Sam Hanks

Hanks was born in Columbus, Ohio and lived in Alhambra, California from the age of six.^[3] He attended Alhambra High School.^[4]

Hanks won his first championship in 1937 on the West Coast in the American Midget Association (AMA). He barnstormed the country, racing on the board tracks at Soldier Field in Chicago. Hanks reportedly won the first two board track races at Soldier Field in 1939.^[5] He won the 1940 VFW Motor City Speedway championship in Detroit. During the Second World War, Hanks served in the Army Air Corps.^[6]

 

After World War II, Hanks captured the 1946 United Racing Association (URA) Blue Circuit Championship. He won the 1947 Night before the 500 midget car race. He was the 1949 AAA National Midget champion. He won the 1953 AAA National Championship in the Bardahl Special. He won the 1956 Pacific Coast championship in the USAC Stock cars.

Hanks considered retiring following the 1956 Indianapolis 500, but agreed to return for the 1957 race at the urging of car owner George Salih.^[4] 1957 was his 13th appearance in the 500, although in 1941, he merely was credited with finishing 33rd despite not racing, he had been injured in a practice crash the day before the race and withdrew. In his twelfth race where he raced on the track, he finally won, setting a record for the most tries before becoming a winner at Indy and announced his retirement from racing in Victory Circle (Tony Kanaan would win his first Indy in his 12th Indy 500 appearance in 2013).^[5] He did not stop racing immediately following his victory, however, but completed his contract to run a stock car for the remainder of the 1957 season.^[4][7]

The AAA/USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship participation, and were eligible to score WDC points alongside those which they may have scored towards the AAA/USAC National Championship.

Hanks participated in eight World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. He won once, and finished in the top three four times.^[1] He scored 20 World Drivers' Championship points.

Hanks portrayed himself in the episode "The Comedians" of the CBS situation comedy Mr. Adams and Eve, starring Ida Lupino and Howard Duff. The episode aired on November 8, 1957.^[8]

He drove the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 from 1958 to 1963.^[5]

Hanks is believed to be the only Indianapolis 500 driver to participate in the race before World War II, serve in the war effort, then return to race again after the war. It has also been conjectured that Hanks may have been a distant relative to Abraham Lincoln.^[9]

Having experienced ill health for three years, Hanks died at his home in Pacific Palisades, California on June 27, 1994, aged 79.^[4]

Hanks has been inducted into the following halls of fame:

• Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1981)^[10]
• National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1984)^[5]
• Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame (1984)^[11]
• National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (1998)^[12]
• Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2000)^[13]
• West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame (2005)^[14][15]
• Alhambra High School Hall of Fame^[16]

Hanks has been awarded the following honors:

• Automotive Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Citation (1971)^[17]

• 1946 table only includes results of the six races run to "championship car" specifications. Points total includes the 71 races run to "big car" specifications.^[18][19]

* Shared drive with Duane Carter

• Sam Hanks - ChampCarStats.com
• Sam Hanks driver statistics at Racing-Reference