Billy Arnold (racing driver)

William Henry Arnold[1] or Richard William Arnold[2][3] (December 16, 1905[1] – November 10, 1976[4]) was an American racecar driver. He won the 1930 Indianapolis 500.

Billy Arnold
BornWilliam Henry Arnold or Richard William Arnold
(1905-12-16)December 16, 1905
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedNovember 10, 1976(1976-11-10) (aged 70)
Oklahoma City, U.S.
AchievementsIndianapolis 500 winner (1930)
AAA national champion (1930)

Early life and career

Billy Arnold was born in Chicago on December 16, 1905.[1] He earned his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and after his racing days were over, pursued a Ph.D. from the MIAT College of Technology.[4]

Arnold won the 1930 Indianapolis 500 after leading all but first two laps of the race, the most ever by a winner of the race and he won by a margin of 7 minutes and 17 seconds. He was 24 years old at the time. In 1931 he led 155 laps but crashed on lap 162 while holding a five-lap lead, suffering serious injuries along with his riding mechanic Spider Matlock.[5] A tire came off the car, bounced over the stands and killed 11-year-old Wilbur Brink, who was playing in his yard outside the track.[6] In 1932 Arnold led 57 laps before crashing on lap 59. He suffered a broken shoulder and riding mechanic Matlock suffered a broken pelvis. At the urging of his wife, Arnold retired from racing.[7]

At the time of his death he was married to LaFrance Arnold, his second wife. Prior to his affair, in May 1932, he was married to Dorothy Canfield of Detroit.[8]

During World War II, he served with Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower as Chief of Maintenance for the U.S. 8th Air Force and left the service in 1945 as a LtCol.[4]

Following the war, Arnold worked at Fretwell's DeSoto then entered the construction business, building upscale houses and one of the first shopping centers in Oklahoma.[9] Between 1950 and 1958, he developed water skis and was among the pioneers of the sport.[10] His AquaKing water skis became the official water ski of Cypress Gardens in Florida.

Arnold died November 10, 1976, in Oklahoma City, of a cerebral hemorrhage,[11] aged 70. He is buried at Resurrection Memorial Cemetery in Oklahoma City.

Arnold's gravestone in Resurrection Cemetery

Indianapolis 500 results

[12]

References
  1. "Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1940". FamilySearch.
  2. "U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947". Ancestry.com.
  3. "The Talk of Gasoline Alley" May 26, 2011.
  4. "Billy Arnold, 1930 '500' winner, dies". The Indianapolis Star. Associated Press. November 11, 1976. Archived from the original on 2021-08-30.
  5. The Indianapolis Star: 75 years of the Indianapolis 500, George Moore, William Eggert, Jep Cadou Jr., 1986.
  6. Glick, Shav (July 29, 1998). "Danger always there in racing". Los Angeles Times. p. 2. Archived from the original on 2022-03-01.
  7. Biernacki, Bernie (May 27, 2017). "Chicago tasted Indy glory through Billy Arnold, Pat Flaherty". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12.
  8. "Ardmore Daily Ardmoreite Newspaper Archives". The Ardmoreite. May 18, 1932. p. 1.
  9. Daily Oklahoman May 29, 1955 p. 48.
  10. Daily Oklahoman May 18, 1958 p. 115.
  11. "Billy Arnold, who won 1930 Indy 500, is dead". The New York Times. Associated Press. November 11, 1976. Archived from the original on 2019-02-28.
  12. "Billy Arnold Indianapolis 500 stats". IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. Archived from the original on 2019-08-01.


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