Ronnie Duman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AmericanDearborn, Michigan, U.S.
West Allis, Wisconsin, U.S.
| Ronnie Duman | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | American | ||||||
| Born | February 12, 1929 Dearborn, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | June 9, 1968 (aged 39) West Allis, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 62 races run over 8 years | |||||||
| Years active | 1961-1968 | ||||||
| Best finish | 13th - 1962 USAC season | ||||||
| First race | 1961 Rex Mays Classic | ||||||
| Last race | 1968 Rex Mays Classic | ||||||
| |||||||
Ronald Barth Duman (February 12, 1929 – June 9, 1968),[1] was an American racing driver who competed in the USAC Championship Car series and the Indianapolis 500. Duman was an accomplished driver in sprints and midgets,[2] and won the prestigious Little 500 at Anderson Speedway in 1959 and 1960.[3]
Born in Dearborn, Michigan, Duman later moved to Speedway, Indiana and lived practically across the street from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.[4][5] He drove in the USAC Championship Car series from 1961 to 1968. He had 63 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 from 1964 to 1968. Duman had 27 top-ten finishes in Champ Car competition, with a best finish of third in 1965 at Phoenix.
Duman was fatally injured in a crash at the 1968 Rex Mays Classic at the Milwaukee Mile.
Indianapolis 500 results
After passing his rookie test in 1961,[3] Duman made an attempt to qualify with the Ray Brady Special but the run was incomplete. In 1962, he qualified the Stearly Motor Freight Special, but was bumped and wound up as the second alternate.[6] In 1963, he was entered in the Federal Engineering Special, but crashed during practice.
Duman finally qualified for the Indianapolis 500 in 1964.[7] He qualified a sponsor-less pink and black Trevis-built Watson/Offy entered by Nick Fulbright and Dave Paul. It was the same car driven by Allen Crowe in the 1963 race. Duman qualified 16th on pole day, but ended up the 32nd-overall fastest qualifier. He narrowly held on to make the lineup on Bump day, as the second-slowest car in the field. A few days before the race, the team received sponsorship from the Clean Wear Service Company – a local laundry service that was frequented by the drivers and crews during the month of May.[5][6]
Duman was involved in the fiery crash that took the lives of Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs. The accident happened in front of Duman, and as he approached the crash scene, he attempted to miss both Sachs and MacDonald. However, in the fiery melee, the Novi of Bobby Unser knocked Duman's car from behind, and sent the car spinning to the inside wall.[8] The car became engulfed in flames, but not before Duman was able to climb out and escape to the grass infield. Duman was hospitalized with second and third degree burns, and missed over two months of racing while he recuperated.[5][6]
After recovering from his injuries, Duman qualified for the 1965 race in the Travelon Trailer Special. He ran as high as 12th before dropping out.[3] In 1966 race, he started last (33rd) and became involved in the opening lap crash, finishing last. In 1967 race, he finished 23rd driving the REV 500 Special for J. C. Agajanian.
Duman's final Indy 500 start came in 1968 race. On the final turn of the final lap, Duman's engine blew coming out of turn four, and he coasted across the finish line to finish 6th.[4][5] The 1968 race would be his best result at Indianapolis, as just over a one-week later, Duman was killed in a crash at Milwaukee.
Duman's son Rick is a championship-winning mechanic who won the 2005 Clint Brawner Award at the Indianapolis 500, currently owning Turn 4 Restorations that restores vintage Indy cars.[9]
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Kurtis Kraft | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
| 1962 | Elder | Offy | Bumped | |
| 1963 | Trevis | Offy | Practice crash | |
| 1964 | Trevis | Offy | 16th | 31st |
| 1965 | Gerhardt | Offy | 25th | 22nd |
| 1966 | Eisert | Ford | 33rd | 33rd |
| 1967 | Shrike | Offy | 17th | 23rd |
| 1968 | Hayhoe | Offy | 26th | 6th |
Awards and accomplishments
Duman was the only USAC Champ Car driver to race a front-engine upright 'dirt-style' car on a road course (1965) and a rear-engine car in a USAC championship dirt car race (1966).
- Inducted in 1985 to the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame[2]
- Inducted in 1994 to the Little 500 Hall of Fame[10]
