534:, thrilling audiences in large and small towns alike with death-defying automobile stunts. Although not claiming to be of Native American descent, Chitwood often portrayed a character known as 'Chief Wahoo.' Audiences found the act believable on account of Chitwood having a darker skin tone. He also performed a ramp-to-ramp jump, using a car that devised by Teter. Later on he and his son, Joie Jr., perfected driving a car on two wheels.
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that he would release the belt in the event of a crash, because drivers thought that it was safer to be thrown from a car during an accident. He won six major sprint car races in 1946. Chitwood won nine AAA East Coast features in 1947, including the first race at
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Chitwood's sons, Joie Jr. and Tim, both joined the thrill show, and continued to run it after their father's retirement. The
Chitwood show toured the U.S. from 1945 until 1998. On May 13, 1978, Joie Jr. set a world record when he drove a
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from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at
Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship participation, and were eligible to score WDC points alongside those which they may have scored towards the
527:, and taught welding at factories. He began operating what he called "the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show." The show was an exhibition of auto stunt driving, and became so successful Chitwood cut back his racing endeavors significantly.
440:. Chitwood took the belt out of his dirt car because he liked how he was jostled around less, and could keep his foot on the throttle easier. Chitwood promised AAA officials
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Chitwood's wife, Marie, worked as a dancer; she quit dancing after their marriage. The couple had two sons - Timmy and Joie Jr. (born 1944) Joie Jr. had a son
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Chitwood was dubbed "Joie" during his racing career, after a newspaper reporter misheard and misspelled
Chitwood's name in an article. The writer confused
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in 1967. The
Eastern Auto Racing Club Old Timers Club inducted him in 1979, and he received the Walt Ader Memorial Award in 1986. He was inducted in the
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Chitwood participated in one World
Drivers' Championship race at Indianapolis. He finished in fifth place, scoring one World Drivers' Championship point.
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424:(AAA) East Coast Sprint car championship. He switched back to the CSRA and won its title in 1942, winning 14 consecutive CSRA features that season.
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began his 50+ year career as a stunt driver in 1951, when he performed at the age of 15 for Joie
Chitwood's Auto Daredevils show in Idaho.
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died, and
Chitwood took over the show after being asked by Teter's widow to sell the equipment. Chitwood was unable to find a buyer during
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film studios to either do stunt driving for films or to act as auto-stunt coordinator. Chitwood was one of the stunt drivers in the
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After
Chitwood retired, his sons took over the business. Joie Chitwood died on January 3, 1988, in Tampa Bay, Florida.
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seven times, finishing fifth on three occasions. He was the first man ever to wear a safety belt, beginning at the
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in 2010. Among his contributions to the sport was the supervision of the construction of
Pennsylvania's
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Often called "Hell
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on several occasions. Joie Jr. also appeared as a guest challenger on the TV game show
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the article, added an "i" by mistake to spell "Joie." The nickname stuck for life.
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Chitwood's show was so popular that in January 1967, their performance at the
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to earn additional income. He started learning a trade by helping at a
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Let 'Em All Go!: The Story of Auto Racing by the man who was there
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in an episode entitled "Thrill Show". Joie Jr. did stunts for
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when his show appeared in his home town of Butte, Montana.
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https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/joie-chitwood-sr
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1607:""The Story" - The History Of Selinsgrove Speedway"
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347:(April 14, 1912 – January 3, 1988) was an American
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592:In 1983 Chitwood's show was featured in the movie
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571:Chitwood's show was featured during season 3 of
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432:Between 1940 and 1950, Chitwood raced in the
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1679:National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees
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1573:. Peninsula Daily News. 9 September 2010
1428:"Hall of Fame Inductees - Joie Chitwood"
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453:. He retired from racing in 1950.
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612:World-champion auto dive bomber
601:Chitwood's show was credited by
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1177:* Indicates shared drive with
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567:Media appearances and legacy
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1541:Economaki, Chris (2006).
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1517:. Season 3. Episode 90
523:. Chitwood was deemed
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1571:peninsuladailynew.com
1296:www.champcarstats.com
672:100 Mile An Hour Club
486:National Championship
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379:. His main job was a
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321:1950 Indianapolis 500
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1432:www.sprintcarhof.com
1043:* shared drive with
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39:George Rice Chitwood
1509:"Joie Chitwood III"
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1114:Kurtis Kraft
1110:Ervin Wolfe
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404:Early career
362:
344:
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308:Fastest laps
247:Kurtis Kraft
133:Indianapolis
86:(1939, 1940)
63:(1988-01-03)
1669:1988 deaths
1664:1912 births
1246:Mr. No Legs
1220:Uncredited
1187:Filmography
1120:Offenhauser
630:Clark Gable
517:Lucky Teter
505:typesetting
446:Wilbur Shaw
381:shoe shiner
371:during the
317:First entry
226:Formula One
109:Best finish
81:AAA Eastern
1658:Categories
1618:August 13,
1493:2024-03-31
1438:August 23,
1391:August 23,
1326:2024-03-18
1301:2024-03-18
1275:References
994:Front Row
890:Fuel leak
580:Miami Vice
359:Early life
327:Last entry
148:Darlington
122:First race
44:1912-04-14
1577:10 August
690:in 1945.
626:Hollywood
607:daredevil
373:Dust Bowl
155:First win
140:Last race
96:Champ Car
1521:July 11,
1070:Chassis
1067:Entrant
1026:Retired
952:Running
937:130.757
921:Running
906:126.863
875:124.619
844:123.157
828:Running
813:119.816
797:Flagged
782:120.329
766:Flagged
751:121.757
735:Retired
543:New York
495:Nickname
442:Rex Mays
418:big cars
349:stuntman
170:Last win
1470:at the
1235:Charlie
1100:Points
1073:Engine
1018:Top 10
978:Starts
726:Finish
393:welding
281:Podiums
253:Entries
192:Podiums
178:Trenton
163:Trenton
84:Big Car
1549:
1434:. 1993
1203:Notes
1197:Title
1166:21st=
1035:
1010:Top 5
986:Poles
958:Totals
859:Gears
717:Start
666:Legacy
395:shop.
387:for a
98:career
70:, U.S.
53:, U.S.
1257:1983
1200:Role
1194:Year
1116:2000
1064:Year
1002:Wins
962:1092
729:Laps
723:Rank
720:Qual
711:Year
574:CHiPs
410:Essex
243:Teams
196:Poles
113:8th (
1620:2020
1579:2023
1547:ISBN
1523:2019
1440:2020
1393:2020
1242:1979
1225:1973
1208:1968
1106:1950
1097:WDC
946:136
927:1950
915:200
896:1949
884:138
865:1948
834:1947
822:200
803:1946
791:177
772:1941
760:190
741:1940
732:Led
714:Car
632:and
483:USAC
467:USAC
461:The
444:and
272:Wins
237:1950
189:Wins
174:1946
159:1946
144:1950
126:1940
115:1946
58:Died
36:Born
1162:ITA
1157:FRA
1152:BEL
1147:SUI
1142:5 *
1138:500
1133:MON
1128:GBR
1056:key
943:5*
940:19
931:17
909:27
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674:at
547:ABC
541:in
525:4-F
479:AAA
471:FIA
463:AAA
1660::
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