Friday 15th April 2005
Art Cross died aged 87. A decorated military veteran of World War II and the 1951 AAA National Midget champion was the first ever winner of the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award, finishing 5th in the 1952 Indy 500. In 1953 he came close to winning the big race in a dirt-track car, only beaten by Bill Vukovich. Both of them were the only drivers refusing to concede their cars to a relief driver despite the melting heat. Sadly both he and his wife died within a few weeks of each other in 2005.