Don Edmunds
| Born | September 23, 1930 Santa Ana, California |
|---|---|
| Died | August 11, 2020 (aged 89) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  American |
| Active years | 1957, 1959 |
| Teams | Kuzma, Kurtis Kraft |
| Entries | 2 (1 start) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1957 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last entry | 1959 Indianapolis 500 |
Don Edmunds (September 23, 1930 – August 11, 2020)[1] was an American racecar driver and car builder.
Racing career
[edit]He changed the nose on his first Kurtis midget car from Kurtis' design to his own. Indy car builder Eddie Kuzma hired Edmunds to fix the dent in Jimmy Bryan’s car after the driver kicked the car.[2]
He had his first start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1957. He won the 1957 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after finishing nineteenth over Bill Cheesbourg, Elmer George, Mike Magill, and Eddie Sachs. Edmunds' Indy career ended with a serious practice accident at the Speedway in 1958.
He founded Autoresearch, Inc. in Anaheim, California, which specialized in building midget cars and sprint cars. Edmunds created the blueprints and did most of the fabrication work on the original Bill Thomas Cheetah prototype sports car racer. His chassis won several National Midget Championships in the late 1960s and early 1970s.[2] In the 1970s, Edmunds was a prolific constructor of Formula Super Vee cars.[3] He became a collector and restorer of old race cars.
Edmunds built Evel Knievel's Snake River Canyon Sky cycle.[4]
Career awards
[edit]- Edmunds was named to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1991.
- He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1994.[2]
Death
[edit]Born in Santa Ana, California, Edmunds died in August 2020, aged 89 in Gold Beach, OR.
Indianapolis 500 results
[edit]
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Complete Formula One World Championship results
[edit](key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Roy McKay | Kurtis Kraft 500G | Offenhauser L4 | ARG | MON | 500 19 |
FRA | GBR | GER | PES | ITA | NC | 0 | |
| 1959 | Bill Forbes Racing | Kuzma Indy Roadster | Offenhauser L4 | MON | 500 DNQ |
NED | FRA | GBR | GER | POR | ITA | USA | NC | 0 |
References
[edit]- ^ Kelly, Paul; Speedway, Indianapolis Motor. "1957 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Edmunds Dies at 89". www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ a b c Edmunds Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
- ^ "Autoresearch". FORMULA SUPER VEE. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ Sky Cycle
External links
[edit]
 | This biographical article related to United States auto racing is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1930 births
- Indianapolis 500 drivers
- Indianapolis 500 Rookies of the Year
- 2020 deaths
- National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees
- Sportspeople from Santa Ana, California
- Racing drivers from California
- Champ Car drivers
- American racecar constructors
- American automobile designers
- IndyCar Series people
- American auto racing biography stubs