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Bumpy Bumpus

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Bumpy Bumpus
BornHoward Leslie Bumpus
(1914-05-04)May 4, 1914
Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJune 16, 1946(1946-06-16) (aged 32)
Flemington, New Jersey, U.S.
Champ Car career
2+ races run over 1 year
Best finishunknown (1946)
First race1946 Altamont Race #1 (Altamont)
Last race1946 Williams Grove Race #4
(Mechanicsburg)
First win1946 Altamont Race #1 (Altamont)
Wins Podiums Poles
1 1 1

Howard Leslie "Bumpy" Bumpus (May 4, 1914 – June 16, 1946) was an American racing driver from Brockton, Massachusetts.[1] Bumpus began racing in the late 1930s.

Life

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In the middle of a 1940 race, Bumpus reportedly drove through a fence and walked out of the wreckage, assured the audience he was okay, and won a subsequent race in a borrowed car.[2][3][4][5] In a 1936 racing event, Bumpus first crashed into two stalled cars and then crashed into a clump of bushes.[6] Bumpus was described as a fan favorite.[7] He competed in big car races that populated the anomalous American Automobile Association (AAA) sanctioned National Championship in 1946. In June 1946, Bumpus sought to end a streak of mid-race mechanical errors.[3] Bumpy Bumpus died after crashing, either because of swerving to avoid hitting another car, or flipping due to striking the rear wheel of the race leader, during a heat race at Flemington Speedway, the 14th race of the 1946 AAA season. [8]

References

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  1. ^ "Bumpy Bumpus". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  2. ^ "Four Crashes Thrill Crowd After Shower". Athol Daily News. 1940-09-03. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  3. ^ a b "Bumpus Seeks to Break Jinx". Shamokin News-Dispatch. 1946-06-04. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  4. ^ "Bumpy Bumpus Among Stars in Big Races". Athol Daily News. 1941-06-27. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  5. ^ "Auto Races at Thompson are Slated Sunday". The Republican. 1941-06-20. p. 24. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  6. ^ "Three Crashes Mark Weymouth Auto Racing". The Boston Globe. 1936-09-08. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  7. ^ "The Legion Auto Races". Athol Daily News. 1941-07-05. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  8. ^ "AUTO RACE CRASH FATAL TO BUMPUS; Brockton, Mass., Driver, 32, Goes Through Fence at New Jersey Track". The New York Times. 1946-06-17. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
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