Rex Mays

Rex Houston Mays Jr. (March 10, 1913 – November 6, 1949) was an American racing driver. He was a two-time National Champion, won four poles for the Indianapolis 500, and is generally regarded as one of the greatest drivers of his era.

Racing career

Mays won regional sprint car championships in the mid-1930s. He made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1934 and won the pole in 1935, 1936, and again in 1940 and finished second, he returned the next year and finished second again. Mays won the AAA National Championship in 1940 and 1941. However, World War II suspended racing until 1946, denying Mays of what likely would have been the peak of his career. After the war, Mays again won the Indianapolis pole in 1948, but was knocked out by a mechanical problem.

On lap 4 of the Milwaukee State Fairground Park on June 6, 1948, Duke Dinsmore brushed the wall on the southern side of the track, resulting in his car turning over and tossing its driver onto the dirt track. With Dinsmore laying on the track, Mays intentionally turned his car into the brick wall to prevent himself from hitting the injured driver. Mays' car was too damaged to continue the race. Mays suffered no injuries after sacrificing his car. Surgeons at Milwaukee County Hospital stated on June 7 that Dinsmore was in recovery and out of danger.

Mays' funeral was held on November 10 at the Church of the Recessional in Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Hundreds came to the funeral to honor Mays. Pop Myers, the vice president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway attended, along with numerous drivers. Johnny Parsons, who was involved in the fatal accident, also attended the service. 251 sets of flora were sent and they came in different designs, including "Rex", "33" and a checkered flag. Mays' wife passed out twice during the funeral and a doctor was asked after the funeral to check on him. A planned flyover by the 731st Airlift Squadron of the United States Air Force that Mays served in, was abandoned due to the weather.

Mays estate was deemed at just under $12,000 (1949 USD) in December 1949. His will, signed on June 12, 1948, was probated by his widow Dorothea. Mays' racing equipment and vehicles would be sold and all proceeds from the sales would be turned into a trust fund for the couple's two children become 21 years old, at which point the estate would be divided equally between his wife and children.

After Mays' death, the 22nd Agricultural Association, who operated the Del Mar Fairgrounds, indefinitely suspended all auto racing at the facility. On December 14, 1949, the association announced that all auto racing would be banned on a permanent basis after a unanimous vote by the Board of Directors.

Awards and honors

Mays has been inducted into the following halls of fame: Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1963) National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (1990) International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1993) Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1995) Riverside Sport Hall of Fame

With his death, a memorial plaque was placed at the Milwaukee State Fairground Park in the south turn, the spot where he saved Duke Dinsmore's life in 1948. The dedication would be held on June 11, 1950 prior to the race, which would be renamed the Rex Mays Century in his honor. The Rex Mays Classic ran as such from 1950 to 1987 - at which time the Mays name was eliminated in favor of Miller High Life sponsorship. Riverside International Raceway also held an Indy car race named after Mays, the Rex Mays 300, which ran from 1967 to 1969. Dan Gurney won the 1967 and 1968 editions of the race, while Mario Andretti won the 1969 race. Les Richter of American Raceways stated that the 1970 edition was canceled because of a conflict with the Grand National 400 at Texas World Speedway on the chosen date of December 6. They felt that only one race should held on December 6 and that the Rex Mays 300 had been a money loser.

Motorsports career results

AAA Championship Car results

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Points 1934 INDY23 SPR NYS MFD16 - 0 1935 INDY17 MIN SPR NYS ALT LAN - 0 1936 INDY15 GTP1 NYS3 GVCDNS 11th 200 1937 INDY33 GVC3 NYS13 8th 405 1938 INDY28 NYS2 13th 165 1939 INDY16 MIL17 NYS13 - 0 1940 INDY2 SPR1 NYS1 1st 1,225 1941 INDY2 MIL1 NYS1 1st 1,225 1946 INDY30 LAN1 ATL11 ISF1 MIL1 GOSDNQ 9th 613 1947 INDY6 MIL2 LANDNQ ATL12 BAI15 MIL10 GOSDNS MIL16 PIK SPR16 ARL4 5th 765.7 1948 ARL16 INDY19 MIL17 LAN16 MIL4 SPR4 MIL7 DUQ17 ATL10 PIK SPR14 DUQ18 13th 360 1949 ARL2 INDY25 MIL7 TRE10 SPR2 MIL3 DUQ15 PIK NYS15 DET11 SPR2 SAC2 DMR18 6th 1,030 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.

Indianapolis 500 results