This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2025) |
Frank Jerry DelRoy (born Frank DeRosa, November 7, 1912 – April 23, 1978) was an American auto racing official and race car builder.[1][2]
Frank DelRoy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frank DeRosa November 7, 1912 |
| Died | April 23, 1978 (aged 65) Rush County, Indiana, U.S. |
Resting place | Crown Hill Cemetery and Arboretum, Section 224, Lot 866 |
| Occupations | Auto racing official Auto racing mechanic |
Early life
editDelRoy was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was raised in Paterson, New Jersey, the location of racing's original "Gasoline Alley."[3]
Career
editDelRoy began his racing career at age 18, while serving as a chauffeur in Madison, New Jersey.[4] He served as riding mechanic for the pole-winning car of Bill Cummings at the 1937 Indianapolis 500.[3] After his time serving as a riding mechanic, DelRoy worked in a purely off-track capacity for racers such as Ted Horn and Mike Nazaruk.[2]
In 1958, DelRoy was hired as a technical official by the newly-formed United States Auto Club (USAC). In 1970 he was appointed USAC's Technical Director.[3] His responsibilities included control over certification of cars for the Indianapolis 500.[5]
DelRoy's cars competed in one round of the FIA World Championship - the 1953 Indianapolis 500.
Death and legacy
editOn April 23, 1978, DelRoy – by then Chairman of the USAC Technical Committee – along with a pilot and seven other USAC officials, was killed when his flight home from a race in Trenton, New Jersey, crashed in a farm field south of Indianapolis, Indiana.[6][1]
In 2017, DelRoy was elected to the USAC Hall of Fame.[3]
Select Indianapolis 500 results
edit| Season | Driver | Grid | Classification | Points | Note | Race Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Johnny Thomson | 33 | Ret | Ignition | Report |
References
edit- 1 2 "A TRIBUTE TO THOSE LOST IN THE 1978 USAC PLANE CRASH - USAC Racing". usacracing.com. Archived from the original on 2024-04-07. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- 1 2 "Motorsport Memorial -". www.motorsportmemorial.org. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- 1 2 3 4 "Frankie DelRoy | USAC Hall of Fame Inductee". www.usacracing.com. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
- ↑ "Frank Delroy, Chauffeur Here, Leaving to Enter Midwest Auto Racing Classics". The Madison Eagle. May 19, 1933. p. 7.
- ↑ Harris, Mike (May 22, 1973). "Frank DelRoy regarded as keen auto observer". The Berkshire Eagle. p. 21.
- ↑ "Air Crash Kills 9, 7 Were USAC Aids". The Indianapolis News. April 24, 1978. p. 1.