Michael Nazaruk (October 2, 1921 Newark, New Jersey – May 1, 1955 Langhorne, Pennsylvania) was an American racecar driver. He raced midget cars, sprint cars, and IndyCars. He was nicknamed "Iron Mike."Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
Nazaruk was of Ukrainian descent. Before racing, he worked as a florist's delivery driver and as an aircraft welder.
Nazaruk served as a U.S. Marine in the Battle of Guam and the Guadalcanal campaign in World War II. He promised himself that if he lived through the war he would become a race driver.
Midget car career Nazaruk raced after he returned home. He won the track championships at Staten Island, New York, and Rhinebeck, New York in 1947. He scored over twenty feature wins at Middletown, New York en route to winning the 1948 track championship.
Nazaruk was the 1949 American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) midget car champion. The series tours the East Coast of the United States.
Nazaruk joined the AAA in 1950. He won 14 national midget tour events, including the 1950 Night Before the 500, and the first midget car event at Terre Haute Action Track in 1953. He finished fifth in the 1954 National Midget car points.
Championship car career
Nazaruk finished second in his first Indianapolis 500 in 1951. He competed in two more Indianapolis 500, including a fifth-place finish in 1954.
Nazaruk was killed in a sprint car race at Langhorne Speedway on May 1, 1955.
Career awards He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1996. He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2003.
Complete AAA Championship Car results Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos Points 1950 INDY MIL LANDNQ SPR MIL PIK SYR DET SPR SAC PHX BAY DAR-0 1951 INDY2 MIL8 LAN9 DAR8 SPR MIL16 DUQ DUQ PIK SYR18 DET3 DNC15 SJS16 PHX18 BAY15 5th 1,143 1952 INDYDNQ MIL1 RAL19 SPR18 MIL16 DET17 DUQDNQ PIK SYR2 DNC12 SJS2 PHX18 13th 530 1953 INDY21 MIL11 SPR DET6 SPRDNQ MIL16 DUQ13 PIK SYR2 ISF15 SAC14 PHX 24th 205 1954 INDY5 MIL15 LAN13 DAR25 SPR9 MIL4 DUQ10 PIK SYR17 ISFDNQ SAC PHX LVG 9th 810
Indianapolis 500 results
YearCarStartQualRankFinishLapsLedRetired1951837132.1832722000Running19538323135.70626211460Stalled19547314139.589552000RunningTotals5460
Starts3Poles0Front Row0Wins0Top 52Top 102Retired1
World Championship career summary The Indianapolis 500 was part of the Formula One World Championship of Drivers from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Nazaruk participated in three World Championship races. He finished second once (formally "on the podium") and accumulated a total of eight World Championship points.
References