Billy Arnold

Who was Billy Arnold?

Richard William Arnold won the 1930 Indianapolis 500 after leading all but first two laps of the race, the most ever by a winner of the race. He won by a margin of 7 minutes and 17 seconds. He was 24 years old at the time. In 1931 he led 155 laps but crashed on lap 162 while holding a five-lap lead, becoming seriously injured along with his riding mechanic Spider Matlock. A tire came off the car, bounced over the fence and killed a young boy playing in his front yard outside the track. In 1932 Arnold led 57 laps before crashing on lap 59. He suffered a broken shoulder and riding mechanic Matlock suffered a broken pelvis. At the urging of his wife, Arnold retired from racing.

Married to LaFrance Arnold.

Arnold earned a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois and, following his racing career, a Ph.D. from the Michigan Institute of Technology.

During WWII, he served with Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower as Chief of Maintenance for the U.S. 8th Air Force and left the service in 1945 as a one-star general.

Following the war, Arnold owned an automobile dealership after the war and entered the construction business.