William Henry Carlson (October 17, 1889 – July 5, 1915)[1] was an American racing driver. He was killed in an AAA National Championship race at Tacoma Speedway.[2]
| Billy Carlson | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Carlson, circa 1915 | |||||||
| Born | William Henry Carlson October 17, 1889 San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | July 5, 1915 (aged 25) Tacoma, Washington, U.S. | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 18 races run over 3 years | |||||||
| First race | 1913 San Diego Race (San Diego) | ||||||
| Last race | 1915 Montamarathon Trophy (Tacoma) | ||||||
| First win | 1913 Point Loma Race (San Diego) | ||||||
| |||||||
Biography edit
Carlson began his career competing in races on the Pacific coast and was a comparative unknown before he started in the 500-mile classic at Indianapolis in 1914. He took ninth in the event and "immediately attained prominence on the gasoline circuit."[2]
Carlson was a member of the Maxwell team for two years in 1914 and 1915 after he was "discovered" by Ray Harroun, a Maxwell engineer. His most notable achievement after joining Maxwell was his world's non-stop record of 305 miles made at San Diego, California, in January 1915. He came in second to Barney Oldfield at Venice, California.[2]
Carlson sustained fatal injuries in the Montamarathon race at Tacoma Speedway on July 4, 1915, dying the following day.[3] Maxwell suspended their racing program for the remainder of the season; the team was disbanded and the automobiles were shipped back to the factory in Detroit.[2]
Motorsports career results edit
Indianapolis 500 results edit
References edit
- ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Billy Carlson". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d Motor age, Volume 28, No. 2. The Trade Press Co., Chicago, Illinois - July 1915.
- ^ "Auto Driver Dies. Billy Carlson Victim of Accident at Tacoma Speedway Races" (PDF). The New York Times. July 6, 1915. Retrieved 20 July 2012.