August Schrader Jr. (May 22, 1895 – October 22, 1941)[1] was an American racing driver.
| Gus Schrader | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | August Schrader Jr. May 22, 1895 Newhall, Iowa, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | October 22, 1941 (aged 46) Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| First race | 1932 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
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Background and personal life
editSchrader was born on a farm near Newhall, Iowa.[2] After he was hurt while racing in California, he met a nurse named Eunice in the hospital; the couple married in 1939.[2]
Racing career
editSchrader began racing motorcycles and switched to racing cars after World War I.[2] He originally raced in a Ford Model T then switched to a Nash after he became a Nash dealer.[2] Schrader competed in Indianapolis 500 in 1932.[2] After starting 15th, he raced up to around sixth before his oil pump blew on the sixth lap causing him to lose control and hit the wall.[2] He finished 39th out of 40 cars.[2] Schrader had a background in dirt track racing and the American Automobile Association (AAA); racing primarily on bricks and boards, so he decided to spend $2500 to break his AAA contract mid-1932 to race in International Motor Contest Association (IMCA).[3]
Schrader was the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) sprint car champion from 1933 to 1937 and 1939 to 1941.[4] He finished second in 1938 to Emory Collins, losing the title at the final race of 1938.[2] Both were driving Curly Wetteroth-built Offenhauser powered cars that cost $15000.[3] He was paid a $1000 annual sponsorship from Montgomery Ward according to his wife.[2]
Death
editSchrader decided to retire from racing to work on his family's newly-repurchased family farm.[2] He competed in his final race on October 22, 1941, at the Louisiana State Fairgrounds in Shreveport.[2] Witnesses said that he was racing beside Jimmy Wilburn when his car drifted high in the corner and Wilburn's didn't, which caused their tires to touch.[2] Schrader's car reportedly rolled end-over-end 15 times.[2] He died a couple of hours later from skull fracture, concussion and cerebral hemorrhage while Wilburn was unhurt.[2] He already had his final title locked up.[2]
Awards and honors
editSchrader was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in its inaugural 1990 class.[3] He was also inducted in the IMCA Hall of Fame in 1971,[3] the Des Moines Register Hall of Fame.[3] and the Iowa Racing Hall of Fame in 2018.[5]
Motorsports career results
editIndianapolis 500 results
edit
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References
edit- ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Gus Schrader". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Grett, Wayne. "Register Sports Hall of Fame Database - Gus Schrader". Des Moines Register. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Gus Schrader" (PDF). National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 21, 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "IMCA Divisions / national champions". IMCA. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ "Gus Schrader - Driver". Kossuth County Ag & Motorsports Museum. Retrieved July 21, 2020.