Saturday 14th June 1913
Born on this day, Henry Banks, American midget car and “big car” driver. He was the first driver to pass the qualifying “rookie test” at the Indianapolis 500 in 1936 and also drove as a relief driver in 1937, 1939, and 1940, with a 21st-place finish in 1938.
He won the 1941 American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) championship in New England.
After a break during the war, when he worked at Ford’s aero-engine division, Banks’ career took off. In 1947 he won 30 midget car races. In 1950, he was the AAA National Champion and, in the same year, came second in the National Midget points.
Banks later retired from racing and became USAC Director of Competitions, and was also inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame. He died at Indianapolis in 1994.
