George Amick

George Reggie "Little George" Amick<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (October 24, 1924 – April 4, 1959) was an American racecar driver, mainly competing in the American National Championship.<ref name="National Midget">Template:Cite press release</ref> He was killed in a crash in a USAC Template:Convert race at Daytona International Speedway.<ref name="National Midget"/>

Racing career

Amick began racing in jalopies in the Northwestern United States before switching to midget car racing.<ref name="National Midget"/> He competed in USAC National midgets for three seasons, finishing in the top ten points each season, and won 16 feature races.<ref name="National Midget"/> He totaled 38 wins including the 1957 Turkey Night Grand Prix.<ref name="National Midget"/>

He moved to Indy cars and won three times in 43 starts.<ref name="National Midget"/> In his rookie appearance at the Indianapolis 500 in 1958, Amick was assigned a "lay-down" roadster commissioned by car owner Norm Demler, designed by Quin Epperly, and based upon George Salih's 1957 race-winning design. Amick found himself running a comfortable second to leader Jimmy Bryan with just 20 laps remaining. Demler and his team felt Amick was in a position to catch Bryan and perhaps even win, but decided against pushing their rookie driver into a potentially fatal mistake, and Amick came home an easy second. He was named the 1958 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Death

File:Grave of George R. Amick (1924–1959) at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis.jpg

Amick's grave at Crown Hill Cemetery

Amick was competing in the only Indy Car race ever run at the Daytona International Speedway and was killed in an accident on the final lap.<ref name="National Midget"/> He is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in section 235, lot 723 (Template:Coord) in Indianapolis.<ref name="Crown Hill Autos">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Star04-10-1959">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Open access</ref>

Awards

Amick was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.<ref name="National Midget"/>

Complete AAA/USAC Championship Car results

Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Pos	Points
1955	INDY	MIL 7	LAN 18	SPR 4	MIL 20	DUQ 3	PIK	SYR 3	ISF 3	SAC 12	PHX 3			9th	750
1956	INDY DNP	MIL DNQ	LAN 1	DAR 4	ATL 13	SPR DNQ	MIL 6	DUQ 5	SYR 5	ISF 12	SAC 13	PHX 1		4th	1.050
1957	INDY DNQ	LAN 5	MIL 6	DET 2	ATL 1	SPR 3	MIL 5	DUQ 16	SYR 5	ISF 3	TRE 3	SAC 4	PHX 11	3rd	1.400
1958	TRE 6	INDY 2	MIL 6	LAN 14	ATL 2	SPR 18	MIL 4	DUQ 18	SYR 2	ISF Wth	TRE 19	SAC 4	PHX 15	2nd	1.640
1959	DAY 4	TRE	INDY	MIL	LAN	SPR	MIL	DUQ	SYR	ISF	TRE	SAC	PHX	36th	120

Indianapolis 500 results

Year	Car	Start	Qual	Rank	Finish	Laps	Led	Retired
1958	99	25	142.710	25	2	200	18	Running
Totals						200	18

Starts	1
Poles	0
Front Row	0
Wins	0
Top 5	1
Top 10	1
Retired	0

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	WDC	Points
1957	Federal Engineering	Snowberger	Offenhauser L4	ARG	MON	500 Template:Small	FRA	GBR	GER	PES	ITA				NC	0
1958	Norman Demler	Epperly Indy Roadster	Offenhauser L4	ARG	MON	NED	500 Template:Small	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	POR	ITA	MOR	15th	6

References

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