View source for Ray Crawford

{{Short description|American pilot, race-car driver and businessman}}
{{about|the racecar driver|other people|Ray Crawford (disambiguation)}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
{{Infobox F1 driver
| name = Ray Crawford
| image = Ray Crawford 1949 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Crawford, circa 1949
| nationality = {{flagicon|USA}} American
| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|10|26|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Roswell, New Mexico]] |
| death_date = {{death date and age|1996|2|1|1915|10|26|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]] |
| Years = {{F1|1955}}–{{F1|1959}}
| Team(s) = [[Elder (constructor)|Elder]], [[Kurtis Kraft]]
| Races = 5 (3 starts)
| Championships = 0
| Wins = 0
| Podiums = 0
| Points = 0
| Poles = 0
| Fastest laps = 0
| First race = [[1955 Indianapolis 500]]
| First win =
| Last win =
| Last race = [[1959 Indianapolis 500]]
}}
'''Ray Crawford''' (October 26, 1915 &ndash; February 1, 1996) was an American fighter ace, test pilot, race-car driver and businessman.

==Biography==
[[File:P80-1 300.jpg|thumbnail|right|Crawford was one of the first pilots certified on the P-80 ''Shooting Star.'']]
Born in [[Roswell, New Mexico]], Crawford served as a U.S. Army Air Corps [[fighter pilot]] and flew the [[P-38 Lightning]] in combat over North Africa in 1943. He was tied as the top-ranking fighter ace of the [[97th Flying Training Squadron|97th Fighter Squadron]] with six enemy aircraft confirmed destroyed and one probably destroyed. Rotated home, he eventually became an early jet pilot. At war's end Crawford was evaluating the Lockheed [[P-80 Shooting Star]] at Burbank, California and was to have flown the very aircraft that fighter ace [[Richard Bong]] was eventually killed in. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with fourteen Oak Leaf Clusters before separating from active duty as a Captain in February, 1946.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RetroIndy: Indy 500 drivers who served in the military |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/indy-500/2019/05/23/retroindy-indy-500-drivers-served-military-war-indianapolis-500-history/3539022002/ |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=The Indianapolis Star |language=en-US}}</ref> Crawford remained in the Air Force Reserves until April 1953.
[[File:Lockheed P-38J Lightning - 1.jpg|thumbnail|left|A P-38 ''Lightning'', similar to Crawford's.]]

Crawford was introduced to racing by [[Sam Hanks]], a former high school classmate, and competed notably with unlimited hydroplanes and automobiles. He drove in the [[American Automobile Association|AAA]] and [[United States Automobile Club|USAC]] [[Championship Car]] series, racing in the 1954-59 seasons with 9 starts, including the [[Indianapolis 500]] races in 1955-56, and 1959. In 1954, he won the stock-car class of the [[Carrera Panamericana]] (a nine-stage, five-day race across Mexico) in a [[Lincoln (automobile)|Lincoln]]. He also finished 7th and 4th in the invitational "Race of Two Worlds" events held at [[Autodromo_Nazionale_Monza|Monza Autodrome]], Italy in 1957 and 1958, respectively.

In 1955, Crawford drove a Lincoln-Kurtis sports car at the [[12 Hours of Sebring]] and finished the race in thirteenth position after running the entire length without a co-driver. To date, he is the only driver to have completed the race without relief of any kind.

Crawford's family owned a successful supermarket chain based in [[El Monte, California]] which led to his nickname, "The Flying Grocer." Crawford was one of the first owner-drivers of the post-war era at the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] and raced his own privately funded cars throughout his career. The only exception came in 1956, when Crawford raced the [[12 Hours of Sebring]] for Chevrolet's inaugural [[Chevrolet Corvette|Corvette]] team. He was also the driver of Corvette's experimental [[Chevrolet Corvette (C1)|SR-2]] at the Bahamas Speedweeks event that December. Cars owned by Crawford also qualified for the [[Indianapolis 500]] with other drivers in 1953, 1954 and 1962.

Serious injuries received during a crash at the 1959 Indianapolis 500 curtailed Crawford's driving career.

Speed legend [[Mickey Thompson]] cites Crawford as an early influence in his autobiography, ''Challenger''. Crawford provided Thompson with his first exposure to the Indianapolis 500 as a member of his pit crew.

Crawford died in [[Los Angeles, California]] on February 1, 1996 after battling [[Alzheimer's disease]] and is buried at [[Riverside National Cemetery]], Riverside California. He is the subject of a 2015 biography by Andrew Layton titled ''Ray Crawford - Speed Merchant''. Dick Wallen, a noted auto racing photographer and publisher, also contributed to the book.

==World War II Aerial Victory credits==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Date
!Kills
!Location/Comment
|-
|March 1, 1943
|align="right" |2
|[[Messerschmitt Bf 109]]s; On bomber escort
|-
|March 22, 1943
|align="right" |1
|Messerschmitt Bf 109 (Probably destroyed)
|-
|April 5, 1943
|align="right" |1
|Messerschmitt Bf 109
|-
|April 11, 1943
|align="right" |2
|[[Junkers Ju 52]] Transports; Ace status
|-
|June 15, 1943
|align="right" |1
|[[Macchi C.202]]
|}

==Awards and decorations==
Crawford's ribbons as they appeared upon separation from the armed forces in 1953.
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="12"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg|width=106}}{{Ribbon devices|number=12|type=|other_device=|ribbon=Air Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=|other_device=|ribbon=Air Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star<!--oak-->|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=4|type=service-star|ribbon=European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|}  

From top, and from left to right:

* Row 1: [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]], [[Air Medal]], with 14&nbsp;oak leaf clusters,
* Row 2: [[Air Medal]], continued, [[American Defense Service Medal]], [[American Campaign Medal]],
* Row 3: [[European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]], [[World War II Victory Medal]], [[National Defense Service Medal]]

==Indy 500 results==
{{col-begin|width=auto}}
{{col-break}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Year
!Car
!Start
!Qual
!Rank
!Finish
!Laps
!Led
!Retired
|-
![[1955 Indianapolis 500|1955]]
|49
|23
|139.206
|20
|23
|111
|0
|Valve
|-
![[1956 Indianapolis 500|1956]]
|49
|17
|140.884
|29
|29
|49
|0
|Crash T4
|-
![[1959 Indianapolis 500|1959]]
|49
|32
|141.348
|32
|23
|115
|0
|Crash T3
|-
|colspan=6|'''Totals'''
|275
|0
|
|}
{{col-break|gap=1em}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Starts
|3
|-
!Poles
|0
|-
!Front Row
|0
|-
!Wins
|0
|-
!Top 5
|0
|-
!Top 10
|0
|-
!Retired
|3
|}
{{col-end}}

==Complete Formula One World Championship results==
([[:Template:F1 driver results legend 2|key]])
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! WDC
! Points
|-
| [[1955 Formula One season|1955]]
! Ray Crawford
! [[Kurtis Kraft]] 500B
! [[Offenhauser]] [[Straight-4|L4]]
| [[1955 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]
| [[1955 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[1955 Indianapolis 500|500]]<br>{{small|23}}
| [[1955 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[1955 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]
| [[1955 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[1955 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| 
| 
|
|
! NC
! 0
|-
| [[1956 Formula One season|1956]]
! Ray Crawford
! [[Kurtis Kraft]] 500B
! [[Offenhauser]] [[Straight-4|L4]]
| [[1956 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]
| [[1956 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[1956 Indianapolis 500|500]]<br>{{small|29}}
| [[1956 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[1956 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[1956 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[1956 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[1956 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| 
| 
|
! NC
! 0
|-
| [[1957 Formula One season|1957]]
! Meguiar's Mirror / Crawford
! [[Kurtis Kraft]] 500G
! [[Offenhauser]] [[Straight-4|L4]]
| [[1957 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]
| [[1957 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[1957 Indianapolis 500|500]]<br>{{small|DNQ}}
| [[1957 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[1957 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[1957 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[1957 Pescara Grand Prix|PES]]
| [[1957 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| 
| 
|
! NC
! 0
|-
| [[1958 Formula One season|1958]]
! Meguiar's Mirror / Crawford
! [[Kurtis Kraft]] 500G
! [[Offenhauser]] [[Straight-4|L4]]
| [[1958 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]
| [[1958 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[1958 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[1958 Indianapolis 500|500]]<br>{{small|DNQ}}
| [[1958 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[1958 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[1958 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[1958 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[1958 Portuguese Grand Prix|POR]]
| [[1958 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[1958 Moroccan Grand Prix|MOR]]
! NC
! 0
|-
| [[1959 Formula One season|1959]]
! Meguiar's Mirror / Crawford
! [[Elder (constructor)|Elder]]
! [[Offenhauser]] [[Straight-4|L4]]
| [[1959 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[1959 Indianapolis 500|500]]<br>{{small|23}}
| [[1959 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]
| [[1959 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[1959 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[1959 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[1959 Portuguese Grand Prix|POR]]
| [[1959 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[1959 United States Grand Prix|USA]]
| 
| 
! NC
! 0
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* Bong, Carl. ''Dear Mom: So We Have a War.'' Burgess Publishing, 1993.
* Thompson, Mickey and Griffith Borgeson. ''Challenger: Mickey Thompson's Own Story of His Life of Speed.'' Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1964.
*{{Cite book |title=Layton, Andrew. ''Ray Crawford - Speed Merchant''. Revolution Press, 2015.|isbn=978-1513603230 |last1=Layton |first1=Andrew |year=2015 |publisher=Movement }}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Crawford, Ray}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:American test pilots]]
[[Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers]]
[[Category:People from Roswell, New Mexico]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from New Mexico]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Air Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II]]
[[Category:World Sportscar Championship drivers]]
[[Category:Military personnel from New Mexico]]
[[Category:Carrera Panamericana drivers]]