| Billy Carlson | |
| Birth Name: | William Henry Carlson |
| Birth Date: | 17 October 1889 |
| Birth Place: | San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Tacoma, Washington, U.S. |
| Module1: | |
William Henry Carlson (October 17, 1889 – July 5, 1915)[1] was an American racing driver. He was killed in an AAA National Championship race at Tacoma Speedway.[2]
Carlson began his career competing in races on the Pacific coast and was a comparative unknown before he started in the 500-mile classic at Indianapolis in 1914. He took ninth in the event and "immediately attained prominence on the gasoline circuit."[2]
Carlson was a member of the Maxwell team for two years in 1914 and 1915 after he was "discovered" by Ray Harroun, a Maxwell engineer. His most notable achievement after joining Maxwell was his world's non-stop record of 305 miles made at San Diego, California, in January 1915. He came in second to Barney Oldfield at Venice, California.[2]
Carlson sustained fatal injuries in the Montamarathon race at Tacoma Speedway on July 4, 1915, dying the following day.[3] Maxwell suspended their racing program for the remainder of the season; the team was disbanded and the automobiles were shipped back to the factory in Detroit.[2]
| Year | Car | Start | Qual | Rank | Finish | Laps | Led | Retired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 25 | 5 | 93.360 | 6 | 9 | 200 | 0 | Running | |
| 1915 | 19 | 16 | 84.110 | 16 | 9 | 200 | 0 | Running | |
| Totals | 400 | 0 | |||||||
| Starts | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Poles | 0 | |
| Front Row | 0 | |
| Wins | 0 | |
| Top 5 | 0 | |
| Top 10 | 2 | |
| Retired | 0 |