Rex Mays

Rex Mays
Mays, circa 1935
BornRex Houston Mays Jr.
(1913-03-10)March 10, 1913
Riverside, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 6, 1949(1949-11-06) (aged 36)
Del Mar, California, U.S.
Championship titles
AAA West Coast Big Car (1934, 1935)
AAA Midwest Big Car (1936, 1937)
AAA Championship Car (1940, 1941)
Champ Car career
57 races run over 12 years
Best finish1st (1940, 1941)
First race1934 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last race1949 Del Mar 100 (Del Mar)
First win1936 Goshen 100 (Goshen)
Last win1946 Milwaukee 100 (Milwaukee)
Wins Podiums Poles
8 19 19

Rex Houston Mays Jr. (March 10, 1913 – November 6, 1949) was an American racing driver. He was a two-time National Champion, won four poles for the Indianapolis 500, and is generally regarded as one of the greatest drivers of his era.

Racing career

Mays won regional sprint car championships in the mid-1930s.[1][2] He made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1934 and won the pole in 1935, 1936, and again in 1940 and finished second, he returned the next year and finished second again.[3] Mays won the AAA National Championship in 1940 and 1941. However, World War II suspended racing until 1946, denying Mays of what likely would have been the peak of his career. After the war, Mays again won the Indianapolis pole in 1948, but was knocked out by a mechanical problem.

On lap 4 of the Milwaukee State Fairground Park on June 6, 1948, Duke Dinsmore brushed the wall on the southern side of the track, resulting in his car turning over and tossing its driver onto the dirt track. With Dinsmore laying on the track, Mays intentionally turned his car into the brick wall to prevent himself from hitting the injured driver. Mays' car was too damaged to continue the race.[4] Dinsmore was taken the hospital, where he was diagnosed with fracture of his forearm.[5] Mays suffered no injuries after sacrificing his car.[4] Surgeons at Milwaukee County Hospital stated on June 7 that Dinsmore was in recovery and out of danger.[5]

Death

Mays started second place at Del Mar Fairgrounds on November 6, 1949 alongside Jimmy Davies. On lap 13, he had been under challenge from Johnnie Parsons and in the southeast turn, spun towards the infield and eliminated 300 feet (91 m) of fencing to protect the grounds. Upon hitting the fencing, Mays' car was launched backed towards the track, where it was struck by three more cars driven by Paul Russo, Hal Cole and George Connor square. Mays was loaded into an ambulance, but was dead at that point. Davies' victory was dealt with in silence as news of his death had reached the fans despite news being withheld by officials. The Deputy Coroner stated that Mays was killed upon impact. His body went to La Jolla then moved to Glendale, where he took up residence.[6]

Mays' funeral was held on November 10 at the Church of the Recessional in Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Hundreds came to the funeral to honor Mays. Pop Myers, the vice president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway attended, along with numerous drivers. Johnny Parsons, who was involved in the fatal accident, also attended the service. 251 sets of flora were sent and they came in different designs, including "Rex", "33" and a checkered flag. Mays' wife passed out twice during the funeral and a doctor was asked after the funeral to check on him. A planned flyover by the 731st Airlift Squadron of the United States Air Force that Mays served in, was abandoned due to the weather.[7]

Awards and honors

Mays has been inducted into the following halls of fame:

In addition, the Milwaukee Mile Indy car race traditionally run the weekend after the Indianapolis 500 was renamed in Mays' honor, recognizing not only his career and tragic death, but his selfless earlier actions in protecting Dinsmore. The Rex Mays Classic ran as such from 1950 to 1987 - at which time the Mays name was eliminated in favor of Miller High Life sponsorship. Riverside International Raceway also held an Indy car race named after Mays, the Rex Mays 300, which ran from 1967 to 1969.[10]

Motorsports career results

AAA Championship Car results

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Points
1934 INDY
23 		SPR NYS MFD
16 		- 0
1935 INDY
17 		MIN SPR NYS ALT LAN - 0
1936 INDY
15 		GTP
1 		NYS
3 		GVC
DNS 		11th 200
1937 INDY
33 		GVC
3 		NYS
13 		8th 405
1938 INDY
28 		NYS
2 		13th 165
1939 INDY
16 		MIL
17 		NYS
13 		- 0
1940 INDY
2 		SPR
1 		NYS
1 		1st 1,225
1941 INDY
2 		MIL
1 		NYS
1 		1st 1,225
1946 INDY
30 		LAN
1 		ATL
11 		ISF
1 		MIL
1 		GOS
DNQ 		9th 613
1947 INDY
6 		MIL
2 		LAN
DNQ 		ATL
12 		BAI
15 		MIL
10 		GOS
DNS 		MIL
16 		PIK SPR
16 		ARL
4 		5th 765.7
1948 ARL
16 		INDY
19 		MIL
17 		LAN
16 		MIL
4 		SPR
4 		MIL
7 		DUQ
17 		ATL
10 		PIK SPR
14 		DUQ
18 		13th 360
1949 ARL
2 		INDY
25 		MIL
7 		TRE
10 		SPR
2 		MIL
3 		DUQ
15 		PIK NYS
15 		DET
11 		SPR
2 		SAC
2 		DMR
18 		6th 1,030
  • 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.[12][13]

Indianapolis 500 results

References

  1. ^ "AutoRacingRecords.com". www.autoracingrecords.com. Archived from the original on 2024-03-31. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  2. ^ "AutoRacingRecords.com". www.autoracingrecords.com. Archived from the original on 2024-03-31. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  3. ^ a b "Rex Mays". IMS Museum. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  4. ^ a b "Mays Hero as Andres Wins A.A.A." The Courier-Journal. Associated Press. June 7, 1948. p. 10. Retrieved February 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "Duke Dinsmore Out of Danger". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. Associated Press. June 8, 1948. p. 16. Retrieved February 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Werking, Norman (November 7, 1949). "Death Rode With Rex on 13th Lap". Los Angeles Mirror. p. 51. Retrieved February 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Funeral Rites for Rex Mays Draw Throng". The Los Angeles Times. November 11, 1949. p. IV-2. Retrieved February 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Rex Mays". www.sprintcarhof.com. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  9. ^ "Rex Mays". International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  10. ^ a b "Rex Mays". www.mshf.com. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  11. ^ "Rex Mays | Riverside Sport Hall of Fame". 2011-02-14. Archived from the original on February 17, 2011. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  12. ^ "1946 AAA National Championship Trail". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  13. ^ Capps, H. Donald (October 2009). "The Curious Case of the 1946 Season: An Inconvenient Championship" (PDF). Rear View Mirror. 7 (2): 1–16.
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