Johnnie Tolan
Template:Short description Template:For {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters | check | ignoreblank = y | unknown = Template:Main other | preview = Page using Template:Infobox F1 driver with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | embed | child | subbox | name | Name | image | Image | image_size | upright | image_upright | alt | caption | birth_name | birth_date | birth_place | death_date | death_place | relations | relatives | nationality | Nationality | years | Years | teams | Teams | Team(s) | team | Team | engines | Engines | current_team | current team | Current team | 2025 Team | 2026 Team | car_number | car number | Car number | races | Races | championships | Championships | wins | Wins | podiums | Podiums | points | Points | poles | Poles | fastest_laps | fastest laps | Fastest laps | first_race | first race | First race | first_win | first win | First win | last_win | last win | Last win | last_race | last race | Last race | last_position | last position | Last position | last_season | last season | Last season | bf1_years | bf1 years | BF1 Years | bf1_races | bf1 races | BF1 Races | bf1_championships | bf1 championships | BF1 Championships | bf1_wins | bf1 wins | BF1 Wins | bf1_podiums | bf1 podiums | BF1 Podiums | bf1_points | bf1 points | BF1 Points | bf1_poles | bf1 poles | BF1 Poles | bf1_fastest_laps | bf1 fastest laps | BF1 Fastest laps | signature | signature_size | signature alt | signature_alt | website | module | module1 | module2 | module3 | module4 | module5 | record template1 | record template2 | record template3 | record template4 | record template5 | career template1 | career template2 | career template3 | career template4 | career template5 | updated | Updated }} Johnnie Tolan (October 22, 1917 – June 6, 1986 in Redondo Beach, California) was an American racecar driver.
Racing career
Tolan won 45 midget car races in 1946, and won the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association championship.<ref name=NMARHoF>Biography Template:Webarchive at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame</ref> Tolan repeated his championship in 1947, and scored 47 wins. He had 27 feature wins in 1948.
He captured the 1950 AAA Midwest championship. He captured his first National Midget championship in 1952, as well as the Midwest championship. He won the 1953 Night Before the 500 midget car race.
He competed at the Indianapolis 500 in 1956, 1957, and 1958. His best finish was thirteenth in 1958.
Tolan traveled with Bob Tattersall and Jimmy Davies to Australia in 1964. Tolan suffered career ending back injuries at the Sydney Showgrounds.<ref name=NMARHoF />
Tolan had a ritual at each midget racing event. He would smoke a cigarette during warmups. He would flip the cigarette toward the starting line on his first high speed lap. He believed that he would have a successful night if he hit the mark.<ref name=NMARHoF />
Career award
- He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1988.<ref name=NMARHoF />
Indy 500 results
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break
| Year | Car | Start | Qual | Rank | Finish | Laps | Led | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | 34 | 31 | 140.061 | 31 | 21 | 173 | 0 | Flagged |
| 1957 | 28 | 31 | 139.884 | 30 | 20 | 138 | 0 | Clutch |
| 1958 | 19 | 30 | 142.309 | 31 | 13 | 200 | 0 | Running |
| Totals | 511 | 0 | ||||||
| Starts | 3 |
|---|---|
| Poles | 0 |
| Front Row | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Top 5 | 0 |
| Top 10 | 0 |
| Retired | 1 |
World Championship career summary
The Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Championship from 1950 to 1960. Drivers racing at Indy during that period earned World Championship points and participation recognition. Johnnie Tolan competed in 3 World Championship races but did not score any World Championship points.
References
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