| Mike Nazaruk | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1921-10-02)October 2, 1921 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | May 1, 1955(1955-05-01) (aged 33) Langhorne, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 36 races run over 5 years | |||||||
| Years active | 1950–1954 | ||||||
| Best finish | 5th –1951 | ||||||
| First race | 1951Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| Last race | 1954Syracuse 100 (Syracuse) | ||||||
| First win | 1952Rex Mays Classic (Milwaukee) | ||||||
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| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
| Active years | 1951–1954 | ||||||
| Teams | Turner,Kurtis Kraft | ||||||
| Entries | 4 (3 starts) | ||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||
| Podiums | 1 | ||||||
| Careerpoints | 8 | ||||||
| Pole positions | 0 | ||||||
| Fastest laps | 0 | ||||||
| First entry | 1951 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| Last entry | 1954 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
Michael Nazaruk[1] (October 2, 1921Newark, New Jersey – May 1, 1955Langhorne, Pennsylvania) was an Americanracecar driver. He racedmidget cars,sprint cars, andIndyCars. He was nicknamed "Iron Mike."[2]
Nazaruk was of Ukrainian descent. Before racing, he worked as a florist's delivery driver and as an aircraft welder.[3]
Nazaruk served as aU.S. Marine in theBattle of Guam and theGuadalcanal campaign inWorld War II. He promised himself that if he lived through the war he would become a race driver.[2]
He raced after he returned home. He won the track championships atStaten Island, New York, andRhinebeck, New York in 1947. He scored over twenty feature wins atMiddletown, New York en route to winning the 1948 track championship.[2]
Nazaruk was the 1949American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) midget car champion.[2] The series tours the East Coast of the United States.
Nazaruk joined theAAA in 1950. He won 14 national midget tour events, including the 1950Night Before the 500, and the first midget car event atTerre Haute Action Track in 1953. He finished fifth in the 1954 National Midget car points.
Nazaruk finished second in his firstIndianapolis 500 in1951. He competed in two more Indianapolis 500, including a fifth-place finish in1954.
Nazaruk was killed in asprint car race atLanghorne Speedway on May 1, 1955.[2]
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | INDY | MIL | LAN DNQ | SPR | MIL | PIK | SYR | DET | SPR | SAC | PHX | BAY | DAR | - | 0 | ||
| 1951 | INDY 2 | MIL 8 | LAN 9 | DAR 8 | SPR | MIL 16 | DUQ | DUQ | PIK | SYR 18 | DET 3 | DNC 15 | SJS 16 | PHX 18 | BAY 15 | 5th | 1,143 |
| 1952 | INDY DNQ | MIL 1 | RAL 19 | SPR 18 | MIL 16 | DET 17 | DUQ DNQ | PIK | SYR 2 | DNC 12 | SJS 2 | PHX 18 | 13th | 530 | |||
| 1953 | INDY 21 | MIL 11 | SPR | DET 6 | SPR DNQ | MIL 16 | DUQ 13 | PIK | SYR 2 | ISF 15 | SAC 14 | PHX | 24th | 205 | |||
| 1954 | INDY 5 | MIL 15 | LAN 13 | DAR 25 | SPR 9 | MIL 4 | DUQ 10 | PIK | SYR 17 | ISF DNQ | SAC | PHX | LVG | 9th | 810 | ||
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The Indianapolis 500 was part of the Formula OneWorld Championship of Drivers from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Mike Nazaruk participated in three World Championship races. He finished second once (formally "on the podium") and accumulated a total of 8 World Championship points.
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cecil Green 30 years, 242 days (1950 Indianapolis 500) | Youngest driver to score points in Formula One 29 years, 239 days (1951 Indianapolis 500) | Succeeded by Manny Ayulo 29 years, 221 days (1951 Indianapolis 500) |