INDIANAPOLIS — Wally Dallenbach, a respected former Indycar Series Race winner who made a name for himself championing driver safety, passed away at 87 years old Monday.
According to an Indianapolis Motor Speedway news release, Dallenbach posted 13 Indianapolis 500 starts in a career spanning 12 years between 1967 and 1979. He recorded a fourth-place finish in 1976 and 1977 in the No. 40 Wildcat/DGC owned by Patrick Racing.
Another of Dallenbach’s career highlights featured an impressive performance at Indianapolis in 1975 when he led the race four different times for a race-high 96 laps, before eventually losing the final spot at pit stops. Dallenbach went on to finish in ninth place after being prematurely eliminated from the race due to a burnt piston while leading the way on Lap 162.
In total, Dallenbach recorded five wins, 27 podium finishes and one pole in 180 different Indycar Series starts. The former driver’s best finish was second behind Roger McCluskey in 1973.
Dallenbach’s interest in racing originally began on the East Coast when he participated in oval racing in midgets and sprint cars before going on to make his Indycar series debut in 1965 at Langhorne Speedway.
Dallenbach retired in 1979 before briefly coming out of retirement two years later to “put Andretti’s No. 40 STP Oil Treatment Wildcat/Cosworth safely in the field” during the first weekend of Indianapolis 500 qualifying. Mario Andretti had an issue with his schedule due to his prior obligation to race in the Belgian Grand Prix Formula One.
After his retirement, Dallenbach served as the competition director and chief steward of Championship Auto Racing Teams in 1980.
Dallenbach’s legacy also includes a large focus on racing safety as he became known for his efforts to develop a team consisting of doctors, nurses and other emergency medical personnel that attended all CART races.
“Wally Dallenbach made a huge contribution to our sport for five decades as a driver and official,” a joint statement from INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway said. “He was a talented competitor behind the wheel, who always raced hard but clean. That sense of fairness and decency extended to his legendary tenure as chief steward of CART, where he was respected and liked by all for his steady, sensible officiating. Wally’s many contributions to racing safety, especially a traveling medical team, will resonate long into the future. He was one of the true good guys of open-wheel racing, and our thoughts and sympathies are with his family.”
Dallenbach is survived by his three children, including former NASCAR Cup Series driver Wally Jr., Paul and Colleen.
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