Jimmy Davies

Jimmy Davies
Born August 18, 1929(1929-08-18)
Died June 11, 1966(1966-06-11) (aged 36)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality American
Active years 19501951, 19531957, 1959
Teams Kurtis Kraft, Pawl, Ewing
Races 8 (5 starts)
Championships 0
Wins 0
Podiums 1
Career points 4
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
First race 1950 Indianapolis 500
Last race 1959 Indianapolis 500

Jimmy Davies (August 18 1929 Glendale, California – June 11, 1966 Chicago, Illinois) was an American racecar driver in Champ cars and midgets. He was the second man to win three USAC National Midget Championships. [1]. When Davies won the 100-mile (160 km) AAA Championship race at Del Mar, California on November 6, 1949 - aged 20 years, 2 months, 29 days, he became the youngest driver to win a race in a major U.S. open wheel series, a record not broken until Marco Andretti won the IRL race at Sonoma, California in 2006. Davies raced AAA on a false birth certificate showing him older, (as did Troy Ruttman and Jim Rathmann), and was racing illegally.

Contents

Midget car career

In 1960 he won the USAC Pacific Coast Midget title as well as the National Midget Championship. He repeated as National Midget champion in 1961 and 1962. He won 46 feature events in the midgets in his career. [1] He traveled to Australia in 1961 and 1962, where he competed against Bob Tattersall. Davies won the Night Before The 500 midget race three times, in 1960 and 1961 at Kokomo Speedway, and next year at the Indianapolis Speedrome. Davies' midget car was stolen but was recovered a year later when a driver was killed in it at Sacramento. Davies recognized the car in the newspaper photos of the wreck. [1]

He died on June 11, 1966 aged 36 from injuries suffered in a midget crash at Santa Fe Speedway in Chicago.

Career award

Indy 500 results

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
1950 22 27 130.402 23 17 128 0 Flagged
1951 76 27 133.516 17 16 110 25 Rear end
1953 53 32 135.262 32 10 193 0 Flagged
1954 1 - - - 11* ? ? Running
1955 15 10 140.274 5 3 200 0 Running
Totals 631 25
Starts 5
Poles 0
Front Row 0
Wins 0
Top 5 1
Top 10 2
Retired 1

* Shared drive with Art Cross, Johnny Parsons, Sam Hanks and Andy Linden

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 WDC Points
1950 Pat Clancy Ewing Offenhauser L4 GBR
MON
500
17
SUI
BEL
FRA
ITA
NC 0
1951 Parks Offenhauser / L.E. Parks Pawl Offenhauser L4 SUI
500
16
BEL
FRA
GBR
GER
ITA
ESP
NC 0
1953 Pat Clancy Kurtis Kraft 500B Offenhauser L4 ARG
500
10
NED
BEL
FRA
GBR
GER
SUI
ITA
NC 0
1954 Bardahl / Ed Walsh Kurtis Kraft 4000 Offenhauser L4 ARG
500
11 *
BEL
FRA
GBR
GER
SUI
ITA
ESP
NC 0
1955 Bardahl / Pat Clancy Kurtis Kraft 500B Offenhauser L4 ARG
MON
500
3
BEL
NED
GBR
ITA
12th 4
1956 Novi Racing Kurtis Kraft 500F Novi V8 ARG
MON
500
DNQ
BEL
FRA
GBR
GER
ITA
NC 0
1957 Trio Brdeact Wind Allass Kurtis Kraft 500D Offenhauser L4 ARG
MON
500
DNQ
FRA
GBR
GER
PES
ITA
NC 0
1959 Sumar / Chapman Root Kurtis Kraft 500G Offenhauser L4 MON
500
DNQ
NED
FRA
GBR
GER
POR
ITA
USA
NC 0
* Indicates shared drive with Art Cross, Johnny Parsons, Sam Hanks and Andy Linden. Davies also shared the 20th-placed car with Hanks and Jim Rathmann.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
Records
Preceded by
Johnnie Parsons
31 years, 330 days
(1950 Indianapolis 500)
Youngest Race Leader,
For at least one lap in Formula One

21 years, 285 days
(1951 Indianapolis 500)
Succeeded by
Fernando Alonso
21 years, 237 days
(2003 Malaysian GP)