Thursday 10th February 1955

Racer and heir to a gold mining fortune, “Grandpa” Eddie Hearne died aged 68. Born in Chicago, Hearne participated in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 and later was a long-time Duesenberg factory-backed driver. He made 106 AAA Championship Car starts and continued driving until 1927, winning 11 Champ Car races and the 1923 National Championship. He only crashed once and won a total of $120,967.