Lewis Strang

Lewis Strang was an American racing driver.

Biography

Strang was born on August 7, 1884, in Amsterdam, New York. In 1908, he won the First American International Road Race, held in Briarcliff Manor, New York. As the first entrant for the 1911 [Indianapolis 500], which predated modern on-track qualifications, Strang was pole sitter for the race.
Strang was killed in a testing accident in Wisconsin on July 20, 1911. He was driving approximately five to ten miles an hour and trying to avoid an approaching farmer. Strang's car became embedded in soft dirt, causing it to tumble down an embankment. He was pinned underneath the overturned vehicle and was crushed to death.

In 1951, negationist sportswriter Russ Catlin selected Strang as the 1908 AAA National Champion.