The wreckage of Ted Horn's car.
Du Quoin, Ill. (October 10, 1948) – Ted Horn won’t roar the sleek Maserati, with the #1 emblazoned on the hood, around Indianapolis Motor Speedway anymore.
And he will never realize his burning ambition to win the 500-mile Memorial Day classic.
Horn, 38, a three-time national auto racing champion, was killed Sunday afternoon at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds track.
Johnnie Parsons of Van Nuys, Calif., won the race.
A wheel spindle broke on Horn’s racer on the second lap of the 100-mile AAA race. He was pitched onto the track as his car swerved into another race car driven by Johnny Mantz. Mantz was slightly injured and was treated and released.
The one-mile dirt track was much the same kind of dirt oval that Horn had scored many of his points for the American Auto Association racing titles he won in 1946 and ‘47 and had already clinched for this year.
Horn, from Paterson, N.J., had tried 10 times to win the big Memorial Day race. In his last nine attempts, he had never finished lower than fourth place. Last May, he was fourth behind winner Mauri Rose, Bill holland, and Duke Nalon.
Horn’s first wife, Teresa Weber Horn, whom he had divorced earlier this year, said she had separated from him because he insisted on driving until he won at Indianapolis.
His second wife, Gerry, whom he married only 17 days ago, was among the 5,000 spectators who witnessed Horn’s last ride.
Horn first appeared at Indianapolis in 1934, but his machine failed inspection. In 1935, he started, but was forced out after 145 laps. He was second in 1936, less than two minutes behind winner Louis Meyer. He was third in 1937, fourth in the next three races, third in 1941, and third in the first two post-war races of 1946 and 1947.
Parsons’ winning time was 1 hour, 11 minutes, and 47.7 seconds. Paul Russo of Kenosha, Wis., was second and Bill Sheffler of Los Angeles was third.
Horn’s car was running fifth at the time of the accident.
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