by Cindy Shanks

Created on: August 04, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

Ted Horn (full name Eylard Theodore Van Horn) began his race car driving in the most unusual of circumstances. Without a brush with the law, on his way to work, he would have probably been remembered as a journalist and not as a racing car driver.

Born February 27th 1910 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the family were constantly on the move. It was not until he was settled in Los Angeles he found work aged 15 for the Los Angeles Times. A police officer stopped him for speeding when he was on the way to work and decided that he needed to go to a racing track, borrow a car where he could speed as much as he wanted. The idea was to stop Ted repeating his crime but instead it had a profound affect. The andrenaline rush and the excitement of driving at such speed meant he never wanted to lose that feeling of power.

His new goal in life wasn't an easy one to follow. He was far too slow at driving at first but kept believing and persevering and began to improve the quality of his driving. Even when he had improved he had an accident and his family didn't want him to race anymore. He gave up the sport for a short while but he couldn't get the racing bug out of his system and so he began again.

Louis Meyer realised Ted's potential and Ted knew he had to move from the California racetracks to the midwestern and eastern part of the states. He carried on practising but in 1935 when he worked for Ford Motor Company he had to drop out of his race due to a fault with the car. He felt disheartened at it his performance and that his dreams were dashed but help came in the form of Harry Hartz. Harry Hartz offered Ted the opportunty to drive his car in the 1936 Indy 500 and mentored him. He raced until World War II and decided to enlist. Unfortunately for Horn he wasn't classed as physically fit enough to join up and so was unable to fight for his country. He had to be patient and wait until the war was over.

It was after the war that his success finally lifted off after years of training and persevering he won the 1946, 1947 and 1948 National Championships.

Sadly his thirst for excitement and adventure caught up with him in October 1948. He had a seious accident at Du Quoin, Illinois and died aged 38 in hospital from his injuries.

Ted Horn will not be forgotten. In 1991 he was entered into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. In 1993 the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America remembered Ted Horn by inducting him into their hall of fame.

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