Duane Claude Carter (May 5, 1913 – March 7, 1993) was an American racecar driver. He raced midget cars, sprint cars, and IndyCars.Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame Carter was born in Fresno, California, and he died in Indianapolis, Indiana. His son Pancho raced in Indy cars, along with Johnny Parsons (whom he helped raiseBiography for Johnny Parsons at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame ).

Racing career

Midget cars Carter started racing midgets at the 1/5 mile dirt track in the west side of Fresno while attending Fresno State University. He was one of six drivers who went to Western Springs Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand in 1937. He won the first ever midget car race at that track. The car he drove still exists in a museum in Auckland. He was a consistent winner on the Nutley board track in 1939 while future journalist Chris Economaki was his unofficial crew chief. He won the 1940 Detroit VFW Motor Speedway title, the 1942 championship at Sportsman Park in Cleveland. He captured a 500 lap victory in his midget car at the 1947 Los Angeles Coliseum Motordome after Danny Oakes was initially declared the winner.

Sprint cars Carter moved up to the sprint cars, and won the 1950 Midwest division.

Indy Cars Carter drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1948–1955, 1959–1960, and 1963 seasons with 47 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in each season. He finished in the top-ten 23 times, with his best finish in second position in 1953 at Phoenix. In his last race, at the Indy 500, he drove the innovative John Crosthwaite designed Harvey Aluminium Special ‘roller skate car’ with the then pioneering low profile, wide racing tyres and a stock Chevrolet engine. Road & Track magazine June 1963 Motor Trend magazine June 1963 Car & Driver magazine June 1963 Car and Driver magazine August 1963 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race USAC Yearbook 1963. Floyd Clymer

USAC director Carter retired from competition in 1956 to take the Competition Director position for USAC. He returned to competition in 1959 after Henry Banks took over the position.

Career awards Carter was inducted into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame in 1967. Carter was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1991. Carter was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1989.

Indianapolis 500 results

YearCarStartQualRankFinishLapsLedRetiredChassisEngine19481629126.0151122590Lost wheel Wetteroth Offy1949175128.23312141820Spun T3 Stevens Offy19501813131.66612121330Flagged Stevens Offy1951274133.7491581800Flagged Diedt Offy195216135.5221642000Running Lesovsky Offy1953427135.2673124940Ignition Lesovsky Offy3 - - - 3rd*2000Running Kurtis Kraft Offy1954168138.23820151960Flagged Kurtis Kraft Offy34 - - -4**2000Running Kurtis Kraft Offy19559818139.33019111970Flagged Kuzma Offy19593712142.7951772000Running Kurtis Kraft Offy19601727142.63128122000Running Kuzma Offy19638315148.00230231000Rod Mickey Thompson ChevroletTotals17410

Starts11Poles0Front Row0Wins0Top 53Top 105Retired4

* shared drive with Sam Hanks

** shared drive with Troy Ruttman

Carter drove 1,741 laps or at Indianapolis without leading a lap. This currently ranks 5th on the all-time list.

Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 WDC Points 1950 Murrell Belanger Stevens Offenhauser L4 GBR MON 500 SUI BEL FRA ITA NC 0 1951 Mobiloil / Rotary Engineering Diedt Tuffanelli Derrico Offenhauser L4 SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR GER ITA ESP NC 0 1952 Belanger Motors Lesovsky Offenhauser L4 SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR GER NED ITA 15th 3 1953 Bardahl / Ed Walsh Kurtis Kraft 4000 Offenhauser L4 ARG 500 NED BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA 13th= 2 1954 Automobile Shippers / Casaroll Kurtis Kraft 500A Offenhauser L4 ARG 500 BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA ESP 23rd= 1.5 1955 J.C. Agajanian Kuzma Indy Roadster Offenhauser L4 ARG MON 500 BEL NED GBR ITA NC 0 1959 Smokey Yunick Kurtis Kraft 500H Offenhauser L4 MON 500 NED FRA GBR GER POR ITA USA NC 0 1960 Thompson / Ensley & Murphy Kuzma Indy Roadster Offenhauser L4 ARG MON 500 NED BEL FRA GBR POR ITA USA NC 0 † Indicates shared drive with Sam Hanks after retiring his own car. * Indicates shared drive with Troy Ruttman. Carter's own car finished 15th after being taken over by Marshall Teague, Jimmy Jackson and Tony Bettenhausen.

24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Driver Car Class Laps 1952 Briggs Cunningham Phil Walters Cunningham C-4RK S 8.0 DNF (engine, 8hr)

References