Jack McGrath
Encyclopedia
John James "Jack" McGrath (October 8, 1919 - November 6, 1955) was an American
racecar driver.
A major player in the "mighty midgets" at Los Angeles' Gilmore Speedway in the late 1940s, McGrath won the first CRA (California Roadster Association) championship in 1946 and was dubbed "King of the Hot Rods." His efforts, along with those of friend and teammate Manuel Ayulo, helped establish track roadsters as viable race cars. The west coast roadsters evolved into sprint cars in the early 1950s.
Major wins at the AAA national level
included the 1951 Syracuse and Langhorne 100 mile races, the 1952 Syracuse 100, and the 1953 Milwaukee 200. He finished the 1952
and 1953
AAA championship seasons in second place, and led the first 44 laps of the 1954 Indianapolis 500
.
McGrath's storied 26-lap duel with Bill Vukovich
in the ill-fated 1955 Indianapolis 500
ended when the magneto on his Hinckle Special Kurtis 500C's Offenhauser
(Meyer-Drake) engine failed on lap 54. Fellow Californian and two-time Indy winner Vukovich died three laps later in a chain-reaction crash while in the lead.
"The Splendid Splinter" himself was killed in the final AAA
dirt track race of the 1955 season at Manzanita Speedway
in Phoenix, Arizona
.
He was born in Los Angeles, California
and grew up in South Pasadena, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
racecar driver.
A major player in the "mighty midgets" at Los Angeles' Gilmore Speedway in the late 1940s, McGrath won the first CRA (California Roadster Association) championship in 1946 and was dubbed "King of the Hot Rods." His efforts, along with those of friend and teammate Manuel Ayulo, helped establish track roadsters as viable race cars. The west coast roadsters evolved into sprint cars in the early 1950s.
Major wins at the AAA national level
American Championship Car Racing
Since 1916 there has been a recognized United States national automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level, single-seat open wheel race cars. The championship has been under the auspices of several different sanctioning bodies since 1909. Since 1911, the Indianapolis...
included the 1951 Syracuse and Langhorne 100 mile races, the 1952 Syracuse 100, and the 1953 Milwaukee 200. He finished the 1952
1952 AAA Championship Car season
The 1952 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 11. There was also one non-championship event in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania...
and 1953
1953 AAA Championship Car season
The 1953 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 11. There was also one non-championship event in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The AAA National Champion was Sam Hanks, and the Indianapolis 500...
AAA championship seasons in second place, and led the first 44 laps of the 1954 Indianapolis 500
1954 Indianapolis 500
The 1954 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Monday, May 31, 1954 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the second round of the 1954 World Drivers' Championship.- Classification :- Notes :...
.
McGrath's storied 26-lap duel with Bill Vukovich
Bill Vukovich
Bill Vukovich was a Serbian American automobile racing driver. He won the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500 plus two more American Automobile Association National Championship races...
in the ill-fated 1955 Indianapolis 500
1955 Indianapolis 500
The 1955 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Monday, May 30, 1955 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the third round of the 1955 World Drivers' Championship...
ended when the magneto on his Hinckle Special Kurtis 500C's Offenhauser
Offenhauser
Offenhauser was an American racing engine manufacturer that operated from 1933 to 1983.The Offenhauser engine, familiarly known as the "Offy", was developed by Fred Offenhauser and his employer Harry Arminius Miller, after maintaining and repairing a 1913 Peugeot Grand Prix car of the type which...
(Meyer-Drake) engine failed on lap 54. Fellow Californian and two-time Indy winner Vukovich died three laps later in a chain-reaction crash while in the lead.
"The Splendid Splinter" himself was killed in the final AAA
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
dirt track race of the 1955 season at Manzanita Speedway
Manzanita Speedway
The Manzanita Speedway was a dirt track racing facility located in the suburban southwestern part of Phoenix, Arizona, USA. The facility had a 1/3 mile and 1/2 mile tracks. The track held USAC events up through the 2009 Sprint Car season opener...
in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
.
He was born in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and grew up in South Pasadena, California
South Pasadena, California
South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,619, up from 24,292 at the 2000 census. It is located in in the West San Gabriel Valley...
.
Indy 500 results
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- McGrath's starting positions from 1951 to 1955 represent the best 5-year starting position streak in the Roadster Era.
- McGrath was the fastest overall qualifier of the Roadster Era.
- Although McGrath twice posted the fastest qualifying speed, he started from the pole only once when he was the first driver ever to crack the 140-mile-per-hour mark. That was in 1954, with Jimmy DaywaltJimmy DaywaltJimmy Daywalt was an American racecar driver.Born in Wabash, Indiana, he drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950, 1953-1957, 1959, and 1961-1962 seasons with 20 starts. He finished in the top ten 3 times...
and 1958 Indy 500 winner Jimmy BryanJimmy BryanJames Ernest Bryan was an American racecar driver. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Bryan died as a result of injuries sustained in a champ car race at Langhorne Speedway.-Career:...
to his right. In 1955, he started on the outside of the first row behind pole-day qualifiers Jerry HoytJerry HoytJerry Hoyt was American racing driver from Chicago, mainly competing in the National Championship. He died in 1955 after crashing in a Sprint car race at Oklahoma City.-Indy 500 results:...
and Tony BettenhausenTony BettenhausenMelvin E. "Tony" Bettenhausen was an American racing driver, who won the National Championship in 1951 and 1958....
.