Wally Dallenbach Sr. 1936-2024

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Wally Dallenbach, a respected INDYCAR SERIES  race winner as a driver and longtime series official dedicated to racing  safety, died April 29. He was 87.

Dallenbach, a native of East Brunswick, New Jersey, made 13  Indianapolis 500 starts between 1967-79. His best finish was fourth, in  1976 and 1977, in the No. 40 Wildcat/DGS owned by Patrick Racing. He  qualified in the middle of the front row in 1974 for Patrick, his best  “500” start.

Perhaps Dallenbach’s most memorable performance as a driver at  Indianapolis came in 1975, again for car owner U.E. “Pat” Patrick. He  led four times for a race-high 96 laps, losing the top spot only at pit  stops. But Dallenbach was eliminated from the race by a burnt piston  while leading on Lap 162, just 12 laps before the race was called due to  rain, with Bobby Unser earning his second “500” victory. Dallenbach was  credited with ninth place.

Dallenbach recorded five victories, 27 podium finishes and one pole  in 180 INDYCAR SERIES starts. His best championship finish was second,  behind Roger McCluskey, in 1973 despite not qualifying for the first two  races of the season.

The most memorable of Dallenbach’s victories came in the 1973  California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway, the last of his three straight  wins that season for Patrick Racing.

Dallenbach started his driving career in drag racing on the East  Coast before switching to oval racing in midgets and sprint cars. He  made his INDYCAR SERIES debut in 1965 at Langhorne Speedway, with his  final start coming in 1979 at Phoenix. He then retired as a driver, but  it wasn’t his last appearance in an INDYCAR SERIES car.

In 1981, rain severely curtailed the first weekend of Indianapolis  500 qualifying, and Mario Andretti didn’t get a chance to make an  attempt. Andretti had a clashing commitment to race in the Belgian Grand  Prix Formula One race during the second qualifying weekend, so  Dallenbach briefly exited retirement to put Andretti’s No. 40 STP Oil  Treatment Wildcat/Cosworth safely in the field before turning the car  back to Andretti for the race.

After his initial retirement, Dallenbach became the first competition  director and chief steward of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in  1980. He served as chief steward until 2004, easily recognized by his  trademark cowboy hat and earning respect from all corners of the paddock  for his even-handed officiating and humble, personable demeanor.

Dallenbach also made significant contributions to racing safety. He  worked with doctors Steve Olvey and Terry Trammell and safety directors  Steve Edwards and Lon Bromley to develop a trailblazing safety team  including doctors, nurses and emergency medical technicians that  traveled to all CART races. He also worked with teams and car builders  to create improvements in chassis construction, including more  energy-absorbing materials.

“Wally Dallenbach made a huge contribution to our sport for five  decades as a driver and official,” a joint statement from INDYCAR and  Indianapolis Motor Speedway said. “He was a talented competitor behind  the wheel, who always raced hard but clean. That sense of fairness and  decency extended to his legendary tenure as chief steward of CART, where  he was respected and liked by all for his steady, sensible officiating.  Wally’s many contributions to racing safety, especially a traveling  medical team, will resonate long into the future. He was one of the true  good guys of open-wheel racing, and our thoughts and sympathies are  with his family.”

Said two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Gordon Johncock, Dallenbach’s  teammate for six seasons at Patrick Racing: “Wally was as good a  teammate as you could ever ask for. He took racing seriously. I've never  met anyone at the track as helpful as Wally. He loved the sport and  after he retired spent years helping as chief steward of Championship  Auto Racing Teams. He helped the veterans and rookies – everyone. I'll  miss him.

He did a lot for the sport over the years. A very good man.”

Motorcycles also were an object of passion for Dallenbach. He moved  to a ranch in Basalt, Colorado, after his successful 1973 season –  fulfilling a dream spawned during his honeymoon in 1960 in Aspen – and  organized the Colorado 500 dirt-bike ride with friend Sherm Cooper in  1976.

By 1981, the invitation-only event grew so big that  the Colorado 500 Charity Fund was established, with a road ride added in  1987. The ride has raised more than $1.2 million for scholarship funds,  medical centers, teen services, scouting and other charities, including  groups that preserve trail-riding areas.

His vast and varied accomplishments were rewarded with enshrinement  in multiple Halls of Fame, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway  Hall of Fame, Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, the Pikes Peak  International Hill Climb Hall of Fame and state sports halls of fame in  his native New Jersey and Colorado.

Dallenbach’s wife, Peppy, passed away in 2023. He is survived by  three children – two sons, former NASCAR Cup Series driver Wally Jr. and  multiple Pikes Peak International Hill Climb winner Paul, and daughter,  Colleen.

 A versatile race driver in a career that included IndyCar and the  Pikes Peak Hill Climb, who went on to become one of the most respected  chief stewards in CART history, Wally Dallenbach passed away on Monday,  April 29. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Association and the  Indianapolis Motor Speedway confirmed his passing. He was 87 years old. 

“Wally  Dallenbach made a huge contribution to our sport for five decades as a  driver and official,” a joint statement from IndyCar and Indianapolis  Motor Speedway said. “He was a talented competitor behind the wheel, who  always raced hard but clean. That sense of fairness and decency  extended to his legendary tenure as chief steward of CART, where he was  respected and liked by all for his steady, sensible officiating. Wally’s  many contributions to racing safety, especially a traveling medical  team, will resonate long into the future. He was one of the true good  guys of open-wheel racing, and our thoughts and sympathies are with his  family.”

Dallenbach made 181 IndyCar starts over a 15-year period  with five victories. He finished second in the United States Auto Club  Champ Car standings in 1973 when that was the IndyCar sanctioning body.  He made his first IndyCar start in 1965 and his first Indianapolis 500  start in 1967. 

That was one of his 13 Indianapolis 500 starts.  His best finish was fourth in 1976 and 1977, driving for Patrick Racing,  where he was teammates with two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Gordon  Johncock.

The 1973 and 1982 Indianapolis 500 winner spoke from his  house in South Branch, Michigan, on Monday about Dallenbach. The two  were teammates from 1973-77 and 1979 – six years total. 

“Wally  (Dallenbach) was as good a teammate as you could ever ask for,” Johncock  said. “He took racing seriously. I’ve never met anyone at the track as  helpful as Wally. He loved the sport and after he retired spent years  helping as chief steward of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), he  helped the veterans and rookies — everyone. 

“As a driver he was  very safe behind the wheel and never took risks. You never had to worry  about running wheel-to-wheel with him, Wally would never wreck you. 

“There  are a handful of very, very talented drivers that never won  Indianapolis, winning Indy takes lots of luck, too, and Wally should  have won — he led almost 100 laps (96) in 1975 and broke just before the  rains came. He was on the front row at Indy and won at California — he  was very talented and smart. 

“I’ll miss him. He did a lot for the sport over the years. 

“A very good man.” 

Dallenbach  was the father of former CART and NASCAR Cup Series driver Wally  Dallenbach, Jr., who was an IndyCar analyst for races on the old NBC  Sports Network and prior to that Versus telecasts of IndyCar. Another son, Paul, is a multi-time Pikes Peak Hill Climb winner. 

After an impressive racing career, Dallenbach was able to rule the  CART Series with fairness and firmness, as the chief steward. It’s an  often-thankless position, but Dallenbach earned the respect of the  competitors. 

He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of  America, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame, the Pikes Peak  Hill Climb Hall of Fame, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, and the New  Jersey Sports Hall of Fame. 

In addition to his 167 IndyCar starts  in USAC and his 14 starts in CART, Dallenbach competed in four NASCAR  Cup Series races over three years, including two in 1962, both at  Daytona. He was sixth in the second 40-lap twin qualifying race and 37th in the Daytona 500, driving for car owner Don House. 

He finished 13th at Old Bridge Stadium in Old Bridge, New Jersey, in 1964 and 29th in the 1974 National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway 11 years later. 

The  Indianapolis 500 was a track Dallenbach loved. He led 96 laps in the  1975 Indianapolis 500 before piston failure put him out of the race  after 165 laps. That was just 12 laps before the race was called due to  rain, with Bobby Unser earning his second 500 victory. Dallenbach was  credited with ninth place. He led three laps in 1976 on his way to a  fourth-place finish. 

He started second and led the first two laps  of the 1974 Indianapolis 500, but a burned piston put him out of the  race after completing the second lap. 

Dallenbach also made  significant contributions to racing safety. He worked with doctors Steve  Olvey and Terry Trammell and safety directors Steve Edwards and Lon  Bromley to develop a trailblazing safety team, including doctors, nurses  and emergency medical technicians that traveled to all CART races. He  also worked with teams and car builders to create improvements in  chassis construction, including more energy-absorbing materials.

Motorcycles  also were an object of passion for Dallenbach. He moved to a ranch in  Basalt, Colorado, after his successful 1973 season — fulfilling a dream  spawned during his honeymoon in 1960 in Aspen — and organized the  Colorado 500 dirt-bike ride with friend Sherm Cooper in 1976.

By  1981, the invitation-only event grew so big that the Colorado 500  Charity Fund was established, with a road ride added in 1987. The ride  has raised more than $1.2 million for scholarship funds, medical  centers, teen services, scouting and other charities, including groups  that preserve trail-riding areas.

Dallenbach’s wife, Peppy, passed  away in 2023. He is survived by three children — two sons, former  NASCAR Cup Series driver Wally Jr. and multiple Pikes Peak International  Hill Climb winner Paul, and daughter, Colleen.

 The great IndyCar driver and race steward Wallace “Wally” Dallenbach  Sr. died on Monday at the age of 87. His friends and family say he was  able to watch Sunday’s IndyCar race at Barber Motorsports Park and  passed the next morning in his sleep. Dallenbach was preceded in death  by his wife Anette “Peppy” Dallenbach in June of 2023.

Together, they formed one of the most influential couples in IndyCar  history and built one of the sport’s great racing families with decades  of championships and wins earned by their sons, from Pikes Peak to the  high banks of Daytona.

The New Jersey native was entrenched in the automotive and racing  worlds from an early age, made his name in local short track racing  circles, and graduated to IndyCar in 1965 driving for small teams using  cars that were either old or unproven.

Despite having equipment that was no match for the cars driven by the  A.J. Foyts and Mario Andrettis, it was readily apparent that Dallenbach  had talent as he would shine at the fastest and scariest ovals of the  era, with Pennsylvania’s Langhorne Speedway serving as a regular home  for his heroics.

In the years that followed, and on the occasions his cars would reach  the finish line, Dallenbach was frequent top-five finisher and podium  visitor. His skills were finally rewarded in 1973 when he was signed by  U. E. “Pat” Patrick to drive alongside Gordon Johncock at Patrick  Racing.

Dallenbach’s big break arrived at the age of 37 and he ran with it,  scoring his most famous win — the California 500 — at Ontario Motor  Speedway, but that victory was only part of the story.

He’d also win at Milwaukee in his first season with Patrick and add  podiums at Phoenix and Trenton to claim second in the 1973 championship.  More wins would follow as he placed between third and sixth in the  final standings for Patrick from 1975-1977.

Although he was never as famous or heralded as some of his  contemporaries, there was one undisputable truth about Wally Dallenbach  the IndyCar driver, and that was the respect they held for him.

“Reflecting on our time spent together on the track, off track, we  raced together a lot and I remember the Ontario 500 because he finished  first and I finished second. And there were plenty of times like  that,” Mario Andretti told RACER.

“Even on the local Jersey tracks like Wall Stadium, he was there in  every race and was a local hero. And then when he went to the IndyCar to  the top level, he was extremely competitive and respectful and won big  races. And he’s a Hall of Famer. He deserved all that. He did every  aspect of it admirably, with distinction, and in the best possible way  you could expect someone to do it.”

Across 13 Indy 500s, Dallenbach earned a front-row start in 1974 and  had three top-fives, making his final run with Patrick in 1979. Like so  many others at the legendary Speedway, fate intervened before he could  add his likeness to the Borg-Warner Trophy.

 “Wally was as good a teammate as you could ever ask for,” Johncock  said. “There are a handful of very, very talented drivers that never won  Indianapolis; winning Indy takes lots of luck too and Wally should have  won – he led almost 100 laps in 1975 and broke just before the rains  came. He was on the front row at Indy and won at California – he was  very talented and smart. I’ll miss him. He did a lot for the sport over  the years. A very good man.” But he was so much more than a driver.

In retirement, Dallenbach became the chief steward of the emerging  Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) series in 1980, and in his role as  the commissioner of IndyCar, every major facet of how today’s NTT  IndyCar Series was built and runs can be traced back to the ideas,  innovations, and decisions made by Dallenbach, with support from CART  teammates Kirk Russell, Billy Kamphausen, and others.

Whenever an IndyCar driver has the AMR Safety Team arrive at their  crash site within moments of coming to rest, they should thank  Dallenbach and Carl Horton, conceivers and creators of the first  rapid-response crew and vehicles that has been adopted by so many other  racing series. Whenever an IndyCar driver finds themselves being whisked  into the mobile medical trailer at the various stops on the racing  schedule, thank Dallenbach again along with Doctors Steve Olvey and  Terry Trammell for ensuring proper facilities with a consistent staff of  medical experts are always ready to act.

Dallenbach’s fastidious dedication to circuit safety is another  legacy that lives on; it was common to see him driving out onto the  track before the day’s action began, between sessions, and once the day  was over to inspect guardrails, tire bales, and any potential areas he  or the drivers thought could be improved.

He knew everything about the cars from his time as a front-running  driver, and had deep relationships with the drivers and team owners who  helped CART to become the biggest and most popular iteration of IndyCar  we’ve known, all of which helped Dallenbach to receive the utmost  respect as the person who presided over the competition side of CART.

“The series misses someone like Wally,” said Chip Ganassi, who was a  CART rookie under Dallenbach’s stewardship before becoming a CART team  owner. “He was the chief steward that I think was the model of what a  chief steward should be. In my eyes, he played with a fair hand, but he  was firm. Having been a driver himself, he spoke to the drivers and kept  them in mind while being safety-minded.

“I remember his famous line he’d say in the Drivers’ meetings that  sticks out today, where he’d say he would not stand for using the car as  a weapon. And I think today, more drivers need to hear that message.  You can’t use the car as a weapon.”

Ganassi received terrible injuries in a crash on the big Michigan oval in 1984 and benefited from Dallenbach’s foresight.

“Working with guys like Olvey and Trammell and really making safety a  pillar of IndyCar racing, whether it was with the medical team and  having the same doctors week in and week out at the racetrack was huge,”  he said. “These guys knew the drivers. They were the first team of  doctors to know the drivers personally as well as professionally. You  weren’t being met by strangers if you had an accident. Wally Dallenbach  was the architect of that.”

Bobby Rahal was another rookie driver who was lucky to have  Dallenbach as his guide through an arc that started with driving and  moved to team ownership in CART.

“I came into IndyCar and he was the guy,” Rahal said. “I think he was  under appreciated by many as a driver. Came within sight of the  checkered flag in Indianapolis. But I knew him as the chief steward of  CART. He was just he was so fair. So honest. CART could not have picked a  better chief steward because he’d been there, he’d done it, and knew  what was important. What wasn’t. And there were times when I think he  took unfair criticism from some of the drivers.

“But he never held a grudge, he would take opinions. He wasn’t  egotistical. All he cared about was having a good race, a good, safe,  fair race. I feel so fortunate that much of my career, if not all of my  IndyCar career was under his tutelage.”

The esteem held for Dallenbach was almost father-like, as Rahal recalls from his first year in the series.“When I got into CART, he wanted all the young guys to make sure that  they know what to look for, to give you answers,” he said. “He didn’t  want you to get caught up in something that you weren’t aware of. He  tried to paint the picture for you, especially in your rookie year. And I  remember only once did he criticize my driving to me privately. I had  done something I probably shouldn’t have, but I did. And he just said,  ‘You know, you really disappointed me there.’ And oh man, that really  stung.”

In his unwavering commitment to driver safety, Dallenbach refused to  be swayed at CART’s Texas Motor Speedway debacle in 2001 when the  fiercely high speeds being achieved caused some drivers to black out and  crash due to prolonged periods of excessive G forces. Under intense  pressure from some of the power brokers involved with CART to hold the  race, Dallenbach held firm — thinking first of his drivers — and made  the controversial decision to cancel the contest while fans were sitting  in the grandstands.

He’d retire after the 2004 season, and experience a rarity in sports.

As long as powerful stewards, commissioners, or referees remain in  their positions, few critical words are spoken about them by the  athletes and teams they govern, but once they step aside, the gloves  tend to come off and true feelings of the players — drivers, in this  case — and entrants are unleashed. What happened upon Dallenbach’s  farewell to IndyCar?

“The total opposite, because we all knew how fortunate we were to  have him,” Rahal said. “He was a class act and was treated as such for  all he gave us. A heavy appreciation for Wally is what we had. This was a  true racing family. What he and Peppy gave to us was just amazing;  she’d be helping at the registration and he’d be helping as our chief  steward. It was a family affair for them. And together, they were so  welcoming and raised some great kids together.

“The only game he cared about was IndyCar and he would do everything  to ensure that it was a fair contest and a safe contest. Just a super  guy.”

For those who are interested in learning more about the man, there’s an excellent book penned by Gordon Kirby on the life of Dallenbach which is well worth adding to your library.

Dallenbach is survived by his daughter Colleen and sons Wally Jr and Paul.