Jim Hickman (driver)
Encyclopedia
James Franklin Hickman, II (born May 9, 1943 - died August 1, 1982) was an American
racecar driver known as Jim Hickman.
series and raced in 3 CART contests that year as well as the Indianapolis 500
, which, that year, was not a CART event. He finished 3 of his 4 races in the top ten and was named Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, where he finished 7th.
race of the 1982 season, practicing for the Tony Bettenhausen 200 at Wisconsin State Fair Park. Published reports indicated that CART
observers and technical personnel determined that a stuck throttle was the cause of the accident. Driving a 1982 March
-Cosworth
for Hoffman racing sponsored by Stroh's Beer, his car slammed into the concrete wall in the first turn of the one-mile (1.6 km) oval. It took safety officials about 15 minutes to pry the 39-year-old former Navy fighter pilot out of the wreckage. He was pronounced dead about 12 hours later in a Milwaukee hospital. Dr. Steve Olvey, medical director for CART, said Hickman died of head injuries. The accident occurred with less than five minutes remaining in the final practice session.
. He had two younger brothers, Hercel Harvey Hickman and Terry Lynn Hickman.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
racecar driver known as Jim Hickman.
Racing career
Hickman was a driver in the 1982 CART Championship CarAmerican Championship Car Racing
Since 1916 there has been a recognized United States national automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level, single-seat open wheel race cars. The championship has been under the auspices of several different sanctioning bodies since 1909. Since 1911, the Indianapolis...
series and raced in 3 CART contests that year as well as the Indianapolis 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...
, which, that year, was not a CART event. He finished 3 of his 4 races in the top ten and was named Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, where he finished 7th.
Death
Hickman died in a qualifying accident at the second Milwaukee MileMilwaukee Mile
The Milwaukee Mile is a -long oval race track in West Allis, Wisconsin that seats about 40,000 spectators. It operated as a dirt track until 1953. The track was paved in 1954....
race of the 1982 season, practicing for the Tony Bettenhausen 200 at Wisconsin State Fair Park. Published reports indicated that CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
observers and technical personnel determined that a stuck throttle was the cause of the accident. Driving a 1982 March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
-Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
for Hoffman racing sponsored by Stroh's Beer, his car slammed into the concrete wall in the first turn of the one-mile (1.6 km) oval. It took safety officials about 15 minutes to pry the 39-year-old former Navy fighter pilot out of the wreckage. He was pronounced dead about 12 hours later in a Milwaukee hospital. Dr. Steve Olvey, medical director for CART, said Hickman died of head injuries. The accident occurred with less than five minutes remaining in the final practice session.
Personal life
Hickman was born to Ioma Hickman (1922–2006) and James Franklin (1923–1966), in Panama, OklahomaPanama, Oklahoma
Panama is a town in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,413 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Panama is located at ....
. He had two younger brothers, Hercel Harvey Hickman and Terry Lynn Hickman.