Dennis "Duke" Nalon was a midget car

Midget car racing

Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...

, sprint car

Sprint car racing

Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....

, and Indy 500

Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...

 driver from Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, United States.

Racing career

Nalon began as a pit crew member for Wally Zale. Nalon occasionally warmed up the car. When Walter Galven needed a driver, Zale convinced Galven to allow Nalon to race. Nalon won the feature event.

Nalon was nicknamed "The Iron Duke." Nalon was part of the "Chicago Gang" with Tony Bettenhausen

Tony Bettenhausen

Melvin E. "Tony" Bettenhausen was an American racing driver, who won the National Championship in 1951 and 1958....

. They toured tracks in the Midwest and East Coast of the United States.

Midget cars

Nalon won races on the United State's East Coast in the 1930s. Nalon competed in midget cars throughout his career. He ran his final career race at the only 100 miles (160.9 km) midget race ever run at Terre Haute. He raced Johnny Pawl’s famous midget to victory. He ended his career the way he started it: with a win.

Sprint cars

He won the 1938 East Coast AAA

American Automobile Association

AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...

 Sprint car

Sprint car racing

Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....

 championship.

Indy cars

Nalon started ten Indianapolis 500 miles (804.7 km) races, finishing only 3. He started from the pole twice, and was twice the fastest qualifier.

Indy 500 results

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired 1938 1938 Indianapolis 500 The 26th running of the Indianapolis 500 took place on Monday, May 30, 1938. The race was won by the number 23 car driven by Floyd Roberts. Roberts' car started in the pole position, and was the first car to win from that start since 1930. Roberts led 92 laps, posted an average speed of 117.200... 43 33 113.828 33 11 178 0 Flagged 1940 1940 Indianapolis 500 The 28th running of the Indianapolis 500 took place on May 30, 1940. The winner was Wilbur Shaw in the number one car Maserati 8 CTF, the same car Shaw had driven to victory in 1939. Shaw became the first driver in the history of the race to win in consecutive years. It also marked Shaw's third... 21 25 121.790 24 22 120 0 Rod 1941 1941 Indianapolis 500 Results of the 1941 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Friday, May 30, 1941.Notes*Floyd Davis was the starting driver for the #16 car. On lap 72, Davis came in for a pit stop, and was relieved by Mauri Rose. Rose had started the race in another car and dropped out earlier. Rose went on to... 17 30 122.951 17 15 173 0 Flagged 1946 1946 Indianapolis 500 Results of the 1946 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Thursday, May 30, 1946.... 54 32 119.682 29 22 45 0 Universal joint 1947 1947 Indianapolis 500 Results of the 1947 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Friday, May 30, 1947.Late in the race, Lou Moore teammates Bill Holland and Mauri Rose were running 1st-2nd. The pit crew displayed a confusing chalkboard sign with the letters "EZY" to Holland, presumably meaning for him to take the... 46 18 128.082 2 16 119 0 Piston 1948 1948 Indianapolis 500 Results of the 1948 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Monday, May 31, 1948.... 54 11 131.603 1 3 200 9 Running 1949 1949 Indianapolis 500 Results of the 1949 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Monday, May 30, 1949.... 54 1 132.939 1 29 23 23 Crash T3 1951 1951 Indianapolis 500 The 1951 Indianapolis 500 an automobile race which was held on Wednesday, May 30, 1951 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the opening race of the 1951 AAA National Championship Trail and the second race of the 1951 World Championship of Drivers.... 18 1 136.498 2 10 151 0 Stalled BS 1952 1952 Indianapolis 500 The 1952 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Friday, May 30, 1952 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the second round of the 1952 World Drivers' Championship. Troy Ruttman won the race, bringing the Borg-Warner Trophy home for car owner J.C. Agajanian.Bill Vukovich led... 36 4 136.188 8 25 84 0 Supercharger 1953 1953 Indianapolis 500 The 1953 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Saturday, May 30, 1953 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the second round of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship.-Race:... 9 26 135.461 30 11 191 0 Spun T3 Totals 1284 32

Starts 10 Poles 2 Front Row 2 Wins 0 Top 5 1 Top 10 2 Retired 7

World Championship career summary

The Indianapolis 500 was idered part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Duke Nalon participated in 3 World Championship races. He started on the pole once but scored no World Championship points.

Awards

• He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
  National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
  The National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame and museum for midget cars. The Hall of Fame is located at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and can be accessed during weekly Sunday races during the summer.-A-C:...
  
   in 1987.
• He was named to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame
  National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum
  The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum is a Hall of Fame and museum for sprint car drivers, owners, mechanics, builders, manufacturers, promoters, sanctioning officials and media members....
  
  in 1991.