Hartwell Wilburn "Stubby" Stubblefield (possibly born Wilburn Hartwell Stubblefield, c. December 28, 1907 – May 21, 1935) was an American racing driver. He was killed practicing for the 1935 Indianapolis 500.
| Stubby Stubblefield | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Stubblefield and mechanic Otto Wolfer at the 1932 Indianapolis 500 | |||||||
| Born | Hartwell Wilburn Stubblefield December 28, 1907 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | May 21, 1935 (aged 27) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 11 races run over 6 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 5th (1933) | ||||||
| First race | 1930 Detroit 100 (Detroit) | ||||||
| Last race | 1934 Mines Field Race (Mines Field) | ||||||
| First win | 1932 Roby 100 (Roby) | ||||||
| |||||||
Birth detail confusion edit
Some sources give his birthdate as December 28, 1909, but most sources say 1907 with no month or day specified. Furthermore, a newspaper article states that he was 27 years old at the time of his death,[1] which implies a birthdate between May 22, 1907 and May 21, 1908. At the time of his death, his home was in Los Angeles.[1] Some sources say that he was born in Los Angeles, but most say that he was born in Oklahoma. The 1910 United States Census lists him as being the age of two when his family was recorded on April 25, 1910, and living in Oklahoma City.[2]
Death edit
Stubblefield was the first driver ever killed during a qualification attempt at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he and Leo Whitaker (his riding mechanic) struck a wall on a time trial run; both were killed.[3] At the time of the crash, their speed was about 116 miles per hour.[1] He is buried at Angeles Abbey Cemetery, Compton, California.
Awards and honors edit
- He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1997.
Motorsports career results edit
Indianapolis 500 results edit
References edit
- ^ a b c "Two Auto Race Drivers and One Mechanic Die in Speedway Crashes". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. May 22, 1935. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
- ^ 13th Census of the United States, United States census, 1910; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; page 2701, line 18, enumeration district 0023. Retrieved on 2020-06-07.
- ^ "W.H. 'Stubby' Stubblefield" (PDF). National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
- ^ Stubby Stubblefield Indy 500 Race Stats