Spencer Wishart

Spencer Wishart ( born December 3, 1889 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, † August 22 1914 in Elgin, Illinois) was an American race car driver.

Career

1909, at the age of nineteen, Wishart began his motorsport career in a modified Mercedes Grand Prix racing cars in the Vanderbilt Cup. He finished the race, due to many accidents of the favored driver in the field, as a fourth. As in 1911, the first Indianapolis 500 was started the story could Wishart the race, started from eleventh place, lead for a few laps and took the checkered flag at the end of fourth. In 1912 he was able to improve its starting position though, the race but had to finish in the 82nd round. In August of the same year Wishart bought a Mercer type 35R with whom he won the 200-mile race from Columbus. He also participated with the Mercedes at the Vanderbilt Cup. In 1913 he started in Mercer Nineteenth in Indianapolis and was second behind the Frenchman Jules Goux. In races in Elgin and Brighton Beach, he came third. In February 1914 Wishart started from the pole position in the Vanderbilt Cup and led the race until he was forced to retire with a broken water pipe. The Indianapolis 500 the same year he was unable to finish with gearbox problems.

The fatal accident

On August 22, 1914 Wishart start in the Elgin National Trophy, an AAA National Championship races in Mercer. He led the field until he wanted to overtake another Mercer in the fourteenth round. The two cars collided, Wishart came off the track and struck a tree. Previously grazed a tire of the car a spectator who was uninjured. Wishart was killed on impact, his co-pilot and mechanic Jack Jenter died as a result of the accident four days later.

Trivia

Wishart had to wear the habit of taking his racing overalls always shirt and tie.