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Bob Scott |
04 Oct 1928 Watsonville, California |
05 Jul 1954 Darlington, South Carolina |
USA |
3 (1951-1954) |
Killed in a crash at Darlington Motor Speedway. A sometime AAA racer, he was normally among the better midfield runners. |
| Les Scott |
24 Nov 1926 Kokomo, Indiana |
28 Jan 2000 Ossian, Indiana |
USA |
0 (1967-1971) |
Primarily a test driver for American Motors in Detroit, Les also had time to go racing. An accomplished midget driver, he later became series president, but carried on racing til the 1980's. |
| Colby Scroggin |
17 Feb 1925 Glendale, California |
09 Dec 1992 San Diego, California |
USA |
0 (1963) |
Dirt-track specialist with a number of wins in the category. Also adept at midget and sprint cars. |
| Wayne Selser |
11 Apr 1920 St. Louis, Missouri |
21 Jan 1994 Madera, California |
USA |
0 (1953) |
Predominantly in midgets, where he was successful and respected. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Bud Sennett |
21 May 1912 St. Louis, Missouri |
25 Jul 2003 Keauhou Mauka, Hawaii |
USA |
0 (1951) |
Died, after a long battle against ill-health, in his beloved Hawaii. Real name Laurence, he was a big car specialist, but also decent in road races. A lover of the ocean, he was buried at sea. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Oriol Servia |
13 Jul 1974 Pals, Catalonia |
|
E |
2 (2002-2009) |
Now an experienced competitor in America, often in the IRL. He has also been working as a driver coach recently. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Sammy Sessions |
10 Sep 1935 Nashville, Michigan |
17 Dec 1977 Alexandria, Minnesota |
USA |
7 (1966-1975) |
Continued in sprint cars for a number of years and also became a top snowmobile racer. He died when he suffered a heart-attack during a snowmobile race and subsequently crashed into a tree, dying instantly when a branch decapitated him. Real name was Allen Dale Sessions. |
| Johnny Seymour |
08 Oct 1896 Escanaba, Michigan |
27 Feb 1958 South Bend, Indiana |
USA |
8 (1928-1939) |
Veteran AAA competitor, but had greater success on dirt tracks and in big cars. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Johnny Shackleford |
24 Nov 1913 Jefferson, Ohio |
14 Jun 1948 Dayton, Ohio |
USA |
1 (1948) |
Relief driver for Chitwood in 1948, but shortly afterwards, he was killed in a race at his local track. Shackleford lost control of his car and careered through a fence and down an embankment. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Phil 'Red' Shafer |
13 Nov 1891 Des Moines, Iowa |
29 Jan 1971 Des Moines, Iowa |
USA |
10 (1922-1936) |
Later became a Indy entrant and constructor. Before racing, he was a rodeo rider. |
| Charles Shambaugh |
22 Sep 1877 Lafayette, Indiana |
04 Jun 1940 Bethel, Indiana |
USA |
0 (1912-1926) |
A mechanic, Shambaugh owned a dealership and workshop in Lafayette, Indiana. He was also a carriage builder and a pioneer of the automobile in the area. He was involved in numerous other projects, including cranes, trucking, construction and airport businesses. Died after a farm accident. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Doc Shanebrook |
26 Jan 1907 Gibson City, Illinois |
25 Aug 1976 Redford, Michigan |
USA |
0 (1951-1952) |
Real name was Beuford. Worked as a doctor for many years in a variety of different areas, but always kept up his racing wherever he could. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Elmer T Shannon |
02 Feb 1892 Stevens Point, Wisconsin |
14 Feb 1961 Los Angeles, California |
USA |
1 (1919) |
Had only a brief driving career, as he was better known as a mechanic, engineer and car builder. |
| Scott Sharp |
14 Feb 1968 Norwalk, Connecticut |
|
USA |
13 (1994-2009) |
Former IRL driver, now in ALMS, winning the title in 2009. Still in ALMS, and he now competes with his own team in the GT class. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Doctor William E. Shattuc |
18 Nov 1894 Madisonville, Ohio |
26 Oct 1962 Lubbock, Texas |
USA |
4 (1925-1928) |
An internal medicine specialist from Louisville, Kentucky, who moved to California, and finally, Texas during his later years. Sometimes called Doc as a racer. (Last updated 3 May 2010) |
| Harold Shaw |
1906 Indianapolis, Indiana |
12 Oct 1941 Franklin, Indiana |
USA |
1 (1933-1934) |
Killed in a sprint car crash at Jackson County Fairgrounds. Mainly raced in dirt track events. |
| Mickey Shaw |
15 Jul 1932 Elyria, Ohio |
27 Jul 1969 Greenville, Ohio |
USA |
0 (1967) |
Died of a heart-attack. Crashed at Toledo on June 21st and complained of chest pains afterwards. Was later released and then went to race the next weekend but after qualifying, became ill again and died in hospital. Best remembered as a sprint car driver with a numer of wins to his credit. |
| Wilbur Shaw |
31 Oct 1902 Shelbyville, Indiana |
30 Oct 1954 nr. Decatur, Indiana |
USA |
14 (1927-1941) |
Indy 500 great, killed in an aircraft crash, when the planed crashed into a cornfield in a snowstorm. After racing, he became a sales manager for Firestone and president of the Indianapolis Speedway. |
| Bill Sheffler |
23 Aug 1917 El Paso, Texas |
28 Jun 1949 Trenton, New Jersey |
USA |
3 (1946-1949) |
Died from injuries sustained in a crash during an AAA championship race. Real name was Bayard Taylor Sheffler, named after his grandfather. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| AJ Shepherd |
11 Jun 1926 Chester, Oklahoma |
08 May 2005 Miami, Oklahoma |
USA |
1 (1961) |
Later after his racing, AJ returned to Wichita, where he drove a city bus until retirement. A J stood for Alvin Junior. Brother Don was a top mechanic. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Roy Sherman |
31 Aug 1909 St. Louis, Missouri |
20 Oct 1968 Indianapolis, Indiana |
USA |
0 (1951) |
Roy originally operated a garage in Denver, before moving to California, where he became a mechanic, including being Johnny Thomson's chief mechanic, for the Indy 500. Went on to work for Pratt and Whitney, before opening a speedshop in Indianapolis until his death from a heart-attack. His real surname was spelt Scheuermann. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Edward (E.H.) Sherwood |
10 Dec 1884 Ossining, New York |
unknown |
USA |
0 (1911) |
A car salesman, most notably for Mercer. The E H stood for Edward Hoag. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Benny Shoaff |
03 Feb 1897 Paris, Illinois |
15 Apr 1960 Mattoon, Illinois |
USA |
2 (1927-1928) |
Ben was short for Benton. Worked as a businessman. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Glenn Shultz |
14 Dec 1894 Fostoria, Ohio |
08 Feb 1936 Colorado Springs, Colorado |
USA |
1 (1925) |
Auto parts store owner who was particulary good at hillclimbs. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Ron Shuman |
15 Sep 1952 Tempe, Arizona |
|
USA |
0 (1980) |
Younger brother of Billy, who came close but failed his rookie test in 1973. Ron is a sprint car legend, and is still involved with the discipline as a promoter and as President of the Sprint Car Racing Association. He even returned to the tracks to race again from 2008 onwards! (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Jeff Simmons |
08 May 1976 Hartford, Connecticut |
|
USA |
4 (2004-2008) |
Infiniti Pro graduate, who has been in and out of the IRL lately. In 2010, he was back in Indy Lights again. (Last updated 7 Jul 2010) |
| Dick Simon |
21 Sep 1933 Seattle, Washington |
|
USA |
17 (1970-1988) |
Although Dick drove for a long time, he is also well known, recently, for his racing team. But racing takes up a mere fraction of the Simon story. First alternate for the 1960 US Olympic skiing team, Dick then turned to parachuting! A professional scuba-diving instructor, he now runs a huge boat dealership, Dick Simon Marine, in California. Dick is also a fully qualified pilot. |
| Bill Simpson |
14 Mar 1940 Hermosa Beach, California |
|
USA |
1 (1970-1977) |
A pivotal figure in driver safety and responsible for saving many lives, his company, Simpson Performance Products, was one of the top manufacturers of racing safety products until Dale Earnhardt's fatal crash. A later inquiry claimed that his death was largely down the failure of a Simpson seat belt and as a result, Bill received death threats and a loss of business and quit the company he founded. However, happily, Bill has bounced back. Bill, who lives in North Carolina, now owns a restaurant in Indianapolis, attends non-NASCAR races and has a new company, Bill Simpson Impact Racing, which manufactures racing suits, helmets and safety harnesses. |
| Ted Simpson |
1894 Alabama |
unknown |
USA |
1 (1929) |
Worked as a car dealer and was based in Los Angeles, California for most of his life. |
| Jigger Sirois |
16 Apr 1935 Shelby, Indiana |
|
USA |
0 (1969-1975) |
Now living in Williamsburg, Virgina. Real name Leon, after racer Leon Duray, he carried on racing until 1977. He then became a welder. Still in good health and makes many visits to current and historic events, where he remains very popular indeed. Son of Frenchy, the mechanic. |
| Gordon Smiley |
20 Apr 1946 Omaha, Nebraska |
15 May 1982 Indianapolis, Indiana |
USA |
2 (1980-1982) |
Killed instantly when he crashed into the wall during his second warm-up lap for the Indy 500 qualifying session. A sportscar ace, he also won an Aurora F1 race at Silverstone. |
| Al Smith |
30 Jan 1929 Dayton, Ohio |
24 Jun 1985 Dayton, Ohio |
USA |
0 (1967) |
Full name Albert, he was best known for his success in sprint cars. |
| Carl Smith |
Brooklyn, New York |
unknown |
USA |
0 (1931) |
Garage owner whose only main races were his 3 unsuccessful Indy attempts. |
| Guy Smith |
12 Sep 1974 Beverley, Yorkshire |
|
GB |
0 (2000) |
2003 Le Mans winner with Bentley, Guy has had a varied racing career. More recently in endurance racing, he appeared in CART in 2004. Now in ALMS. |
| Mark Smith |
10 Apr 1967 McMinnville, Oregon |
|
USA |
0 (1993-1994) |
No longer racing and is believed to be involved with the family air cargo transportation firm. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Stephen Smith |
16 May 1896 Alloway, New Jersey |
unknown |
USA |
0 (1927-1929) |
Obscure driver who entered his own car. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Overton Snell |
07 Sep 1907 Grand Chain, Illinois |
18 Dec 2004 Doniphan, Missouri |
USA |
0 (1933-1936) |
Until his recent death, Overton was believed to be the oldest and only pre-war surviving driver of the Indianapolis 500. Often raced his own prepared car. |
| Jerry Sneva |
23 May 1949 Spokane, Washington |
|
USA |
5 (1975-1984) |
Brother of Tom. Lives in Indiana and has a small involvement in his brother's business, as well as his son, TJ's snowboard company. TJ was a former racer himself. |
| Tom Sneva |
01 Jun 1948 Spokane, Washington |
|
USA |
18 (1973-1992) |
Now lives in Arizona where he runs and builds golf courses. Also owns a racing school, works as a spotter and does some TV commentary. Was a high school mathematics teacher before his racing career. Now works as a businessman. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| George Snider |
08 Dec 1940 Fresno, California |
|
USA |
22 (1965-1990) |
Now a successful team-owner in the USAC Weld Racing Silver Crown Series, although he is also a team-owner in a few other disciplines. George himself carried on driving until the mid 1990's. |
| Russ Snowberger |
08 Oct 1901 Denton, Maryland |
28 Sep 1968 Mount Clemens, Michigan |
USA |
15 (1928-1947) |
Entered and owned cars for the Indianapolis 500 until the late 1950's. Also worked in the car industry in Michigan and ran an engineering company. |
| Jimmy Snyder |
10 Mar 1909 Englewood, Illinois |
29 Jun 1939 East St. Louis, Illinois |
USA |
5 (1935-1939) |
Killed in a minor midget event. An excellent midget driver, Snyder was a former milkman. He was particulary good on board and dirt track racing. The Cahokia circuit was named in his honour after his death. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Bill Sockwell |
05 Mar 1913 Greensboro, North Carolina |
05 Nov 1963 Greensboro, North Carolina |
USA |
0 (1933) |
A mechanical engineer, he was twice badly injured in crashes, yet twice recovered and returned to the tracks. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Vincenzo Sospiri |
07 Oct 1966 Forli |
|
I |
1 (1997) |
Raced in America but injury led to his retirement from racing sportscars. Now runs a Int.Formula Masters and a F.Renault Eurocup Euronova team. Vincenzo hopes to take the team up to GP2 soon. Read interview. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Joe Sostilio |
03 Jan 1915 Newton, Massachusetts |
09 Jul 2000 Tarpon Springs, Florida |
USA |
0 (1953) |
Sprint and midget regular who won the New England Dirt Series in 1935, 1936 and 1938, the Eastern Sprint Car Title in 1953 and the Bayside Midget Racing Championship in 1947. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| George Souders |
11 Sep 1900 Lafayette, Indiana |
26 Jul 1976 Indianapolis, Indiana |
USA |
2 (1927-1928) |
Surprise winner of the 1927 event. Retired after a serious arm injury, but used his racing winnings for his business - a racing shop and a tavern. He also worked for Charles Shambaugh. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Les Spangler |
15 Jan 1906 Brook, Indiana |
30 May 1933 Indianapolis, Indiana |
USA |
1 (1933) |
Killed in the 1933 Indianapolis 500. Les was a decent and confident sprint car driver based mainly in California. |
| Floyd Sparks |
01 Sep 1894 Port Ludlow, Washington |
11 Jun 1966 Los Angeles, California |
USA |
0 (1931) |
Raced before World War 1 as a youngster on inherited money, then fought in the war, before 2 returns; one in the mid-twenties, the last being his Indy 500 attempt. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Bill Spence |
09 Jun 1906 Los Angeles, California |
30 May 1929 Indianapolis, Indiana |
USA |
2 (1928-1929) |
Killed in the 1929 Indianapolis 500. A former riding mechanic, he was a regular racer in California, and won the 1928 Pacific Coast Dirt Track series. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Mike Spence |
30 Dec 1936 Croydon, Surrey |
07 May 1968 Indianapolis Speedway, Indiana, USA |
GB |
0 (1968) |
Killed in a testing crash at Indianapolis. Overcame polio as a child, and started racing by rallying his motorsport-mad father's car. No mean driver, he won the 1965 Race of Champions. |
| Lyn St. James |
13 Mar 1947 Willoughby, Ohio |
|
USA |
7 (1992-2000) |
Now lives in Daytona Beach, Florida, where she works as a consultant for the ALMS series. Also runs a driver training program, especially for woman, for whom she coaches, advises and promotes. Wrote a book about her career in 2002. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Elbert 'Babe' Stapp |
26 Feb 1904 San Antonio, Texas |
17 Sep 1980 Indianapolis, Indiana |
USA |
13 (1927-1940) |
Son, Steve, later became a mechanic. Had a long and successful career and kept some links with the sport for some years. |
| Dave Steele |
07 May 1974 Tampa, Florida |
|
USA |
0 (1999) |
Still very active, racing and winning in sprint cars. Also works as a car preparer and driver coach. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Waldo Stein |
11 Apr 1891 Los Angeles, California |
16 Nov 1956 Akron, Ohio |
USA |
0 (1920) |
Sidekick to Barney Oldfield and was heavily involved in race promoting/officiating and Oldfield's tyre business. Full name was Ernest Waldo. He was also a tyre engineer. He died of liver failure, but sadly his last year was spent somewhat in disgrace as he was at his death, under indictment for attempting to rob a bank, which he put down to his failing mental and physical health. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Gig (Leonard) Stephens |
02 Jun 1926 North Reading, Massachusetts |
|
USA |
0 (1956-1967) |
Alive and still living near where he was born. Still visits vintage meetings, attending annually, the New Hampshire International Speedway's historic meetings. Keeps other links with the sport and keeps busy. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Myron Stevens |
17 Feb 1901 Los Angeles, California |
02 Jul 1988 Sun City West, Arizona |
USA |
1 (1929-1931) |
Worked as a fabricator and later ran a workshop. He was a brilliant mechanic, chassis foreman at Miller and responsible for building and designing many of the 1930's cars. |
| Chuck Stevenson |
15 Oct 1919 Sidney, Montana |
21 Aug 1995 Benson, Arizona |
USA |
9 (1951-1968) |
Won the 1952 AAA Champ Car series - he carried on racing until 1968. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Sir Jackie Stewart |
11 Jun 1939 Milton, Dumbarton, Dumbartonshire, Scotland |
|
GB |
2 (1966-1967) |
Recently knighted. Although he has done a huge amount of activities since leaving F1. Was involved with Ford, running his own successful team before joining Jaguar as a consultant after 'The Green Cat' bought out his team. However this association ended in 2004. Fully recovered after a recent cancer scare. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Tony Stewart |
20 May 1971 Columbus, Indiana |
|
USA |
5 (1996-2001) |
Popular driver who is one of NASCAR's top drivers - he won the title in 2002 and 2005. In 2009, along with driving, he is a team owner in the discipline. Still lives in Indiana. Also appears in sprints and has a USAC team. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Harry Stockman |
13 Jan 1919 Detroit, Michigan |
23 Mar 1994 Yucaipa, California |
USA |
0 (1953) |
Southern California track roadster and midget racer. Often based in Arizona. Died after a period of ill-health. Son Gary was involved with the sport as well. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Wally Stokes |
21 May 1913 Willoughby, Ohio |
21 Aug 1949 Springfield, Ohio |
USA |
0 (1949) |
Dirt track legend killed a road crash, when his wife lost control of their car, crashing into a tree. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Lewis (Louis) Strang |
Aug 1884 Amsterdam, New York |
20 Jul 1911 Blue River, Wisconsin |
USA |
1 (1911) |
Killed in a reliability run, becoming the first Indy 500 driver to die. A varied and experienced racer who worked for Case Automobiles as was 1908 National Champion. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Dave Strickland |
04 Dec 1937 Denver, Colorado |
14 Jun 2005 Englewood, Colorado |
USA |
0 (1969) |
Started off as a rodeo rider, before switching to racing and later helped his son into midgets as well. Dave retained links with the sport and enjoyed watching his son race, but sadly died recently, after a long illness. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Mel Stringer |
20 May 1876 Elgin, Illinois |
20 May 1918 Cleveland, Ohio |
USA |
0 (1914) |
Died on his birthday. Often based in California. A varied racer, he raced on dirt tracks and road races, achieving many speed records in the latter. A car designer, he also prepared his own racing cars. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| W. H. 'Stubby' Stubblefield |
28 Dec 1909 Los Angeles, California |
21 May 1935 Indianapolis, Indiana |
USA |
4 (1930-1935) |
Killed in a practice crash for the Indy 500. His surname is not certain with Stibblefield and Stubblefiel both appearing on official records, but W.H. stands for Wilburn Hartwell. |
| Danny Sullivan |
09 Mar 1950 Louisville, Kentucky |
|
USA |
12 (1982-1995) |
For a while he raced in America, becoming hugely successful. Injury led to a early retirement and he took up media work as well as selected drives. Then took charge of the Red Bull program for promising American drivers, helping Scott Speed's career. Briefly returned to racing in 2004, but now works in TV. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Len Sutton |
09 Aug 1925 Aims, Oregon |
04 Dec 2006 Portland, Oregon |
USA |
7 (1956-1965) |
Sadly died recently, after a long and brave battle against cancer, at his home in Oregon. He stayed linked with the sport, through historic meetings, test drives and internet forums until his dying day. He also produced calendars with photos from his racing collection and wrote a book about his career in the early '00's. (Last updated 24 Jan 2010) |
| Sam Swank |
24 Aug 1893 Johnstown, Pennsylvania |
02 Oct 1927 Akron, Ohio |
USA |
0 (1927) |
Auto mechanic, who was killed in a crash. |
| Bob Swanson |
20 Aug 1912 Minneapolis, Minnesota |
12 Jun 1940 Toledo, Ohio |
USA |
3 (1937-1940) |
Killed in qualifying for a midget race. AAA Pacific Champion in 1939, he was one of the USA's best drivers at his death. Very good in big cars, roadsters and midgets. |
| Frank Sweigert |
27 Feb 1902 Pottsville, Pennsylvania |
Mar-70 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
USA |
0 (1929) |
Later became a magistrate. An excellent dirt track racer who took a number of wins in the discipline. |
| Bob Sweikert |
20 May 1926 Los Angeles, California |
17 Jun 1956 Salem, Indiana |
USA |
5 (1950-1956) |
Indy winner and American Champion of 1955, he died in a crash at Salem raceway. |
| Sammy Swindell |
26 Oct 1955 Germantown, Tennessee |
|
USA |
0 (1987) |
Sprint car legend, still racing and winning in the World of Outlaws series despite a huge accident in 2001. An accomplished engineer, he also runs a motorsports team. |
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