Louis Disbrow
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| Louis Disbrow | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Disbrow at the 1911 Indianapolis 500 | |||||||
| Born | Louis Arthur Disbrow September 23, 1876 Queens, New York, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | July 9, 1939 (aged 62) | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 19 races run over 7 years | |||||||
| First race | 1909 Merrimack Valley Trophy (Merrimack Valley) | ||||||
| Last race | 1915 Southern Sweepstakes (Oklahoma City) | ||||||
| First win | 1911 Jacksonville 100 (Pablo Beach) | ||||||
| Last win | 1913 Galveston 100 #3 (Galveston) | ||||||
| |||||||
Louis Arthur Disbrow (September 23, 1876 – July 9, 1939) was an American racing driver.
Early life
[edit]Disbrow was born on September 23, 1876, in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York. He came from a wealthy family.[1]
Murder Trial
[edit]
Disbrow was indicted for the 1902 murders of Sarah "Dimples" Lawrence and Clarence Foster in Good Ground, but found not guilty at trial in 1903. He was then hired by a neighbouring family as a chauffeur mechanic for Joan Newton Cuneo, one of the United States' first woman racing drivers.[1]
Racing Career
[edit]Disbrow raced in the first four Indianapolis 500s, with a best finish of 8th in 1913, and also in the 1910, 1911, and 1915 American Grand Prizes.[2] He would have greater success in dirt track racing later in his career.[3]
Automotive Business Ventures
[edit]By 1917, Louis Disbrow would head Disbrow Motors Co. in Cleveland, Ohio. The marque's first car would be the Disbrow Special, powered by a Wisconsin engine.[4] He would also sell spark plugs under the Disbrow Manufacturing Co. name.
Later Life and Death
[edit]In 1925, an accident resulted in Louis Disbrow breaking both legs and being pronounced dead. But he regained consciousness by the time he was taken to a morgue. He would later die in earnest on July 9, 1939, at his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[5]
Motorsports career results
[edit]Indianapolis 500 results
[edit]References
[edit]
- 1 2 "The Indianapolis Star 12 May 2019, page A2". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
- ↑ "Louis Disbrow". Champ Car Stats. Archived from the original on 20 April 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
- ↑ Beardsley, J.L. (December 1966). "LOUIS DISBROW A Profile of The Dirt Track Terror". Floyd Clymer’s Auto Topics.
- ↑ "* Updated * The 1917 Disbrow Special | The Old Motor". The Old Motor. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ "Louis Disbrow, 62, An Ex-auto Racer, Established Records in Days When Oldfield Was Driving—Dies in His Home Piloted Cars 24 years: Had Covered 300,000 Miles on Speedways—Promoted Races and Served as Track Official". New York Times. July 11, 1939. p. 25. Retrieved January 20, 2011.