Chet Gardner

American racing driver (1898–1938)
Chet Gardner
BornChester Leroy Gardner
(1898-03-16)March 16, 1898
Grant City, Missouri, U.S.
DiedSeptember 3, 1938(1938-09-03) (aged 40)
Flemington, New Jersey, U.S.
Championship titles
AAA Midwest Big Car (1933)
Champ Car career
26 races run over 9 years
Best finish4th (1933)
First race1928 Detroit 100 (Detroit)
Last race1938 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles
0 3 1

Chester Leroy Gardner (March 16, 1898 – September 3, 1938) was an American racing driver, named by promoters as "The Grand Old Man of Auto Racing."[1]

He was killed in an accident during a time trial at the Flemington Fair Speedway when he swerved to avoid a child that had run onto the racetrack.[1]

Racing career

Gardner started racing in 1922 in Colorado. In 1933, he won the Midwest AAA Sprint Car Championship.[2] He was named "Southern Dirt Racing King" twice.[1]

Between 1928 and 1938, Gardner made 25 starts in the AAA series, where his best result was third.[3] From 1930 to 1938 he competed in the Indianapolis 500.

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
1930 18 5 105.811 7 38 1 0 Spun T1
1933 21 15 112.319 22 4 200 0 Running
1934 4 5 114.786 9 21 72 0 Rod
1935 18 9 114.556 17 7 200 0 Running
1936 6 18 116.000 12 29 38 0 Clutch
1937 31 9 117.342 28 11 199 0 Flagged
1938 38 18 120.435 17 5 200 0 Running
Totals 910 0
Starts 7
Poles 0
Front Row 0
Wins 0
Top 5 2
Top 10 3
Retired 3

Ref.:[4]

Sources

  1. ^ a b c He was also known as the "King of the Money Makers" because in the 1930s he was one of only several drivers that made good money at racing. Kelly, E. R. (2006-09-02). "Chet Gardner". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  2. ^ "AutoRacingRecords.com". www.autoracingrecords.com. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  3. ^ "Chet Gardner". ChampCarStats.Com. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  4. ^ "Career Stats for Chet Gardner". Indianapolis 500 Stats. IMS LLC. Retrieved 2007-08-10.

External links

  • "King of the Money Drivers" Popular Mechanics, April 1936, pp. 554-556