{{Short description|American racing driver (1904–1980)}} {{sources needed|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox racing driver | name = Babe Stapp | image = | caption = | birth_name = Elbert Achilles Stapp | birth_date = {{Birth date|1904|02|26}} | birth_place = San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1980|09|17|1904|02|26}} | death_place = Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | titles = AAA Midwest Big Car (1935) | module1 = {{Infobox Champ Car driver|embed=yes | Total_Champ_Races = 38 | Years_In_Champ = 14 | Best_Champ_Pos = 4th (tie) (1939) | First_Champ_Race = 1927 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | Last_Champ_Race = 1940 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | First_Champ_Win = 1927 Charlotte 100 (Charlotte) | Last_Champ_Win = 1939 Milwaukee 100 (Milwaukee) | Champ_Wins = 2 | Champ_Podiums = 4 | Champ_Poles = 0 }}}}

'''Elbert Achilles "Babe" Stapp''' (February 26, 1904 – September 17, 1980) was an American racing driver active in the 1920s and 1930s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Allen |title=Elbert 'Babe' Stapp |url=https://www.oldracingcars.com/driver/Babe_Stapp |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=OldRacingCars.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Babe Stapp |url=http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/StappBabe.htm |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=www.champcarstats.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=AutoRacingRecords.com |url=https://www.autoracingrecords.com/series.php?srid=01022 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=www.autoracingrecords.com |archive-date=2024-03-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240331024219/https://www.autoracingrecords.com/series.php?srid=01022 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He also was a member of the infamous 13 Black Cats (1924).

== Awards and honors ==

* Stapp was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1994.

== Motorsports career results ==

=== Indianapolis 500 results ===

{| |----- valign="top" | {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !Year<ref name=race>{{Cite web |url=http://www.indy500.com/stats/drivers.php?drivername=Babe%20Stapp |title=Babe Stapp Indy 500 Race Stats |access-date=2007-01-04 |archive-date=2006-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060508003501/http://www.indy500.com/stats/drivers.php?drivername=Babe%20Stapp |url-status=dead }}</ref> !Car !Start !Qual !Rank !Finish !Laps !Led !Retired |- !1927 |38 ||24 ||109.555 ||18 ||31 ||24 ||0 ||Universal joint |- !1928 |7 ||5 ||116.887 ||5 ||6 ||200 ||17 ||Running |- !1929 |32 ||4 ||115.618 ||4 ||28 ||40 ||0 ||Universal joint |- !1930 |8 ||32 ||104.950 ||10 ||31 ||18 ||0 ||Crash T3 |- !1931 |39 ||6 ||110.125 ||12 ||35 ||9 ||0 ||Oil leak/clutch |- !1933 |45 ||29 ||116.626 ||9 ||23 ||156 ||60 ||Out of gas |- !1935 |17 ||12 ||116.736 ||8 ||25 ||70 ||4 ||Radiator |- !1936 |21 ||2 ||118.945 ||2 ||24 ||89 ||25 ||Crankshaft |- !1937 |15 ||31 ||117.226 ||29 ||31 ||36 ||0 ||Clutch |- !1938 |34 ||8 ||120.595 ||15 ||26 ||54 ||0 ||Valve |- !1939 |31 ||16 ||125.000 ||12 ||5 ||200 ||0 ||Running |- !1940 |24 ||12 ||123.367 ||11 ||24 ||64 ||0 ||Oil line |- |colspan="6"|'''Totals''' ||960 ||106 || |} | {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !Starts |12 |- !Poles |0 |- !Front Row |1 |- !Wins |0 |- !Top 5 |1 |- !Top 10 |2 |- !Retired |10 |} |}

* Stapp's finishes from 1927 &ndash; 1938 rank as the worst ten-race finishing streak in Indianapolis 500 history.

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stapp, Babe}} Category:1904 births Category:1980 deaths Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers Category:National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees Category:Racing drivers from San Antonio Category:AAA Championship Car drivers Category:20th-century American sportsmen