Dennis Firestone

Dennis Firestone (born 22 July 1944 in Townsville, Australia) is a former CART driver who raced from 1979 to 1987. He was the 1980 CART Rookie of the Year in finishing 12th in season points, his best season. His best finish in a CART race was a pair of fifth places that season. He made five starts at the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of tenth in 1981. An accident at Indianapolis in 1987 resulted in a broken neck and ended his racing career.

Since his driving days, Firestone has run a California trucking company, and participates in vintage racing events.

American Open Wheel racing results

SCCA National Championship Runoffs

Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results Dennis Firestone at the 2016 Brickyard SVRA Pro-Am race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pos Points 1978 Crosslé Cars Pacific PIR15 TRE124 MOS3 MIL122 TEX6 MIL21 OMS124 OMS21 TRE216 PIR22 2nd 894 1979 TEX11 IRP2 MIL11 POC2 TEX22 MIL21 MIN11 MIN21 1st 1480

American Super Vee Championship

1978 – 17th 1979 – 9th 1980 – 16th

USAC Gold Crown Championship

1981–82 – 24th 1983–84 – 15th

PPG Indycar Series

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Rank Points Ref 1979 AMS Oil PHX ATL ATL INDY TRE TRE MCH MCH WGL TRE ONT31 MCH ATL PHX NC 0 1980 Scientific Drilling ONT INDY16 MIL POC30 MDO MCH14 WGL MIL ONT6 MCHDNS MEX5 PHX5 12th 743 1981 Rhoades Racing PHX MIL ATL18 ATL MCH RIV MIL MCH WGL MEX PHX 44th 1 1982 BVC Racing PHX20 ATL MIL CLE MCH MIL POC RIV ROA MCH PHX 44th 1 1983 Simpson Sports ATL INDY24 MIL CLE MCH ROA POC RIV MDO MCH CPL LAG PHX NC 0 1984 Hoosier Transportation LBH PHX INDY12 MIL POR MEA CLE 39th 1 Pace Electronics MCHDNQ ROA17 POC26 MDO SAN16 MCH PHX LAGDNQ CPL21 1985 Pace Racing LBH22 INDYDNQ MIL20 POR18 MEADNQ CLE21 MCH11 ROA20 POC9 MDO17 SAN14 MCHDNS LAG23 PHX MIA 33rd 6 1986 Pace Racing PHX LBH INDYWth1 MIL POR MEA CLE TOR MCH17 POC28 MDO SAN14 MCH14 ROA LAG PHX17 MIA 40th 0 1987 Raynor Garage Door LBH21 PHX7 INDYDNQ MIL POR MEA CLE TOR MCH POC ROA MDO NAZ LAG MIA 31st 6

1 Wrecked after qualifying

Indy 500 results

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish 1980 Penske Cosworth 24th 16th 1981 Wildcat Cosworth 28th 10th 1982 Eagle Milodon 21st 27th 1983 March Cosworth 33rd 24th 1984 March Cosworth 32nd 12th 1985 March Cosworth Failed to Qualify DNQ 1986 Lola Cosworth Withdrew* N/A 1987 Lola Cosworth Practice Crash DNQ

Firestone qualified for the 1986 race, but was forced to withdraw from the field after a serious crash totalled the car during the final Carburetion Day practice.