Misplaced Pages

Bill Spence (racing driver)

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
American racing driver (1906–1929)
Bill Spence
BornWilliam Kettley Kimball
(1906-06-09)June 9, 1906
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedMay 30, 1929(1929-05-30) (aged 22)
Speedway, Indiana, U.S.
Champ Car career
4 races run over 2 years
Best finish10th (1928)
First race1928 Detroit 100 (Detroit)
Last race1929 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles
0 0 0

William Kettley Spence (born William Kettley Kimball, June 9, 1906 – May 30, 1929) was an American racing driver.

Death

Spence was killed in the 1929 Indianapolis 500 after making contact with the inside wall in Turn 2. This accident was caught on film by the makers of the 1929 silent film Speedway. In the captured film, Spence's front right tire hits the inside wall, indicating the car has previously spun. The car then rotates counterclockwise, and the right side appears to hit a rut or indentation in the track, causing the car to flip, landing upside down. Spence suffered a fractured skull.

Spence also served as a relief driver in the 1928 Indianapolis 500 for Billy Arnold.

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
1929 10 12 111.649 16 32 0 0 Crash T2
Totals 0 0
Starts 1
Poles 0
Front Row 0
Wins 0
Top 5 0
Top 10 0
Retired 1

References

  1. "Motorsport Memorial - Bill Spence". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  2. "Bill Spence Killed". Ellensburg Daily Record. Associated Press. May 31, 1929. Retrieved 2012-10-09. ... at the accident which resulted in the passing of Bill Spence from a fractured skull a short time after his car had turned over early in the contest. ...
  3. Brown, Allen. "Bill Spence". OldRacingCars.com. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
Categories: