Don Edmunds
Don Edmunds was an American racecar driver and car builder.
Racing career
Edmunds changed the nose on his first Kurtis midget car from Kurtis' design to his own. Indy car builder Eddie Kuzma hired Edmunds to fix the dent in Jimmy Bryan’s car after the driver kicked the car.Edmunds had his first start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1957. He won the 1957 List of [Indianapolis 500 Rookies of the Year|Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year] after finishing nineteenth over Bill Cheesbourg, Elmer George, Mike Magill, and Eddie Sachs. Edmunds' Indy career ended with a serious practice accident at the Speedway in 1958.
Edmunds founded Autoresearch, Inc. in Anaheim, California, which specialized in building midget cars and sprint cars. He created the blueprints and did most of the fabrication work on the original Bill Thomas Cheetah prototype sports car racer. His chassis won several National Midget Championships in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the 1970s, Edmunds was a prolific constructor of Formula Super Vee cars. He became a collector and restorer of old race cars.
Edmunds built Evel Knievel's Snake River Canyon Sky cycle.
Career awards
- Edmunds was named to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1991.
- Edmunds was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1994.
Death
Born in Santa Ana, California, Edmunds died in August 2020, aged 89 in Gold Beach, OR.Indianapolis 500 results
| Starts | 1 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Front Row | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Top 5 | 0 |
| Top 10 | 0 |
| Retired | 1 |
Complete Formula One World Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | WDC | Points |
| 1957 [Formula One season|1957] | Roy McKay | Kurtis Kraft 500G | Offenhauser L4 | ARG | MON | 500 19 | FRA | GBR | GER | PES | ITA | NC | 0 | |
| 1959 | Bill Forbes Racing | Kuzma Indy Roadster | Offenhauser L4 | MON | 500 DNQ | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | POR | ITA | USA | NC | 0 |