Danny Oakes - Midget Auto Racer HOFer

Racecar driver Danny Oakes autographed silver photograph. Circa 1940; measures 8 x 10 - Pre WWII image of the HOFer. National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame, inducted in 1996. One of the drivers who were deprived of four prime years due to World War II, Danny won the first race held at Gilmore Stadium after the war, The “Turkey Night Grand Prix” of 1945. In 1947 he won the AAA Pacific Coast Midget Championship and twelve years later repeated the feat under the USAC banner.
He drove for 25 years in midgets and big cars and though he was never able to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 as a driver,
his mechanical genius came to light when he prepared the car for Jim Hurtubise in 1960. The rookie driver outqualified the field by almost three miles per hour and was a whisker short of turning the first 150 m.p.h. lap at the Brickyard.
“Herk” took “Rookie of the Year” honors and Johnny White also won the award in 1964 with Danny Oakes as the crew chief.

$100  No. 1023  Questions?