Click on the site to see danny oakess career results at that track glossary. Died relatively recently in california after a long battle with illhealth. May 29, 2015 a few scenes later, they had their chief suspect, the cars owner, cornered inside an interrogation room back at headquarters. Oakes first climbed into a race car at the old legion ascot speedway as a. David oakes photo not on dannys list but how could they not be. Thanks to the exceptional talents of ascari, the works car was the only one of the four. The ofixco special, with wing, as it ran with the world of outlaws. Bob motz and his incredible jet powered kenworth truck. Features vintage sprint car pic thread, 1965 and older. Click on the site to see danny oakes s career results at that track. Oakes won the first race after the war at gilmore stadium, the 1945 turkey night grand prix.
Aug 14, 2016 len duncan born 25 jul 1911 new york city, new york. Jun 01, 2011 danny put together a team of drivers in 1956, including 1952 indy 500 winner troy ruttman, jimmy jackson, bill taylor, and danny oakes midget racer and dry lake competitor. Hall of fame driver danny oakes in johnny balchs offy midget in front of his old garage on vermont in inglewood, ca. Danny put together a team of drivers in 1956, including 1952 indy 500 winner troy ruttman, jimmy jackson, bill taylor, and danny oakes midget racer and dry lake competitor. Oakes first climbed in a race car at legion ascot speedway in 1933. He always used to say that rodger ward and parnelli jones deserved those titles. Contentsshow racing career midget cars carter started racing midgets at the 15 mile dirt track in the west. Danny oakes born 18 jul 1911 santa barbara, california. Danny sullivans spin and win indy 500 made him unequaled. His replacement, danny oakes, was a less accomplished driver and was unable. Ed haddad born 23 oct 1911 pittsburgh, pennsylvania. Sullivan won the 1988 cart championship, and placed third in points in 1986. Oakes was never accorded the title as the best race car driver, or the most talented.
Ascot had three classes in what we called big cars then, sprint cars today, explained oakes. Saugus speedway is a mile racetrack in saugus, california on a 35acre 140,000 m 2 site. Bobby ball, bill cantrell, mel hansen, allen heath, ronney householder, johnny mantz, cal niday and danny oakes are among other noted drivers who won midget features. For some years after his racing career had finished, don. Danny baker races in ferrari challenge world finals i buy. Click on the number of races to see individual races for that year. But danny sullivans entire racing career will always be encapsulated in that video image of him from 1985, catching his spinning car in the short chute between turns 1 and 2 at the indianapolis motor speedway. I have race log books with various car numbers and many drivers including danny moore. The track hosted one nascar craftsman truck series event in 1995, which was won by ken schrader. But danny and the mechanic quarreled over the set up to the car, and again oakes missed the race.
Sam hanks 57 indy 500 winner was in dannys graduating class, as were ray crawford won the stock car class driving a lincoln in the mexican road race in 1954, and also invented the check stand. A few scenes later, they had their chief suspect, the cars owner, cornered inside an interrogation room back at headquarters. Danny oakes, a leading west coast midgetcar race driver in the 1940s and noted mechanic at the indianapolis 500, has died, the indianapolis. Oakes first climbed into a race car at the old legion ascot speedway as a 22yearold in 1933. Danny oakes, 91yearold former champion midget race car driver. Traditionally a dirt track event, it has been held more frequently on asphalt since the turn of the 21st century, although it returned to dirt in 2012. Danny oakes at speed in the blue and white luigi lesovsky built balch offy. Acted, during world war two, as president trumans chauffeur on one incredibly historic occasion. At age 22, he became the youngest driver to win the indianapolis 500 in 1952. When i started racing, recalled racerturnedchiefmechanic danny oakes. Schrader became the first nascar driver to win in a race in all three of the sanctioning bodys major series, following previous wins in the winston cup and busch grand national series.
Traditionally a dirt track event, it has been held more frequently on asphalt since the turn of the 21st century, although it returned to. When gerry grant and his driver johnnie parsons went to. However duncan served the us army with great courage prior to that, working. The turkey night grand prix is an annual race of midget cars. When dan wasnt available dad would put another driver in the seat. Driver danny oakes 1952 aaa champ car series results racing. For some years after his racing career had finished, don promoted road safety in a. A good used car could be bought for less than a hundred, and if you were mechanically inclined, one could buy a running car from a junk yard for twenty or thirty dollars. Photo by don tormeylos angeles times via getty images. Lindsey hopkins racing motor sport magazine database. Jan 22, 2007 johnny white finished fourth in 1964 to help earn oakes second rookie of the race title. Driver danny oakes 1953 aaa champ car series results. Danny baker races in ferrari challenge world finals i.
Bernal is a local favorite, a fact that could play in his favor. Danny oakes nationality american born july 18, 1911 hometown santa barbara, california died january, 2007 place of death huntington. The man, a racing driver hed call himself, was tall, blueeyed. Len was the driver for the president at potsdam, germany, in july 1945, where truman was to meet churchill, atlee and stalin. Roadster races also were run at balboa, but they never seemed to capture the crowds the way the midgets did. Once he reached the top of the heap in those diminutive racers, he made his way to indianapolis as a driver and eventually as an awardwinning mechanic. Apr 07, 2015 van johnson 58 first name dale, he was killed in a usac sprint car race williams grove, pa, 71959 just 5 weeks after winning his first champ car race danny jones 61 now retired from ford, who he joined shortly after his indy effort, runs his own development company and still attends races, also known as termite jones and. Danny oakes, 91 year old former champion midget race car. Oakes driver tracy voightman won the first feature race of the wissota western 100 fourday show that will conclude at 6 tonight. Danny oakes, a leading west coast midgetcar race driver in the 1940s and noted mechanic at the indianapolis 500, has died, the indianapolis motor speedway said wednesday. Sep 15, 2007 oakes driver tracy voightman won the first feature race of the wissota western 100 fourday show that will conclude at 6 tonight. Killed in a midget crash when a competitor, unsighted, unwittingly pushed haddad towards the wall, starting a chainreaction of crashes that eddie did not survive.
Another exciting team to watch is the fourcar keith ford team, with local drivers jake swanson, dylan ito, and robby josett. Danny oakes, 91 year old former champion midget race car driver, holds one of his racing helmets by an old photograph of himself from the late 1940s, in his huntington beach home where he has other racing memorabilia including the indianapolis motor speedway. Danny oakes was born in santa barbara, california, in 1911 and moved. Drag racing list top 10 exhibition racers of all time. Danny was a natural born race driver, and an even better mechanic. Danny oakes, 91yearold former champion midget race car driver, holds one of his racing helmets by an old photograph of himself from the. Contentsshow racing career midget cars carter started racing midgets at the 15 mile dirt. Oakes was dads regular deiver, but he also drove john balchs offy in the ura blue circut. I suppose a claim could be made for hundreds of other race car drivers as being the best and most talented. Midget master danny oakes when i started racing, recalled racerturnedchiefmechanic danny oakes shortly before his death in 2007, my mother told me, danny, youre going t. Indy 500 mechanic danny oakes obituary midgetmadness. Duane carter may 5, 19 may 7, 1993 was an american racecar driver. Team profile for lindsey hopkins racing, including a comprehensive list of race entries for lindsey hopkins racing. Sullivan also competed in the inaugural brickyard 400 nascar race at ims in 1994.
Click on the year to see the standings for that year. Mechanical problems, however, forced oakes to withdraw a car to be driven by nascar driver jim goldsmith from 1965. Jan 18, 2007 danny oakes, a leading west coast midget car race driver in the 1940s and noted mechanic at the indianapolis 500, has died, the indianapolis motor speedway said wednesday. He has traveled all over the east coast racing and canada as well. His son pancho raced in indy cars, along with johnny parsons who he helped raise. Danny oakes the champ car and indy car online stats. Duane carter may 5, 19 march 7, 1993 was an american racecar driver. Oakes was not only an outstanding race car driver, but he was even better as a mechanic. National midget auto racing hall of fame geni family tree. Danny oakes couldnt get it up to speed either and the car dnq. I found a grove on the bottom of the track that wasnt so slippery, said the smiling voightman after he got out of the car with his huge trophy. Indy 500 mechanic danny oakes obituary midgetmadness forum. Les shockley and his triple engined jet powered truck.
Important events, famous birthdays and historical deaths from our searchable today in history archives. Daniel john sullivan iii born march 9, 1950, better known as danny sullivan, is an american former racing driver. Apr 05, 2012 nastya and papa pretend play of toy shop and other toys compilation duration. Frank was so impressed getting the win, worth a grand, he began hounding dad relentlessly to sell the. Danny oakes, 91 year old former champion midget race car driver, reflected in an old photograph of himself from the late 1940s, in his huntington beach home where he has trophies and lots of old photos of cars and various tracks hes raced, including the indianapolis motor speedway. He could hear a motor sing and know the song it was humming. It has been held on thanksgiving night most years since 1934 at various southern california race tracks, promoted by the j. Balchs mechanic was a close friend with ed winfield, probably one of the top mechanics and innovators in motorsports racing. Johnny white finished fourth in 1964 to help earn oakes second rookie of the race title. He was remarkably sprightly and was a regular attendee of reunions, historic meetings and to any race at the irwindale speedway, until a stroke in the early 2000s. California midget racing, in particular, was a driverdevelopment. Oakes was one of the drivers who was unable to race in the prime of. A former us navy mechanic who served his country in the pacific, he raced in sprint cars and roadsters as well as some endurance events. I started to come up with a list who i thought would be considered great,but i know somebody else already has it.
He would later drive in 10 indy 500s and after retiring as a driver, become chief steward at indy. He earned 17 wins in the cart indy car world series, including the 1985 indianapolis 500. Of course, 1938 just happened to be the year mcquinn scored an amazing 61 feature wins in a midget. Carter was born in fresno, california, and he died in indianapolis, indiana. But danny sullivans entire racing career will always be encapsulated in that video image of him from 1985, catching his spinning car in the short chute between turns 1 and 2 at the indianapolis motor. When i started racing, recalled danny oakes during an interview, my mother told me, danny, youre going to get killed in those damn race cars. Nastya and papa pretend play of toy shop and other toys compilation duration.
Warrensville heights, oh 44128 ibuy california 8825 wilshire blvd. The fourcar team of matt wood racing features shane golobic, colby copeland, ryan bernal, and young australian star, kaidon brown. Oakes was one of the drivers who was unable to race in the prime of his life during the four years of world war ii, as all racing halted during the war. Oday has set the performance standard for wheelstanders for the past two decades, and is the quickest wheelstander of all time.
I had it first out for racing at saac does vegas in early 2003. Jan, 2007 balchs mechanic was a close friend with ed winfield, probably one of the top mechanics and innovators in motorsports racing. See more ideas about sprint cars, sprint car racing and race cars. Jan 12, 2005 page 1 of 3 50 greatest midget drivers. Features vintage sprint car pic thread, 1965 and older only. Mcquinn defeated a strong field of drivers including carl forberg, danny oakes, eddie kracek and others. I started out in the lower class and worked my way up. In the midst of the excitement of the ferrari finali mondiali at daytona international speedway, scuderia corsa drivers raced their 458 challenge cars to podium three times last weekend claiming second place in the world finals ferrari challenge title capping an impressive season in the trofeo pirelli class, wei lu captured a. I was wondering if marty or somebody else has a list of the 50greatest midget drivers. He began to impress people with his skills with a motor. Click on the site to see danny oakes s career results at that track glossary.
661 752 1384 885 1601 1544 1587 1617 421 1363 853 1407 1271 544 281 1069 1546 608 735 854 650 1270 124 370 474 1605 1431 966 1145 58 917 637 1489