Ron Shuman
Encyclopedia
Ron Shuman is an American
racecar driver from Tempe, Arizona
. A champion sprint car racer
Shuman won the Turkey Night Grand Prix
sprint car race four consecutive times from 1979 to 1982 and eight times in total and the Knoxville Nationals
in 1979. He tried his hand at Championship Car racing in 1980 and finished in 11th place in his first race at Ontario Motor Speedway
in April of that year. However, a month later he failed to qualify for the 1980 Indianapolis 500
. The following year Shuman sided with USAC in their split with CART
and Shuman entered in two dirt track races on USAC's "Gold Crown" Champ Car calendar, failing to qualify for one and finishing 15th in the other. The following season in 1982 Shuman notched his best Champ Car finish at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack
with a 5th place and competed in two other dirt track Gold Crown races. He made another appearance in 1983 before the series ended. Shuman continued to race sprint cars during his foray into Champ Car and still makes occasional appearances in major sprint car events to this day.
He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2003.
A race named in honor of him, The Ron Shuman Classic, is held every year in Kansas City, Kansas at Lakeside Speedway
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
racecar driver from Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
. A champion sprint car racer
Sprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
Shuman won the Turkey Night Grand Prix
Turkey Night Grand Prix
The Turkey Night Grand Prix is an annual race of midget cars. It has been held on Thanksgiving night most years since 1934. It is currently held in Irwindale, California.-Drivers:The event is considered a major event in the midget cars series...
sprint car race four consecutive times from 1979 to 1982 and eight times in total and the Knoxville Nationals
Knoxville Nationals
The Knoxville Nationals is an annual sprint car event held at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa. An Associated Press writer called winning the event "sprint car racing’s premiere title". It is nicknamed "The Granddaddy of Them All."-History:...
in 1979. He tried his hand at Championship Car racing in 1980 and finished in 11th place in his first race at Ontario Motor Speedway
Ontario Motor Speedway
The Ontario Motor Speedway, located in Ontario, California, east of Los Angeles, was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: IndyCar Series and USAC for open-wheel oval car races; NASCAR for a ...
in April of that year. However, a month later he failed to qualify for the 1980 Indianapolis 500
1980 Indianapolis 500
Results of the 1980 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Sunday, May 25, 1980.-Recap:After failing in its 1979 debut, Jim Hall's radically new Chaparral chassis is driven to easy victory by Johnny Rutherford. Tom Sneva becomes the first driver to place second after starting last. He also...
. The following year Shuman sided with USAC in their split with CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
and Shuman entered in two dirt track races on USAC's "Gold Crown" Champ Car calendar, failing to qualify for one and finishing 15th in the other. The following season in 1982 Shuman notched his best Champ Car finish at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack
Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack
Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack is a one mile long clay oval motor racetrack on the grounds of the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, the state capital. Constructed in the late 19th century and reconstructed in 1927, the "Springfield Mile" as it is known has hosted competitive auto racing...
with a 5th place and competed in two other dirt track Gold Crown races. He made another appearance in 1983 before the series ended. Shuman continued to race sprint cars during his foray into Champ Car and still makes occasional appearances in major sprint car events to this day.
He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2003.
A race named in honor of him, The Ron Shuman Classic, is held every year in Kansas City, Kansas at Lakeside Speedway
Lakeside Speedway
Lakeside Speedway is a dirt auto racing track located in Kansas City, Kansas. It features racing in Factory Stock, Grand National, and Modified categories. Racing at the track was the focus of the Discovery Channel series Heartland Thunder in 2010....
.
External links
- Ron Shuman at ChampCarStats.com