| Tony Bettenhausen | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bettenhausen, circa 1951 | |||||||
| Born | Melvin Eugene Bettenhausen September 12, 1916 Tinley Park, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | May 12, 1961 (aged 44) Speedway, Indiana, U.S. | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| AAA / USAC Championship Car (1951, 1958) | |||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 118 races run over 17 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 1st (1951, 1958) | ||||||
| First race | 1941 Milwaukee 100 (Milwaukee) | ||||||
| Last race | 1961 Trenton 100 (Trenton) | ||||||
| First win | 1946 George Robson Memorial (Goshen) | ||||||
| Last win | 1959 Bobby Ball Memorial (Phoenix) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
| Active years | 1950–1960 | ||||||
| Teams | Kurtis Kraft, Diedt, Kuzma, Epperly, Watson | ||||||
| Entries | 11 | ||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||
| Podiums | 1 | ||||||
| Career points | 11 | ||||||
| Pole positions | 0 | ||||||
| Fastest laps | 1 | ||||||
| First entry | 1950 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| Last entry | 1960 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
Melvin Eugene "Tony" Bettenhausen (September 12, 1916 – May 12, 1961) was an American racing driver known primarily for his open-wheel career. He twice won the National Championship, doing so in 1951 and 1958.[1] He also competed in stock cars, winning under AAA and USAC sanction.
Bettenhausen was nicknamed the "Tinley Park Express" in honor of his hometown.[2] He was nicknamed "Tunney" after heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney. "Tunney" later became "Tony."[3]
- ^ "Tony Bettenhausen". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
- ^ "Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
- ^ "Tony Bettenhausen biography at the International Motorsport Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2016.