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Eddie Kuzma

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Eddie Kuzma
1957 Kuzma-constructed Indy car
Born
Edward Leo Kuzma

(1911-09-18)September 18, 1911
DiedOctober 12, 1996(1996-10-12) (aged 85)
OccupationAuto racing builder

Edward Leo Kuzma (September 18, 1911 – October 12, 1996) was an American race car builder.[1][2][3] He constructed Troy Ruttman's winning car for the 1952 Indianapolis 500.

Biography

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Kuzma was born in Portland, Oregon, where he was raised on a farm.[4] He moved to Vancouver, Washington, where he established an automobile repair shop.[5] In the 1930s, Kuzma had seen midget race cars at the Jantzen Beach Amusement Park, and had built and raced his own car.[4] A second car was fitted with a four-cylinder Offenhauser engine, making it faster than other local competitors.[4] He served in the United States Navy during World War II.[5] After he was discharged from the service, sold his car and moved to Los Angeles, California. [4]

Ruttman's winning Kuzma from the 1952 Indianapolis 500

In California he continued to build midget race cars.[4] He was hired by J. C. Agajanian to build the Agajanian Special,[4] which won the 1952 Indianapolis 500, driven by Troy Ruttman.[6] A. J. Foyt won the Indianapolis 500 twice driving Kuzma's cars,[4] and Mario Andretti won in one of his cars in 1969.[4][5][7] Kuzma also rebuilt race cars.[8] In 1968, he bought a farm along with his wife Edna.[4]

A Kuzma-Offenhauser driven by Jimmy Bryan, which won the 1957 Race of Two Worlds

Kuzma died in October 1996 of kidney failure in Tigard, Oregon, at the age of 85.[5] In 2003, he was posthumously honored in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.[9]

Select Indianapolis 500 results

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Kuzma cars competed in the FIA World Championship (Indianapolis 500 only) from 1951 to 1960. They won the 1952 Indianapolis 500 with Troy Ruttman.[10]

Note: all cars were fitted with Offenhauser engines.

Season Driver Grid Classification Points Note Race Report
1951 Walt Faulkner 14 Ret   Engine Report
1952 Troy Ruttman 7 1 8   Report
1953 Tony Bettenhausen 6 9   Accident Report
Manny Ayulo 4 13   Engine
Bob Sweikert 29 Ret   Suspension
Pat Flaherty 24 Ret   Accident
Chuck Stevenson 16 Ret   Fuel Leak
1954 Jimmy Bryan 3 2 6   Report
Chuck Stevenson 5 12    
Manny Ayulo 22 13    
1955 Johnny Thomson 33 4 3   Report
Duane Carter 18 11    
Jimmy Bryan 11 Ret   Fuel Pump
Rodger Ward 30 Ret   Accident
1956 Bob Sweikert 10 6     Report
Gene Hartley 22 11    
Eddie Johnson 32 15    
Billy Garrett 29 16    
Jimmy Bryan 19 19    
Johnny Thomson 18 Ret   Spun Off
1957 Jimmy Bryan 15 3 4   Report
Johnny Thomson 11 12    
Chuck Weyant 25 14    
Eddie Sachs 2 Ret   Fuel Leak
1958 Johnnie Tolan 30 13     Report
Dempsey Wilson 32 Ret   Fire
A. J. Foyt 12 Ret   Spun Off
Eddie Sachs 18 Ret   Transmission
Art Bisch 28 Ret   Accident
1959 A. J. Foyt 17 10     Report
Gene Hartley 9 11    
Eddie Sachs 2 Ret   Spun Off
Al Keller 28 Ret   Engine
Bill Cheesbourg 30 Ret   Magneto
1960 Duane Carter 27 12     Report
Bill Homeier 31 13    


References

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  1. ^ "Automobile Quarterly: Volume 36, Issue 2", University of Virginia, Automobile Quarterly, p. 111, 1997
  2. ^ Newman, Claude (May 25, 1957). "Car Builder Works A Miracle". Valley Times. North Hollywood, California. p. 14. Retrieved July 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "Don Brown Builds, Drives IMCA Cars". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. September 25, 1964. p. 41. Retrieved July 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Easterling, Jerry (October 26, 1986). "Builder on track with cars". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon. p. 59. Retrieved July 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ a b c d Associated Press (October 17, 1996). "Edward Kuzma, 85, Builder of Race Cars". The New York Times. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  6. ^ Curnow, Jack (May 26, 1953). "Indianapolis Drivers Hit 136.435 Average". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 63. Retrieved July 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ Simmons, Bill (November 9, 1969). "Andretti Reaches Crossroad". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 85. Retrieved July 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  8. ^ "Eddie Kuzma Builds Racers". The Kokomo Tribune. Kokomo, Indiana. May 26, 1964. p. 47. Retrieved July 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ^ "Eddie Kuzma". Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  10. ^ "Driver Troy Ruttman 1952 Formula One Results". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved 15 August 2018.