| Iggy Katona | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | Egnatius Katona (1916-08-16)August 16, 1916 Toledo, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | December 4, 2003(2003-12-04) (aged 87) Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Retired | 1977 | ||||||
| ARCA Series | |||||||
| Years active | 1953–1977 | ||||||
| Teams | Iggy Katona | ||||||
| Starts | 312 | ||||||
| Wins | 79 | ||||||
| Poles | 44 | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st in 1955, 1956, 1957, 1962, 1966, 1967 | ||||||
| Previous series | |||||||
| 1951–'52, 1965–'66, 1974 | NASCAR Winston Cup Series | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| 1955 1956 1957 1962 1966 1967 | MARC Champion MARC Champion MARC Champion MARC Champion ARCA Series Champion ARCA Series Champion | ||||||
| Awards | |||||||
| 1982 | Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame | ||||||
NASCAR driver | |||||||
| Achievements | 1965, 1971, 1974Daytona ARCA 200 Winner Finished top ten inARCA Racing Series point standings for 21 consecutive seasons (1953–1973) The only driver ever to win a 600-lap race on a half-mile oval (Dayton Speedway) | ||||||
| NASCARCup Series career | |||||||
| 13 races run over 5 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 33rd (1952) | ||||||
| First race | 1951 Motor City 250 (Detroit) | ||||||
| Last race | 1974Winston 500 (Talladega) | ||||||
| |||||||
| NASCARGrand National East Series career | |||||||
| 3 races run over 1 year | |||||||
| First race | 1973 Toledo 100 (Toledo) | ||||||
| Last race | 1973 Mt. Clemens 100 (Mt. Clemens) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Statistics up to date as of April 28, 2013. | |||||||
Egnatius "Iggy" Katona (August 16, 1916 – December 4, 2003) was an Americanstock car racing driver fromWillis, Michigan. He is most famous for his performance in theARCA series in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, where he won six championships and 79 races, both of which stood as series records untilFrank Kimmel surpassed both; first in 2005 for championships and then in 2013 for wins. Other ARCA records held by Katona include most starts (630), oldest race winner (57 years old,Daytona International Speedway, 1974) and most consecutive seasons with a win (19, from 1953–1971)[1]
Katona started outracing motorcycles in local races in Michigan and Ohio at age 21, winning nearly every race he entered.[2]
After a brief tour of duty in theArmy duringWorld War II, he turned tomidget car racing. Building his ownengines andchassis and with his two sons Ronnie and Jim as crew members, Katona found success on four wheels as well, including winning 14 feature races in a row atDetroit's famedMotor City Speedway dirt oval.[2]
In 1952, fellow ToledoanJohn Marcum created hisMidwest Association for Race Cars as a Northern counterpart to the Southern stock car series of the day,Bill France, Sr.'sNASCAR. Katona was a force in the series from the beginning, finishing 3rd in the series' inaugural campaign in 1953, 2nd in 1954, and winning the championship in 1955, 1956, and 1957. His 4th MARC championship came in 1962 driving his #30Ford.
Although he developed his racing skills on theshort tracks of the Midwest, Katona adapted well when the MARC changed its name to ARCA and began racing onsuperspeedways in 1964, winning the ARCA race at Daytona three times. He won his 5th and 6th titles in 1966 and, at the age of 51, 1967. His consistency was his biggest asset, as he finished in the top ten in series points in 21 straight seasons from 1953–73.[2]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | ARCA Series Champion 1966–1967 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | MARC Champion 1962 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | MARC Champion 1955–1957 | Succeeded by |