Bill Denver

0/0/1901 - 1/6/1933

Record updated 01-Jun-17

Bill Denver
Bill Denver, who's real name was Eura Denver Orem, was from Audubon, PA, in the United States. He had moved there from Akron Ohio.

He started racing on the dirt tracks in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey and worked in a factory as a night shift supervisor to help fund his racing.

He drove in the Indy 500 in 1930 finishing 23rd. The following year he won the Independence Day races at Altoona before heading back to the Indy 500 where he drove relief for Al Aspen in his Duesenberg from lap 112 to lap 161. Aspen finished 14th.

Bill returned to the 'Brickyard' in 1933 but on the 28th of May he crashed in practice driving the Brady & Nardi Studebaker entered by Ray T. Brady. The car had been damaged the previous monday and had been worked on all week to get it ready for the fional day of of qualifying.

After a warm up lap Denver started his first qualifying lap but as he exited the third turn at about 105mph, he lost control, spun and went over the northeast turn wall, fell 20 feet and hit a tree. Denver and his mechanic Hugh "Bob" Hurst were both thrown from the car which burst into flames. Some burning fuel went on their clothes, but these were put out however their injuries were severe. Hurst died at the scene and Denver, who had a broken neck, died four days later.

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