Tommy Hinnershitz

Tommy Hinnershitz began his 30-year racing career in 1930. He finished in eighth place at the Indianapolis Speedway after finding a suitable car, the Kurtis Kraft Special (1948). It was Tommy’s best effort at Indy. In sprint car competition, Tommy drove an Offenhauser, owned by John Pfrommer of Douglassville, PA. He won more championships than any other race driver in history, winning the coveted Eastern Sprint Car title six times (1949-52, 1955-56). He is the only driver ever to win the Eastern A.A.A. championship four consecutive years and was named Berks County’s “Outstanding Athlete” at the 17th annual banquet of the Officials Association at the Temple Inn (1952). Prior to the start of the 1952 season, Tommy was tied with Ted Horn for most consecutive Eastern A.A.A. championships with three. He started the 1952 campaign with a victory at the Reading Fairgrounds on April 6th, and when the season was over on October 19th, Hinnershitz had won 11 races, finished second five times and third once in 22 starts to enter racedom’s mythical hall of fame. He was credited with 601 points – 184 more than the runner- up Ernie McCoy, the “Reading leadfoot”. Tommy’s prize money in Eastern A.A.A. competition that season amounted to $8,220. He added $2,160 in the Mid-West circuit. Tommy retired following a sprint race at the Allentown Fairgrounds (1960). At the age of 63, Hinnershitz had his own ideas about why Indianapolis speeds had gone up year after year. “The cars are much better,” he said, “but the big changes have been in tires and in the Indianapolis Speedway itself.”

Deceased