Mel Hansen
Mel Hansen (July 11, 1911 – June 25, 1963) was an American racecar driver. Hansen was nicknamed the "Firecracker Kid" because he loved to throw the explosive devices under chairs and behind people who were gathered in groups.[1] He originated in Hayti, South Dakota.
Racing career
Midget car career
Hansen's first big win was the 1939 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Gilmore Stadium in Rex Mays Offenhauser. Hansen raced his midget car throughout the nation in 1940, and won 53 features that season.[1] He also claimed the track championship at Fort Miami Speedway in Toledo, Ohio that season. He won the 1942 track championship at VFW Motor Speedway in Detroit. Hansen raced in the United Racing Association in California, and won the 1945 URA Blue Circuit championship.
Championship car career
Hansen competed in six Indianapolis 500s. He only completed one entire race, which was an eighth-place finish in the 1940 Indianapolis 500. He won the 100-mile (160 km) race at Atlanta, Georgia in 1948.
Accident
Hansen was paralyzed after a racing crash in 1949 at Detroit, and he died on June 5, 1963 in San Bernardino, California after being a paraplegic for fifteen years.[1]
Career award
- Hansen was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1993.[1]
Complete AAA Championship Car results
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | INDY 11 |
LAN DNP |
ATL |
ISF |
MIL |
GOS |
20th | 100 | ||||||||
| 1947 | INDY 27 |
MIL |
LAN DNS |
ATL |
BAI |
MIL 4 |
GOS |
MIL 13 |
PIK |
SPR 13 |
ARL | 25th | 169.5 | |||
| 1948 | ARL |
INDY 25 |
MIL 14 |
LAN DNS |
MIL 18 |
SPR 16 |
MIL 15 |
DUQ 16 |
ATL 1 |
PIK |
SPR 11 |
DUQ 11 |
22nd | 220 | ||
| 1949 | ARL |
INDY DNS |
MIL DNS |
TRE 2 |
SPR 1 |
MIL 16 |
DUQ 14 |
PIK |
SYR DNQ |
DET |
SPR |
LAN |
SAC |
DMR |
15th | 376 |
Indy 500 results
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ^ a b c d Biography Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
 | This biographical article related to United States auto racing is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |