Anthony Peter Willman (April 28, 1905 – October 12, 1941) was an American racing driver.[1] He was killed in a midget car accident.[2]

Tony Willman
BornAnthony Peter Willman
(1905-04-28)April 28, 1905
South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedOctober 12, 1941(1941-10-12) (aged 36)
Thompson, Connecticut, U.S.
Champ Car career
7 races run over 6 years
Best finish19th (1941)
First race1936 Vanderbilt Cup (Westbury)
Last race1941 Syracuse 100 (Syracuse)
Wins Podiums Poles
0 0 0

Racing career

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Willman started racing in 1926.[3] Limited racing during the 1930s Great Depression significantly hurt Willman's career; only 31 national events were held in eight years.[3] So Willman raced in Midwestern regional and local races.[3] Willman won the 1934/35 indoor midget championship circuit of races in Milwaukee, Detroit, St. Louis, and Chicago.[3] He toured the Midwest for the 1936 outdoor season and he won 145 races.[3] In 1936, Willman won the Hankinson Speedway Circuit championship; the circuit featured races on 30 tracks in 17 states.[3] He won the 1939 track championship at the quarter mile track inside the Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway (now Milwaukee Mile); he repeated the track title in 1941.[3]

Willman had misfortune at the Indianapolis 500 with his car breaking down during all four of his races while he was doing well.[3] In 1941, he was running in fourth place at the 285 mile mark before a connecting rod broke.[3] In 1938, Willman drove in relief for Harry McQuinn and finished seventh.[3]

1941 was Willman's most successful year.[3] He won 33 midget car races and the AAA National Short Track championship.[3] One week before his death, Willman lapped the entire 32-car field in a 100-lap midget car event.[3]

Willman died on October 12, 1941. He was racing in a midget car heat race at Thompson International Speedway when he hit the outside wall and he rolled on to the track. The last place car hit and killed him; in the first two laps he had passed 16 cars in the 20 car field.[3] In his career, he had won a single 100-mile Speedway race, 44 sprint car main events, and 85 midget car events.[3]

Personal life

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Willman was known to be soft-spoken and rarely talked about his racing accomplishments.[3] He was well respected by his competitors; Tommy Hinnershitz said that Willman was the toughest driver that he competed against.[3] Willman was married to Lorraine and he left a daughter named Betty and a son named Eugene who ended up becoming a midget car building and owner in the 1960s and 1970s.[3]

Awards and honors

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Motorsports career results

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Indianapolis 500 results

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References

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  1. ^ "Tony Willman". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  2. ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Tony Willman". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Krause, Al. "Tony Willman Biography" (pdf). National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  4. ^ "Indy 500 Career Stats - Tony Willman". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Archived from the original on July 1, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2013.