Race stats 19112019 driver stats race results starting grids box scores race summaries qualifying records. Click on the site to see bill cheesbourgs career results at that track glossary. Greg hansens top 10 auto racers in tucson history greg hansen. William bernard cheesbourg june 12, 1927 tucson, arizona november 6, 1995 tucson, arizona was an american racecar driver who participated in six indianapolis 500 races. Race results indianapolis 500 1961 indianapolis motor. He was in good company in the final row, starting alongside jochen rindt and graham hill. The craziest twinengined racing cars were made by a bus company. It all started as an eleven year old in a soapbox derby. His career then developed from there, racing jalopies, sprint, midget and indycars. Bill cheesbourg from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia william bernard cheesbourg june 12, 1927 tucson, arizona november 6, 1995 tucson, arizona was an american racecar driver who participated in six indianapolis 500 races. Veteran driver bill cheesbourg tested the car at indianapolis, but it was another experienced racer al miller who qualified the gerhardt ford in 33 rd place, last on the grid, for the running of the 1967 indianapolis 500. Pat oconnor started behind them in the middle of row two. Despite the indianapolis disappointment the first of many to come ruby was having a spectacular 1966 season, as he and his english teammate ken miles had won the 24hour sport car races at daytona international speedway driving a 427cubic inch powered ford gt 40 mark ii and the 12 hours of sebring in a similarly powered gt40 x1 roadster.
Its not that hank, just out of the marines, won a featured race in front of a full house, almost 5,000 fans, its that he also beat future indy 500 racers roger mccluskey and bill cheesbourg. Bill cheesbourg racing career profile driver database. In 1946, cheesbourg ran his first organized race at tucsons kinsley ranch and won. Bill cheesbourg born june 12, 1927 in tucson, november 6, 1995 was an american race car driver cheesbourg began his career at the midget cars after the second world war. The twister, a supermodified class race car driven by tucsonan hank. The most recent drivers to make their formula one debut are alexander albon, lando norris and george russell, who debuted at the 2019 australian grand prix. He competed in one sprint cup series event in his career. Over the next two seasons, he won an astounding 73 of the 75 races he entered with his 1932 ford roadster. Missed opportunities the tale of the 1967 gerhardt. The formula in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants and cars must conform. Usac champ car series indianapolis indy 500 indianapolis motor speedway. Bill cheesbourgresultsusac stock car series1962 the.
In the majority of racing fatalities the driver is killed instantly. That came in 1951, when cheesbourg raced at canfield. The craziest twinengined racing cars were made by a bus. William alexander lester iii born february 6, 1961 is an american former professional racing driver who last competed in the grand touring category in the rolex sports car series for autohaus motorsports. Janet guthrie was the first woman to qualify and compete in the indianapolis 500. During qualifying for the race, bill was able to foot. The race was handed over to the local elks racing club for the following year, but again suffered financial losses and seemed like an illconceived idea. Tucson race enthusiasts have brought famed local racers car back to life. I ran pretty good there until they shut the track down because so many guys were getting killed. Bill cheesbourg, horoscope for birth date 12 june 1927. Fresh out of college, he worked at hewlettpackard for a few years before deciding he. Starting positions in the thirtyeight car field are unknown due to poor records, but cheesbourg wound up finishing th in the race. Bill cheesbourg born june 12, 1927 in tucson, november 6, 1995 was an american race car driver.
Bills racing career only stopped in the 1980s after many years racing. Bill cheesbourg the champ car and indy car online stats. Bill cheesbourg nascar results, statistics and car numbers. His last race came in 1992, when he competed and won in an event locally in an electric car. In his first midget race in 1938, he flipped and suffered broken ribs and a broken collarbone. Roger mccluskey, a tucson high grad who raced in 17 indy 500s, tops. Check out the latest bill cheesbourg photos and pictures on. This kuzma was still an indianapolis 500 contender as late as 1961 with veteran. The reopening of illiana motor speedway in schererville, ind.
Oakes first climbed into a race car at the old legion ascot speedway as a 22yearold in 1933. Cheesbourg drove in the usac series from 1956 to 1962 as well as 1964, 1965 and 1966. Usac champ car series indy 500 indianapolis motor speedway may 30, 1963. As a champ car driver he won no championships, posted no singlerace wins. Get the best deals on auto racing vintage sports photos when you shop the. He is known for the help he offered to many other racers. Wimble collection via the fonda book bill, already a hired gun at an early age. Click on the site to see bill cheesbourgs career results at that track. When the pace car did not speed up, the three were waved ahead and this caused all pandemonium to break out. He drove in the usac championship car series, racing in the 19561962 and 19641966 seasons with 31 starts, including the indianapolis 500 races in 1957. Cheesbourg returned to the local dirt short track racing scene after his indy car career was finished.
R to a 10th place finish at indianapolis motor speedway. Click on the year to see the standings for that year. He holds the record for the most cars passed on the first lap of the indianapolis 500 and soldiered home 10th once in the novi but bill cheesbourg will best be remembered as a skilled journeyman. Bill cheesbourg, horoscope for birth date 12 june 1927, born. Fortunately for the sport of stock car racing, bill france stepped in. The drivers of hanks generation were essentially daredevils. Click on the site to see bill cheesbourg s career results at that track glossary. Driver bill cheesbourg 1974 nascar winston west series. I started out in the lower class and worked my way up. William bernard cheesbourg was an american racecar driver who participated in six indianapolis 500 races. Until virtually up to his death, bill owned and operated a volkswagen specialty shop in tucson. The race is remembered historically as a moment of firsts for the event.
Tucson has staged every manner of auto racing at a dozen locations. In 1952, he claimed second place in the arizona jalopy racing assn, and in 1955 he won the championship. Automobiles, racing automobile racing drivers engines firestone tire and rubber company further information on this record can be found at its source. Capable but relatively inexperienced driver killed in a crash at winchester. His final start came in 1965 and after missing the show. Bills racing career only stopped in the 1980s after many years racing on dirt. Wimble collc via alan mcdonald another, different car at canton supposedly bill. Cheesbourg began his career at the midget cars after the second world war.
Bill lester racing the official website for sports car. In 1984, he earned a bachelor of science degree in eecs from the university of california, berkeley. Bill cheesbourg june 12, 1927 tucson, arizona november 6, 1995 tucson, arizona was an american racecar driver. Click on the number of races to see individual races for that year. Earlier in june, bill lutz won a nascar midwest 100lap race at the banked quartermile asphalt oval. May 24, 2016 bill cheesbourg, tucson, arizona poses in his car on may, 1961 in indianapolis, indiana after qualifying for the 1961 500mile auto race at indianapolis motor speedway in may 30. Race, racing, usac, canam, canadianamerican challenge cup, grand prix. Dec 08, 2015 nascar ford stock car driver dick hutcherson as the substitute for foyt in one of the holmanmoody gt40s was paired with sports car and formula 1 driver ronnie bucknum, who had practiced but did not attempt to qualify for the 1966 indianapolis 500 in george reeves chevrolet v8powered lola t80. Aug 06, 2016 bill cheesbourg born 12 jun 1927 tucson, arizona. It was during that period that bill cheesbourg, a selftaught driver from tucsons dirt tracks, qualified for and raced in seven indy 500s on a shoestring budget without a sustaining sponsor. Bill s racing career only stopped in the 1980s after many years racing on dirt. American racecar driver who participated in six indianapolis 500 races.
Their duel continued as they both jumped the start of the race, with reece following them in front of the pace car. Feb 04, 2018 he holds the record for the most cars passed on the first lap of the indianapolis 500 and soldiered home 10th once in the novi but bill cheesbourg will best be remembered as a skilled journeyman. The driver for the 1958 race of two worlds was none other than the fivetime world champion juan manuel fangio, who qualified third, yet was eliminated after only a handful of laps. Bill frances role in stock car racing history howstuffworks. The formula libre race was open to championship cars, as the days indycars were called, and select sports cars, while the road race counted for the usac road racing. Tucsonan bill cheesbourg came close to winning big at indy. Along with charlie reese, a local restaurant owner, he. Ascot had three classes in what we called big cars then, sprint cars today, explained oakes. Indianapolis motor speedway deaths 1958 pat oconnor. Whether it was jalopies, nascar modifieds or the rocket car in which he reached 300 mph, cheesbourg possessed a special touch.
Indonesia became the latest country to be represented by a driver when rio haryanto made his formula one debut at the 2016 australian grand prix driving for manor racing. Poor mans 500 1951 nascar monster energy series race 9 of 41. He finished in the top ten 8 times, with his best finish in 7th position in 1959 at daytona and in 1966 at fuji. See more ideas about indy cars, race cars and classic race cars. He moved to orbit racing for 2009, finishing 3rd at the summer daytona race. Phillips started alongside bill cheesbourg but easily beat the tucson veteran into the first turn. Featured exhibit indianapolis motor speedway museum. Sister car driven by davey macdonald destroyed in crash during same race, killing macdonald and sachs. Cheesbourg had participated in every indy 500 for the preceding 9 years, yet had only qualified for the 33 car field six times, and four of those occasions he started on the last row. In 1946, father and son were working for firestone in indianapolis and.
He holds the record for the most cars passed on the first lap of the indianapolis 500 and soldiered home 10th once in the novi but bill cheesbourg will best. Real name william gretsinger, he changed his name to avoid confusion with his father william gretsinger senior, who raced stock cars and midgets in the 1930s. Despite his death, the business still flourishes and the shop, in nth. Bill and the sliver whites, one of his earlier car owners. Cabaillot jeanpaul cabana girard cabantous giulio cabianca lh cable johnny cabral randy cabral collin cabre emmanuel caceres clinton cade fred cade phil cade john cadman jr gene cady george cady nicolas caerels attilio caffaratti alex caffi kyler cafro buddy cagle. Cheesbourg started racing jalopies in tucson and successfully moved into midgets racing all over arizona after world war ii. Cheesbourg, bill, 19271995 indianapolis motor speedway speedway, ind. Experienced, but not necessarily qualified, driver bill cheesbourg, was elected to drive the car at the speedway. It all started as an eleven year old in a soapbox derby event, which finished after 100 yards after the rubber hose bill used as tyres fell off. He drove in the usac championship car series, racing in the 19561962 and 19641966 seasons with 31 starts, including the indianapolis 500 races in 19571959, 1961, 1964, and 1965. Indianapolis 500 historical stats indianapolis motor speedway. Bill cheesbourg june 12, 1927november 6, 1995 was a nascar driver from tucson, az. During qualifying for the race, bill was able to foot the car around the. Get the latest race results, news, videos, pictures, win record and more for bill cheesbourg on.
The late bill cheesbourg, who drove in the 1958 race, once said, oldtimers. Bill cheesbourg will best be remembered as a skilled journeyman driver that would. Bill cheesbourg stock car racing wiki fandom powered. There was only one car that may have been able to run with phillips. Profile for racing driver bill cheesbourg from united states.
This race would be held alongside a nonchampionship formula libre race, also 100 miles and on the oval, and a km road race on the facilitys 3. Bill cheesbourg after qualifying for the indianapolis 500 on may, 1961. Bill qualified the autohaus motorsports camaro in the 8th position for the debut grandam rolex series race at the brickyard on friday morning. Bill cheesbourg june 12, 1927 tucson, arizona november 6, 1995 tucson, arizona was an american racecar driver cheesbourg started racing jalopies in tucson and successfully moved into midgets racing all over arizona after world war ii. Bills best ride came in 1961 when he drove the dean van lines special for clint brawner and qualified ninth but was eliminated in a crash. Bill cheesbourg stock car racing wiki fandom powered by wikia. Bills racing career only stopped in the 1980s after many years racing on dirt tracks.