George Lynch

Who was George Lynch?

George John Lynch, Sr. was an American race car driver.

George John Lynch was born in Miles City, Montana to John James Lynch and Violet Parks. Enduring a rough childhood that saw his parents divorce, he was reared by his mother's grandparents in Nekoosa, Wisconsin, where Mr. Lynch bought a used open-wheel race car for $100 and began racing, even before obtaining his civilian driver's license.

Mr. Lynch's racing career spanned three decades, from 1935 through 1957. He completed over 300 races, primarily in open-wheel "midget" and "sprint" cars on small tracks primarily in the midwestern United States. Mr. Lynch won few of his races but, in his own words, "pushed a lot of guys over the finish line." His aggressive driving style, characterized by bumping slower cars, earned him nicknames such as "Leadfoot Lynch" and "Red Devil."

His racing career was briefly interrupted in 1944 when Mr. Lynch enlisted in the United States Army, where he was a member of the American occupation force in Japan. During his tour, he earned his jump wings and joined the 11th Airborne Division. He was honorably discharged in 1946.

The highlight of Mr. Lynch's career was his participation in the Indianapolis 500 in 1949. He qualified in eighth position with a speed of 127.820 mph. He crashed into the wall on the first turn of the second lap and held the record for the shortest completed lap at Indy until 1964. Footage of Mr. Lynch's crash, along with other action from that race, was used in the 1949 motion picture The Big Wheel starring Mickey Rooney and Spring Byington.