Johnny Hannon
Encyclopedia
John Hrankaj, publicly known as Johnny Hannon (November 10th, 1908, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania - May 20th, 1935, Speedway, Indiana
) was an American racecar driver and boxer. He was killed while testing a car for the 1935 Indianapolis 500
, in his first year of attempting to qualify for the race. He had previously had success on the dirt track circuit.
He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2006.
. Before racing he was a professional boxer, winning 13 of 14 bouts. At the time of his death he was married with a three year old daughter and living in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
.
Speedway, Indiana
Speedway is a town in Wayne Township, Marion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 12,881 at the 2000 census. Speedway is the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, from which the town derives its name, and is a complete enclave of Indianapolis....
) was an American racecar driver and boxer. He was killed while testing a car for the 1935 Indianapolis 500
1935 Indianapolis 500
The 1935 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Thursday, May 30, 1935. Despite attempts to improve participant safety by requiring crash helmets and installing green and yellow lights around the track, the event that year would prove to be one of the worst in terms of fatalities.-Pre-race and...
, in his first year of attempting to qualify for the race. He had previously had success on the dirt track circuit.
Racing Career
In 1934 Hannon was the AAA Eastern Circuit dirt track racing champion. In 1935 he was to attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, but lost control of his car in practice and went over the Northwest wall. He was thrown from the vehicle, which then landed on top of him, causing his immediate death. The following year driving skill tests for first time drivers became mandatory for the 500.He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2006.
Personal
Hannon was born in the United States but grew up in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Before racing he was a professional boxer, winning 13 of 14 bouts. At the time of his death he was married with a three year old daughter and living in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Conshohocken is a borough on the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in recent years Conshohocken has developed into a center of riverfront commercial and...
.