Henry Banks

Henry Banks
Banks, circa 1951
BornHenry Edwin Banks
(1913-06-14)June 14, 1913
Croydon, Surrey, England
DiedDecember 18, 1994(1994-12-18) (aged 71)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Championship titles
AAA Championship Car (1950)
Champ Car career
43 races run over 15 years
Best finish1st (1950)
First race1935 Syracuse 100 (Syracuse)
Last race1952 Phoenix 100 (Phoenix)
First win1950 Detroit 100 (Detroit)
Wins Podiums Poles
1 9 1
Formula One World Championship career
Active years1950–1954
TeamsMaserati, Moore, Lesovsky
Entries5 (3 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1950 Indianapolis 500
Last entry1954 Indianapolis 500

Henry Edwin Banks (June 14, 1913 – December 18, 1994) was an American racing driver. He competed in various disciplines of open-wheel motorsport. Banks is best remembered for winning the 1950 AAA National Championship, and for his later career as a USAC race official.

Early life

Henry Banks was born in England, but brought up in Royal Oak, Michigan.[1] He was the son of an early European race-driver.

Driving career

Early career

Banks began competing in 1932, when he was 19 years old, and became successful in midget cars.

Banks was the first driver to pass the qualifying "rookie test" instituted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway beginning in 1936.[1] He also drove as a relief driver in 1937, 1939, and 1940, with a 21st-place finish in 1938.

Banks won the 1941 American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) championship in New England.

Post-war career and AAA Championship

After a break during the war, when he worked at Ford’s aero-engine division, Banks’ career took off. In 1947 he won 30 midget car races. In 1950, he was the AAA National Champion, winning a three-way battle for the title during the final race of the season. That same year, he came second in AAA National Midget points.

World Drivers' Championship career

The AAA/USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship participation, and were eligible to score WDC points alongside those which they may have scored towards the AAA/USAC National Championship.

Banks participated in three World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. His best finish was sixth place,[2] and he scored no World Drivers' Championship points.

Post-driving life

Banks tested the first-ever turbine-powered car at Indianapolis in 1955

After Banks retired from competition, he occasionally tested other automobiles. Later, he became the USAC Director of Competitions. He died in Indianapolis in 1994.

Actor

Banks (center), with Ralph DePalma and Troy Ruttman in 1952

Banks appeared in two racing-related films during his career. The first was To Please A Lady, starring Clark Gable. The second was Roar of the Crowd, starring Howard Duff.

Awards and honors

Banks has been inducted into the following halls of fame:

Banks has been awarded the following honors:

Motorsports career results

AAA Championship Car results

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos Points
1946 INDY
27 		LAN
DNS 		ATL ISF MIL GOS - 0
1947 INDY
24 		MIL LAN ATL BAI MIL GOS MIL PIK SPR ARL - 0
1948 ARL
13 		INDY
DNQ 		MIL LAN MIL SPR MIL DUQ ATL PIK SPR DUQ - 0
1949 ARL INDY
DNQ 		MIL TRE SPR MIL DUQ PIK SYR DET
DNQ 		SPR
DNQ 		LAN SAC DMR - 0
1950 INDY
25 		MIL
5 		LAN
2 		SPR
DNQ 		MIL
2 		PIK SYR
DNQ 		DET
1 		SPR
18 		SAC
3 		PHX
12 		BAY
4 		DAR
3 		1st 1,390
1951 INDY
6 		MIL
11 		LAN
10 		DAR
7 		SPR
4 		MIL
5 		DUQ
6 		DUQ
5 		PIK SYR
6 		DET
9 		DNC
2 		SJS
3 		PHX
2 		BAY
3 		2nd 1,856.6
1952 INDY
19 		MIL
DNQ 		RAL
10 		SPR
7 		MIL
4 		DET
6 		DUQ
7 		PIK SYR
8 		DNC
8 		SJS
17 		PHX
5 		10th 700
1953 INDY
DNQ 		MIL
Wth 		SPR DET SPR MIL DUQ PIK SYR ISF SAC PHX - 0
1954 INDY
DNQ 		MIL LAN DAR SPR MIL DUQ PIK SYR ISF SAC PHX LVG - 0
  • 1946 table only includes results of the six races run to "championship car" specifications. Points total includes the 71 races run to "big car" specifications.[10][11]

Indianapolis 500 results

FIA World Drivers' Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 WDC Pts
1950 Indianapolis Race Cars Maserati 8CL Offenhauser 3.0 L4s GBR MON 500
25 		SUI BEL FRA ITA NC 0
1951 Blue Crown Spark Plug / Hopkins Moore Offenhauser 4.5 L4 SUI 500
6 		BEL FRA GBR GER ITA ESP NC 0
1952 Blue Crown Spark Plug / Hopkins Lesovsky Offenhauser 4.5 L4 SUI 500
19 		BEL FRA GBR GER NED ITA NC 0
1953 Hopkins / Motor Racers Lesovsky Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG 500
DNQ 		NED BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA NC 0
1954 Hopkins / Motor Racers Lesovsky Offenhauser 4.5 L4 ARG 500
DNQ 		BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA ESP NC 0
Source:[12][13]

References

  1. ^ a b c Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame Archived March 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Henry Banks". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  3. ^ "Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame - Banks, Henry 1982 *". www.mmshof.org. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  4. ^ "Henry Banks". IMS Museum. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  5. ^ "Eastern Motorsports Press Association - Hall of Fame A thru L". empamedia.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  6. ^ "Eastern Motorsports Press Association - Hall of Fame". empamedia.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  7. ^ "HENRY BANKS - USAC HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2013 - USAC Racing". usacracing.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  8. ^ "Henry Banks". www.mshf.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  9. ^ "» Henry Banks | Automotive Hall of Fame". www.automotivehalloffame.org. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  10. ^ "1946 AAA National Championship Trail". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  11. ^ Capps, H. Donald (October 2009). "The Curious Case of the 1946 Season: An Inconvenient Championship" (PDF). Rear View Mirror. 7 (2): 1–16.
  12. ^ "Henry Banks – Involvement". StatsF1. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  13. ^ "Detail – Tipo 8 CL". barchetta.cc. Retrieved April 24, 2019.

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