Hanks

Columbus, Ohio, 1914. Sam Hanks was born into an America still years away from its first Indianapolis 500 victory by a driver who would later be hailed as a national hero. The son of a railroad worker, Hanks grew up in the industrial Midwest, a world of factories and open roads that would soon draw him toward speed. He began racing midget cars in the 1930s, a barnstorming era when drivers moved from track to track, sleeping in their cars and racing for prize money that barely covered fuel. By 1940, at age 26, he qualified for his first Indianapolis 500, a race that would define his career. The outbreak of World War II interrupted his trajectory; Hanks served in the war effort, a period that separated his early appearances from his post-war return. When racing resumed, he came back to a sport transformed, but Hanks remained a constant presence at the Brickyard, starting the 500 thirteen times between 1940 and 1957. His early years on the dirt tracks of the American midwest forged the resilience that would carry him to victory lane.

Sam Hanks’ path to the Indianapolis 500—and therefore to Formula 1’s World Championship—began not in open-wheel cars but in the dust of midget racing and barnstorming exhibitions across the United States. Before the war, he had already established himself as a versatile wheelman, racing midgets on dirt ovals and running his first Indianapolis 500 in 1940. The war interrupted his career; he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces. When racing resumed, Hanks returned to the Championship Car circuit, driving for the Kurtis Kraft team. He finished second at Indianapolis in 1953 and third in 1956, demonstrating the consistency that would eventually deliver the sport’s greatest prize. Though his Formula 1 career consisted entirely of Indianapolis 500s counted toward the World Championship—eight starts between 1950 and 1957—his path was that of a classic American roadster racer, climbing through midget and AAA Championship ranks rather than the European Grand Prix ladder.

Hanks’s Formula 1 career is inseparable from the Indianapolis 500, which counted toward the World Drivers’ Championship from 1950 through 1960. Over eight championship starts—all at the Brickyard—he recorded one win, four podiums, and no poles or fastest laps. His first F1 start came in 1950, driving a Kurtis Kraft, but he finished 30th after a crash. He returned year after year, finally breaking through in 1957. Driving an Epperly, Hanks led 136 of the 200 laps and won the 500 at an average speed of 135.601 mph, then a race record. It was his eighth and final championship start. He never contested another F1 round. His career totals—one victory from eight starts, a 12.5% win rate—underscore a driver who specialized in a single, punishing event and conquered it at the peak of his powers.

Sam Hanks’ peak arrived in a single, decisive season. After more than a decade of Indianapolis 500 starts without a victory, he drove the Epperly-Offy to the win in 1957, leading 136 of 200 laps. It was his only win in eight career starts, but it capped a remarkable four-podium run between 1952 and 1957. He finished second in 1952 and 1953, and third in 1956, before finally taking the top step. The 1957 triumph made him the first driver to win the 500 after having served in World War II and returned to the race. He never raced again, retiring immediately after the victory.

The only publicly available details about Sam Hanks’ personal life come from his later years and death. He is known to have driven the Indianapolis 500 pace car from 1958 to 1963, a role that kept him connected to the Speedway after his retirement. Hanks is believed to be the only driver to have competed in the 500 before World War II, served in the war, and then returned to race again afterward. A curious footnote, noted in his Wikipedia entry, is the conjecture that he may have been a distant relative of Abraham Lincoln. After experiencing ill health for three years, Hanks died at his home in Pacific Palisades, California on June 27, 1994, at the age of 79. No information is available in the provided sources regarding his spouse, children, or hobbies.

After his victory, Hanks remained deeply connected to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. From 1958 through 1963, he drove the pace car, a role that kept him at the center of the event he had conquered. He is believed to be the only Indianapolis 500 driver to have competed in the race before World War II, served in the war effort, and then returned to race again afterward. A historical curiosity also attached to his name: it has been conjectured that Hanks may have been a distant relative of Abraham Lincoln. Hanks had experienced ill health for three years before he died at his home in Pacific Palisades, California, on June 27, 1994, at the age of 79. He was later inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Hanks died at his home in Pacific Palisades, California on June 27, 1994, after three years of declining health. He was 79. In the years following his Indianapolis 500 victory, he had driven the pace car at the Speedway from 1958 to 1963. He is believed to be the only driver to have competed in the race before World War II, served in the war effort, and then returned to race again afterward.

Sam Hanks remains the only driver known to have competed in the Indianapolis 500 before World War II, served in the war, and returned to race again after it. His victory in the 1957 Indianapolis 500 was the crowning achievement of a career that spanned thirteen editions of the race, from 1940 to 1957. Though his Formula 1 record—eight starts, one win, four podiums—is modest by modern standards, it reflects the era when the Indy 500 counted toward the World Championship. Hanks is also remembered for his post-race role: he drove the pace car at Indianapolis for six consecutive years, from 1958 to 1963. His place in motorsport history was formally recognized with induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. A persistent, if unverified, piece of lore suggests Hanks may have been a distant relative of Abraham Lincoln, adding a curious footnote to his legacy. He died at his home in Pacific Palisades, California, on June 27, 1994, at age 79.