| Birth name | Chester Leroy Gardner |
|---|---|
| Birth date | March 16, 1898 |
| Birth place | Grant City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Death date | September 3, 1938 (aged 40) |
| Death place | Flemington, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Titles | AAA Midwest Big Car (1933) |
| Total champ races | 26 |
|---|---|
| Years in champ | 9 |
| Best champ pos | 4th (1933) |
| First champ race | 1928 Detroit 100 (Detroit) |
| Last champ race | 1938 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) |
| Champ wins | 0 |
| Champ podiums | 3 |
| Champ poles | 1 |
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]
Racing career
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.
Motorsports career results
Indianapolis 500 results
| Year | Car | Start | Qual | Rank | Finish | Laps | Led | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 18 | 5 | 105.811 | 7 | 38 | 1 | 0 | Spun T1 |
| 1933 | 21 | 15 | 112.319 | 22 | 4 | 200 | 0 | Running |
| 1934 | 4 | 5 | 114.786 | 9 | 21 | 72 | 0 | Rod |
| 1935 | 18 | 9 | 114.556 | 17 | 7 | 200 | 0 | Running |
| 1936 | 6 | 18 | 116.000 | 12 | 29 | 38 | 0 | Clutch |
| 1937 | 31 | 9 | 117.342 | 28 | 11 | 199 | 0 | Flagged |
| 1938 | 38 | 18 | 120.435 | 17 | 5 | 200 | 0 | Running |
| Totals | 910 | 0 | ||||||
| Starts | 7 |
|---|---|
| Poles | 0 |
| Front Row | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Top 5 | 2 |
| Top 10 | 3 |
| Retired | 3 |
Ref.:[4]
Sources
- ^ He was also known as the "King of the Money Makers" because in the 1930s he was one of only several drivers that made good money at racing. Kelly, E. R. (2006-09-02). "Chet Gardner". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
- ^ "AutoRacingRecords.com". www.autoracingrecords.com. Archived from the original on 2024-03-31. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ "Chet Gardner". ChampCarStats.Com. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
- ^ "Career Stats for Chet Gardner". Indianapolis 500 Stats. IMS LLC. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2007-08-10.