Frank Luptow

20/11/1905 - 21/9/1952

Record updated 21-Sep-06

IMCA midget champion 1949, 1950 and 1951. He was killed in a AAA Stock Car race at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta.

Frank Luptow was famous for racing the Black Panther in Midget racing between 1948 and 1951. Luptow won 38 IMCA feature races in 1949, finished second five times and third once, setting 25 track records on the way to winning the IMCA points championship that year.  Luptow was IMCA champion again in 1950.  Bardahl engine additive became Luptow’s primary sponsor in 1951 helping him to win his third consecutive IMCA title.

In his five career NASCAR Grand National starts, Frank's best finish was fifth at the 3/4th mile Charlotte Speedway.

Frank Luptow won two AAA stock car races in 1952 at Milwaukee and four days later at Terre Haute driving his Oldsmobile. In September of that year he lost his life in a crash at the Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta driving a Hudson Hornet in an AAA Stock Car race.