Stubby Stubblefield
American racing driver (1907–1935)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
December 28, 1907
| 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) | ||||||
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Birth detail confusion
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
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 Memorial Park, Compton, California.
Awards and honors
- Stubblefield was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1997.