Wally Dallenbach, Sr.

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Wally Dallenbach, Sr. (born December 12, 1936) is a former long-time open-wheeled race car driver in CART from East Brunswick, New Jersey. He drove in 180 Indy Car races between 1965 and 1979, winning five times. He is the father of NASCAR driver and commentator, Wally Dallenbach, Jr.

Biography

He is the brother of Pillar of Fire Church Superintendent Robert Barney Dallenbach. cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Preacher, racer are two of a kind. Dallenbach brothers follow different roads that intersect with love. |url= |quote=It's quite a spin from Wally's life as a race-car driver to the Rev. Robert Dallenbach's small Pillar of Fire Church, where drinking, dancing and smoking are forbidden. While Wally directs Denver's Grand Prix races this August, his older brother likely will be a few blocks away, preaching at Alma Temple. The Reverend Bob wears a charcoal-gray suit and Roman collar. His 8-year-old, church-owned Ford station wagon bears license tag ... But things aren't always what they seem with the brothers Dallenbach ... |publisher=Denver Post |date=April 30, 1990 |accessdate=2007-07-21 ]

Dallenbach nearly won the 1975 Indianapolis 500, dueling with A. J. Foyt for many laps. He led for half of the race, but blew a piston on lap 162. Bobby Unser won the race.

He joined CART as competition director in 1980 and became Chief Steward of the sport in 1981, a position he held until 2004. Under his tenure, he improved the safety program in CART. He also established nondenominational church services for drivers and their families.

Dallenbach has been inducted into both the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame due to his exploits at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Wally was recently voted into the American Motorcyclists Association Hall of Fame for his work as founder and president of the Colorado 500 Invitational charity motorcycle rides. He was inducted at a ceremony in the fall of 2006 at AMA eadquarters in Pickerington, Ohio.

Indy 500 results

Current Life

Dallenbach maintains his interest in motorsports as the president of the Colorado 500 motorcycle race, which is, as of 2008, in its third decade and which has raised over a million dollars in community support [ [http://colorado500.org/ The Colorado 500 Online ] ] for the town of Basalt, Colorado, located in the Roaring Fork Valley region of western Colorado.

He and his wife, Peppy, reside near the Fryingpan River in upper Basalt and maintain a ranch, fairground, cabins and a private automotive restoration garage.

References