Howdy Wilcox

Howdy Wilcox
Howdy Wilcox
	Wilcox, circa 1919
Born	Howard Samuel Wilcox; June 24, 1889; Crawfordsville, Indiana, U.S.
Died	September 4, 1923 (aged 34); Tipton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Championship titles
	Major victories ; Indianapolis 500 (1919)
Champ Car career
	36 races run over 12 years
Best finish	11th (1916)
First race	1910 100-mile Remy Brassard ; (Indianapolis)
Last race	1923 Altoona 200 (Altoona)
First win	1910 Remy Grand Trophy ; (Indianapolis)
Last win	1919 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)

Howard Samuel "Howdy" Wilcox (June 24, 1889 – September 4, 1923) was an American racing driver active in the formative years of auto racing. He won the 1919 Indianapolis 500.

Formative years and family

Wilcox was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, on June 24, 1889. He was preceded in death by his wife, who died in 1918. Wilcox's son, Howard Jr., founded the Little 500 bicycle race, which has been held at Indiana University annually since 1951.^[1]

Racing career

In 1911, Wilcox set the world beach racing speed record of 89.23 mph. In 1919, he won the 1919 Indianapolis 500, leading the last 98 laps of the race after starting in the 2nd position.

Death

Wilcox died on September 4, 1923, at Altoona Speedway board track in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, in a car crash. He was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.^[2]

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results

Year	Car	Start	Qual	Rank	Finish	Laps	Led	Retired
1911	21	19	—	9	14	194	0	Flagged
1912	9	8	87.200	3	9	200	0	Running
1913	12	20	81.460	15	6	200	0	Running
1914	4	3	90.760	10	22	67	1	Valve
1915	1	1	98.900	1	7	200	5	Running
1916	29	6	93.810	6	7	120	0	Running
1919	3	2	100.010	7	1	200	98	Running
1920	18	20	88.820	12	19	65	0	Engine trouble
1921	10	12	96.000	7	23	22	0	Rod
1922	16	26	86.100	24	27	7	0	Valve spring
1923	25	8	81.000	24	17	60	51	Clutch
Totals						1335	155

Starts	11
Poles	1
Front Row	3
Wins	1
Top 5	1
Top 10	5
Retired	5

References

^ Obituary of Howard Wilcox Jr., Flanner and Buchanan Funeral Centers.
^ "Indianapolis Auto greats" (PDF). Celebrating Automotive Heritage at Crown Hill Cemetery. Crown Hill Cemetery. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2012-09-10.

External links

Howdy Wilcox at ChampCarStats.com
Howdy Wilcox at Find a Grave

Preceded by Dario Resta	Indianapolis 500 Winner 1919	Succeeded by Gaston Chevrolet

[1] Obituary of Howard Wilcox Jr., Flanner and Buchanan Funeral Centers.

[Crown_Hill_Autos-2] "Indianapolis Auto greats" (PDF). Celebrating Automotive Heritage at Crown Hill Cemetery. Crown Hill Cemetery. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2012-09-10.

[1]

[2]