Tony Bettenhausen

Tony Bettenhausen

Born	September 12, 1916 Tinley Park, Illinois
Died	May 12, 1961 (aged 44) Indianapolis, Indiana
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	American
Active years	1950–1960
Teams	Kurtis Kraft, Deidt, Kuzma, Epperly, Watson
Entries	11
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	1
Career points	11
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	1
First entry	1950 Indianapolis 500
Last entry	1960 Indianapolis 500

Melvin Eugene "Tony" Bettenhausen^[1] (September 12, 1916 Tinley Park, Illinois – May 12, 1961 Indianapolis, Indiana) was an American racing driver, who won the National Championship in 1951 and 1958.

Bettenhausen was nicknamed the "Tinley Park Express" in honor of his hometown.^[2] He was nicknamed "Tunney" after heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney. "Tunney" later became "Tony."^[3]

Bettenhausen was part of the midget car "Chicago Gang" with Emil Andres, Cowboy O'Rourke, Paul Russo, Jimmy Snyder, and Wally Zale.^[4] They toured tracks in the Midwest and East Coast of the United States.

Racing career

Midget cars

He won the track championship at the Milwaukee Mile in 1942, 1946, and 1947. He was the Chicago Raceway Park champion in 1941, 1942, and 1947.

He won the 1959 Turkey Night Grand Prix, and the Hut Hundred in 1955 and 1956.

Indy cars

He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1941 and 1946-1961 seasons with 121 starts, including 14 in the Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 74 times, with 21 victories.

He won the National Championship in 1951 after recording eight victories and two second-place finishes in fourteen events. He announced his retirement from all racing but the Indianapolis 500 after the season.^[3] He decided to return full-time for the 1954 season. He was involved in a midget car wreck in Chicago, suffering head injuries after striking a concrete wall. He was in critical condition for several days.^[3]

He prearranged to co-drive with Chicago Gang friend Paul Russo in the 1955 Indianapolis 500. They finished second.^[4]

In 1958 he became the first driver to win the national championship without a win.^[3] He was assured the title with a second-place finish at Phoenix. He finished second in the national championship to Rodger Ward in 1959.

Death

Bettenhausen was killed in 1961 in a crash at Indianapolis while testing a Stearly Motor Freight Special vehicle for Paul Russo. The car smashed into the outside wall of the track and then rolled 325 feet along the barrier. The car came to rest in a grassy plot between the wall and Grandstand A, with the tail of the car on fire. Results showed the accident was caused by an anchor bolt which fell off the front radius rod support, allowing the front axle to twist and misalign the front wheels when the brakes were applied, which drove the car into the wall.^[5]

Indianapolis 500 results

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired 1946 42 26 123.094 13 20 47 0 Rod 1947 29 25 120.980 17 18 79 0 Timing gear 1948 6 22 126.396 10 14 167 0 Clutch 1950 14 8 130.947 16 31 30 0 Wheel bearing 1951 5 9 131.950 30 9 178 0 Spun T4 1952 27 30 135.384 17 24 93 0 Stalled 1953 98 6 136.024 20 9 196 0 Crash T3 1954 10 21 138.275 19 29 105 0 Bearing 1955 10 2 139.985 13 2 200 0 Running 1956 99 5 144.602 5 22 160 0 Crash T1 1957 27 22 142.439 9 15 195 0 Flagged 1958 33 9 143.919 10 4 200 24 Running 1959 1 15 142.721 18 4 200 0 Running 1960 2 18 145.214 9 23 125 0 Rod Totals 1975 24

Starts 14 Poles 0 Front Row 1 Wins 0 Top 5 3 Top 10 5 Retired 10

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	WDC	Points
1950	Blue Crown Spark Plug / Moore	Kurtis Kraft 2000	Offenhauser L4	GBR	MON	500 5 †	SUI	BEL	FRA	ITA					21st =	1
1951	Mobiloil / Rotary Engineering	Deidt Tuffanelli Derrico	Offenhauser L4	SUI	500 9	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA	ESP				NC	0
1952	Blue Crown Spark Plug / Earl Slick	Deidt Tuffanelli Derrico	Offenhauser L4	SUI	500 24	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	NED	ITA				NC	0
1953	J.C. Agajanian	Kuzma	Offenhauser L4	ARG	500 9 *	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	SUI	ITA			NC	0
1954	Automobile Shippers / Casaroll	Kurtis Kraft 4000	Offenhauser L4	ARG	500 15 ‡	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	SUI	ITA	ESP			NC	0
1955	H.A. Chapman	Kurtis Kraft 500C	Offenhauser L4	ARG	MON	500 2 џ	BEL	NED	GBR	ITA					13th =	3
1956	Belanger Motors	Kurtis Kraft 500C	Offenhauser L4	ARG	MON	500 22	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA				NC	0
1957	Novi Racing	Kurtis Kraft 500F	Novi V8	ARG	MON	500 15	FRA	GBR	GER	PES	ITA				NC	0
1958	Jones & Maley Cars	Epperly Indy Roadster	Offenhauser L4	ARG	MON	NED	500 4	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	POR	ITA	MOR	17th	4
1959	Hoover Motor Express	Epperly Indy Roadster	Offenhauser L4	MON	500 4	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	POR	ITA	USA			16th	3
1960	Lindsey Hopkins	Watson Indy Roadster	Offenhauser L4	ARG	MON	500 23	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	POR	ITA	USA		NC	0

† Indicates shared drive with Joie Chitwood after retiring his own car.

* Indicates shared drive with Chuck Stevenson and Gene Hartley.

‡ Indicates shared drive with Duane Carter, Marshall Teague and Jimmy Jackson after retiring his own car.

џ Indicates shared drive with Paul Russo.

Racing family

Bettenhausen was the father of Gary Bettenhausen, Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. and Merle Bettenhausen.

Awards

• He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1985.
• He was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991.
• He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1997.

References

1. Hayhoe, David; Holland, David. "Grand Prix Data Book". London: Haynes Publishing. p. 578.
2. "Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
3. "Tony Bettenhausen biography at the International Motorsport Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
4. "Biography for Paul Russo at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
5. "Indy 500 Deadly Accidents, Tony Bettenhausen Sr.". Retrieved 22 September 2015.

External links

• The Greatest 33