Gaston Chevrolet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gaston Chevrolet
Chevrolet at Tacoma Speedway in June 1920
Born	Gaston Louis Chevrolet (1892-10-26)October 26, 1892 Beaune, Côte-d'Or, France
Died	November 25, 1920(1920-11-25) (aged 28) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Championship titles
AAA Championship Car (1920) Major victories Indianapolis 500 (1920)
Champ Car career
15 races run over 4 years
Best finish	1st (1920)
First race	1917 Sharonville Sweepstakes (Sharonville)
Last race	1920 Beverly Hills 250 #2 (Beverly Hills)
First win	1919 Independence Auto Derby (Sheepshead Bay)
Last win	1920 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles 4 7 0

Gaston Louis Chevrolet (born October 4, 1892 – died November 25, 1920) was a famous American racing driver and car maker. He won two big titles in 1920: the Indianapolis 500 race and the American National Championship.

Early Life of Gaston Chevrolet

Gaston was born in France, near a town called Beaune. His family was from Switzerland, and his dad was a watchmaker. He had two older brothers, Louis and Arthur Chevrolet. Louis Chevrolet, who later started the famous Chevrolet car company, moved to the United States first. Once he had enough money, he sent for Gaston and Arthur to join him.

In America, Gaston became a car mechanic. Soon, he joined his brothers in the exciting world of car racing. In 1916, Gaston became a partner with his brothers Louis and Arthur in a new company called Frontenac Motor Corporation. They built their own race cars.

Winning the Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500 is one of the most famous car races in the world. In 1919, Gaston Chevrolet raced in the Indianapolis 500 for the first time. He finished in tenth place, and his brother Louis finished seventh.

In the 1920 Indianapolis 500, Gaston drove a special Monroe-Frontenac race car. He broke the winning streak of European cars by winning the race! He was the first driver in the history of the 500-mile (800 km) race to finish without changing his tires. Gaston could not defend his win because he passed away later that year. He was the last French-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 for 99 years, until Simon Pagenaud won in 2019.

1920 National Championship and Passing

After his big win at Indianapolis on May 31, 1920, Gaston Chevrolet raced in several more events. He even won a 100-mile (160 km) race against other top drivers like Tommy Milton and Ralph Mulford.

As winter came in late 1920, racing moved to the West Coast. Gaston was competing in the last race of the season at the Beverly Hills Speedway. During the race, his Frontenac car crashed. He was involved in an accident with another driver, Eddie O'Donnell. Both cars went off the track. Gaston Chevrolet passed away instantly.

Gaston is buried next to his brother Louis in the Holy Cross and Saint Joseph Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Becoming the 1920 National Champion

Even though the crash happened, Gaston Chevrolet had earned enough points during the season to win the AAA National Championship for 1920. This was a huge achievement.

Later, some people tried to say that Tommy Milton was the champion instead. They used different ways to count points from other races. However, historians have found old records that confirm Gaston Chevrolet was indeed the champion. Even so, the trophy for that year, the Astor Challenge Cup, has Tommy Milton's name on it instead of Gaston's.

Awards and Honors

Gaston Chevrolet has been recognized for his amazing racing career. He has been inducted into these special halls of fame:

• Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1964)
• Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2002)

Motorsports Career Summary

Gaston Chevrolet competed in two Indianapolis 500 races. He won one of them!