Bill Holland was an American race car driver from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

 who won the Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...

 in 1949. He nearly won as a rookie in 1947 but slowed and allowed teammate Mauri Rose

Mauri Rose

Mauri Rose was an American racecar driver.He started from the pole position driving a Maserati in the 1941 Indianapolis 500, but spark plug problems put him out of the race after sixty laps. He then took over the Wetteroth/Offenhauser car being driven by Floyd Davis that had started in 17th place....

 to pass him seven laps from the end, mistakenly believing that Rose was a lap down. On November 14, 1951, Holland was suspended from AAA Indy Car racing

American Championship Car Racing

Since 1916 there has been a recognized United States national automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level, single-seat open wheel race cars. The championship has been under the auspices of several different sanctioning bodies since 1909. Since 1911, the Indianapolis...

 for one year after competing in a three-lap Lion's Charity race at Opa Locka, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 which was a NASCAR

NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 event. The American Automobile Association

American Automobile Association

AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...

, at the time the sanctioning body for Indycar races, had a strict rule forbidding its drivers from participating in any races other than their own, and would blacklist

Blacklist

A blacklist is a list or register of entities who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize a person from a certain social circle...

 violators.

Bill Holland won the first ever automobile race at Selinsgrove Speedway

Selinsgrove Speedway

Selinsgrove Speedway is one-half mile dirt racetrack in Penn Township just south of Selinsgrove, Snyder County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It hosts Road-Runner, Pro Stock, Late Model, and Sprint Car racing every Saturday night...

 (Selinsgrove, PA) on July 20, 1946.

Indy 500 results

EWLINE Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired 1947 1947 Indianapolis 500 Results of the 1947 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Friday, May 30, 1947.Late in the race, Lou Moore teammates Bill Holland and Mauri Rose were running 1st-2nd. The pit crew displayed a confusing chalkboard sign with the letters "EZY" to Holland, presumably meaning for him to take the... 16 8 128.755 1 2 200 143 Running 1948 1948 Indianapolis 500 Results of the 1948 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Monday, May 31, 1948.... 2 2 129.515 3 2 200 0 Running 1949 1949 Indianapolis 500 Results of the 1949 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Monday, May 30, 1949.... 7 4 128.673 9 1 200 146 Running 1950 1950 Indianapolis 500 The 1950 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race which was held on Tuesday, May 30, 1950 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the third round of the 1950 World Drivers' Championship... 3 10 130.482 21 2 137 8 Running 1953 1953 Indianapolis 500 The 1953 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Saturday, May 30, 1953 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the second round of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship.-Race:... 49 28 137.868 2 15 177 0 Cam gear Totals 914 297

EWLINE Starts 5 Poles 0 Front Row 1 Wins 1 Top 5 4 Top 10 4 Retired 1

• Although Holland started the 1947 race from the middle of the third row, he posted the fastest qualifying time.

World Championship career summary

The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Bill Holland participated in 2 World Championship races, finishing on the podium once and scoring 6 World Championship points.

Awards

He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame

National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum

The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum is a Hall of Fame and museum for sprint car drivers, owners, mechanics, builders, manufacturers, promoters, sanctioning officials and media members....

in 2005.