HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Scott Everts Brayton (February 20, 1959 – May 17, 1996) was an American race car driver on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of India ...
s, beginning with the
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major off ...
event. Brayton was killed in practice after qualifying for the pole position for the 1996 race.


Career

During the mid-1980s, Brayton helped introduce the
Buick Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...
stock-block V-6 engine to Indianapolis. His father's firm, Brayton Engineering, was a major developer of the race engine. In 1985, he qualified 2nd and set the one-lap Indianapolis Motor Speedway track record in the process. He dropped out early and finished 30th when the engine expired. He would not finish the race again until 1989, when he scored his best finish at the Speedway, 6th place but seven laps down. He would equal this finishing position in 1993, driving a Lola-Cosworth for Dick Simon Racing. When Buick pulled out of IndyCar racing in 1993,
John Menard Jr. John Robert Menard Jr. (born January 22, 1940) is an American billionaire businessman, and the founder and owner of Menards, a Midwestern chain of home improvement stores. He is a former INDYCAR racing team owner, and the father of former NASCAR ...
continued developing the engine, now badged as the Menard V-6. Brayton, now without a regular ride in the CART IndyCar series, joined the Indy-only
Menards Menards is an American home improvement retail company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Menards is owned by founder John Menard Jr. through his privately held company, Menard, Inc. It has 335 stores in 15 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, ...
team in 1994. Their belief in the powerplant paid off when Brayton won his first Indy 500 pole position in 1995, at an average speed of . Turbocharger boost and pop-off valve problems relegated him to a 17th-place finish. Brayton was prepared to make his
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and h ...
debut at the
1995 Brickyard 400 The 1995 Brickyard 400, the 2nd running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held on August 5, 1995. It was the 19th race of the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The race, contested over 160 laps, was won by Dale Earnhardt driving for ...
. However, he crashed his car during a private test session, and suffered a broken ankle and a concussion. In 1996,
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United St ...
owner Tony George established the Indy Racing League, and Team Menard signed up to compete in their first full season of IndyCar racing. Because the majority of the established teams and drivers of open-wheel racing competed in the rival CART series, Brayton (and rookie teammate Tony Stewart) were considered legitimate contenders for the IRL title. After a bad start to the season, Brayton asserted his competitiveness by winning his second Indy pole after a dramatic qualifying session in which he withdrew an already-qualified car to get a second chance at taking the top spot.


Death

Brayton was making a practice run on May 17 in his backup car when it blew a tire going into turn two, and it then half-spun and hit the outside retaining wall at more than . Brayton's car scrubbed off virtually no speed as it spun, and as the car impacted the wall on its left side, the force was such that Brayton's head also impacted the wall. Brayton was killed instantly by the severe impact. His funeral, held in his hometown of Coldwater, Michigan, was attended by a large contingent of drivers and racing personalities. Teammate Tony Stewart, who qualified second, took over the pole starting position. A substitute driver, Danny Ongais, took over the car with which Brayton had qualified for the pole, and finished seventh.


Personal life

Brayton began dating his future wife, Becky, in 1981 and an 11-year courtship followed. The couple have a daughter named Carly, who was 2 and a half years old at the time of Scott's death. On Easter Sunday 1999, Becky married another IRL driver, Robbie Buhl, who would later become a partner in Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.


Memorial Street Circuit

A street course in
Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...
, used for SCCA racing was known as the Scott Brayton Memorial Street Circuit. It was used for the West Michigan Grand Prix in 1998 and 1999, after which the event folded.


Scott Brayton Driver's Trophy

Following Brayton's death, the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United St ...
announced a new trophy for the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of India ...
dedicated to the driver who best exemplifies the attitude, spirit and competitive drive of Brayton. A driver could only be awarded the trophy once in his/her Indy career. It was awarded through 2009.


Racing record


American open-wheel racing results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)


PPG Indycar Series

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)


Indy Racing League


Indianapolis 500

For the 1996 Indianapolis 500, Brayton qualified on the pole. The following Friday he was fatally injured driving a back-up car during practice. In the race Danny Ongais drove the pole car from the back of the field and finished seventh.


See also

* List of Indianapolis Motor Speedway fatalities


References


External links

* *
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brayton, Scott 1959 births 1996 deaths People from Coldwater, Michigan Racing drivers from Michigan Indianapolis 500 drivers Indianapolis 500 polesitters IndyCar Series drivers Champ Car drivers Racing drivers who died while racing Sports deaths in Indiana Filmed deaths in motorsport