Henry Banks

{{Infobox racing driver

| name = Henry Banks

| image = Henry Banks 1951 (3).jpg

| caption = Banks, circa 1951

| birth_name = Henry Edwin Banks

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1913|06|14}}

| birth_place = Croydon, Surrey, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1994|12|18|1923|06|14}}

| death_place = Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

| titles = AAA Championship Car (1950)

| module1 =

{{Infobox Champ Car driver|embed=yes

| Total_Champ_Races = 43

| Years_In_Champ = 15

| Best_Champ_Pos = 1st (1950)

| First_Champ_Race = 1935 Syracuse 100 (Syracuse)

| Last_Champ_Race = 1952 Phoenix 100 (Phoenix)

| First_Champ_Win = 1950 Detroit 100 (Detroit)

| Champ_Wins = 1

| Champ_Podiums = 9

| Champ_Poles = 1

| module2 =

{{Infobox F1 driver|embed=yes

| Years = {{F1|1950}}–{{F1|1954}}

| Team(s) = Maserati, Moore, Lesovsky

| Races = 5 (3 starts)

| Championships = 0

| Wins = 0

| Podiums = 0

| Points = 0

| Poles = 0

| Fastest laps = 0

| First race = 1950 Indianapolis 500

| Last race = 1954 Indianapolis 500

}}}}}}

Henry Edwin Banks (June 14, 1913 – December 18, 1994) was an American racing driver. He competed in various disciplines of open-wheel motorsport. Banks is best remembered for winning the 1950 AAA National Championship, and for his later career as a USAC race official.

Early life

Henry Banks was born in England, but brought up in Royal Oak, Michigan.[http://www.worthyofhonor.com/Inductees/Henry_Banks.htm Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313110550/http://www.worthyofhonor.com/Inductees/Henry_Banks.htm |date=March 13, 2007 }} He was the son of an early European race-driver.

Driving career

= Early career =

Banks began competing in 1932, when he was 19 years old, and became successful in midget cars.

Banks was the first driver to pass the qualifying "rookie test" instituted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway beginning in 1936. He also drove as a relief driver in 1937, 1939, and 1940, with a 21st-place finish in 1938.

Banks won the 1941 American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) championship in New England.

= Post-war career and AAA Championship =

After a break during the war, when he worked at Ford’s aero-engine division, Banks’ career took off. In 1947 he won 30 midget car races. In 1950, he was the AAA National Champion, winning a three-way battle for the title during the final race of the season. That same year, he came second in AAA National Midget points.

= World Drivers' Championship career =

The AAA/USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship participation, and were eligible to score WDC points alongside those which they may have scored towards the AAA/USAC National Championship.

Banks participated in three World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. His best finish was sixth place,{{Cite web |title=Henry Banks |url=http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/BanksHenry.htm |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=www.champcarstats.com}} and he scored no World Drivers' Championship points.

Post-driving life

File:Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 2017 - Racecars 34.jpg

After Banks retired from competition, he occasionally tested other automobiles. Later, he became the USAC Director of Competitions. He died in Indianapolis in 1994.

Actor

File:Ralph DePalma, Henry Banks and Troy Ruttman 1952.jpg and Troy Ruttman in 1952]]

Banks appeared in two racing-related films during his career. The first was [http://imdb.com/title/tt0043052 To Please A Lady], starring Clark Gable. The second was [http://imdb.com/title/tt0046245/ Roar of the Crowd], starring Howard Duff.

Awards and honors

Banks has been inducted into the following halls of fame:

Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame (1982){{Cite web |title=Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame - Banks, Henry 1982 * |url=https://www.mmshof.org/index.php/inductees/inductees/18-henry-banks |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=www.mmshof.org}}
Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1985){{Cite web |title=Henry Banks |url=https://imsmuseum.org/fame_inductee/henry-banks/ |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=IMS Museum |language=en-US}}
National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1987)
Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame (1988){{Cite web |title=Eastern Motorsports Press Association - Hall of Fame A thru L |url=http://empamedia.com/halloffameAthruL.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=empamedia.com}}{{Cite web |title=Eastern Motorsports Press Association - Hall of Fame |url=http://empamedia.com/halloffameHenry%20Banks.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=empamedia.com}}
United States Auto Club (USAC) Hall of Fame (2013){{Cite web |title=HENRY BANKS - USAC HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2013 - USAC Racing |url=https://usacracing.com/news/item/12344-henry-banks-usac-hall-of-fame-class-of-2013 |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=usacracing.com |language=en-gb}}
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2023){{Cite web |title=Henry Banks |url=https://www.mshf.com/Henry-Banks-10-1607559.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=www.mshf.com}}

Banks has been awarded the following honors:

Automotive Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Citation (1978){{Cite web |title=» Henry Banks {{!}} Automotive Hall of Fame |url=https://www.automotivehalloffame.org/honoree/henry-banks/ |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=www.automotivehalloffame.org}}

Motorsports career results

= AAA Championship Car results =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" ! Year ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! Pos ! Points
1946 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| INDY 27 \| LAN DNS \| ATL \| ISF \| MIL \| GOS \|colspan=9\| ! - ! 0
1947 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| INDY 24 \| MIL \| LAN \| ATL \| BAI \| MIL \| GOS \| MIL \| PIK \| SPR \| ARL \|colspan=4\| ! - ! 0
1948 \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| ARL 13 \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| INDY DNQ \| MIL \| LAN \| MIL \| SPR \| MIL \| DUQ \| ATL \| PIK \| SPR \| DUQ \|colspan=3\| ! - ! 0
1949 \| ARL \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| INDY DNQ \| MIL \| TRE \| SPR \| MIL \| DUQ \| PIK \| SYR \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| DET DNQ \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| SPR DNQ \| LAN \| SAC \| DMR \|colspan=1\| ! - ! 0
1950 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| INDY 25 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| MIL 5 \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| LAN 2 \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| SPR DNQ \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| MIL 2 \| PIK \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| SYR DNQ \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| DET 1 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| SPR 18 \|style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| SAC 3 \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| PHX 12 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| BAY 4 \|style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| DAR 3 \|colspan=2\| !style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 1st !style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 1,390
1951 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| INDY 6 \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| MIL 11 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| LAN 10 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| DAR 7 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| SPR 4 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| MIL 5 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| DUQ 6 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| DUQ 5 \| PIK \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| SYR 6 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| DET 9 \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| DNC 2 \|style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| SJS 3 \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| PHX 2 \|style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| BAY 3 !style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| 2nd !style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| 1,856.6
1952 \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| INDY 19 \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| MIL DNQ \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| RAL 10 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| SPR 7 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| MIL 4 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| DET 6 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| DUQ 7 \| PIK \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| SYR 8 \|style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| DNC 8 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| SJS 17 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| PHX 5 \|colspan=3\| !style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| 10th !style="background:#CFEAFF;"\| 700
1953 \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| INDY DNQ \|style="background:#DFC484;"\| MIL Wth \| SPR \| DET \| SPR \| MIL \| DUQ \| PIK \| SYR \| ISF \| SAC \| PHX \|colspan=3\| ! - ! 0
1954 \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| INDY DNQ \| MIL \| LAN \| DAR \| SPR \| MIL \| DUQ \| PIK \| SYR \| ISF \| SAC \| PHX \| LVG \|colspan=2\| ! - ! 0

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

! Year

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! Pos

! Points

1946

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| INDY
27

| LAN
DNS

| ATL

| ISF

| MIL

| GOS

|colspan=9|

! -

! 0

1947

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

| MIL

| LAN

| ATL

| BAI

| MIL

| GOS

| MIL

| PIK

| SPR

| ARL

|colspan=4|

! -

! 0

1948

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| ARL
13

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

| MIL

| LAN

| MIL

| SPR

| MIL

| DUQ

| ATL

| PIK

| SPR

| DUQ

|colspan=3|

! -

! 0

1949

| ARL

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

| MIL

| TRE

| SPR

| MIL

| DUQ

| PIK

| SYR

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

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

| LAN

| SAC

| DMR

|colspan=1|

! -

! 0

1950

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| INDY
25

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

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

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

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

| PIK

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

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

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

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SAC
3

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

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BAY
4

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| DAR
3

|colspan=2|

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

!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1,390

1951

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

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

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| LAN
10

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

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SPR
4

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

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

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

| PIK

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

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

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

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SJS
3

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

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| BAY
3

!style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd

!style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 1,856.6

1952

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| INDY
19

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

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| RAL
10

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

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MIL
4

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

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

| PIK

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| SYR
8

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| DNC
8

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

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

|colspan=3|

!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 10th

!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 700

1953

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

|style="background:#DFC484;"| MIL
Wth

| SPR

| DET

| SPR

| MIL

| DUQ

| PIK

| SYR

| ISF

| SAC

| PHX

|colspan=3|

! -

! 0

1954

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

| MIL

| LAN

| DAR

| SPR

| MIL

| DUQ

| PIK

| SYR

| ISF

| SAC

| PHX

| LVG

|colspan=2|

! -

! 0

1946 table only includes results of the six races run to "championship car" specifications. Points total includes the 71 races run to "big car" specifications.{{Cite web |title=1946 AAA National Championship Trail |url=http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1946.htm |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=www.champcarstats.com}}{{Cite journal |last=Capps |first=H. Donald |date=October 2009 |title=The Curious Case of the 1946 Season: An Inconvenient Championship |url=http://forix.autosport.com/8w/rvm/rvm-vol07-no02.pdf |journal=Rear View Mirror |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=1–16}}

= Indianapolis 500 results =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Year !Car !Start !Qual !Rank !Finish !Laps !Led !Retired
1938 \|33 \|31 \|116.279 \|31 \|21 \|109 \|0 \|Rod bearing
1946 \|3 \|21 \|120.220 \|25 \|27 \|32 \|0 \|Pinion shaft
1947 \|43 \|26 \|120.923 \|18 \|24 \|36 \|0 \|Oil line
1950 \|12 \|21 \|129.646 \|29 \|25 \|112 \|0 \|Flagged
1951 \|1 \|17 \|133.899 \|12 \|6 \|200 \|0 \|Running
1952 \|2 \|12 \|135.962 \|12 \|19 \|184 \|0 \|Flagged
colspan=6\|Totals \|673 \|0 \|

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

Year

!Car

!Start

!Qual

!Rank

!Finish

!Laps

!Led

!Retired

1938

|33

|31

|116.279

|31

|21

|109

|Rod bearing

1946

|21

|120.220

|25

|27

|32

|Pinion shaft

1947

|43

|26

|120.923

|18

|24

|36

|Oil line

1950

|12

|21

|129.646

|29

|25

|112

|Flagged

1951

|17

|133.899

|12

|200

|Running

1952

|12

|135.962

|12

|19

|184

|Flagged

colspan=6|Totals

|673

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Starts \|6
Poles \|0
Front Row \|0
Wins \|0
Top 5 \|0
Top 10 \|1
Retired \|3

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

Starts

Poles

Front Row

Wins

Top 5

Top 10

Retired

= FIA World Drivers' Championship results =

(key)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" ! Year ! Entrant ! Chassis ! Engine ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! {{Tooltip\|WDC\|World Drivers' Championship}} ! Pts
1950 ! Indianapolis Race Cars ! Maserati 8CL ! Offenhauser 3.0 L4 s \| GBR \| MON \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 500 {{small\|25}} \| SUI \| BEL \| FRA \| ITA \| \| ! NC ! 0
1951 ! Blue Crown Spark Plug / Hopkins ! Moore ! Offenhauser 4.5 L4 \| SUI \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 500 {{small\|6}} \| BEL \| FRA \| GBR \| GER \| ITA \| ESP \| ! NC ! 0
1952 ! Blue Crown Spark Plug / Hopkins ! Lesovsky ! Offenhauser 4.5 L4 \| SUI \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| 500 {{small\|19}} \| BEL \| FRA \| GBR \| GER \| NED \| ITA \| ! NC ! 0
1953 ! Hopkins / Motor Racers ! Lesovsky ! Offenhauser 4.5 L4 \| ARG \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| 500 {{small\|DNQ}} \| NED \| BEL \| FRA \| GBR \| GER \| SUI \| ITA ! NC ! 0
1954 ! Hopkins / Motor Racers ! Lesovsky ! Offenhauser 4.5 L4 \| ARG \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| 500 {{small\|DNQ}} \| BEL \| FRA \| GBR \| GER \| SUI \| ITA \| ESP ! NC ! 0
colspan=15\|{{center\|{{small\|Source:{{cite web\|url=https://www.statsf1.com/en/henry-banks/engagement.aspx\|title=Henry Banks – Involvement\|work=StatsF1\|access-date=April 24, 2019}}{{cite web\|url=http://www.barchetta.cc/english/All.Maserati/Detail/3035.Tipo.8.CL.htm\|title=Detail – Tipo 8 CL\|work=barchetta.cc\|access-date=April 24, 2019}}}}}}

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

! Year

! Entrant

! Chassis

! Engine

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! {{Tooltip|WDC|World Drivers' Championship}}

! Pts

1950

! Indianapolis Race Cars

! Maserati 8CL

! Offenhauser 3.0 L4 s

| GBR

| MON

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 500
{{small|25}}

| SUI

| BEL

| FRA

| ITA

! NC

! 0

1951

! Blue Crown Spark Plug / Hopkins

! Moore

! Offenhauser 4.5 L4

| SUI

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 500
{{small|6}}

| BEL

| FRA

| GBR

| GER

| ITA

| ESP

! NC

! 0

1952

! Blue Crown Spark Plug / Hopkins

! Lesovsky

! Offenhauser 4.5 L4

| SUI

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 500
{{small|19}}

| BEL

| FRA

| GBR

| GER

| NED

| ITA

! NC

! 0

1953

! Hopkins / Motor Racers

! Lesovsky

! Offenhauser 4.5 L4

| ARG

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| 500
{{small|DNQ}}

| NED

| BEL

| FRA

| GBR

| GER

| SUI

| ITA

! NC

! 0

1954

! Hopkins / Motor Racers

! Lesovsky

! Offenhauser 4.5 L4

| ARG

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| 500
{{small|DNQ}}

| BEL

| FRA

| GBR

| GER

| SUI

| ITA

| ESP

! NC

! 0

colspan=15|{{center|{{small|Source:{{cite web|url=https://www.statsf1.com/en/henry-banks/engagement.aspx|title=Henry Banks – Involvement|work=StatsF1|access-date=April 24, 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.barchetta.cc/english/All.Maserati/Detail/3035.Tipo.8.CL.htm|title=Detail – Tipo 8 CL|work=barchetta.cc|access-date=April 24, 2019}}}}}}

References

External links

[http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/BanksHenry.htm Henry Banks - ChampCarStats.com]
{{Find a Grave|12542}}
[http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/LWFWIW/focusLWFWIW.php?db=LWF&db2=ms&n=1288 Henry Banks - Motorsport Memorial]
{{Racing-Reference driver|Henry_Banks}}

Category:1913 births

Category:1994 deaths

Category:Champ Car champions

Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers

Category:Racing drivers from Michigan

Category:Racing drivers from London

Category:People from Croydon

Category:Sportspeople from the London Borough of Croydon

Category:Sportspeople from Royal Oak, Michigan

Category:20th-century English sportsmen