Stubby Stubblefield
Stubblefield and mechanic Oito Wolfer at the 1932 Indianapolis 500
Wilburn Hartwell Stubblefield[1][2] (a.k.a. W. H. Stubblefield; he later changed[2] it to Hartwell Wilburn Stubblefield) (1907 in Oklahoma – May 21, 1935 in Indianapolis, Indiana), nicknamed "Stubby", was an American racecar driver. He was killed in a practice crash for the 1935 Indianapolis 500. He is buried at Angeles Abbey Cemetery, Compton, California. Stubblefield was the son of Michael Stubblefield and Mrs. Lela Middlebrook (a.k.a. Lela Kincheloe Couts).[3] Some sources give his birthdate as December 28, 1909 but most sources say 1907 with no month or day specified. Furthermore, a newspaper article states that he was 27 years old at the time of his death,[4] which implies a birthdate between May 22, 1907 and May 21, 1908. At the time of his death, his home was in Los Angeles.[4] Some sources say that he was born in Los Angeles, but most say that he was born in Oklahoma.
Stubblefield was the first driver ever killed during a qualification attempt at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he and Leo Whitacker (his riding mechanic) struck a wall on a time trial run; both were killed.[5] At the time of the crash, their speed was about 116 miles per hour.[4] Stubblefield was survived by his wife Dorothy and his daughter Patricia.[5]
Career award
Indianapolis 500 results
| Year[6] |
Car |
Start |
Qual |
Rank |
Finish |
Laps |
Led |
Retired |
| 1931 |
36 |
9 |
108.797 |
15 |
8 |
200 |
0 |
Running |
| 1932 |
15 |
25 |
112.899 |
11 |
14 |
178 |
0 |
Flagged |
| 1933 |
8 |
10 |
114.784 |
13 |
5 |
200 |
0 |
Running |
| 1934 |
5 |
29 |
105.921 |
32 |
12 |
200 |
0 |
Running |
| Totals |
778 |
0 |
|
|
| Starts |
4 |
| Poles |
0 |
| Front Row |
0 |
| Wins |
0 |
| Top 5 |
1 |
| Top 10 |
2 |
| Retired |
0 |
|
References
- ↑ "Thompson Speedway photograph album, Thompson, Connecticut, and material related to automobile racing.". WorldCat. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
Photographs depict automobile races and accidents, as well as portraits of drivers and the photographers who documented the races. Identified drivers include ..., and Wilburn Hartwell 'Stubby' Stubblefield.
- 1 2 "W. H. 'Stubby' Stubblefield". OldRacingCars.com. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
W.H. stands for Wilburn Hartwell, although it appears he swapped the names around, because he was buried as Hartwell W. Stubblefield
- ↑ Pena, Lynn (2006-07-20). "Hartwell W 'Stubby' Stubblefield" (obituary). Retrieved 2016-03-28.
- 1 2 3 "Two Auto Race Drivers and One Mechanic Die in Speedway Crashes". The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. May 22, 1935. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
- 1 2 "W.H. 'Stubby' Stubblefield" (PDF). National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
- ↑ Stubby Stubblefield Indy 500 Race Stats