20 Facts About Louis Meyer

Louis Meyer was an American racing driver who was the first three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.

Louis Meyer is generally regarded as one of the finest racers of his generation.

Louis Meyer was born in Yonkers, New York on July 21,1904, the son of French immigrants.

Louis Meyer was raised in Los Angeles, where he began automobile racing at various California tracks.

Early in his career, Louis Meyer helped prepare the Miller driven by Frank Elliott in 1926, destroking the engine to bring it within the.

Louis Meyer went with the car when it was sold in 1927 to Fred Holliday as the Jynx Special.

Louis Meyer would be mechanic for Wilbur Shaw in the Indianapolis 500 that year.

Louis Meyer served as co-driver, taking the car from seventh place up to sixth.

Louis Meyer managed only fourth place at the 1930 Indianapolis 500, and the Great Depression curtailed racing.

That, plus the closure of many board tracks as unsafe, led Louis Meyer to concentrate more on dirt track racing.

In 1933's 500, at the wheel of the Tydol Special Miller, Louis Meyer took the lead on Lap 129.

Louis Meyer steadily increased his lead from there, until he was fully four laps up on the field by the checkered flag.

Louis Meyer started the tradition of drinking milk in victory lane that year, when he drank a glass.

Louis Meyer followed his success in 1935, forming Champion Drivers, Inc.

Louis Meyer came close to winning a fourth 500 in 1939, in the Bowes Seal Fast Special Miller.

Louis Meyer joined Ford in 1964, and through worked on development of the Ford V8, which powered four 500 winners in that time.

Louis Meyer found out about her husband's victory after the track announcer in Reading asked the crowd to give a big hand to Eddie Meyer, the brother of the Indianapolis 500 winner.

Louis Meyer died on November 7,1995, in Searchlight, Nevada, aged 91, where he had been living in retirement since 1972.

Louis Meyer was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.

Louis Meyer has been inducted into the following halls of fame:.