Wally Dallenbach, Sr.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wally Dallenbach, Sr. (born December 12, 1936) is a former long-time open-wheeled race car driver in CART from East Brunswick, New Jersey. He drove in 180 Indy Car races between 1965 and 1979, winning five times. He is the father of NASCAR driver and commentator, Wally Dallenbach Jr.

He is the brother of Pillar of Fire Church Superintendent Robert Barney Dallenbach. ^[1]

Dallenbach nearly won the 1975 Indianapolis 500, dueling with A. J. Foyt for many laps. He led for half of the race, but blew a piston on lap 162. Bobby Unser won the race.

He joined CART as competition director in 1980 and became Chief Steward of the sport in 1981, a position he held until 2004. Under his tenure, he improved the safety program in CART. He also established nondenominational church services for drivers and their families.

Dallenbach has been inducted into both the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame due to his exploits at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Wally was recently voted into the American Motorcyclists Association Hall of Fame for his work as founder and president of the Colorado 500 Invitational charity motorcycle rides. He was inducted at a ceremony in the fall of 2006 at AMA eadquarters in Pickerington, Ohio.

[edit] Indy 500 results

Year	Car	Start	Qual	Rank	Finish	Laps	Led	Retired
1967	53	15	163.540	19	29	73	0	Crash FS
1968	54	12	165.548	12	17	148	0	Engine
1969	22	19	166.497	19	21	82	7	Clutch
1970	22	24	165.601	31	17	143	0	Coil
1971	22	23	171.159	17	24	69	0	Valve
1972	40	33	181.626	18	15	182	0	Flagged
1973	62	20	190.200	26	24	48	0	Broken Rod
1974	40	2	189.683	3	30	3	2	Piston
1975	40	21	190.648	4	9	162	96	Piston
1976	40	7	184.445	12	4	101	3	Flagged
1977	40	10	189.563	13	4	199	0	Flagged
1978	6	7	195.233	9	5	195	0	Flagged
1979	6	7	188.285	8	27	43	0	Lost Wheel
Totals						1448	108

Starts	13
Poles	0
Front Row	1
Wins	0
Top 5	3
Top 10	4
Retired	9

[edit] References

^ "Preacher, racer are two of a kind. Dallenbach brothers follow different roads that intersect with love.", Denver Post, April 30, 1990. Retrieved on 2007-07-21. "It's quite a spin from Wally's life as a race-car driver to the Rev. Robert Dallenbach's small Pillar of Fire Church, where drinking, dancing and smoking are forbidden. While Wally directs Denver's Grand Prix races this August, his older brother likely will be a few blocks away, preaching at Alma Temple. The Reverend Bob wears a charcoal-gray suit and Roman collar. His 8-year-old, church-owned Ford station wagon bears license tag ... But things aren't always what they seem with the brothers Dallenbach ..."