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Frank Lockhart

FRANK LOCKHART flashed into prominence with an impressive victory at the 1926 Indianapolis 500 race, which was shortened to 400 miles by rain. The following year, he led the field for the first 81 laps after setting a new qualifying record of 120.1 miles per hour in a supercharged Miller Special with the help of a patented intercooler he had developed. He also scored important triumphs on the board tracks at Fresno, California; Charlotte, North Carolina; Altoona, Pennsylvania; and Rockingham, New Hampshire, establishing an amazing one-lap record of 147.7 miles per hour on the Atlantic City, New Jersey, board speedway. He ranked second in the American Automobile Association National Championship point standings in 1926 and 1927. Attempting to break the World Land Speed Record at Daytona Beach, Florida, on April 25, 1928, with a Miller-powered Stutz Blackhawk Special of distinctive design and constructed under his direction, he averaged 207.552 miles per hour for the measured mile in one direction. However, he crashed and lost his life after a tire failure on the obligatory return run shortly thereafter.

YEAR INDUCTED: 1965

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