Anthony Peter Willman (April 28, 1905 – October 12, 1941) was an American

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

. He was killed in a

midget Midget (from ''midge'', a tiny biting insect) is a term for a person of unusually short stature that is considered by some to be pejorative due to its etymology. While not a Medical terminology, medical term like ''dwarf'' (for a person with d ...

car accident.

Racing career

Willman started racing in 1926. Limited racing during the 1930s

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

significantly hurt Willman's career; only 31 national events were held in eight years. So Willman raced in

Midwestern The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

regional and local races. Willman won the 1934/35 indoor midget championship circuit of races in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

, and

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. He toured the Midwest for the 1936 outdoor season and he won 145 races. In 1936, Willman won the Hankinson Speedway Circuit championship; the circuit featured races on 30 tracks in 17 states. He won the 1939 track championship at the quarter mile track inside the Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway (now

Milwaukee Mile The Milwaukee Mile is a oval race track in the central United States, located on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb west of Milwaukee. Its grandstand and bleachers seats approximately 37,000 spectat ...

); he repeated the track title in 1941. Willman had misfortune at the

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...

with his car breaking down during all four of his races while he was doing well. In 1941, he was running in fourth place at the 285 mile mark before a connecting rod broke. In 1938, Willman drove in relief for

Harry McQuinn Harry Thomas McQuinn (December 13, 1905 – January 1, 1986 ) was an American racing driver active in the 1930s and 1940s. Racing career Born in Nineveh, Indiana, McQuinn raced in a Bob Wilke/Leader Card-sponsored midget car owned by the M ...

and finished seventh. 1941 was Willman's most successful year. He won 33 midget car races and the AAA National Short Track championship. One week before his death, Willman lapped the entire 32-car field in a 100-lap midget car event. Willman died on October 12, 1941. He was racing in a midget car heat race at

Thompson International Speedway Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP), formerly Thompson Speedway and Thompson International Speedway, is a motorsports park in Thompson, Connecticut, featuring a asphalt oval racetrack and a road racing course. Known as the "Indianapolis ...

when he hit the outside wall and he rolled on to the track. The last place car hit and killed him; in the first two laps he had passed 16 cars in the 20 car field. In his career, he had won a single 100-mile Speedway race, 44 sprint car main events, and 85 midget car events.

Personal life

Willman was known to be soft-spoken and rarely talked about his racing accomplishments. He was well respected by his competitors; Tommy Hinnershitz said that Willman was the toughest driver that he competed against. Willman was married to Lorraine and he left a daughter named Betty and a son named Eugene who ended up becoming a midget car building and owner in the 1960s and 1970s.

Awards and honors

* Willman was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1992.

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willman, Tony 1905 births 1941 deaths Indianapolis 500 drivers National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees Racing drivers from Wisconsin Racing drivers who died while racing Sports deaths in Connecticut AAA Championship Car drivers 20th-century American sportsmen