Walt Brown (racing driver)

Walter Charles Brown (December 30, 1910 – July 29, 1951) was an American racing driver.[1][2] An Indy car specialist, his career in the big cars began in 1941, and he recorded one win, in 1948 at Langhorne Speedway.

Walt Brown
BornWalter Charles Brown
(1910-12-30)December 30, 1910
Springfield, New York, U.S.
DiedJuly 29, 1951(1951-07-29) (aged 40)
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Champ Car career
43+ races run over 9 years
Best finish4th (1949)
First race1941 Syracuse 100 (Syracuse)
Last race1951 Darlington 250 (Darlington)
First win1948 National Convention Sweepstakes (Langhorne)
Wins Podiums Poles
1 7 1
Formula One World Championship career
Active years19501951
TeamsKurtis Kraft
Entries2
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1950 Indianapolis 500
Last entry1951 Indianapolis 500

World Drivers' Championship career

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The AAA/USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship participation, and were eligible to score WDC points alongside those which they may have scored towards the AAA/USAC National Championship.

Brown participated in two World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. His best finish was 19th place,[1] and he scored no World Drivers' Championship points.

Death

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Brown died in a low speed accident at Williams Grove Speedway on 29 July 1951,[3] the day widely known as "Black Sunday" because two other drivers also died (in consecutive qualifying runs at Funk's Speedway in Winchester, Indiana) on the same day.[4]

Motorsports career results

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Indianapolis 500 results

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Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
1947 33 14 118.355 25 7 200 0 Running
1950 4 20 130.454 22 19 127 0 Flagged
1951 44 13 131.907 31 26 55 0 Magneto
Totals 382 0
Starts 3
Poles 0
Front Row 0
Wins 0
Top 5 0
Top 10 1
Retired 1

AAA Championship Car results

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Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos Points
1946 INDY
LAN
7
ATL
ISF
MIL
GOS
30th 186
1947 INDY
7
MIL
7
LAN
3
ATL
9
BAI
13
MIL
14
GOS
7
MIL
15
PIK SPR
8
ARL
7th 650
1948 ARL
DNQ
INDY
DNQ
MIL
13
LAN
1
MIL
13
SPR
8
MIL
12
DUQ
ATL PIK SPR
8
DUQ 16th 320
1949 ARL
INDY
DNS
MIL
10
TRE
3
SPR
7
MIL
2
DUQ
5
PIK SYR
4
DET
8
SPR
5
LAN
11
SAC
6
DMR
6
4th 1,281
1950 INDY
19
MIL
15
LAN
DNS
SPR
16
MIL
DNQ
PIK SYR
13
DET
DNQ
SPR
10
SAC
PHX
BAY
DAR
19
42nd 41.5
1951 INDY
26
MIL
DNQ
LAN
DNS
DAR
10
SPR
MIL
DUQ DUQ
PIK SYR
DET DNC SJS
PHX
BAY
51st 17
  • 1946 table only includes results of the six races run to "championship car" specifications. Points total includes the 71 races run to "big car" specifications.[5][6]

FIA World Drivers' Championship results

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(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 WDC Points
1950 Tuffy's Offy Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser L4 GBR MON 500
19
SUI BEL FRA ITA NC 0
1951 Federal Engineering Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser L4 SUI 500
26
BEL FRA GBR GER ITA ESP NC 0

References

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  1. ^ a b "Walt Brown". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  2. ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Walt Brown". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Walt Brown killed at Williams Grove". Pottstown Mercury. Associated Press. July 30, 1951. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018.
  4. ^ "Three Indianapolis race drivers killed". Reading Eagle. July 30, 1951.
  5. ^ "1946 AAA National Championship Trail". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  6. ^ Capps, H. Donald (October 2009). "The Curious Case of the 1946 Season: An Inconvenient Championship" (PDF). Rear View Mirror. 7 (2): 1–16.
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