Logo

23 Facts About Mel Kenyon

1.

Mel Kenyon finished second in the 1963 USAC championship points, and won his first USAC National Midget championship in 1964.

2.

Mel Kenyon failed to qualify for his first Indianapolis 500 in 1965.

3.

Mel Kenyon's engine blew up sending oil all over the car, his firesuit and the track.

4.

Mel Kenyon lost control of the car, hit the wall and was knocked unconscious.

5.

Mel Kenyon had twelve first or second-place finishes, and finished second in the National Midget points.

6.

Mel Kenyon won 17 of 49 features to claim the National midget title in 1967.

7.

Mel Kenyon finished third in the 1968 Indianapolis 500 in a car sponsored by his hometown of Lebanon, Indiana.

8.

Mel Kenyon did most of the work on the engine despite his hand.

9.

Mel Kenyon routinely tore down and reassembled the Offenhauser engine by himself.

10.

Mel Kenyon nearly won his first Champ car event at Michigan International Speedway on July 16,1972.

11.

Mel Kenyon was leading as he approached the white flag, but his Foyt powered Eagle ran out of fuel.

12.

Mel Kenyon finished fourth in his last of eight Indianapolis 500s in 1973.

13.

Mel Kenyon had four Top 5 finishes in the classic race.

14.

Mel Kenyon won his second Turkey Night Grand Prix in 1975.

15.

Mel Kenyon had over 100 victories in midget cars in 1984 when he was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

16.

Mel Kenyon won the 1985 National Midget championship a year after his induction.

17.

Mel Kenyon won the Indianapolis Speedrome midget car track title in 1993.

18.

Mel Kenyon stopped racing on the national tour in 1995 after his wife Marieanne became virtually comatose after suffering a major head injury in a bicycle accident.

19.

Mel Kenyon won the Midwest-based NAMARS championships in 1995,1996, and 1997 while in his sixties.

20.

Mel Kenyon competed in the full schedule at the Indianapolis Speedrome in 2005 against his son.

21.

Mel Kenyon has seven USAC National Midget championships, eight runners-up in the season points standings, and Top 5 point finishes in 21 of 27 seasons between 1966 and 1988.

22.

Mel Kenyon had counted 380 midget total feature wins, including wins in Australia and New Zealand.

23.

Mel Kenyon competed in 65 USAC Championship and eight Indianapolis 500 races.