Gaston Chevrolet
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Gaston Chevrolet (October 26, 1892 – November 25, 1920) was an French-born American racecar champion driver and automobile manufacturer.
Born near Beaune, in the Côte-d'Or département of France where his Swiss parents had emigrated to a few years earlier, he was the younger brother of Louis (1878-1941) and Arthur Chevrolet (1884-1946). After brother Louis emigrated to the United States and earned enough money, he sent for Gaston and Arthur to join him. Once there, Gaston worked as an automotive mechanic and joined his brother in auto racing.
In 1916, Gaston Chevrolet became a partner with his brothers in the Frontenac Motor Corporation. Driving a Frontenac race car, he competed in the 1919 Indianapolis 500, finishing in tenth place while brother Louis finished seventh. The following year, Gaston Chevrolet broke the European dominance at the Indianapolis Speedway, winning the race in a redesigned Monroe-Frontenac. In the process, he became the first driver in the history of the 500 mile race to go the distance without making a tire change. Following his victory at Indianapolis, he competed in several more events, winning a 100-mile match race against Tommy Milton and Ralph Mulford. With winter, racing moved to the West Coast and at the Los Angeles Speedway board track in Beverly Hills, California Gaston Chevrolet was killed when his racecar crashed on lap 146.
Gaston Chevrolet is interred next to his brothers in the Roman Catholic Holy Cross and Saint Joseph Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.
In 2002, Gaston Chevrolet was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Categories: 1892 births | 1920 deaths | U.S. racecar drivers | Automotive pioneers | Chevrolet | International Motorsports Hall of Fame | French people
