- Joie Chitwood
George Rice "Joie" Chitwood (
April 14 1912 -January 3 1988 ) was an American racecar driver and businessman. He is best known as a daredevil in the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show.Born in
Denison, Texas ofCherokee Indian ancestry, he was dubbed "Joie" by a track promoter and the name stuck.Fact|date=November 2007Racing career
Chitwood started his racecar driving career in 1934 at a dirt track in
Winfield, Kansas . From there, he began racing at tracks all over theUnited States mid-west and between 1940 and 1950 competed at theIndianapolis 500 seven times finishing fifth on three different occasions. He was the first man ever to wear a safety belt at the Indy 500.Fact|date=December 2007Indy 500 results
* shared drive withTony Bettenhausen World Championship career summary
The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Joie Chitwood participated in 1 World Championship race. He started on the pole 0 times, won 0 races, set 0 fastest laps, and finished on the podium 0 times. He accumulated a total of 1 championship point.
Joie Chitwood Thrill Show
Chitwood also operated the "Joie Chitwood Thrill Show", an exhibition of auto stunt driving that became so successful he gave up racing. Often called "Hell Drivers," he had five units that for more than forty years toured across
North America thrilling audiences in large and small towns alike with their death-defying automobile stunts.His show was so popular, that in January 1967, the performance at the
Islip, New York Speedway was broadcast on ABC television's Wide World of Sports.On
May 13 1978 , Joie Chitwood set a world record when he drove aChevrolet Chevette for 5.6 miles on just 2 wheels.His sons, Joie Jr. and Tim both joined the auto thrill show and continued to run the "Joie Chitwood Chevy Thunder Show" after their father's retirement. His grandson, Joie Chitwood III, is the president of theIndianapolis Motor Speedway .Chitwood's show was credited by
Evel Knievel as being his inspiration to become a daredevil.tuntman
As well, Chitwood was frequently hired by
Hollywood film studios to either do stunt driving for films or to act as auto-stunt coordinator. On a few occasions he appeared in a minor role, notably withClark Gable andBarbara Stanwyck in the 1950 film about the Indy 500, "To Please a Lady ".In 1973, Chitwood is credited as a Stunt Coordinator for the hugely successful James Bond film "
Live and Let Die (film) ", where he was also the stunt driver and acted in a minor part.afety Consultant
Chitwood also acted as a car safety consultant, intentionally crashing vehicles for subsequent investigation. He had intentionally crashed more than 3000 vehicles by the time he appeared on the
game show "I've Got A Secret " in 1965.Retirement
When Chitwood retired, his sons took over the business. Joie Chitwood died in 1988, aged 75, in
Tampa Bay, Florida .Award
He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993.
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