Chet Gardner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
BornChester Leroy Gardner
March 16, 1898
March 16, 1898
Grant City, Missouri, U.S.
DiedSeptember 3, 1938 (aged 40)
Flemington, New Jersey, U.S.
Best finish4th (1933)
| Chet Gardner | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | Chester Leroy Gardner March 16, 1898 Grant City, Missouri, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | September 3, 1938 (aged 40) Flemington, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| AAA Midwest Big Car (1933) | |||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 26 races run over 9 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 4th (1933) | ||||||
| First race | 1928 Detroit 100 (Detroit) | ||||||
| Last race | 1938 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| |||||||
Chester Leroy Gardner (March 16, 1898 – September 3, 1938) was an American racing driver, named by promoters as "The Grand Old Man of Auto Racing."[1]
Gardner was killed in an accident during a time trial at the Flemington Fair Speedway when he swerved to avoid a child that had run onto the racetrack.[1]
Gardner started racing in 1922 in Colorado. In 1933, he won the Midwest AAA Sprint Car Championship.[2] He was named "Southern Dirt Racing King" twice.[1]
Between 1928 and 1938, Gardner made 25 starts in the AAA series, where his best result was third.[3] From 1930 to 1938 he competed in the Indianapolis 500.