View source for Rex Mays

{{Short description|American racing driver (1913–1949)}}
{{Infobox racing driver
| name              = Rex Mays
| image             = Rex Mays.jpg
| caption           = Mays, circa 1935
| birth_name        = Rex Houston Mays Jr.
| birth_date        = {{Birth date|1913|03|10}}
| birth_place       = [[Riverside, California]], U.S.
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|1949|11|06|1913|03|10}}
| death_place       = [[Del Mar, California]], U.S.
| titles            = [[AAA Contest Board|AAA West Coast]] [[Sprint car racing|Big Car]] (1934, 1935) <br/> [[AAA Contest Board|AAA Midwest]] [[Sprint car racing|Big Car]] (1936, 1937) <br/> [[AAA Contest Board|AAA]] [[Championship Car]] ([[1940 AAA Championship Car season|1940]], [[1941 AAA Championship Car season|1941]])
| module1 = 
  {{Infobox Champ Car driver|embed=yes
  | Total_Champ_Races = 57
  | Years_In_Champ    = 12
  | Best_Champ_Pos    = 1st ([[1940 AAA Championship Car season|1940]], [[1941 AAA Championship Car season|1941]])
  | First_Champ_Race  = [[1934 AAA Championship Car season|1934]] [[1934 Indianapolis 500|Indianapolis 500]] ([[Indianapolis Motor Speedway|Indianapolis]])
  | Last_Champ_Race   = [[1949 AAA Championship Car season|1949]] Del Mar 100 ([[Del Mar Racetrack|Del Mar]])
  | First_Champ_Win   = [[1936 AAA Championship Car season|1936]] Goshen 100 ([[Good Time Park|Goshen]])
  | Last_Champ_Win    = [[1946 AAA Championship Car season|1946]] [[Rex Mays Classic|Milwaukee 100]] ([[Milwaukee Mile|Milwaukee]])
  | Champ_Wins        = 8
  | Champ_Podiums     = 19
  | Champ_Poles       = 19
}}}}

'''Rex Houston Mays Jr.''' (March 10, 1913 – November 6, 1949) was an American [[racing driver]]. He was a two-time [[List of American open-wheel racing national champions|National Champion]], won four [[Pole position|poles]] for the [[Indianapolis 500]], and is generally regarded as one of the greatest drivers of his era.

== Racing career ==

Mays won regional sprint car championships in the mid-1930s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AutoRacingRecords.com |url=https://www.autoracingrecords.com/series.php?srid=01024 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=www.autoracingrecords.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=AutoRacingRecords.com |url=https://www.autoracingrecords.com/series.php?srid=01022 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=www.autoracingrecords.com}}</ref> He made his [[Indianapolis 500]] debut in 1934 and won [[Pole position|the pole]] in 1935, 1936, and again in 1940 and finished second, he returned the next year and finished second again.<ref name=":0" /> Mays won the AAA National Championship in [[1940 AAA Championship Car season|1940]] and [[1941 AAA Championship Car season|1941]]. However, [[World War II]] suspended racing until 1946, denying Mays of what likely would have been the peak of his career. After the war, Mays again won the Indianapolis pole in 1948 but was knocked out by a mechanical problem.

In a race at [[Milwaukee Mile|Milwaukee]], a fellow driver, [[Duke Dinsmore]], was thrown from his car during an incident in the south turn. Mays was leading the race and saw Dinsmore's body lying in the middle of the south turn. Mays spun his car into the wall, got out of the car, and pulled the unconscious Dinsmore to safety.<ref name=":1" />

== Death ==

Mays was killed at the age of 36 in a crash during the only Championship Car race held at [[Del Mar Fairgrounds]] race track in [[Del Mar, California]] in November 1949.<ref name=":1" /> In this accident, Mays swerved to miss a car that had crashed in front of him. His car went out of control and flipped, throwing Mays to the track surface, where he was hit by a trailing car.

== Awards and honors ==

Mays has been inducted into the following halls of fame:
* [[Auto Racing Hall of Fame]] (1963)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Rex Mays |url=https://imsmuseum.org/fame_inductee/rex-mays/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=IMS Museum |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[National Sprint Car Hall of Fame]] (1990)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rex Mays |url=https://www.sprintcarhof.com/helper_pages/FileGet.aspx?id=240 |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=www.sprintcarhof.com}}</ref>
* [[International Motorsports Hall of Fame]] (1993)<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Rex Mays |url=https://www.motorsportshalloffame.com/inductees/rex-mays/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=International Motorsports Hall of Fame |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Motorsports Hall of Fame of America]] (1995)<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Rex Mays |url=https://www.mshf.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/rex-mays.html |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=www.mshf.com}}</ref>
* [[Riverside Sport Hall of Fame]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-02-14 |title=Rex Mays {{!}} Riverside Sport Hall of Fame |url=https://www.riversidesporthalloffame.com/rex-mays/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217052555/http://www.riversidesporthalloffame.com/rex-mays/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=February 17, 2011 |access-date=2023-10-09 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In addition, the [[Milwaukee Mile]] Indy car race traditionally run the weekend after the Indianapolis 500 was renamed in Mays' honor, recognizing not only his career and tragic death, but his selfless earlier actions in protecting Dinsmore. The [[Rex Mays Classic]] ran as such from 1950 to 1987 - at which time the Mays name was eliminated in favor of [[Miller High Life]] sponsorship. [[Riverside International Raceway]] also held an Indy car race named after Mays, the [[Rex Mays 300]], which ran from 1967 to 1969.<ref name=":2" />

== Motorsports career results ==

=== AAA Championship Car results ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! Year
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! Pos
! Points
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1934 AAA Championship Car season|1934]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1934 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>23</small>
| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]
| [[Great New York State Fair|NYS]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Los Angeles International Airport|MFD]]<br><small>16</small>
|colspan=9|
! -
! 0
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1935 AAA Championship Car season|1935]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1935 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>17</small>
| [[Minnesota State Fair Speedway|MIN]]
| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]
| [[Great New York State Fair|NYS]]
| [[Altoona Speedway|ALT]]
| [[Langhorne Speedway|LAN]]
|colspan=7|
! -
! 0
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1936 AAA Championship Car season|1936]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1936 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>15</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[Good Time Park|GTP]]<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [[Great New York State Fair|NYS]]<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| [[Roosevelt Raceway|GVC]]<br><small>DNS</small>
|colspan=9|
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 11th
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 200
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1937 AAA Championship Car season|1937]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1937 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>33</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [[Roosevelt Raceway|GVC]]<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Great New York State Fair|NYS]]<br><small>13</small>
|colspan=10|
!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 8th
!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 405
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1938 AAA Championship Car season|1938]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1938 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>28</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[Great New York State Fair|NYS]]<br><small>2</small>
|colspan=11|
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 13th
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 165
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1939 AAA Championship Car season|1939]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1939 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>16</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[ABC Supply Wisconsin 250|MIL]]<br><small>17</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Great New York State Fair|NYS]]<br><small>13</small>
|colspan=10|
! -
! 0
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1940 AAA Championship Car season|1940]]
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[1940 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[Great New York State Fair|NYS]]<br><small>1</small>
|colspan=10|
!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st
!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1,225
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1941 AAA Championship Car season|1941]]
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[1941 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[Great New York State Fair|NYS]]<br><small>1</small>
|colspan=10|
!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st
!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1,225
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1946 AAA Championship Car season|1946]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1946 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>30</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[Langhorne Speedway|LAN]]<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Atlanta 500 Classic|ATL]]<br><small>11</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[Indiana State Fairgrounds|ISF]]<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[Good Time Park|GOS]]<br><small>DNQ</small>
|colspan=7|
!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 9th
!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 613
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1947 AAA Championship Car season|1947]]
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| [[1947 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[Langhorne Speedway|LAN]]<br><small>DNQ</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Atlanta 500 Classic|ATL]]<br><small>12</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Bainbridge Township, Ohio|BAI]]<br><small>15</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>10</small>
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| [[Good Time Park|GOS]]<br><small>DNS</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>16</small>
| [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb|PIK]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]<br><small>16</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Arlington, Texas|ARL]]<br><small>4</small>
|colspan=2|
!style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5th
!style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 765.7
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1948 AAA Championship Car season|1948]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Arlington, Texas|ARL]]<br><small>16</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1948 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>19</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>17</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Langhorne Speedway|LAN]]<br><small>16</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>7</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack|DUQ]]<br><small>17</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Atlanta 500 Classic|ATL]]<br><small>10</small>
| [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb|PIK]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]<br><small>14</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack|DUQ]]<br><small>18</small>
|colspan=1|
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 13th
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 360
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1949 AAA Championship Car season|1949]]
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[Arlington, Texas|ARL]]<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1949 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>25</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>7</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| [[Trenton Speedway|TRE]]<br><small>10</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack|DUQ]]<br><small>15</small>
| [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb|PIK]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Great New York State Fair|NYS]]<br><small>15</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway|DET]]<br><small>11</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[California State Fairgrounds Race Track|SAC]]<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Del Mar Fairgrounds|DMR]]<br><small>18</small>
!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 6th
!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 1,030
|}
* 1946 table only includes results of the six races run to "[[Championship Car|championship car]]" specifications. Points total includes the 71 races run to "[[Sprint car racing|big car]]" specifications.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1946 AAA National Championship Trail |url=http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1946.htm |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=www.champcarstats.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Capps |first=H. Donald |date=October 2009 |title=The Curious Case of the 1946 Season: An Inconvenient Championship |url=http://forix.autosport.com/8w/rvm/rvm-vol07-no02.pdf |journal=Rear View Mirror |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=1–16}}</ref>

=== Indianapolis 500 results ===

{{col-begin|width=auto}}
{{col-break}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Year
!Car
!Start
!Qual
!Rank
!Finish
!Laps
!Led
!Retired
|-
![[1934 Indianapolis 500|1934]]
|35
|23
|113.639
|15
|23
|53
|0
|Front axle
|-
![[1935 Indianapolis 500|1935]]
|33
|style="background:green;color:white"|1
|120.736
|style="background:green;color:white"|1
|17
|123
|89
|Spring shackle
|-
![[1936 Indianapolis 500|1936]]
|33
|style="background:green;color:white"|1
|119.644
|style="background:green;color:white"|1
|15
|192
|12
|Out of gas
|-
![[1937 Indianapolis 500|1937]]
|14
|23
|119.968
|10
|33
|24
|0
|Overheating
|-
![[1938 Indianapolis 500|1938]]
|8
|3
|122.845
|5
|28
|45
|16
|Supercharger
|-
![[1939 Indianapolis 500|1939]]
|15
|19
|126.413
|7
|16
|145
|1
|Rings
|-
![[1940 Indianapolis 500|1940]]
|33
|style="background:green;color:white"|1
|127.850
|style="background:green;color:white"|1
|2
|200
|59
|Running
|-
![[1941 Indianapolis 500|1941]]
|1
|2
|128.301
|2
|2
|200
|38
|Running
|-
![[1946 Indianapolis 500|1946]]
|1
|14
|128.861
|2
|30
|26
|3
|Manifold
|-
![[1947 Indianapolis 500|1947]]
|9
|20
|124.412
|7
|6
|200
|0
|Running
|-
![[1948 Indianapolis 500|1948]]
|5
|style="background:green;color:white"|1
|130.577
|2
|19
|129
|36
|Fuel leak
|-
![[1949 Indianapolis 500|1949]]
|5
|2
|129.552
|4
|25
|48
|12
|Engine
|-
|colspan=6|'''Totals'''
|1385
|266
|
|}
{{col-break|gap=1em}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Starts
|12
|-
!Poles
|4
|-
!Front Row
|7
|-
!Wins
|0
|-
!Top 5
|2
|-
!Top 10
|3
|-
!Retired
|9
|}
{{col-end}}

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/MaysRex.htm Rex Mays - ChampCarStats.com]
* {{Find a Grave|28857921}}
* [http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=ct&n=164 Rex Mays - Motorsport Memorial]
* {{Racing-Reference driver|Rex_Mays}}

{{American open-wheel car racing champions}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mays, Rex}}
[[Category:1913 births]]
[[Category:1949 deaths]]
[[Category:AAA Championship Car drivers]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Champ Car champions]]
[[Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers]]
[[Category:Indianapolis 500 polesitters]]
[[Category:National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Riverside, California]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from California]]
[[Category:Racing drivers who died while racing]]
[[Category:Sports deaths in California]]