Dick Simon
Dick Simon | |||||||
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Nationality | Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix (Nazareth ) | ||||||
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Richard Raymond Simon[1] (born September 21, 1933) is retired American auto racing driver and racing team owner. Simon drove Indy cars in USAC and CART, and made 17 starts at the Indianapolis 500. At the 1988 Indianapolis 500, Simon set a record as the oldest driver in Indy 500 history (54 years, 251 days), a record that was later broken by A. J. Foyt.
Simon was a longtime car owner, founding Dick Simon Racing, helping to begin the Indy car careers of Stéphan Grégoire, Arie Luyendyk, Raul Boesel, Lyn St. James, and many others. Simon had a notable record at the Indy 500. Of the many rookies he entered at Indy over the years, not a single one failed to qualify for the race. Simon never won a race as a driver or as an owner. His best finish as a driver was 3rd at Ontario, and as an owner he had six second-place finishes. Simon had a best finish at the Indianapolis 500 of 6th in 1987 (as a driver), and 4th in 1993 as an owner with Boesel.
Simon sold his race team to Andy Evans who formed Team Scandia in 1997. He returned to Indy car racing in the late 1990s and entered cars in 2000 and 2001.
Early life
Simon was born in
After completing his primary education in Seattle, Simon received a skiing
Simon began his racing career in 1962, racing super modifieds. Between 1962 and 1967, he won more than 30 races in the western United States, and in 1965 won the South Lake Valley Racing Association championship.[2]
Championship car career
Simon made his first
Simon would continue to be marginally competitive throughout the 1970s, never matching his finishes of the 1970 season.![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/DickSimon1984PoconoIndyCar.jpg/220px-DickSimon1984PoconoIndyCar.jpg)
In 1979, Simon sided with USAC during its split with
Simon's driving career includes 183 starts (115 in USAC, 78 in CART) over 19 seasons spanning from 1970 to 1988. Among those starts are 17 Indianapolis 500 appearances. He completed 1,954 laps in the Indianapolis 500 without leading any, the second highest such total ever.
Team ownership
Dick Simon fielded his own race team beginning in 1983 and shortly thereafter began fielding cars for
At 61 years old, Simon stepped behind the wheel of
Personal life
Simon was an adventurist and enthusiast. He was an experienced skier, scuba diver, registered pilot, sky diver, and parachutist. He was a national champion parachute jumper, and made over 1,600 jumps during the 1960s. In 1970, he left a desk job at an insurance company to pursue a career in auto racing. Simon is married to Dianne.[3] Simon was once questioned by the FBI under the suspicion of being the airplane hijacker D. B. Cooper. He proved that he was discussing sponsorship with the president of General Foods in Upstate New York on the date of the hijack.[6][7][8]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/DickSimonSVRA2016.jpg/300px-DickSimonSVRA2016.jpg)
Motorsports career results
SCCA National Championship Runoffs
Year | Track | Car | Engine | Class | Finish | Start | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1968 | Riverside Raceway |
Chevrolet Corvette | Chevrolet | B Production | 3 | Running |
American open-wheel racing
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
USAC Championship Car
USAC Championship Car results
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Pos. | Pts | ||||
1969 | Vollstedt Enterprises | Vollstedt 67 | Ford 159ci V8t | PHX
|
HAN
|
INDY | MIL
|
LAN | PPR | CDR | NAZ | TRE | IRP
|
IRP
|
MIL
|
ISF | DOV
|
DSF | INF | BRN | BRN | TRE | SAC | SIR DNS |
SIR | RSD DNS |
NA | - | |||||
Chevrolet 320 ci V8 | PHX DNQ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1970 | Racing International | Vollstedt 67 | Ford 159ci V8t | PHX 24 |
TRE 9 |
INDY 14 |
MIL 11 |
LAN 9 |
MCH 19 |
IRP 13 |
ISF | MIL
|
ONT 3 |
DSF | INF | SED | TRE DNQ |
PHX 9 |
10th | 1080 | |||||||||||||
John Gregg | Vollstedt 65 | Chevrolet 320 ci V8 | SON 6 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dayton-Walther | Morris 70 | Ford 159ci V8t | CDR 11 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ron Burke | Moore 65 D | Offy 252 ci | SAC DNQ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1971 | Dick Simon Racing | Lola T152 | Ford 159ci V8t | RAF 13 |
RAF 6 |
PHX 12 |
POC 17 |
MCH 15 |
MIL
|
TRE 25 |
PHX 7 |
20th | 405 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Vollstedt 67 | TRE 7 |
INDY 14 |
MIL 9 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Peat-Lola | ONT 22 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1972 | Dick Simon Racing | Peat-Lola | Ford 159ci V8t | PHX 18 |
TRE 14 |
INDY 13 |
MIL 9 |
MCH 7 |
POC 16 |
TRE 16 |
23rd | 200 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Lola T152 | MIL 12 |
ONT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eagle 72 | PHX 14 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1973 | Dick Simon Racing | Eagle 72 | TWS 6 |
TRE 10 |
TRE 7 |
INDY 14 |
MIL 17 |
POC 12 |
MIL 22 |
ONT | ONT 11 |
ONT 22 |
MCH | MCH | TRE 23 |
20th | 440 | ||||||||||||||||
Eisenhour-Brayton Racing Team | Coyote 72 | MCH 17 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Patrick Racing | Eagle 73 | Ford 159ci V8t | TWS 21 |
PHX 8 |
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1974 | Dick Simon Racing | Eagle 72 | ONT 8 |
ONT | ONT 28 |
PHX 13 |
TRE | INDY 33 |
MIL 4 |
POC 29 |
MCH 21 |
PHX 15 |
21st | 270 | |||||||||||||||||||
Vollstedt Enterprises | Vollstedt 73 | Offy 159 ci t | MIL 11 |
MCH | TRE | TRE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1975 | Dick Simon Racing | Eagle 72 | ONT | ONT 13 |
ONT 24 |
PHX 14 |
TRE 8 |
INDY 21 |
MIL 13 |
POC 23 |
MCH 9 |
MIL 17 |
MCH 15 |
TRE 11 |
PHX 13 |
22nd | 220 | ||||||||||||||||
1976 | Vollstedt Enterprises | Vollstedt 72/75 | Offy 159 ci t | PHX 7 |
21st | 330 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dick Simon Racing | Eagle 72 | TRE 16 |
MIL 14 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vollstedt Enterprises | Vollstedt 73/76 | Offy 159 ci t | INDY 32 |
POC 10 |
MCH 19 |
TWS | TRE 13 |
MIL 16 |
ONT 30 |
MCH 21 |
TWS | PHX 7 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
1977 | Vollstedt Enterprises | Vollstedt 73/76 | Offy 159 ci t | ONT 6 |
PHX 7 |
TWS | TRE | MIL 13 |
MIL 9 |
24th | 360 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Vollstedt 77 | INDY 31 |
POC 16 |
MOS
|
MCH 19 |
TWS 14 |
ONT 33 |
MCH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lightning Mk1/76 | PHX 11 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1978 | Vollstedt Enterprises | Vollstedt 77 | Offy 159 ci t | PHX 4 |
ONT 6 |
TWS | TRE | INDY 19 |
MOS
|
POC 30 |
MCH 13 |
ATL 18 |
TWS 6 |
MIL 21 |
ONT 14 |
MCH | SIL 12 |
BRH 7 |
PHX 22 |
18th | 670 | ||||||||||||
Vollstedt 73/76 | MIL 18 |
TRE DNQ |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1979 | Vollstedt Enterprises | Vollstedt 77 | Offy 159 ci t | ONT 7 |
TWS | INDY 26 |
MIL 13 |
POC 5 |
TWS 7 |
MIL 17 |
8th | 766 | |||||||||||||||||||||
1980 | Vollstedt Enterprises | Vollstedt 77 | Offy 159 ci t | ONT | INDY 22 |
MIL 13 |
POC 21 |
MDO DNQ |
38th | 38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
1981-82 | Leader Card Racers | Watson PC7 | Cosworth DFX V8t | INDY DNQ |
POC 20 |
ISF | DSF | INF | INDY DNQ |
40th | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1982-83
|
Dick Simon Racing | March 83C | Cosworth DFX V8t | ISF | DSF | NAZ | INDY 15 |
23rd | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
1983-84
|
Dick Simon Racing | March 84C | Cosworth DFX V8t | DSF | INDY 23 |
26th | 15 |
PPG Indy Car World Series
PPG Indy Car World Series results
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Pos. | Pts | Ref |
1979
|
Vollstedt Enterprises | Vollstedt 77 | Offy 159 ci t | PHX
|
ATL | ATL | INDY 26 |
TRE | TRE | MCH
|
MCH
|
WGL
|
TRE | ONT | MCH
|
ATL | PHX
|
NC | 0 | [9] | |||
1980
|
Vollstedt Enterprises | Vollstedt 77 | Offy 159 ci t | ONT | INDY 22 |
MIL 13 |
POC 21 |
MDO DNS |
MCH 18 |
WGL 17 |
MIL 7 |
ONT 37 |
MCH
|
MEX 23 |
PHX 25 |
31st | 185 | [10] | |||||
1981
|
Leader Card Racers | Watson PC7 | Cosworth DFX V8t | PHX 10 |
MIL 7 |
ATL | ATL | MCH 31 |
RIV 6 |
WGL 11 |
MEX 25 |
PHX 20 |
16th | 38 | [11] | ||||||||
Watson 78 | Offy 159 ci t | MIL 22 |
MCH 25 |
||||||||||||||||||||
1982
|
Leader Card Racers | Watson PC7 | Cosworth DFX V8t | PHX DNQ |
ATL DNS |
MIL 19 |
CLE 17 |
MCH 21 |
MIL 15 |
POC 22 |
RIV 7 |
ROA
|
25th | 26 | [12] | ||||||||
Watson 82C | MCH 13 |
PHX 19 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
1983
|
Dick Simon Racing | March 83C | Cosworth DFX V8t | ATL DNQ |
INDY 15 |
MIL 11 |
CLE | MCH 14 |
MCH 19 |
CPL 14 |
LAG
|
PHX 23 |
29th | 2 | [13] | ||||||||
Eagle 83 | ROA 13 |
POC
|
RIV 25 |
MDO 15 |
|||||||||||||||||||
1984
|
Dick Simon Racing | March 84C | Cosworth DFX V8t | LBH 19 |
PHX 4 |
INDY 23 |
MIL 13 |
POR 20 |
MEA 24 |
CLE DNQ |
MCH 12 |
ROA 15 |
POC 12 |
MDO 24 |
SAN 12 |
MCH 15 |
PHX 21 |
LAG 14 |
CPL DNQ |
26th | 15 | [14] | |
1985
|
Dick Simon Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX V8t | LBH | INDY 26 |
MIL 13 |
POR | MEA 17 |
CLE | MCH 25 |
ROA
|
POC 10 |
MDO
|
SAN 17 |
MCH 19 |
LAG
|
PHX DNQ |
MIA | 37th | 3 | [15] | ||
1986
|
Dick Simon Racing | Lola T86/00 | Cosworth DFX V8t | PHX
|
LBH | INDY 14 |
MIL
|
POR | MEA | CLE 22 |
TOR
|
MCH
|
POC 23 |
MDO
|
SAN 20 |
MCH
|
ROA
|
LAG
|
PHX
|
MIA | NC | 0 | [16] |
1987
|
Dick Simon Racing | Lola T87/00 | Cosworth DFX V8t | LBH 20 |
PHX 10 |
INDY 6 |
MIL 20 |
POR 18 |
MEA 14 |
CLE 23 |
TOR 23 |
MCH 9 |
POC 21 |
ROA
|
MDO
|
NAZ 18 |
LAG
|
MIA | 21st | 15 | [17] | ||
1988
|
Dick Simon Racing | Lola T87/00 | Cosworth DFX V8t | PHX 19 |
LBH | POC 19 |
MDO
|
ROA
|
24th | 11 | [18] | ||||||||||||
Lola T88/00 | INDY 9 |
MIL 12 |
POR | CLE | TOR
|
MEA | MCH 7 |
NAZ 20 |
LAG
|
MIA |
Indianapolis 500
Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish | Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | Vollstedt | Ford | 31 | 14 | Racing International |
1971 | Vollstedt | Ford | 33 | 14 | Dick Simon Racing |
1972 | Peat-Lola | Ford | 23 | 13 | Dick Simon Racing |
1973 | Eagle | Foyt
|
27 | 14 | Dick Simon Racing |
1974 | Eagle | Foyt
|
10 | 33 | Dick Simon Racing |
1975 | Eagle | Foyt
|
30 | 21 | Dick Simon Racing |
1976 | Vollstedt | Offenhauser | 16 | 32 | Vollstedt Enterprises |
1977 | Vollstedt | Offenhauser | 30 | 31 | Vollstedt Enterprises |
1978 | Vollstedt | Offenhauser | 10 | 19 | Vollstedt Enterprises |
1979 | Vollstedt | Offenhauser | 20 | 26 | Vollstedt Enterprises |
1980 | Vollstedt | Offenhauser | 29 | 22 | Vollstedt Enterprises |
1981 | Watson | Cosworth | DNQ | Leader Card Racers | |
1982 | Watson | Cosworth | DNQ | Leader Card Racers | |
1983 | March | Cosworth | 20 | 15 | Dick Simon Racing |
1984 | March | Cosworth | 20 | 23 | Dick Simon Racing |
1985 | March | Cosworth | 14 | 26 | Dick Simon Racing |
1986 | Lola | Cosworth | 33 | 14 | Dick Simon Racing |
1987 | Lola | Cosworth | 6 | 6 | Dick Simon Racing |
1988 | Lola | Cosworth | 16 | 9 | Dick Simon Racing |
NASCAR
(key) (Bold - Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics - Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Winston Cup Series
Winston Cup Series results
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | NWCC | Pts | Ref | ||||||||
1973 | Faustina Racing | 5 | Dodge | RSD | DAY | RCH | CAR
|
BRI
|
ATL | NWS | DAR | MAR
|
TAL 7 |
NSV
|
CLT | DOV
|
TWS | RSD | MCH
|
DAY 35 |
BRI
|
ATL | TAL
|
NSV
|
DAR | RCH
|
DOV
|
NWS
|
MAR
|
CLT | CAR | NA | 0 | [19] | ||||||||||
1974 | RSD | DAY 31 |
RCH
|
CAR
|
BRI | ATL
|
DAR
|
NWS
|
MAR
|
TAL
|
NSV
|
DOV
|
CLT | RSD
|
MCH
|
DAY
|
BRI
|
NSV
|
ATL | POC
|
TAL
|
MCH
|
DAR | RCH
|
DOV
|
NWS
|
MAR | CLT | CAR | ONT | NA | 0 | [20] |
Daytona 500
Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
---|---|---|---|---|
1974 | Faustina Racing | Dodge | 37 | 31 |
References
- ^ a b c "Dick Simon". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
- ^ a b c d e Hungness, Carl, ed. (1973). "Driver Biographies". Indianapolis 500 Yearbook. 1. Speedway, IN: Carl Hungness & Associates: 139.
- ^ a b c CART 1989 - MID SEASON REVIEW, retrieved 2023-05-18
- ^ "AUTO RACING DICK SIMON IS A SURVIVOR". The Morning Call. 1984-05-26. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- ^ a b "Indy Vet Simon, 61, Turns First Practice Lap | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
- ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 19, 2006. 1070 WIBC-AM.
- ^ Schmitz, Brian (May 27, 1994). "Simon's Stress". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
- ^ Simon's Stress - Nrian Schmitz, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 1994
- ^ "Dick Simon – 1979 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dick Simon – 1980 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dick Simon – 1981 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dick Simon – 1982 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dick Simon – 1983 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dick Simon – 1984 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dick Simon – 1985 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dick Simon – 1986 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dick Simon – 1987 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dick Simon – 1988 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dick Simon – 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dick Simon – 1974 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.