# Mel Hansen > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mel_Hansen > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mel_Hansen.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Hansen > Source revision: 1326848214 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American racing driver (1911–1963)}} {{sources needed|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox racing driver | name = Mel Hansen | image = Mel Hansen 1950.jpg | image_size = 160px | caption = Hansen, circa 1950 | birth_name = Melvin Loyd Hansen | birth_date = {{Birth date|1911|07|07}} | birth_place = [Redfield, South Dakota](/source/Redfield%2C_South_Dakota), U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1963|06|05|1911|07|07}} | death_place = [Bloomington, California](/source/Bloomington%2C_California), U.S. | module1 = {{Infobox Champ Car driver|embed=yes | Total_Champ_Races = 21 | Years_In_Champ = 7 | Best_Champ_Pos = 9th (tie) ([1940](/source/1940_AAA_Championship_Car_season)) | First_Champ_Race = [1939](/source/1939_AAA_Championship_Car_season) [Indianapolis 500](/source/1939_Indianapolis_500) ([Indianapolis](/source/Indianapolis_Motor_Speedway)) | Last_Champ_Race = [1949](/source/1949_AAA_Championship_Car_season) DuQuoin 100 ([DuQuoin](/source/DuQuoin_State_Fairgrounds_Racetrack)) | First_Champ_Win = [1948](/source/1948_AAA_Championship_Car_season) Atlanta 100 ([Lakewood](/source/Lakewood_Speedway)) | Last_Champ_Win = [1949](/source/1949_AAA_Championship_Car_season) Springfield 100 #1 ([Springfield](/source/Illinois_State_Fairgrounds_Racetrack)) | Champ_Wins = 2 | Champ_Podiums = 3 | Champ_Poles = 2 }}}} '''Melvin Lloyd Hansen''' (born July 7, 1911 – June 5, 1963) was an American [racing driver](/source/racing_driver).{{Cite web |title=Mel Hansen |url=http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/HansenMel.htm |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=www.champcarstats.com}}{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Allen |title=Mel Hansen |url=https://www.oldracingcars.com/driver/Mel_Hansen |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=OldRacingCars.com |language=en}} Hansen was nicknamed the "Firecracker Kid" because he loved to throw the explosive devices under chairs and behind people who were gathered in groups.[http://www.worthyofhonor.com/Inductees/Mel_Hansen.htm Biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927033042/http://www.worthyofhonor.com/Inductees/Mel_Hansen.htm |date=2007-09-27 }} at the [National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame](/source/National_Midget_Auto_Racing_Hall_of_Fame) == Racing career == Hansen grew up in [Bloomington, California](/source/Bloomington%2C_California), and began racing in stock cars in 1931 at the Riverside Fairgrounds. He continued to race these cars at other [Inland Empire](/source/Inland_Empire) tracks in [Riverside](/source/Riverside%2C_California) and [Colton](/source/Colton%2C_California) in the early 1930s. As this early version of track roadsters waned, he switched to [midget car racing](/source/midget_car_racing), where he achieved great success. === Midget car career === Hansen's first big win was the 1939 [Turkey Night Grand Prix](/source/Turkey_Night_Grand_Prix) at [Gilmore Stadium](/source/Gilmore_Stadium) in [Rex Mays](/source/Rex_Mays)' [Offenhauser](/source/Offenhauser). Hansen raced his [midget car](/source/Midget_car_racing) throughout the nation in 1940, and won 53 features that season. He also claimed the track championship at Fort Miami Speedway in [Toledo, Ohio](/source/Toledo%2C_Ohio), that season. He won the 1942 track championship at VFW Motor Speedway in [Detroit](/source/Detroit). Hansen raced in the United Racing Association in [California](/source/California), and won the 1945 URA Blue Circuit championship. === Championship car career === Hansen competed in six [Indianapolis 500](/source/Indianapolis_500)s. He best finish was an eighth-place finish in the [1940 Indianapolis 500](/source/1940_Indianapolis_500). He won the 100-mile AAA Championship race at [Atlanta, Georgia](/source/Atlanta%2C_Georgia), in 1948, and won a 100-mile AAA Championship race at [Springfield, Illinois](/source/Springfield%2C_Illinois), in 1949. == Accident == Hansen was paralyzed after a midget racing crash on September 8, 1949, at [Detroit](/source/Detroit), and he died on June 5, 1963, after being a [paraplegic](/source/paraplegic) for fifteen years. == Awards and honors == * Hansen was inducted in the [National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame](/source/National_Midget_Auto_Racing_Hall_of_Fame) in 1993. == Motorsports career results == === Complete AAA Championship Car results === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" ! Year ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! Pos ! Points |- ! rowspan=1| [1946](/source/1946_AAA_Championship_Car_season) |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [INDY](/source/1946_Indianapolis_500)
11 | [LAN](/source/Langhorne_Speedway)
DNP | [ATL](/source/Atlanta_500_Classic)
| [ISF](/source/Indiana_State_Fairgrounds)
| [MIL](/source/Milwaukee_225)
| [GOS](/source/Good_Time_Park)
|colspan=8| ! - ! 0 |- ! [1947](/source/1947_AAA_Championship_Car_season) |style="background:#000000; color:white;" | [INDY](/source/1947_Indianapolis_500)
{{small|27}} | [MIL](/source/Milwaukee_225)
{{small| }} | [LAN](/source/Langhorne_Speedway)
{{small|DNS}} | [ATL](/source/Atlanta_500_Classic)
{{small| }} | [BAI](/source/Bainbridge_Township%2C_Ohio)
{{small| }} |style="background:#DFFFDF;" | [MIL](/source/Milwaukee_225)
{{small|4}} | [GOS](/source/Good_Time_Park)
{{small| }} |style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [MIL](/source/Milwaukee_225)
{{small|13}} |[PIK](/source/Pikes_Peak_International_Hill_Climb)
{{small| }} |style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [SPR](/source/Illinois_State_Fairgrounds_Racetrack)
{{small|13}} | [ARL](/source/Arlington%2C_Texas) |colspan=3| !style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 25th !style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 169.5 |- ! rowspan=1| [1948](/source/1948_AAA_Championship_Car_season) | [ARL](/source/Arlington%2C_Texas)
|style="background:#000000; color:white;" | [INDY](/source/1948_Indianapolis_500)
{{small|25}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [MIL](/source/Milwaukee_225)
{{small|14}} | [LAN](/source/Langhorne_Speedway)
{{small|DNS}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [MIL](/source/Milwaukee_225)
{{small|18}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [SPR](/source/Illinois_State_Fairgrounds_Racetrack)
{{small|16}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [MIL](/source/Milwaukee_225)
{{small|15}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [DUQ](/source/DuQuoin_State_Fairgrounds_Racetrack)
{{small|16}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;" | [ATL](/source/Atlanta_500_Classic)
{{small|1}} | [PIK](/source/Pikes_Peak_International_Hill_Climb)
{{small| }} |style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [SPR](/source/Illinois_State_Fairgrounds_Racetrack)
{{small|11}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [DUQ](/source/DuQuoin_State_Fairgrounds_Racetrack)
{{small|11}} |colspan=2| ! style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 22nd ! style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 220 |- ! rowspan=1| [1949](/source/1949_AAA_Championship_Car_season) | [ARL](/source/Arlington%2C_Texas)
| [INDY](/source/1949_Indianapolis_500)
DNS | [MIL](/source/Milwaukee_225)
DNS |style="background:#DFDFDF;" | [TRE](/source/Trenton_Speedway)
2 |style="background:#FFFFBF;" | [SPR](/source/Illinois_State_Fairgrounds_Racetrack)
1 |style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [MIL](/source/Milwaukee_225)
16 |style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [DUQ](/source/DuQuoin_State_Fairgrounds_Racetrack)
14 | [PIK](/source/Pikes_Peak_International_Hill_Climb)
|style="background:#FFCFCF;" | [SYR](/source/Great_New_York_State_Fair)
DNQ | [DET](/source/Michigan_State_Fairgrounds_Speedway)
| [SPR](/source/Illinois_State_Fairgrounds_Racetrack)
| [LAN](/source/Langhorne_Speedway)
| [SAC](/source/California_State_Fairgrounds_Race_Track)
| [DMR](/source/Del_Mar_racetrack)
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 15th !style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 376 |} * 1946 table only includes results of the six races run to "[championship car](/source/Championship_Car)" specifications. Points total includes the 71 races run to "[big car](/source/Sprint_car_racing)" specifications.{{Cite web |title=1946 AAA National Championship Trail |url=http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1946.htm |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=www.champcarstats.com}}{{Cite journal |last=Capps |first=H. Donald |date=October 2009 |title=The Curious Case of the 1946 Season: An Inconvenient Championship |url=http://forix.autosport.com/8w/rvm/rvm-vol07-no02.pdf |journal=Rear View Mirror |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=1–16}} === Indianapolis 500 results === {{col-begin|width=auto}} {{col-break}} {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !Year !Car !Start !Qual !Rank !Finish !Laps !Led !Retired |- ![1939](/source/1939_Indianapolis_500) |49 |14 |121.683 |25 |19 |113 |0 |Crash Pits |- ![1940](/source/1940_Indianapolis_500) |31 |5 |124.753 |7 |8 |194 |0 |Flagged |- ![1941](/source/1941_Indianapolis_500) |9 |21 |124.599 |6 |29 |11 |0 |Rod |- ![1946](/source/1946_Indianapolis_500) |4 |27 |121.431 |17 |11 |143 |0 |Crankshaft |- ![1947](/source/1947_Indianapolis_500) |38 |29 |117.298 |27 |27 |32 |0 |Pushed |- ![1948](/source/1948_Indianapolis_500) |17 |33 |122.117 |32 |25 |42 |0 |Too slow |- |colspan=6|'''Totals''' |535 |0 | |} {{col-break|gap=1em}} {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !Starts |6 |- !Poles |0 |- !Front Row |0 |- !Wins |0 |- !Top 5 |0 |- !Top 10 |1 |- !Retired |5 |} {{col-end}} == References == {{Reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Mel}} Category:1911 births Category:1963 deaths Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers Category:Racing drivers from South Dakota Category:People from Hamlin County, South Dakota Category:AAA Championship Car drivers Category:20th-century American sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mel Hansen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Hansen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Hansen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.