- Duane Carter
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Duane Carter Born May 5, 1913 Died May 7, 1993 (aged 80)Formula One World Championship career Nationality American Active years 1950–1955, 1959–1960 Teams Kurtis Kraft, Kuzma, Lesovsky, Stevens, Deidt Races 8 Championships 0 Wins 0 Podiums 1 Career points 6.5 Pole positions 0 Fastest laps 0 First race 1950 Indianapolis 500 Last race 1960 Indianapolis 500 Duane Carter (May 5, 1913 – May 7, 1993) was an American racecar driver. He raced midget cars, sprint cars, and IndyCars. [1] Carter was born in Fresno, California, and he died in Indianapolis, Indiana. His son Pancho raced in Indy cars, along with Johnny Parsons (who he helped raise[2]).
Contents
Racing career
Midget cars
Carter started racing midgets at the 1/5 mile dirt track in the west side of Fresno while attending Fresno State University. He was one of six drivers who went to Western Springs Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand in 1937. He was a consistent winner on the Nutley board track in 1939 while future journalist Chris Economaki was his unofficial crew chief. He won the 1940 Detroit VFW Motor Speedway title, the 1942 championship at Sportsman Park in Cleveland. He captured a 500-mile (800 km) victory in his midget car at the 1947 Los Angeles Coliseum Motordome after Danny Oakes was initially declared the winner.[1]
Sprint cars
He moved up to the sprint cars, and won the 1950 Midwest division. [1]
Indy Cars
He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1948-1955, 1959-1960, and 1963 seasons with 47 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in each season. He finished in the top ten 23 times, with his best finish in 2nd position in 1953 at Phoenix.
USAC director
He retired from competition in 1956 to take the Competition Director position for USAC. He returned to competition in 1959 after Henry Banks took over the position. [1]
Career awards
- He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1991.
- He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1989. [1]
Indy 500 results
Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired Chassis Engine 1948 16 29 126.015 11 22 59 0 Lost wheel Wetteroth Offy 1949 17 5 128.233 12 14 182 0 Spun T3 Stevens Offy 1950 18 13 131.666 12 12 133 0 Flagged Stevens Offy 1951 27 4 133.749 15 8 180 0 Flagged Deidt Offy 1952 1 6 135.522 16 4 200 0 Running Lesovsky Offy 1953 4 27 135.267 31 24 94 0 Ignition Lesovsky Offy 3* - - - 3 200 0 Running Kurtis Kraft Offy 1954 16 8 138.238 20 15 196 0 Flagged Kurtis Kraft Offy 34** - - - 4 200 0 Running Kurtis Kraft Offy 1955 98 18 139.330 19 11 197 0 Flagged Kuzma Offy 1959 37 12 142.795 17 7 200 0 Running Kurtis Kraft Offy 1960 17 27 142.631 28 12 200 0 Running Kuzma Offy 1963 83 15 148.002 30 23 100 0 Rod Thompson Chevrolet Totals 1741 0 Starts 11 Poles 0 Front Row 0 Wins 0 Top 5 3 Top 10 5 Retired 4 * shared drive with Sam Hanks
** shared drive with Troy Ruttman
- Carter drove over 4,300 miles (6,900 km) at Indianapolis without leading a lap. This currently ranks 4th on the all-time list.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 WDC Points 1950 Murrell Belanger Stevens Offenhauser L4 GBR MON 500
12SUI BEL FRA ITA NC 0 1951 Mobiloil / Rotary Engineering Deidt Tuffanelli Derrico Offenhauser L4 SUI 500
8BEL FRA GBR GER ITA ESP NC 0 1952 Belanger Motors Lesovsky Offenhauser L4 SUI 500
4BEL FRA GBR GER NED ITA 15th 3 1953 Bardahl / Ed Walsh Kurtis Kraft 4000 Offenhauser L4 ARG 500
3 †NED BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA 13th= 2 1954 Automobile Shippers / Casaroll Kurtis Kraft 500A Offenhauser L4 ARG 500
4 *BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA ESP 23rd= 1.5 1955 J.C. Agajanian Kuzma Indy Roadster Offenhauser L4 ARG MON 500
11BEL NED GBR ITA NC 0 1959 Smokey Yunick Kurtis Kraft 500H Offenhauser L4 MON 500
7NED FRA GBR GER POR ITA USA NC 0 1960 Thompson / Ensley & Murphy Kuzma Indy Roadster Offenhauser L4 ARG MON 500
12NED BEL FRA GBR POR ITA USA NC 0 - † Indicates shared drive with Sam Hanks after retiring his own car.
- * Indicates shared drive with Troy Ruttman. Carter's own car finished 15th after being taken over by Marshall Teague, Jimmy Jackson and Tony Bettenhausen.
References
Categories:- 1913 births
- 1993 deaths
- Indianapolis 500 drivers
- National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees
- American racecar drivers
- 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
- Bonneville 200 MPH Club members
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