1954 Indy 500 Speed Records
13 Feb
Jimmy Daywalt set speed records for laps #50 and #60 during the 1954 '500'. Photo from the 1955 '500' Program
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1954 Driver’s Meeting
13 Feb
The annual drivers' meeting was held in the front straight stands. Jimmy is in the middle of the front row (since he qualified second). Photo from the Rick Popely's Indianapolis 500 Chronicle
1954 Sumar Team
13 Feb
The Sumar team entered three cars, but only Jimmy Daywalt made the show, qualifying the No. 19 car second and leading eight laps before he crashed. To Daywalt's right are Jerry Hoyt, car-owner Chapman Root, and chief mechanic John Blough. Photo from the Rick Popely's Indianapolis 500 Chronicle
Daywalt after qualifying 2nd for the 1954 Indy 500
13 Feb
Daywalt after qualifying 2nd for the 1954 Indy 500. Photo provided by Paul Johnson.
Photo was sold on Ebay
1954 Indianapolis 500 Front Row Qualifiers on track
13 Feb
Jimmy in a photo of the front row qualifiers of the 1954 Indianapolis 500
1954 Indy 500 Front Row
13 Feb
Daywalt (left) and Jimmy Bryan share the spotlight with McGrath by wining the other front row starting positions. Photo from the 1955 '500' Program.
100 mph Club
13 Feb
Colonel A. W. Herrington presents membership certificates to Ernie McCoy, Bill Vukovich, and Jimmy Daywalt. Photo from the 1955 '500' Program
Local Driver Rated One of Favorites in Famed Race
13 Feb
THE SUMAR COMBO – The new Sumar Special and its driver Jimmy Daywalt pictured above will carry the hopes of Sumar Enterprises and the city of Wabash in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 500-Mile race classic Monday. The local auto driver finished sixth in the 1953’500’ and was named “Rookie of the Year”
Only a few minor preliminaries remained on the docket as the temp for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 500-Mile race reached fever pitch Friday for Monday’s annual speed classic, an endurance test for car and man, at the Hoosier’s capital’s West Sixteenth street 2 ½ mile oval.
The eyes of local racing enthusiasts will be focused on the middle position of the first row of the 33-car starting field when it roars by the starting line around 10 a.m. Monday. In that particular spot driving the blue and white new Sumar Special will be Wabash’s own Jimmy Daywalt, a boyish looking individual of 28 years.
The Sports Beat
13 Feb
By George Thomas
THE BANNERS of Wabash will be flying high at the starting line of the 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway May 31. They’ll be in the person of Jimmy Daywalt, who only a year ago drove in his initial 500-Classic.
Daywalt, whose ultimate dream in life is to win the Memorial Day race, the top achievement in the auto racing world, certainly is making great strides in reaching that pinnacle of success. When they lined up for the 1953 500-miler Daywalt was back in the seventh row, but this year when they move up to the starting mark the handsome Wabash driver will be in the first row along with record-smashing Jack McGrath and Jimmy Bryan, the Arizona cowboy.
JIMMY DAYWALT REELS OFF 139.7
13 Feb
Local Driver on Front Row For 500-mile
Indianapolis – Wabash’s Jimmy Daywalt climbed another rung up the ladder on the road to greatest in the auto racing world here Saturday afternoon.
The sun-tanned driver from the banks of the Wabash river will be one of the front row occupants in the 500-Mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway May 31. This came as a result of Daywalt’s record breaking qualifying time Saturday at the West Sixteenth street 2 ½ mile oval.
Daywalt was clocked in 139.797, which is better than the old mark set by the late Chet Miller in a Novi in 1952, but the Wabashian had to relinquish laurels to Jack McGrath of Inglewood, Calif., who turned the 10-mile qualifying run in 141.033 shortly before Daywalt qualified.
