Cliff Bergere

Cliff Bergere
Bergere, circa 1940
Born(1896-12-06)December 6, 1896
New York, New York, U.S.
DiedJune 18, 1980(1980-06-18) (aged 83)
Dade City, Florida, U.S.
Champ Car career
22 races run over 16 years
Best finish4th (tie) (1939, 1941)
First race1927 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last race1947 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles
0 3 1

Cliff Bergere[1] (December 6, 1896 – June 18, 1980) was an American stuntman and racing driver.

Bergere did stunt driving for movies, including the 1923 film The Eagle's Talons, before embarking on a racing career. From 1927 to 1947, he started the Indianapolis 500 sixteen times, missing only the 1930 race. He started the race from the front row three times and won the pole in 1946. At age 49, he was the oldest pole winner ever. He finished third in 1932 and 1939 and completed the 1941 race without making a pit stop, finishing fifth.

Bergere had the distinction of the most starts in Indianapolis 500 history at the time of his career (16), a record he held until 1974.

  1. ^ "Cliff Bergere". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-07-01.