When most racing fans think about the number 99 most people usually associate it’s usage with the late Greg Moore, however a combination of the open wheel split and Greg’s tragic passing in 1999 meaning that popular Canadian was never able to compete for 500 glory. One man who did race the number to glory however was Lee Wallard, who took the #99 to victory lane in a compelling 1951 event.

Born on September 7 1910, Wallard began his racing career on the dirt tracks of the Altamont Speedway half mile track in his native New York, where he was a earned himself a reputation as a prominent dirt track and midget car racer before making his first start for the American Automobile Association in 1941. Returning to the sport following the advert of the second world war, Wallard resumed his racing career, competing in three Indianapolis 500 events between 1948 and 1950 with a best finish of sixth place, but by this point injuries were beginning to catch up with Wallard, and a succession of broken legs and dislocated shoulders through racing accidents soon left the Schenectady native out of contention for a competitive 500 ride. In 1951 however Wallard was approached by car owner Murrell Belanger to drive his Belanger special for the Indianapolis event, the car having been passed over by two other drivers (one of which being Tony Bettenhausen) before Wallard was considered for the drive.

Despite having the smallest displacement of any car in the field, and historically never being a strong qualifier for the event, Wallard put the dark blue #99 second on the field for the 500, and in the early stages of the race engaged in a hard fought battle with the #9 of Jack McGrath before pulling away from the Californian by the start of the tenth lap to pull out a commanding lead over his nearest rivals. In a race of high attrition, Wallard lost his brakes, suffered a damaged exhaust pipe, and broke a shock absorber mounting throughout the event, and spent the later stages of the race suffering from extreme chafing due to his decision not to wear an undershirt beneath his fire suit, but through it all Wallard struggled on, leading 159 laps of the race on his way to his first and only 500 victory. Wallard’s underdog win earned him high kudos in victory lane, quickly being dubbed as the Cinderella Man by many members of the local press, but quickly however the glory of Wallard’s win would become a distant memory. Just four days after his 500 win Wallard was involved in an accident at an event in Reading, Pennsylvania in which he received severe burns as well as damage to his lungs affecting his breathing, and although Wallard attempted a briefly comeback following his recovery never raced at a top tier level following the accident.

Retired from the sport, Wallard turned to track promotion as well as owning his own bar and club in upstate New York, before succumbing to a heart attack at the age of 53 whilst living in Florida. Lee Wallard’s win however is a testimony to the hard work and toil that comes with any racing career, and how that toil when combined with the right stroke of luck can help write any driver’s name into Indy 500 folklore.

Relive Wallard’s win in this Pathe News report covering the 1951 event:

Tomorrow: Two Indianapolis 500 legends are cemented on the same day. One for the right reasons and one for the wrong reasons.

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