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Dennis Firestone

{{Short description|Australian CART driver}}

{{EngvarB|date=April 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}

{{Infobox racing driver

| name = Dennis Firestone

| image = DennisFirestoneAt2015indy500.JPG

| imagesize =

| caption =

| nationality = Australian {{flagicon|AUS}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1944|07|22}}

| birth_place = Townsville, Australia)

| related to =

| current series =

| first year = 1979

| current team =

| car number =

| former teams =

| starts = 34

| wins = 0

| poles = 0

| fastest laps = 0

| best finish = 12th

| year = 1980

| prev series =

| prev series years =

| titles =

| title years =

| awards = CART IndyCar Rookie of the Year

| award years = 1980

}}

Dennis Firestone (born 22 July 1944 in Townsville, Australia) is a former CART driver who raced from 1979 to 1987. He was the 1980 CART Rookie of the Year in finishing 12th in season points, his best season. His best finish in a CART race was a pair of 5th places that season. He made five starts at the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 10th in 1981.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u6ceAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Yc4EAAAAIBAJ&dq=dennis%20firestone%20indy-500&pg=5442%2C7508877 Firestone enters Indy 500] An accident at Indianapolis in 1987 resulted in a broken neck and ended his racing career. Since his driving days, he has run a California trucking company,{{Cite web |url=http://www.kkwtrucks.com/pdf/Bandag.pdf |title=KKW Trucks |access-date=10 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919201938/http://www.kkwtrucks.com/pdf/Bandag.pdf |archive-date=19 September 2011 |url-status=dead }} and participates in vintage racing events.

American Open Wheel racing results

=SCCA National Championship Runoffs=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
YearTrackCarEngineClassFinishStartStatus
1973Road AtlantaTitanFordFormula Ford249Retired
1974Road AtlantaADF Mk. 2FordFormula Ford45Running
rowspan=2|1976rowspan=2| Road AtlantaCrosslé 30FFordFormula Fordstyle="background:#FFFFBF;"| 13Running
MarchCosworthFormula B89Running
1977Road AtlantaCrosslé 32FFordFormula Fordstyle="background:#FFDF9F;"| 317Running
1979Road AtlantaCrossléFordFormula Ford2112Retired
1981Road AtlantaCrosslé 50FFordFormula Fordstyle="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2Running
1982Road AtlantaCrosslé 50FFordFormula Ford6Running

=Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results=

File:DennisFirestoneSVRA2016.jpg.]]

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

! Year

! Entrant

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! Pos

! Points

1978

! Crosslé Cars Pacific

|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| PIR1
5

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| TRE1
24

|style="background-color:#FFDF9F"| MOS
3

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| MIL1
22

|style="background-color:#CFEAFF"| TEX
6

|style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| MIL2
1

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| OMS1
24

|style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| OMS2
1

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| TRE2
16

|style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| PIR2
2

|style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| 2nd

|style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| 894

1979

!

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| TEX1
1

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| IRP
2

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| MIL1
1

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| POC
2

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| TEX2
2

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| MIL2
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| MIN1
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| MIN2
1

|

|

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1480

=American Super Vee Championship=

  • 1978 – 17th
  • 1979 – 9th
  • 1980 – 16th

=USAC Gold Crown Championship=

  • 1981–82 – 24th
  • 1983–84 – 15th

=PPG Indycar Series=

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

! Year

! Team

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! Rank

! Points

! Ref

1979

! AMS Oil

| PHX

| ATL

| ATL

| INDY

| TRE

| TRE

| MCH

| MCH

| WGL

| TRE

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ONT
31

| MCH

| ATL

| PHX

|

|

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| NC

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 0

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1979/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1979 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

1980

! Scientific Drilling

| ONT

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| INDY
16

| MIL

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| POC
30

| MDO

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MCH
14

| WGL

| MIL

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| ONT
6

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| MCH
DNS

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MEX
5

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| PHX
5

|

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 12th

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 743

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1980/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1980 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

1981

! Rhoades Racing

| PHX

| MIL

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ATL
18

| ATL

| MCH

| RIV

| MIL

| MCH

| WGL

| MEX

| PHX

|

|

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 44th

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 1

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1981/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1981 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

1982

! BVC Racing

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| PHX
20

| ATL

| MIL

| CLE

| MCH

| MIL

| POC

| RIV

| ROA

| MCH

| PHX

|

|

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 44th

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 1

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1982/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1982 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

1983

! Simpson Sports

| ATL

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| INDY
24

| MIL

| CLE

| MCH

| ROA

| POC

| RIV

| MDO

| MCH

| CPL

| LAG

| PHX

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| NC

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 0

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1983/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1983 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

rowspan=2| 1984

! Hoosier Transportation

| LBH

| PHX

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| INDY
12

| MIL

| POR

| MEA

| CLE

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|rowspan=2 style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 39th

|rowspan=2 style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 1

!rowspan=2| {{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1984/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1984 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

Pace Electronics

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| MCH
DNQ

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| ROA
17

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| POC
26

| MDO

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SAN
16

| MCH

| PHX

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| LAG
DNQ

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CPL
21

|

1985

! Pace Racing

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| LBH
22

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| INDY
DNQ

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIL
20

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| POR
18

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| MEA
DNQ

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CLE
21

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MCH
11

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ROA
20

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| POC
9

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MDO
17

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SAN
14

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| MCH
DNS

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| LAG
23

| PHX

| MIA

|

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 33rd

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 6

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1985/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1985 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

1986

! Pace Racing

| PHX

| LBH

|style="background:#DFC484;"| INDY
Wth1

| MIL

| POR

| MEA

| CLE

| TOR

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MCH
17

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| POC
28

| MDO

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SAN
14

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MCH
14

| ROA

| LAG

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| PHX
17

| MIA

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 40th

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 0

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1986/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1986 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

1987

! Raynor Garage Door

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| LBH
21

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| PHX
7

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| INDY
DNQ

| MIL

| POR

| MEA

| CLE

| TOR

| MCH

| POC

| ROA

| MDO

| NAZ

| LAG

| MIA

|

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 31st

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 6

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/firesde01/1987/R|title=Dennis Firestone – 1987 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

: ''1 Wrecked after qualifying

=Indy 500 results=

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
Year

! Chassis

! Engine

! Start

! Finish

1980

| Penske

| Cosworth

| 24th

| 16th

1981

| Wildcat

| Cosworth

| 28th

| 10th

1982

| Eagle

| Milodon

| 21st

| 27th

1983

| March

| Cosworth

| 33rd

| 24th

1984

| March

| Cosworth

| 32nd

| 12th

1985

| March

| Cosworth

| Failed to Qualify

| DNQ

1986

| March

| Cosworth

| Withdrew*

| N/A

1987

| Lola

| Cosworth

| Practice Crash

| DNQ

  • Firestone qualified for the 1986 race, but was forced to withdraw from the field after a serious crash totalled the car during the final Carburetion Day practice.

References

{{Reflist}}

  • {{DriverDB driver|dennis-firestone}}
  • [http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/FirestoneDennis.htm Indycar Stats]
  • [http://www.champcarstats.com/vee/drivers/FirestoneDennis.htm Super Vee Stats]

{{s-start}}

{{s-sports}}

{{succession box|before = Bill Alsup | title = USAC Mini-Indy | years=1979 | after = Peter Kuhn}}

{{succession box|before = Bill Alsup | title = CART Rookie of the Year | years=1980 | after = Bob Lazier}}

{{s-end}}

{{Chaparral Cars}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Firestone, Dennis}}

Category:1944 births

Category:Champ Car drivers

Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers

Category:Formula Super Vee Champions

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Townsville

Category:Racing drivers from Queensland

Category:SCCA National Championship Runoffs winners