Carl Haas

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the motorsport team owner. For the broadcaster, see Karl Haas. For the English conductor, see Karl Haas (conductor).
Not to be confused with Gene Haas, another unrelated motorsport team owner.
Carl Haas
Born(1929-02-26)February 26, 1929
Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
Died June 29, 2016(2016-06-29) (aged 87)
Lake Forest, Illinois
, U.S.
SpouseBernadette Haas

Carl Arthur Haas (February 26, 1929 – June 29, 2016)

Nationwide Series, as well as the Haas Lola Formula One
team.

Early life

Haas was born in

Ludwigshafen am Rhein in Germany. He emigrated to the US in March 1938.[2] He was of Dutch Jews descent.[3] His father fled Germany in the 1930s.[3]

Career

Haas grew up in Chicago and sold gearbox parts from his parents' home.

Jaguars. He retired from driving in the early 1960s in order to focus more on team ownership and other racing-related businesses. In 1967, he became the exclusive American importer for Lola Cars and helped the company attain national prominence in the racing world. His own company, Carl A. Haas Auto Imports, was founded in Lincolnshire, Illinois in 1960,[4] and is involved in racing distribution deals, notably for Hewland gearboxes.[5]

During the 1970s, Haas entered race teams in various series, including

Winston Cup Series team with Travis Carter
for eight seasons.

In 1983, Haas joined with actor

Champ Car World Series, with Sébastien Bourdais
in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.

During his years in CART, Haas became known for his fondness for cigars. Prohibited from smoking in the pitlane, he would chew an unlit cigar during the race, often at both ends. When Michael Andretti and Juan Pablo Montoya collided during a practice session for the 1999 race at Twin Ring Motegi, Japan, Haas infamously threw his cigar at Montoya's car owner Chip Ganassi during a confrontation in the garage area.

One of the few car owners ever to record victories in F5000, CART, Champcar and IRL, Haas also participated in race promotion. He served on CART's Board of Governors until it folded in 2003, and retired as chairman of the

NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and American Speed Association races. He also promoted the Grand Prix of Houston
.

Overall, Haas's teams have won 11 championships in three decades. IMS called him one of the "most powerful men in the history of auto racing."[6] He was inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame in 2007.

Personal life

Haas lived in Lake Forest, Illinois with his wife, Bernadette.

It was announced on July 7, 2016, that he had died on June 29, 2016, at his home.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Carl Haas". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  2. ^ Saward, Joe (27 November 2014). "JBF1: Fascinating F1 Facts: 66 - The other Haas F1". Joe Blogs F1.
  3. ^ a b Hersh, Phil (26 May 1985). "Cool men". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on Oct 25, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Cavin, Curt (July 25, 2016). "Carl Haas, 1930-2016". Autoweek: 38–39.
  5. ^ "Hewland Engineering – Agent Network". Hewland. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  6. ^ IMS. "IMS Statement on the Passing of Carl Haas". www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  7. ^ "Carl Haas Automobile Imports, Inc :: The Carl Haas Legacy". www.haasauto.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-13. Retrieved 2016-08-12.

External links

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