Bettenhausen, "Tony" (Melvin E.)
Auto racing
b. Sept. 12, 1916, Tinley Park, IL
d. May 12, 1961
His dream of winning an Indianapolis 500 kept Bettenhausen racing beyond his prime and ultimately led to his death. A combative youngster, he was such a good fighter that he was nicknamed "Tunney," after heavyweight champion Gene Tunney, and that eventually turned into "Tony." Bettenhausen began racing midget cars in the late 1930s and acquired a new nickname, "Flip," because he did it so often.
After service in World War II, Bettenhausen entered the Indy 500 for the first time in 1946 and was forced out by mechanical problems after 47 laps. That kept happening; he didn't finish a race at the "Brickyard" until 1958. But he did well on the USAC championship trail. In 1951 he scored a record 2,256 points, winning eight of 14 starts and finishing second twice in Murrell Belanger's famous No. 99.
Bettenhausen announced his retirement from everything but the Indy 500 after that great year. But in 1953 he went back on the circuit with No. 99, winning two races. A 1954 accident put him in the hospital with head injuries and in 1956 he broke a shoulder blade hitting the wall at Indianapolis. The following year, he placed 15th at Indy, again without finishing, skipped several races, and had little success when he returned to the circuit.
But in 1958 he made a remarkable comeback, finally finishing at Indy, in fourth place, and winning his second national championship. He was second to Rodger Ward for the title in 1959, again placing fourth in the Indy 500, and in 1960 he was fifth in the point standings, although he didn't win any races.
Shortly before the 1961 Indianapolis race, his friend Paul Russo asked Bettenhausen to test drive his car and suggest ways to improve its handling. The car crashed and Bettenhausen was killed.