Joie Chitwood, born April 14, 1912 - died January 3, 1988, was an American racecar driver and businessman. April 14 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (105th in leap years). ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Born George Rice Chitwood in Denison, Texas of Cherokee Indian ancestry, he was dubbed Joie by a track promoter and the name stuck. Denison is a city located in Grayson County, Texas. ... For other uses, see Cherokee (disambiguation). ...

Racing career

Chitwood started his racecar driving career in 1934 at a dirt track in Winfield, Kansas. From there, he began racing at tracks all over the United States mid-west and between 1940 and 1950 competed at the Indianapolis 500 seven times finishing fifth on three different occasions including for the Kurtis Kraft racing team in 1950 when it was a Formula one event. He was the first man ever to wear a safety belt at the Indy 500. Winfield is a city located in Cowley County, Kansas. ... Indianapolis 500, 1994 An Indianapolis 500 racecar depicted on the Indiana state quarter The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, frequently shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, is an American automobile race held annually over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. ... Kurtis Kraft was a Formula One constructor from 1950 through 1960 in the Indianapolis 500, winning the race five times. ... Formula One - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Joie Chitwood Thrill Show

Chitwood also operated the "Joie Chitwood Thrill Show", an exhibition of auto stunt driving that became so successful he gave up racing. Often called "Hell Drivers," he had five units that for more than forty years toured across North America thrilling audiences in large and small towns alike with their death-defying automobile stunts. His show was so popular, that in January of 1967, the performance at the Islip, New York Speedway was broadcast on ABC television's Wide World of Sports. On May 13, 1978, Joie Chitwood set a world record when he drove a Chevrolet Chevette for 5.6 miles on just 2 wheels. World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Islip is a town located in Suffolk County, New York. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is a television and radio network in the United States. ... ABCs Wide World of Sports is a long-running sports anthology show on American television. ... 1978 Chevrolet Chevette (with 1976 grille) and 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Brougham The Chevrolet Chevette was Chevrolets version of GMs worldwide T-car program of the 1970s also sold as Vauxhall Chevette, Opel Kadett Isuzu Gemini, Holden Gemini and Pontiac 1000. ...

His sons, Joie Jr. and Tim both joined the auto thrill show. Today, they run the "Joie Chitwood Chevy Thunder Show" and grandson, Joie Chitwood III, is the Senior Vice-President of business affairs for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Wing and Wheel Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana (a separate city completely surrounded by Indianapolis) in the United States, is the second-oldest surviving automobile racing track in the world (after the Milwaukee Mile), having existed since 1909, and the original Speedway, the first racing...

Stuntman

As well, Chitwood was frequently hired by Hollywood film studios to either do stunt driving for films or to act as auto-stunt coordinator. On a few occasions he appeared in a minor role, notably with Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck in the 1950 film about the Indy 500 titled To Please a Lady. ... Clark Gable with 8th AF in Britain, 1943 Clark Gable (February 1, 1901–November 16, 1960) was an Academy Award-winning American film actor and the biggest box office star of the early sound film era. ... Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American film and television actress. ...

Retirement

When Joie Chitwood retired, his sons took over the business. He died at the age of 73 in Tampa Bay, Florida. Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary on the western coast of Florida. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,794 sq. ...

Award

He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993. www.stuntworld1.com The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum is a museum for sprint car drivers. ...