Melvin Lloyd Hansen (born July 7, 1911 – June 5, 1963) was an American racing driver.[1][2] Hansen was nicknamed the "Firecracker Kid" because he loved to throw the explosive devices under chairs and behind people who were gathered in groups.[3]
| Mel Hansen | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hansen, circa 1950 | |||||||
| Born | Melvin Loyd Hansen July 7, 1911 Redfield, South Dakota, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | June 5, 1963 (aged 51) Bloomington, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 21 races run over 7 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 9th (tie) (1940) | ||||||
| First race | 1939 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| Last race | 1949 DuQuoin 100 (DuQuoin) | ||||||
| First win | 1948 Atlanta 100 (Lakewood) | ||||||
| Last win | 1949 Springfield 100 #1 (Springfield) | ||||||
| |||||||
Racing career
Hansen grew up in Bloomington, California, and began racing in stock cars in 1931 at the Riverside Fairgrounds. He continued to race these cars at other Inland Empire tracks in Riverside and Colton in the early 1930s. As this early version of track roadsters waned, he switched to midget car racing, where he achieved great success.
Midget car career
Hansen's first big win was the 1939 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Gilmore Stadium in Rex Mays' Offenhauser. Hansen raced his midget car throughout the nation in 1940, and won 53 features that season.[3] He also claimed the track championship at Fort Miami Speedway in Toledo, Ohio, that season. He won the 1942 track championship at VFW Motor Speedway in Detroit. Hansen raced in the United Racing Association in California, and won the 1945 URA Blue Circuit championship.
Championship car career
Hansen competed in six Indianapolis 500s. He best finish was an eighth-place finish in the 1940 Indianapolis 500. He won the 100-mile AAA Championship race at Atlanta, Georgia, in 1948, and won a 100-mile AAA Championship race at Springfield, Illinois, in 1949.
Accident
Hansen was paralyzed after a midget racing crash on September 8, 1949, at Detroit, and he died on June 5, 1963, after being a paraplegic for fifteen years.[2][3]
Awards and honors
- Hansen was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1993.[3]
Motorsports career results
Complete AAA Championship Car results
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | INDY 11 | LAN DNP | ATL | ISF | MIL | GOS | - | 0 | ||||||||
| 1947 | INDY 27 | MIL | LAN DNS | ATL | BAI | MIL 4 | GOS | MIL 13 | PIK | SPR 13 | ARL | 25th | 169.5 | |||
| 1948 | ARL | INDY 25 | MIL 14 | LAN DNS | MIL 18 | SPR 16 | MIL 15 | DUQ 16 | ATL 1 | PIK | SPR 11 | DUQ 11 | 22nd | 220 | ||
| 1949 | ARL | INDY DNS | MIL DNS | TRE 2 | SPR 1 | MIL 16 | DUQ 14 | PIK | SYR DNQ | DET | SPR | LAN | SAC | DMR | 15th | 376 |
- 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.[4][5]
Indianapolis 500 results
| Starts | 6 |
|---|---|
| Poles | 0 |
| Front Row | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Top 5 | 0 |
| Top 10 | 1 |
| Retired | 5 |