Hank Rogers
American racing driver (1917–unknown)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hank Rogers (born Hank Rakowski; June 22, 1917 – unknown) was an American racing driver.[1] He competed in the American Automobile Association (AAA) sanctioned National Championship in 1946, 1949, and 1950.
June 22, 1917
(Mechanicsburg)
| Hank Rogers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | Hank Rakowski June 22, 1917 New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | unknown | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 23+ races run over 3 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 13th (1946) | ||||||
| First race | 1946 Williams Grove Race #2 (Mechanicsburg) | ||||||
| Last race | 1949 Syracuse 100 (Syracuse) | ||||||
| First win | 1946 Charlotte Race #2 (Metrolina) | ||||||
| |||||||
During a career working as a potter in Trenton, New Jersey,[2] Rogers began racing in 1946 as a last-minute fill in after his brother-in-law, a regular auto racer, was injured before a race.[3] Rogers performed strongly in the event, and was offered a ride. Later that year, diving a car once owned by Joie Chitwood,[4] Rogers won a Championship event at the Metrolina Fairgrounds near Charlotte, North Carolina.[5]
Rogers scored a notable victory at the Reading, Pennsylvania fairgrounds. Driving a newly built car completed only minutes before the event, Rogers defeated a strong field of drivers that included Ted Horn, Tommy Hinnershitz, Bill Holland, and Spider Webb.[3]