Joie Chitwood
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joie Chitwood, born April 14, 1912 - died January 3, 1988, was an American racecar driver and businessman. He is best known as a daredevil in the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show.
Born George Rice Chitwood in Denison, Texas of Cherokee Indian ancestry, he was dubbed Joie by a track promoter and the name stuck.
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[edit] Racing career
Chitwood started his racecar driving career in 1934 at a dirt track in Winfield, Kansas. From there, he began racing at tracks all over the United States mid-west and between 1940 and 1950 competed at the Indianapolis 500 seven times finishing fifth on three different occasions. He was the first man ever to wear a safety belt at the Indy 500.
[edit] Indy 500 results
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[edit] World Championship career summary
The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Joie Chitwood participated in 1 World Championship race. He started on the pole 0 times, won 0 races, set 0 fastest laps, and finished on the podium 0 times. He accumulated a total of 2 championship points.
[edit] Joie Chitwood Thrill Show
Chitwood also operated the "Joie Chitwood Thrill Show", an exhibition of auto stunt driving that became so successful he gave up racing. Often called "Hell Drivers," he had five units that for more than forty years toured across North America thrilling audiences in large and small towns alike with their death-defying automobile stunts. His show was so popular, that in January of 1967, the performance at the Islip, New York Speedway was broadcast on ABC television's Wide World of Sports. On May 13, 1978, Joie Chitwood set a world record when he drove a Chevrolet Chevette for 5.6 miles on just 2 wheels.
His sons, Joie Jr. and Tim both joined the auto thrill show and continued to run the "Joie Chitwood Chevy Thunder Show" after their father's retirement. His grandson, Joie Chitwood III, is the COO for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Chitwood's show was credited by Evel Knievel as being his inspiration to become a daredevil.
His family lives all over America.
[edit] Stuntman
As well, Chitwood was frequently hired by Hollywood film studios to either do stunt driving for films or to act as auto-stunt coordinator. On a few occasions he appeared in a minor role, notably with Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck in the 1950 film about the Indy 500 titled To Please a Lady.
In 1973, Joie Chitwood is credited as a Stunt Coordinator for the hugely successful James Bond film Live and Let Die (film)
[edit] Retirement
When Joie Chitwood retired, his sons took over the business. He died in 1988 at the age of 73 in Tampa Bay, Florida.
[edit] Award
He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993.
