Don Edmunds (September 23, 1930 – August 11, 2020) was an American racecar driver and car builder.

Racing career

He changed the nose on his first Kurtis midget car from Kurtis' design to his own. Indy car builder Eddie Kuzma hired Edmunds to fix the dent in Jimmy Bryan’s car after the driver kicked the car.

He had his first start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1957. He won the 1957 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after finishing nineteenth over Bill Cheesbourg, Elmer George, Mike Magill, and Eddie Sachs. Edmunds' Indy career ended with a serious practice accident at the Speedway in 1958.

He founded Autoresearch, Inc. in Anaheim, California, which specialized in building midget cars and sprint cars. Edmunds created the blueprints and did most of the fabrication work on the original Bill Thomas Cheetah prototype sports car racer. His chassis won several National Midget Championships in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the 1970s, Edmunds was a prolific constructor of Formula Super Vee cars. He became a collector and restorer of old race cars.

Edmunds built Evel Knievel's Snake River Canyon Sky cycle.

Career awards

Edmunds was named to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1991.

He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1994.

Death

Born in Santa Ana, California, Edmunds died in August 2020, aged 89 in Gold Beach, OR.

Indianapolis 500 results

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 WDC Points 1957 Roy McKay Kurtis Kraft 500G Offenhauser L4 ARG MON 500
19 FRA GBR GER PES ITA NC 0 1959 Bill Forbes Racing Kuzma Indy Roadster Offenhauser L4 MON 500
DNQ NED FRA GBR GER POR ITA USA NC 0