Tommy Milton

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Tommy Milton
Narragansett Park)
Last win1925 Charlotte 250 (Charlotte)
Wins Podiums Poles
20 50 5

Thomas Willard Milton (November 14, 1893 – July 10, 1962) was an American

racing driver best known as the first two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500
. In spite of having only one functional eye, Milton came to be known as one of the finest racers of his generation.

Early life

Milton was born in

St. Paul, Minnesota
, on November 14, 1893.

Racing career

Daytona Beach Road Course
in 1920

Milton began his career in racing in 1914, competing on dirt tracks in the

United States National Driving Championship, often referred to as the Champ Car series.[2]

Record at the Indianapolis 500

Milton with Barney Oldfield and Louis Chevrolet before the 1921 Indianapolis 500
Milton's winning car from the 1923 Indianapolis 500

Milton was a starter in the Indianapolis 500 eight times, earning the

H.C.S. Motor Co. with a Miller 122 and won the race for the second time. His last was the 1927 Indianapolis 500 where he finished eighth.[4]

Post-racing career

During the 1936 race, Milton returned to the

Pace Car
. At his suggestion, the tradition of giving the race winner the Pace Car began that year. In 1949 Milton was appointed chief steward for the Indianapolis 500. Health problems forced him to retire in 1957.

Death

Milton died in 1962 in Mount Clemens, Michigan, at the age of 68 of self-inflicted gunshot wounds.[5]

Awards and honors

Milton has been inducted into the following halls of fame:

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tommy Milton.
  1. ^ Pearce, William (27 July 2015). "Duesenberg-Milton Land Speed Record Car". oldmachinepress.com. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Driver Tommy Milton 1921 AAA Champ Car Series Results - Racing-Reference.info". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  3. Atlanta Journal-Constitution. May 31, 1921. Archived from the original
    on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2012-10-07. Tommy Milton, world champion speed racer, today piloted an American car to the finish line first in the ninth renewal of the national racing classic the 500-mile dash around the Indianapolis Speedway.
  4. New York Times
    . Associated Press. May 29, 1927. Retrieved 2012-10-08. The return of Tommy Milton to automobile racing was made certain late tonight, when he qualified an eight-cylinder car of his own design for the annual 500-mile race, to be held Monday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. ...
  5. ^ The Evening Independent (St. Petersburg, FL). July 11, 1962.
  6. ^ "Tommy Milton". IMS Museum. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  7. ^ Tribune, Joel Rippel Star. "Tommy Milton: Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Class of 1958". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  8. ^ "Tommy Milton". www.sprintcarhof.com. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  9. ^ "Tommy Milton". www.mshf.com. Retrieved 2023-10-16.

Further reading

External links

Preceded by Indianapolis 500 Winner
1921 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Indianapolis 500 Winner
1923 		Succeeded by
L. L. Corum
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tommy_Milton&oldid=1199043782"