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John James McGrath (October 8, 1919 – November 6, 1955) was an American racecar driver. McGrath died in an accident at Bobby Ball Memorial, he lost control of his car at Turn 3, crashed and flipped, dying instantly.

Biography

McGrath was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in South Pasadena, California.

A major player in the "mighty midgets" at Los Angeles's Gilmore Speedway in the late 1940s, McGrath won the first CRA (California Roadster Association) championship in 1946 and was dubbed "King of the Hot Rods". His efforts, along with those of friend and teammate Manuel Ayulo, helped establish track roadsters as viable race cars. The west coast roadsters evolved into sprint cars in the early 1950s.

Major wins at the AAA national level included the 1951 Syracuse and Langhorne 100 mile races, the 1952 Syracuse 100, and the 1953 Milwaukee 200. He finished the 1952 and 1953 AAA championship seasons in second place, and led the first 44 laps of the 1954 Indianapolis 500.

McGrath's storied 26-lap duel with Bill Vukovich in the ill-fated 1955 Indianapolis 500 ended when the magneto on his Hinckle Special Kurtis 500C's Offenhauser (Meyer-Drake) engine failed on lap 54. Fellow Californian and two-time Indy winner Vukovich died three laps later in a chain-reaction crash while in the lead.

The "Splendid Splinter" himself was killed in the final AAA dirt-track race of the 1955 season, the Bobby Ball Memorial at the one-mile dirt oval at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, Arizona.

Complete AAA Championship Car results

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos Points 1948 ARL
9 INDY
21 MIL LAN
DNQ MIL SPR MIL DUQ ATL PIK SPR DUQ 54th 5.2 1949 ARL INDY
26 MIL
8 TRE
14 SPR MIL
DUQ
PIK SYR DET SPR LAN SAC
DMR
44th 50 1950 INDY
14 MIL
9 LAN
1 SPR
14 MIL
DNS PIK SYR
1 DET
17 SPR
14 SAC
14 PHX
9 BAY
5 DAR
9 9th 736.5 1951 INDY
3 MIL
18 LAN
7 DAR
5 SPR
2 MIL
2 DUQ
16 DUQ
11 PIK SYR
7 DET
DNC
3 SJS
4 PHX
14 BAY
18 4th 1.460,4 1952 INDY
11 MIL
13 RAL
2 SPR
2 MIL
15 DET
4 DUQ
5 PIK SYR
1 DNC
6 SJS
4 PHX
16 5th 1.200 1953 INDY
5 MIL
1 SPR
4 DET
16 SPR
13 MIL
4 DUQ
4 PIK SYR
9 ISF
DNQ SAC
10 PHX
13 2nd 1.250 1954 INDY
3 MIL
4 LAN
DNQ DAR
21 SPR
8 MIL
DNQ DUQ
9 PIK SYR
10 ISF
4 SAC
2 PHX
DNQ LVG
3rd 1.220 1955 INDY
26 MIL
8 LAN SPR
10 MIL
21 DUQ
2 PIK SYR
17 ISF
15 SAC
18 PHX
13 18th 240

Indy 500 results

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
1948 52 13 124.580 16 21 70 0 Stalled
1949 33 3 128.884 8 26 39 0 Oil pump
1950 49 6 131.868 10 14 131 0 Spun T2
1951 9 3 134.303 8 3rd 200 11 Running
1952 4 3 136.664 5 11 200 6 Running
1953 5 3 136.602 13 5 200 0 Running
1954 2 1 141.033 1 3rd 200 47 Running
1955 3 3 142.580 1 26 54 6 Magneto
Totals 1094 70
Starts 8
Poles 1
Front Row 6
Wins 0
Top 5 3
Top 10 3
Retired 4
  • McGrath's starting positions from 1951 to 1955 represent the best 5-year starting position streak in the Roadster Era.
  • McGrath was the fastest overall qualifier of the Roadster Era.
  • Although McGrath twice posted the fastest qualifying speed, he started from the pole only once when he was the first driver ever to crack the 140-mile-per-hour mark. That was in 1954, with Jimmy Daywalt and 1958 Indy 500 winner Jimmy Bryan to his right. In 1955, he started on the outside of the first row behind pole-day qualifiers Jerry Hoyt and Tony Bettenhausen.
  • World Championship career summary

    The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Jack McGrath participated in 6 World Championship races. He started on the pole once, set 1 fastest lap, and finished on the podium twice. He accumulated a total of 9 championship points.

    Original Wikipedia article last retrieved on 11 November 2023.