Charles Baumann

26/3/1896 - 18/8/1930

Record updated 26-Mar-07

American sprint car driver who raced at Indy in 1927 leading at one point before going out with echanical problems.

Dutch Baumann drove for Arthur Chevrolet against some of the best drivers of the day, including Wilbur Shaw and Floyd Bobzien.

He drove a Miller in the Indianapolis 500 in 1927, starting in 17th position, he actually led for 9 laps when Frank Lockhart pitted. He retired  with a broken connecting rod on lap 120. He then drove relief for Louis F. Schneider between laps 125 and 135. That year he won the Roby 50 Mile Dirt Track Race.

In 1928 he was back at Indy and qualified his Duesenberg. Unfortunately he crashed it in practice and couldn't start the race. He did drive relief for Tony Gulotta between laps 68 and 117 and again between laps 184 and 197.

He was critically injured in a practice crash at the Interstate Fairground track in Kankakee, Illinois, on Saturday 16th August 1930 and died two days later.



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