Dennis Firestone

{{Short description|Australian CART driver}} {{BLP sources|date=August 2025}} {{Use British English|date=April 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}} {{Infobox racing driver  | name = Dennis Firestone | image = DennisFirestoneAt2015indy500.JPG | imagesize = | caption = | nationality = Australian {{flagicon|AUS}} | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1944|07|22}} | birth_place = Townsville, Australia | relatives = | current_series = | first_year = 1979 | current_team = | car_number = | former_teams = | starts = 34 | wins = 0 | poles = 0 | fastest_laps = 0 | best_finish = 12th | year = 1980 | prev_series = | prev_series_years = | titles = | title_years = | awards = CART IndyCar Rookie of the Year | award_years = 1980 }}

'''Dennis Firestone''' (born 22 July 1944 in Townsville, Australia) is a former CART driver who raced from 1979 to 1987. He was the 1980 CART Rookie of the Year in finishing 12th in season points, his best season. His best finish in a CART race was a pair of 5th places that season. He made five starts at the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 10th in 1981.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u6ceAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Yc4EAAAAIBAJ&dq=dennis%20firestone%20indy-500&pg=5442%2C7508877 Firestone enters Indy 500]</ref> An accident at Indianapolis in 1987 resulted in a broken neck and ended his racing career.

Since his driving days, Firestone has run a California trucking company,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kkwtrucks.com/pdf/Bandag.pdf |title=KKW Trucks |access-date=10 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919201938/http://www.kkwtrucks.com/pdf/Bandag.pdf |archive-date=19 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and participates in vintage racing events.

==American Open Wheel racing results==

===SCCA National Championship Runoffs===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" |- ! Year !! Track !! Car !! Engine !! Class !! Finish !! Start !! Status |- | 1973 || Road Atlanta || Titan || Ford || Formula Ford || 24 || 9 || Retired |- | 1974 || Road Atlanta || ADF Mk. 2 || Ford || Formula Ford || 4 || 5 || Running |- | rowspan=2|1976 ||rowspan=2| Road Atlanta || Crosslé 30F || Ford || Formula Ford ||style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1 || 3 || Running |- | March || Cosworth || Formula B || 8 || 9 || Running |- | 1977 || Road Atlanta || Crosslé 32F || Ford || Formula Ford ||style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3 || 17 || Running |- | 1979 || Road Atlanta || Crosslé || Ford || Formula Ford || 21 || 12 || Retired |- | 1981 || Road Atlanta || Crosslé 50F || Ford || Formula Ford ||style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2 || || Running |- | 1982 || Road Atlanta || Crosslé 50F ||Ford || Formula Ford || 6 || || Running |}

===Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results=== [[File:DennisFirestoneSVRA2016.jpg|thumb|Dennis Firestone at the 2016 Brickyard SVRA Pro-Am race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.]] {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" ! Year ! Entrant ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! Pos ! Points |- | 1978 ! Crosslé Cars Pacific |style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| PIR1 5 |style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| TRE1 24 |style="background-color:#FFDF9F"| MOS 3 |style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| MIL1 22 |style="background-color:#CFEAFF"| TEX 6 |style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| MIL2 1 |style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| OMS1 24 |style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| OMS2 1 |style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| TRE2 16 |style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| PIR2 2 |style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| '''''2nd''''' |style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| '''''894''''' |- | 1979 ! |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| TEX1 1 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| IRP 2 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| MIL1 1 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| POC 2 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| TEX2 2 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| MIL2 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| MIN1 1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| MIN2 1 | | |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| '''''1st''''' |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| '''''1480''''' |}

===American Super Vee Championship===

* 1978 – 17th * 1979 – 9th * 1980 – 16th

===USAC Gold Crown Championship===

*1981–82 – 24th *1983–84 – 15th

===PPG Indycar Series===

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" ! Year ! Team ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! 17 ! Rank ! Points ! Ref |- | 1979 ! AMS Oil | PHX | ATL | ATL | INDY | TRE | TRE | MCH | MCH | WGL | TRE |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ONT 31 | MCH | ATL | PHX | | | |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''NC''' |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''0''' !<ref>{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1979/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1979 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> |- | 1980 ! Scientific Drilling | ONT |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| INDY 16 | MIL |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| POC 30 | MDO |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MCH 14 | WGL | MIL |style="background:#CFEAFF;"| ONT 6 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| MCH DNS |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MEX 5 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| PHX 5 | | | | | |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''12th''' |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''743''' !<ref>{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1980/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1980 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> |- | 1981 ! Rhoades Racing | PHX | MIL |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ATL 18 | ATL | MCH | RIV | MIL | MCH | WGL | MEX | PHX | | | | | | |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''44th''' |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''1''' !<ref>{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1981/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1981 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> |- | 1982 ! BVC Racing |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| PHX 20 | ATL | MIL | CLE | MCH | MIL | POC | RIV | ROA | MCH | PHX | | | | | | |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''44th''' |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''1''' !<ref>{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1982/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1982 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> |- | 1983 ! Simpson Sports | ATL |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| INDY 24 | MIL | CLE | MCH | ROA | POC | RIV | MDO | MCH | CPL | LAG | PHX | | | | |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''NC''' |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''0''' !<ref>{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1983/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1983 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> |- |rowspan=2| 1984 ! Hoosier Transportation | LBH | PHX |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| INDY 12 | MIL | POR | MEA | CLE | | | | | | | | | | |rowspan=2 style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''39th''' |rowspan=2 style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''1''' !rowspan=2| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1984/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1984 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> |- ! Pace Electronics | | | | | | | |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| MCH DNQ |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| ROA 17 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| POC 26 | MDO |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SAN 16 | MCH | PHX |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| LAG DNQ |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CPL 21 | |- | 1985 ! Pace Racing |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| LBH 22 |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| INDY DNQ |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIL 20 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| POR 18 |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| MEA DNQ |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CLE 21 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MCH 11 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ROA 20 |style="background:#CFEAFF;"| POC 9 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MDO 17 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SAN 14 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| MCH DNS |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| LAG 23 | PHX | MIA | | |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''33rd''' |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''6''' !<ref>{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1985/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1985 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> |- | 1986 ! Pace Racing | PHX | LBH |style="background:#DFC484;"| INDY Wth1 | MIL | POR | MEA | CLE | TOR |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MCH 17 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| POC 28 | MDO |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SAN 14 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MCH 14 | ROA | LAG |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| PHX 17 | MIA |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''40th''' |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''0''' !<ref>{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1986/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1986 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> |- | 1987 ! Raynor Garage Door |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| LBH 21 |style="background:#CFEAFF;"| PHX 7 |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| INDY DNQ | MIL | POR | MEA | CLE | TOR | MCH | POC | ROA | MDO | NAZ | LAG | MIA | | |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''31st''' |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''6''' !<ref>{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1987/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1987 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> |}

: ''1 Wrecked after qualifying''

===Indy 500 results===

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- ! Year ! Chassis ! Engine ! Start ! Finish |- | 1980 | Penske | Cosworth | 24th | 16th |- | 1981 | Wildcat | Cosworth | 28th | 10th |- | 1982 | Eagle | Milodon | 21st | 27th |- | 1983 | March | Cosworth | 33rd | 24th |- | 1984 | March | Cosworth | 32nd | 12th |- | 1985 | March | Cosworth | Failed to Qualify | DNQ |- | 1986 | Lola | Cosworth | Withdrew* | N/A |- | 1987 | Lola | Cosworth | Practice Crash | DNQ |}

*Firestone qualified for the 1986 race, but was forced to withdraw from the field after a serious crash totalled the car during the final Carburetion Day practice.

==References== {{Reflist}} * {{DriverDB driver|dennis-firestone}} * [http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/FirestoneDennis.htm Indycar Stats] * [http://www.champcarstats.com/vee/drivers/FirestoneDennis.htm Super Vee Stats]

{{s-start}} {{s-sports}} {{succession box|before = Bill Alsup | title = USAC Mini-Indy | years=1979 | after = Peter Kuhn}} {{succession box|before = Bill Alsup | title = CART Rookie of the Year | years=1980 | after = Bob Lazier}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Firestone, Dennis}} Category:1944 births Category:Champ Car drivers Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers Category:Formula Super Vee Champions Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Townsville Category:Racing drivers from Queensland Category:SCCA National Championship Runoffs winners Category:Formula Ford drivers