Joe Boyer

12/5/1890 - 2/9/1924

Record updated 31-Aug-06

Joe Boyer raced at the Indy 500 five times between 1919 and 1924. He led the last 24 laps of the 1924 race driving relief of Lora L. Corum. He died in a crash during a race at Altoona Speedway.

Joe Boyer
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Joe Boyer raced at the Indy 500 five times between 1919 and 1924. In 1924 after his own car has been delayed by mechanical trouble, he took over the 4th-place-running Duesenberg of teammate Lora Corum on lap 111 lap. By lap 177 in was in the lead, winning at a record average speed of 98.234 mph. It was the first win for a car equipped with a supercharger. Generally relief drivers do not receive credit, but due to the fact that Corum started and Boyer finished, officials decide to consider them co-winners.

That year Jimmy Murphy was the king of Altoona. He ran away and hid in the Spring 250 miler and was leading in the Fall race, Sept. 1, 1924, another 250 mile event, when disaster stuck on the 191st lap.

Murphy and Boyer were fighting for the lead, with Jimmy in front by the slimmest of margins. Finally Murphy was forced to pit for tires and Boyer stormed to the front. But, with new tires, here came Jimmy and the chase resumed until a tire exploded on Joe Boyer's Duesenberg and he crashed thru the upper guard rail. The 1924 winner of the Indianapolis 500 died later that night in an Altoona hospital.

A week later, during a race in Syracuse, NY, Jimmy Murphy crashed and the winner of the 1922 Indianapolis 500 was dead.

That same week, on Sept 2nd, 1924, Dario Resta was trying for a new land speed record in England when he crashed and the winner of the 1916 Indianapolis 500 was dead.



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