Ed Elisian

Ed Elisian (born Edward Gulbeng Eliseian;^[1] December 9, 1926 – August 30, 1959) was an American racecar driver, mainly competing in the National Championship. He died in a crash at the Milwaukee Mile.^[2]

Ed Elisian
Born	Edward Gulbeng Eliseian (1926-12-09)December 9, 1926 Oakland, California, U.S.
Died	August 30, 1959(1959-08-30) (aged 32) West Allis, Wisconsin, U.S.
Champ Car career
43 races run over 7 years
Years active	1953–1959
Best finish	15th – 1957
First race	1953 Hoosier Hundred (ISF)
Last race	1959 Milwaukee 200 (Milwaukee)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 1 1
Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1954–1958
Teams	Stevens, Kurtis Kraft, Watson
Entries	5
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1954 Indianapolis 500
Last entry	1958 Indianapolis 500

In the 1955 Indianapolis 500, he stopped his car in a futile attempt to help Bill Vukovich when Vukovich's car crashed and burned during the race. He is one of only two drivers in Indy 500 history to stop a non-damaged car to help another driver, the other being Gary Bettenhausen in 1971. He received a sportsmanship award for his efforts, as well as the wrath of the car owner.^[2][3]

In June 1956, Elisian was engaging in a wheel-to-wheel duel with Bob Sweikert, who had won the race in which Vukovich was killed, in a Sprint car race at Salem Speedway when Sweikert made contact with the rail, overleapt it and rolled over outside of the track, suffering fatal skull injuries. Elisian was exonerated as no collision had taken place.^[4][5]

In the 1958 Indianapolis 500, Dick Rathmann and Elisian started the race on the front row, with Jimmy Reece on the outside of the front row. Elisian spun in Turn 3 of the first lap, and collected Rathmann, sending them both into the wall, and starting a 15-car pileup. Pat O'Connor's car hit Reece's car, sailed fifty feet in the air, landed upside down, and burst into flames. Although medical officials said that O'Connor was probably killed instantly from a fractured skull, he was incinerated in the accident, in full view of fans and drivers.^[2][6] Widely blamed for the accident, Elisian was suspended by USAC^[7] (reinstated a few days later), and was shunned by the racing community. Rumors spread that Elisian tried to lead the first lap in order to pay gambling debts owed to a syndicate.^[2]

In June 1958, Elisian collided with Jim Davis in a Sprint car race at New Bremen Speedway in Auglaize County, Ohio. After Davis had run over one of the wheels of Elisian's spinning car when trying to pass him at the south turn, both cars flipped over and slid down the track. Elisian sustained minor injuries, but Davis, who suffered a skull fracture and chest injuries, died at Memorial Hospital in St. Marys, Ohio. While absolved of blame in the incident,^[8] Elisian's unpopularity with drivers deepened.^[2][9]

In September 1958, Elisian was suspended for being charged with passing fraudulent checks among other things, but reinstated as of end of May 1959.^[10][11]

In August 1959, Elisian entered the USAC Indy car 200-mile (320 km) race at the "Milwaukee Mile," - in West Allis, Wisconsin - known in those days as Wisconsin State Fair Park. Driving a metallic green Watson-style roadster owned by Ernie Ruiz, he crashed on lap 29 when he spun in oil from A. J. Foyt's engine. The car hit the wall, rupturing the fuel cell, and rolled over. Some sixty gallons of fuel caught fire, and took over nine minutes to extinguish.^[2] The crash claimed the life of Elisian.^[11][12]

Indianapolis 500 results

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired 1954 27 31 137.794 29 18 193 0 Flagged 1955 68 29 135.333 29 30 53 0 Stopped BS 1956 10 14 141.382 25 23 160 0 Stalled 1957 83 7 141.777 12 29 51 0 Timing gear 1958 5 2 145.926 2 28 0 0 Crash T3 Totals 457 0

Starts 5 Poles 0 Front Row 1 Wins 0 Top 5 0 Top 10 0 Retired 4

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	WDC	Points
1954	H.A. Chapman	Stevens	Offenhauser L4	ARG	500 18 *	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	SUI	ITA	ESP			NC	0
1955	Westwood Gauge / Wales	Kurtis Kraft 4000	Offenhauser L4	ARG	MON	500 30	BEL	NED	GBR	ITA					NC	0
1956	Hoyt Machine / Fred Sommer	Kurtis Kraft 500C	Offenhauser L4	ARG	MON	500 23 †	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA				NC	0
1957	McNamara / Kalamazoo Sports	Kurtis Kraft 500D	Offenhauser L4	ARG	MON	500 29	FRA	GBR	GER	PES	ITA				NC	0
1958	John Zink	Watson Indy Roadster	Offenhauser L4	ARG	MON	NED	500 28	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	POR	ITA	MOR	NC	0

* Indicates shared drive with Bob Scott.

† Indicates shared drive with Eddie Russo.

References

1. "Ed Elisian". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
2. "December 9". Wheels of Speed. Archived from the original on 2016-08-26. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
3. "Ed Elisian". Historicracing.com. Archived from the original on 2016-05-09. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
4. "Sweikert killed in racer crash". Kentucky New Era. Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Associated Press. June 18, 1956.
5. Owens, Bob (August 31, 1959). "Ed Elisian followed path of controversy". The Miami News.
6. "Indy 500 deadly accidents, 1958". IndySpeedway.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-20.
7. "Elisian suspended". The Milwaukee Journal. May 31, 1958.^{[permanent dead link]}
8. "Ed Elisian involved in fatal crash again". The Milwaukee Journal. June 30, 1958.^{[permanent dead link]}
9. "Jim Davis". Motorsport Memorial.
10. "Ed Elisian reinstated". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. May 26, 1959.^{[permanent dead link]}
11. "Race driver Ed Elisian dies in crash". Prescott Evening Courier. Associated Press. August 31, 1959.
12. "Driver killed at Fair race". Milwaukee Sentinel. August 31, 1959.^{[permanent dead link]}