Wilbur Shaw tragically died in a private plane crash near Decatur, Ind., on Oct. 30, 1954, the eve of his 52nd birthday. As a reward for his efforts to revive the Speedway, Shaw was appointed as its president, where he would have complete day-to-day control over the track. On the corner of West 30th Street and Cold Springs Road, the nations longest soap box derby track, the Wilbur Shaw Memorial Hill is set to host the 76th annual All-American Local soap box derby race this Saturday starting at 7am. The heart attack felled him in 1951 as he ran up a hill at the Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio. The light plane exploded and crashed in a field as a farmer watched nearby. The light plane exploded and crashed in a field as a farmer watched nearby. All rights reserved | Privacy policy | About us | Image policy. google_ad_client = "ca-pub-6634586182301389";
Seeks to Find if Plane Failure Killed Auto Racer, https://www.nytimes.com/1954/11/01/archives/shaw-crash-inquiry-on-c-a-a-seeks-to-find-if-plane-failure-killed-a.html. Greenfield, State police said the plane exploded on striking the ground on a farm near Peterson, five miles southwest of Decatur. Indiana, He was dismayed at the dilapidated condition of the racetrack and quickly contacted then-owner Eddie Rickenbacker, the World War I flying ace and president and founder of Eastern Air Lines. The track was full of holes and the grandstand was going to pieces. Today is the sixty-fourth anniversary of Wilbur Shaws death in a plane crash near Decatur, Indiana. From 1935-1940 Shaw won three times, had two second place finishes and a seventh place. found: Wikipedia, April 16, 2014: Wilbur Shaw (Warren Wilbur Shaw; born October 31, 1902, Shelbyville, Indiana; Died October 20, 1954, Decatur, Indiana in plane crash; American racing driver; won the Indianapolis 500 three times (1937, 1939, and 1940); during world war II was hired by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company to test rubber automobile tires at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; president of . The tradition was carried on in 1955 and 1956 after Shaw's death. A heart attack felled him in 1951 as he ran up a hill at the Soap Box Derby in Akron, O. Shaw was a three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 (1937, 1939, & 1940), and served as President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) from 1945 until his death in 1954. This account has been disabled. Shaws autobiography covers his life from childhood through the start of the 1952 Indianapolis 500. Wilbur Shaw won the Indianapolis 500 race three times, in 1937, 1939 and 1940. In 1941, in his last Memorial Day race, he hit the wall and spent the summer in a cast with three smashed vertebrae. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Shaw found the Speedway's saviour in Hulman, who took ownership of IMS on Nov. 14, 1945, and immediately placed Shaw as the track president and general manager. SHAW won the big race at Indianapolis in 1937, 1939 and 1940. The track was full of holes and the grandstand was going to pieces. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. [1], He was born in Shelbyville, Indiana on October 31, 1902. Together the two men steadily rebuilt the Speedway grounds, adding modern concrete and steel grandstands and other facilities as resources came available. He also started on the front row five times. Warren Wilbur Shaw (October 31, 1902 October 30, 1954) was an American racing driver. Shaw was killed in an airplane crash near Decatur, Indiana, on October 30, 1954, one day before his fifty-second birthday. "Heaven knows, Dad loved this place like no place else. Subscribers may view the full text of this article in its original form through TimesMachine. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum is open 364 days a year (closed Christmas Day), from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (EST). As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The plane left Ann Arbor Airport at 4 p.m. ROOSE, 41, was the artist who painted the portrait of the 500-mile race winner each year. based on information from your browser. Besides his three victories, Shaw finished second in the "500" in 1933, 1935 and 1938, fourth in 1927 and seventh in 1936. He went on to become one of the most iconic figures in all of American sports. English 3 cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. State police and Sheriff ROBERT W. SHRALUKA said the bodies were ground to bits in the wreckage. Shaw also tells how he met Tony Hulman and saved the Speedway. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Any fan of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway should give profuse thanks to Shaw. (AP) -- WILBUR SHAW, 52, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and three-time winner of the 500-mile race, and two companions were killed in a plane crash near Decatur Indiana late today. He was married and had one son, Warren Wilbur Jr. State police and Sheriff ROBERT W. Page 1 of 3 - Racings air crash victims - posted in The Nostalgia Forum: A thread in the RC forum mentions a NASCAR family lost in a crash at the weekend. He died on October 30, 1954 in near Decatur, Indiana, USA. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Despite what Hulman saw amongst the weeds and deterioration when Shaw took him to Indianapolis, he purchased the Speedway from Rickenbacker in November 1945 for the sum of $750,000. I have read many books about racing and the Indianapolis 500, but this one is still one of my top five. "There is a sense of history (with the Speedway) that I have that is very personal. 06:40 BS shares what he learned about his father's last words and moments. He was in critical condition for several days but made it back to his office before the 1952 race. I read this book in seventh grade and instantly became a Wilbur Shaw fan. Shaw sent out letters to the major car manufacturers trying to find a backer to buy the speedway. Indianapolis 500 results Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired, 1927 29 19 104.465 32 4 200 0 Running, 1928 1 29 100.956 25 25 42 0 Timing gears, 1930 3 25 106.135 5 24 54 0 Wrist pin, 1932 3 22 114.326 5 17 157 27 Rear axle, 1933 17 23 115.497 12 2 200 0 Running, 1934 3 2 117.647 3 28 15 0 Lost oil, 1935 14 20 116.854 7 2 200 5 Running, 1936 3 9 117.503 4 7 200 51 Running, 1937 6 2 122.791 4 1 200 131 Running, 1938 1 7 120.987 13 2 200 0 Running, 1939 2 3 128.977 4 1 200 51 Running, 1940 1 2 127.065 2 1 200 136 Running, 1941 2 3 127.836 3 18 151 107 Crash T1, He was named to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1990. Shaw survived sveral racing accidents and a severe heart attack. Email: donate@boyleracingteam.org. Within seconds of flying at 200 m.p.h. (Shaw drove in early Milwaukee auto races, See Page 9. Jennings County, Shaw was the second person to win the 500 three times, and the first to win it twice in a row. Roose, 41, was the artist who painted the portrait of the 500-mile race winner each year. Wilbur Shaw tragically died in a private plane crash near Decatur, Ind., on Oct. 30, 1954, the eve of his 52nd birthday. When Shaw speaks about a driver who was killed in a race, he says a few kind words about him, then moves on. An Indianapolis 500 great, one of the '500's finest and most skillful drivers who was killed in an aircraft crash, when the plane crashed into a cornfield in a snowstorm. A.K.A: sneaking into and photographing abandoned buildings, armed with a camera and flashlight. He was the leading money winner at the track, with a total of $91,300 in winnings, until Bill Vukovich won his second straight victory last May 31. During a meeting soon after the tire test, Rickenbacker informed Shaw that what was left of the track would be demolished and the land turned into a housing subdivision. World War II ended his career as a driver, but when Anton Hulman Jr of Terre Haute, Ind., bought the big two and one-half mile track in 1945 he have Shaw the job of running it. I walk in here when nothing is going on, and I feel the place is just alive with history.". Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. WILBUR SHAW Home Contact About Site Map Privacy Copyright 2014 IndySpeedway.com All Rights Reserved WILBUR SHAW (October 31, 1902 - October 30, 1954) WILBUR SHAW KILLED VICTIM OF PLANE CRASH. Oct. 31, 1954 The New York Times Archives See the article in its. A fierce, cocky little guy in his early days, he set out deliberately to polish himself and he did it with the thoroughness he used grooming a race car. Please check with the Manuscript Librarian for possible alternatives. Shaw held the position at the Speedway until he died in a plane crash on Oct. 30 . DECATUR, Ind., Oct. 30(AP)Wilbur Shaw, 52, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as three-time winner of the 500-mile race, and two companions were killed in a plane crash near here late Saturday. In 1923 he suffered a skull fracture at Paris, III., and he broke some ribs in two crackups at Ascot, Calif. The light plane exploded and crashed in a field as a farmer watched nearby. To this job, Shaw brought his extensive knowledge of the business of auto racing, something Hulman would admit that he himself didn't have, and Shaw's hard work only cemented the reputation of the "500" as the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing.". During World War II, Shaw was hired by the tire manufacturer Firestone Tire and Rubber Company to test a synthetic rubber automobile tire at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which had been closed due to the war. Odenweller to Wilbur Shaw replay to sale of Motor Speedway (Photostat)6-1-1945Patrick J. Smith to Wilbur Shaw reply with four copies of a re-drafted proposal to purchase the Motor Speedway (re-drafts included)6-5-1945A Proposal to Purchase the Issued and Outstanding Common Capital Stock of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation (8 pgs)12-2-1946M.P. S haw's racing heritage lives on, not only at the track he helped to save, but also at a track of a slightly different nature on the near northwest side. Resend Activation Email. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Oct. 30, 1954-- Wilbur Shaw, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Decatur, Ind. The couple had one child Warren Wilbur Shaw Jr. Wilbur Shaw tragically died in a plane crash near Decatur, Indiana on October 30, 1954. Posted by Ryan Hamlett | Jun 11, 2013 | Historic Miscellania | 2 |, Practicing for the Big Race Photo by Ryan Hamlett. His efforts spurred the growth of auto racing in the United States, and he was still hard at it when he lost his life in a private plane crash. 3 cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. All 3 aboard killed. Homer Ginter, owner of the farm, said he heard a roar, looked up and saw the plane in pieces, 20 to 30 feet from the ground. Husband of Cathleen Sage View Full Article in Timesmachine , See the article in its original context from. (Appeared in the Kansas Salina Journal 10-31-1954). Copyright Allen Brown 2000-2023. Shaw's legacy at the Speedway is unique in that he was one of the most successful drivers ever to grace the track, and he, alongside Anton "Tony" Hulman, was a key figure in guiding the Speedway from the brink of extinction to growing international prominence and financial vibrancy in the years following World War II. Wilbur Shaw won the Indianapolis 500 race three times, in 1937, 1939 and 1940. 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