Stan Fox

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For the North Carolina politician, see Stanley H. Fox.

Stan Fox (born July 7, 1952 in Janesville, Wisconsin; died December 18, 2000, near Waiouru, New Zealand) was a United States open wheel race car driver. Fox drove in several United States Auto Club open wheel events. More famously, Fox competed in the Indianapolis 500 eight times between 1987 and 1995 driving for A.J. Foyt and Ron Hemelgarn. He was also a motorcycle racing enthusiast.

While driving for Hemelgarn, Fox was critically injured during the 1995 Indianapolis 500 in one of the most horrifying accidents in the history of the race. After starting ninth with little practice, Fox went low into the first turn on the first lap of the race and spun. His car collected the car of Eddie Cheever, Jr. (ironically owned by Foyt). Becoming airborne, Fox's car was pinched between the retaining wall and Cheever's car. The car exploded into many tiny pieces. Fox was thrown around like a rag doll inside the cockpit. The car came to rest in turn two with everything in front of Fox sheared away. Fox suffered head injuries, and, amazingly, only a bruised left heel. The bruise came when Fox's foot hit Cheever's rear wing. Several other cars were involved in the accident that scattered debris across the south short chute at the track.

Miraculously, he recovered from the crash, and he would even sign pictures of the accident with the saying, "I had a bad crash day, Stan Fox." Fox would lead Friends of the Fox, a contingent of people with head injuries, to the track each May. Fox reportedly never gave up his dream of driving a race car again.

Unfortunately, Fox would not survive another brush with death: on the Desert Road some 200 miles south of Auckland, New Zealand, Fox's van collided head on with a car. He was 48 years old.

[edit] Award

He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

[edit] Indy 500 results

Year	Chassis	Engine	Start	Finish
1984	March	Cosworth	Practice Crash
1987	March	Cosworth	26th	7th
1988	March	Chevrolet	29th	30th
1989	March	Chevrolet	Failed to Qualify
1990	Lola	Buick	27th	33rd
1991	Lola	Buick	17th	8th
1992	Lola	Buick	13th	27th
1993	Lola	Buick	20th	31st
1994	Reynard	Ford-Cosworth	13th	13th
1995	Reynard	Ford-Cosworth	11th	30th