Bob Carey (racing driver)
Bob Carey (28 September 1904 Anderson, Indiana – 16 April 1933 Los Angeles, California) was an American race car driver. He died in a qualifying crash at Legion Ascot Speedway, apparently due to a stuck throttle.
Career
Carey's first National Championship race was the 1932 Indianapolis 500. According to Speedway historian Donald Davidson, Carey endured a blown right rear tire (causing him to spin three times without hitting the wall or another car), and later a damaged shock absorber; in total he lost over 12 minutes to the leader, Fred Frame. Having led 36 laps earlier, he ultimately erased 4 minutes of the interval and finished 4th. Later that year he won at the one-mile dirt tracks in Detroit and Syracuse, and won the National Championship by 115 points over Indianapolis 500 champion Fred Frame. No driver since would win the National Championship in their first season until reigning F1 Champion Nigel Mansell in 1993.
After finishing second to Bill Cummings at the Oakland Speedway one-mile dirt track in 1932, Carey did not participate in another AAA Champ Car event. His fatal accident at Legion Ascot Speedway prior to the 1933 season denied him the opportunity to defend his title. The fact that he became champion in his first and only season may suggest he had further potential had he lived.
Award
He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2005.
Indianapolis 500 results
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References
- Champcarstats.com: Bob Carey
- sprintcarhof.com/FileGet.aspx?ID=23 (written by Donald Davidson)
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