Art Cross

Art Cross (January 24, 1918 in Jersey City, New Jersey – April 15, 2005 in LaPorte, Indiana) was an American racecar driver. He was the first recipient of the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award in 1952.

Art Cross
Born(1918-01-24)January 24, 1918
Jersey City, New Jersey
DiedApril 15, 2005(2005-04-15) (aged 87)
LaPorte, Indiana
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality American
Active years1952–1955
TeamsKurtis Kraft
Entries4
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums1
Career points8
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1952 Indianapolis 500
Last entry1955 Indianapolis 500

Racing career

Cross began racing midget cars in 1938. He received a Purple Heart for his wounds during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.[1] He returned to midget cars after the war, and raced in one of Pappy Hough's "Little Iron Pigs."

Cross won the first Indy 500 Rookie of the Year award after a fifth-place finish in the 1952 Indianapolis 500. Cross used his share of $27,000 from the race to purchase a farm near LaPorte, Indiana.[2]

He finished second in the 1953 Indianapolis 500 behind Bill Vukovich. Despite it being one of the hottest Indy 500s on record, Vukovich and Cross completed the entire race without relief. Driver Carl Scarborough died from the heat. Cross' car was the "Springfield Welding Special", which was owned by Bessie Lee Paoli, who was the only female owner at the time.[1]

After retiring from racing, he turned his attention to running the farm in LaPorte, Indiana. He later became involved in a heavy equipment business and in construction. He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1992.[1]

Indianapolis 500 results
Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
1952 33 20 134.288 26 5 200 0 Running
1953 16 12 137.310 8 2nd 200 0 Running
1954 45 27 138.675 14 11 200 8 Running
1955 99 24 138.750 23 17 168 24 Rod
Totals 768 32
Starts 4
Poles 0
Front Row 0
Wins 0
Top 5 2
Top 10 2
Retired 1

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 WDC Points
1952 Bowes Seal Fast / Ray Brady Kurtis Kraft 4000 Offenhauser L4 SUI 500
5		 BEL FRA GBR GER NED ITA 20th= 2
1953 Springfield Welding / Paoli Kurtis Kraft 4000 Offenhauser L4 ARG 500
2		 NED BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA 10th 6
1954 Bardahl / Ed Walsh Kurtis Kraft 4000 Offenhauser L4 ARG 500
11		 BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA ESP NC 0
1955 Bardahl / Ed Walsh Kurtis Kraft 500C Offenhauser L4 ARG MON 500
17		 BEL NED GBR ITA NC 0
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References
  1. Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "The lost Art of storytelling". The South Bend Tribune. 22 April 2005. Retrieved 24 July 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
None		 Indianapolis 500
Rookie of the Year
1952		 Succeeded by
Jimmy Daywalt


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