The Jimmy Daywalt Tribute Site

Jimmy Daywalt was named “Rookie of the Year” Sunday night at the annual award dinner for ‘500’ pilots but the Wabash driver wasn’t there to receive his honor. Wabash’s Number One citizen was in a Winchester hospital while Bill Vukovich, Art Cross, Freddy Agabashian, and other drivers collected their checks for performances in the Memorial Day classic.

Daywalt took part in a race at the Winchester oval Sunday, less than 24 hours after he rode the Sumar Special to sixth place over the burning Indianapolis track. During a 50 lap race at Winchester, Daywalt lost a wheel and smacked the north wall.

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Winchester, – Jimmy Daywalt of Wabash, named rookie of the year for his sixth place finish in the Indianapolis 500-mile Memorial Day race, Monday was recovering from injuries suffered in time trials for a 50-lap feature here.

Daywalt received a mild concussion, a knee injury and lacerations when his car lost a wheel and flipped over. He was taken to Randolph County hospital where his physician said his condition was not serious.

The driver missed the presentation of his 500-mile classic rookie of the year award, announced Sunday night at the victory banquet in Indianapolis. He collected $7,696.97 for his sixth place finish.

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Jimmy Daywalt flashed down the straightaway at the famed Indianapolis Speedway Saturday afternoon and took the checkered flag after competing four laps (10 miles) and his first try at the 1953 time trials.

His sleek Sumar Special soon came to a halt and Daywalt’s time card reached. The card from the pagoda showed an average speed of 135.747 miles-per-hour. Enough to land the Wabash driver in the seventh row when the big grind gets underway next Saturday.

It was the first time Daywalt had been able to crack the magic circle and post a speed that would give him a mount in the race.

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