Thursday 24th January 1918

Born on this day, Arthur Cross. A decorated American military veteran of World War II and the 1951 AAA National Midget champion, Cross was the first ever Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Award winner finishing 5th in the 1952 race. In 1953 he came close to winning the Indy 500 in a dirt-track car, finishing second to Bill Vukovich. Both of them were among the very few 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 other in 2005.