Birth: Death: April 15, 1986 | Birthplace:

Gene White – Marietta, GA – White began his racing career as a driver but soon became a leading innovator, tire distributor and car owner.

His first races were at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, and in 1959 he was the first driver to pull out of the pits and run a lap around the then-new Daytona International Speedway. He finished 18th in the inaugural Daytona 500.

In 1961 he became a dealer for Firestone racing tires and became one of four national distributors, selling tires to competitors in all forms of motorsports.

In 1967, he began entering cars in the USAC Champ Car Series and in Indianapolis 500, with Lloyd Ruby as his driver. He won races at Phoenix, Milwaukee, and Trenton, N.J., but the Indy 500 victory, which he badly wanted, always eluded him, even though they were in position to win on a couple of occasions only to suffer mechanical misfortunes.

He did have three drivers – Ruby, Sam Sessions and Yarborough, finish in the top 10 in 1972.

He also fielded cars for 12 of Cale Yarborough’s Indy car starts including two in the Indianapolis 500, in 1971 and 1972.

White also led the way in developing a crushable fuel cell with a safety check-valve, which replaced the old steel gas tanks.

Gene White died on April 15, 1986.