Sam Hanks

Sam Hanks

Born	July 13, 1914
Died	June 27, 1994 (aged 79)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	American
Active years	1950–1957
Teams	Epperly, Kurtis Kraft
Entries	8
Championships	0
Wins	1
Podiums	4
Career points	20
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1950 Indianapolis 500
First win	1957 Indianapolis 500
Last win	1957 Indianapolis 500
Last entry	1957 Indianapolis 500

Sam Hanks (July 13, 1914 – June 27, 1994) was an American racecar driver who won the 1957 Indianapolis 500. He was a barnstormer, and raced midget and Championship cars.

Racing career

He won his first championship in 1937 on the West Coast in the AMA. He barnstormed the country, racing on the board tracks at Soldier Field in Chicago and the Los Angeles Coliseum Motordome. Hanks reportedly won the first two board track races at Soldier Field in 1939.^[1] Hanks won the 1940 VFW Motor City Speedway championship. After World War II, he captured the 1946 URA Blue Circuit Championship. He won the 1947 Night before the 500 midget car race. He was the 1949 AAA National Midget champion. He won the 1953 AAA Championship in the Bardahl Special. He won the 1956 Pacific Coast championship in the USAC Stock cars.

He won the 1957 Indianapolis 500 at his thirteenth attempt at the race, the most tries of any Indy winner, and announced his retirement from racing in Victory Circle.^[1]

He drove the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 from 1958 to 1963.^[1]

Hanks is believed to be the only Indianapolis 500 driver to participate in the race before World War II, serve in the war effort, then return to race again after the war. It has also been conjectured that Hanks may have been a distant relative to Abraham Lincoln.^[2]

Awards

• He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1998.
• He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2000.
• Hanks was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1984.^[1]
• Hanks was inducted in the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in 2005.

Indy 500 results

Year[3] Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired 1940 28 14 123.064 13 13 192 0 Flagged 1941 28 33 118.211 32 33 0 0 DNS 1946 32 3 124.762 7 31 18 0 Oil line 1948 76 15 124.266 19 26 34 0 Clutch 1949 18 23 127.809 17 30 20 0 Oil leak 1950 23 25 131.593 13 30 42 0 Oil pressure 1951 25 12 132.998 21 12 135 0 SpunT3 1952 18 5 135.736 14 3 200 0 Running 1953 3 9 137.531 5 3* 200 3 Running 1954 1 10 137.994 25 20 191 1 Spun FS 1955 8 6 140.187 6 19 134 0 Transmission 1956 4 13 142.051 21 2 200 0 Running 1957 9 13 142.812 6 1 200 136 Running Totals 1566 140

Starts 13 Poles 0 Front Row 1 Wins 1 Top 5 4 Top 10 4 Retired 8

* Shared drive with Duane Carter

World Championship career summary

The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA Formula One World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Sam Hanks participated in 8 F1 World Championship races. He started on the pole 0 times, won 1 race, set 0 fastest laps, and finished on the podium 4 times. He accumulated a total of 20 championship points.

References

1. Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
2. Davidson, Donald (1999-05-23). "Indy 500 winner Hanks linked (maybe) to a presidential past". The Indianapolis Star/News. Archived from the original on November 14, 1999. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
3. Sam Hanks Indy 500 Race Stats