Johnnie Tolan

Johnnie Tolan (22 October 1917 - 6 June 1986): American racecar driver from Victor, Colorado who won 45 midget car races in 1946 and won the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association championship, repeating his championship in 1947 and scoring 47 wins. He captured the 1950 AAA Midwest championship and his first National Midget championship in 1952, as well as the Midwest championship. During his career he entered seven Indianapolis 500 races between 1951 and 1959, managing to qualify for three of them. He competed at the Indianapolis 500 in 1956, 1957, and 1958, with his best finish being thirteenth in 1958.

During this time the Indianapolis 500 was part of the Formula One championship calendar, which meant Johnnie Tolan participated in 3 World Championship races but scored no World Championship points. Tolan traveled with Bob Tattersall and Jimmy Davies to Australia in 1964, where he suffered career-ending back injuries at the Sydney Showgrounds. Tolan was inducted into the National Midget Hall of Fame in 1988 and was the 1952 AAA National Midget Champion. He died of cancer and is buried in Denver.