Dennis Clayton "Duke" Nalon (March 2, 1913 – February 26, 2001) was an American racing driver.[1][2] He competed in midget car, sprint car, and Indy car races. Nicknamed "The Iron Duke," Nalon was part of the "Chicago Gang" along with Tony Bettenhausen and others. These racers toured tracks in the Midwest and East Coast of the United States.[3]
| Duke Nalon | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Nalon, circa 1946 | |||||||
| Born | Dennis Clayton Nalon March 2, 1913 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | February 26, 2001 (aged 87) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| AAA Eastern Big Car (1938) AAA Midwest Big Car (1941) | |||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 34+ races run over 16 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 5th (1948) | ||||||
| First race | 1937 Syracuse 100 (Syracuse) | ||||||
| Last race | 1953 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
| Active years | 1950–1954 | ||||||
| Teams | Kurtis Kraft | ||||||
| Entries | 5 (3 starts) | ||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||
| Podiums | 0 | ||||||
| Career points | 0 | ||||||
| Pole positions | 1 | ||||||
| Fastest laps | 0 | ||||||
| First entry | 1950 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| Last entry | 1954 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
Racing career
editNalon began as a pit crew member for Wally Zale. Nalon occasionally warmed up the car. When Walter Galven needed a driver, Zale convinced Galven to allow Nalon to race. Nalon won the feature event.[3]
Midget cars
editNalon won races on the United States' East Coast in the 1930s. Nalon competed in midget cars throughout his career. He ran his final career race at the only 100-mile (160 km) midget race ever run at Terre Haute. He raced Johnny Pawl’s famous midget to victory. He ended his career the way he started it: with a win.[3]
Sprint cars
editNalon won the 1938 East Coast AAA Sprint car championship;[4] he won the Midwestern championship in 1941.[5][3]
Indy cars
editNalon started ten Indianapolis 500-mile (800 km) races, finishing only three. He started from the pole twice, and was twice the fastest qualifier. In 1947, he competed in a Mercedes-Benz W154. He also competed in numerous other events on what was them termed the Championship car circuit. In 1949, Nalon was involved in a massive, fiery crash in Turn 3 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He backed into the wall and the car burst into flames. He survived only because he held his breath (to prevent asphyxiation), and he jumped out of the car while it was still moving. He had severe burns to his legs which gave him trouble until his death in 2001.
World Drivers' Championship career
editThe AAA/USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship participation, and were eligible to score WDC points alongside those which they may have scored towards the AAA/USAC National Championship.
Nalon participated in three World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. His best finish was tenth place, and he qualified on the pole once.[1] He scored no World Drivers' Championship points.
Awards and honors
edit- He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1987.
- He was named to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1991.
- In 2015, he was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.[6]
Motorsports career results
editIndianapolis 500 results
edit
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FIA World Drivers' Championship results
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Novi Mobil | Kurtis Kraft | Novi L8 | GBR | MON | 500 DNQ |
SUI | BEL | FRA | ITA | NC | 0 | ||
| 1951 | Novi Purelube | Kurtis Kraft | Novi L8 | SUI | 500 10 |
BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | ESP | NC | 0 | |
| 1952 | Novi Pure Oil | Kurtis Kraft | Novi L8 | SUI | 500 25 |
BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | NED | ITA | NC | 0 | |
| 1953 | Novi Governor | Kurtis Kraft | Novi L8 | ARG | 500 11 |
NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | SUI | ITA | NC | 0 |
| 1954 | Novi Pure Oil | Kurtis Kraft | Novi L8 | ARG | 500 DNQ |
BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | SUI | ITA | ESP | NC | 0 |
References
edit- ^ a b "Duke Nalon". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
- ^ Brown, Allen. "Duke Nalon". OldRacingCars.com. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
- ^ a b c d Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "AutoRacingRecords.com". www.autoracingrecords.com. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ "AutoRacingRecords.com". www.autoracingrecords.com. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ Duke Nalon at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
- ^ Duke Nalon Indy 500 Race Stats Archived May 8, 2006, at the Wayback Machine