Edward Francis O'Donnell (April 30, 1887 – November 26, 1920)[1] was an American racing driver. He gained fame competing for the Duesenberg team.
| Eddie O'Donnell | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 O'Donnell at Tacoma Speedway in 1920 | |||||||
| Born | Edward Francis O'Donnell April 30, 1887 Whitewater, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | November 26, 1920 (aged 33) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 36 races run over 5 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 12th (1920) | ||||||
| First race | 1914 Kalamazoo 100 (Kalamazoo) | ||||||
| Last race | 1920 Beverly Hills 250 #2 (Beverly Hills) | ||||||
| First win | 1915 Tropico Road Race (Tropico) | ||||||
| Last win | 1915 Galesburg 100 (Galesburg) | ||||||
| |||||||
Racing career
editO'Donnell started his career as a riding mechanic for Duesenberg racing driver Eddie Rickenbacker. When Rickenbacker left the Duesenberg team to join the Peugeot team, O'Donnell took over as driver. He served as Captain of the Duesenberg team and was highly successful on the dirt tracks and board tracks around the United States, also having raced on the road circuits. He recorded three victories during the 1915 season. In 1916 he recorded two non-Championship victories, during only the second points championship season conducted in American history.
Death
editO'Donnell was fatally injured when he and Gaston Chevrolet collided during the Beverly Hills Speedway Classic race on Thanksgiving Day 1920.[2] Chevrolet was killed as well as O'Donnell's mechanic Lyall Jolls. O'Donnell died the next morning.[3]
Motorsports career results
editIndianapolis 500 results
editReferences
edit
- ^ "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800–1994". FamilySearch.
- ^ "Gaston Chevrolet killed in race". The New York Times. November 26, 1920. Archived from the original on October 15, 2017 – via The Crittenden Automotive Library.
- ^ "Death crowns winning auto racing king". The Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. Associated Press. November 26, 1920.
- ^ "Eddie O'Donnell Indianapolis 500 stats". IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. Archived from the original on 2019-08-03.