Tony Willman

Tony Willman (February 20, 1907 West Allis, Wisconsin – October 12, 1941 Thompson, Connecticut) was an American racecar driver.[1] He was killed in a midget car accident.[1]

Racing career

Willman started racing in 1926.[1] Limited racing during the 1930s Great Depression significantly hurt Willman's career; only 31 national events were held in eight years.[1] So Willman raced in Midwestern regional and local races.[1] Willman won the 1934/35 indoor midget championship circuit of races in Milwaukee, Detroit, St. Louis, and Chicago.[1] He toured the Midwest for the 1936 outdoor season and he won 145 races.[1] In 1936, Willman won the Hankinson Speedway Circuit championship; the circuit featured races on 30 tracks in 17 states.[1] He won the 1939 track championship at the quarter mile track inside the Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway (now Milwaukee Mile); he repeated the track title in 1941.[1]

Willman had misfortune at the Indianapolis 500 with his car breaking down at all four of his races while he was doing well.[1] In 1941, he was running in fourth place at the 285 mile mark before a connecting rod broke.[1] In 1938, Willman drove in relief for Harry McQuinn and finished seventh.[1]

1941 was Willman's most successful year.[1] He won 33 midget car races and the AAA National Short Track championship.[1] One week before his death, Willman lapped the entire 32-car field in a 100-lap midget car event.[1]

Willman died on October 12, 1941. He was racing in a midget car heat race at Thompson International Speedway when he hit the outside wall and he rolled on to the track. The last place car hit and killed him; in the first two laps he had passed 16 cars in the 20 car field.[1] In his career, he had won a single 100-mile Speedway race, 44 sprint car main events, and 85 midget car events.[1]

Career awards

Personal

Willman was known to be soft-spoken and rarely talked about his racing accomplishments.[1] He was well respected by his competitors; Tommy Hinnershitz said that Willman was the toughest driver that he competed against.[1] Willman was married to Lorraine and he left a daughter named Betty and a son named Eugene who ended up becoming a midget car building and owner in the 1960s and 1970s.[1]

Indianapolis 500 results

Reference:[2]

References
  1. Krause, Al. "Tony Willman Biography" (pdf). National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  2. "Indy 500 Career Stats - Tony Willman". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Archived from the original on July 1, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
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