Merchant Marine veteran
Rusty Kelley was a successful short track racer in the 1950s. He grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he raced midgets until moving to Pontiac, Michigan in 1951. After he relocated, Kelley raced modified hardtops at tracks in Ohio and Michigan. He was a regular feature race winner at M-59 Speedway in Pontiac, where he was 1956 track champion. The following year, he was track champion at Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, Michigan. He was a member of NASCAR, MARC (Midwest Association for Race Cars) and Land O' Lakes Racing Association.
While on his second qualifying lap at Toledo's Raceway Park, Kelley's modified hardtop suffered an apparent locked steering gear. The car sailed over the east embankment of the track, at Turn Two, rolled repeatedly, then burst into flames. Kelley died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.
He was survived by his widow, Virginia, of Pontiac, MI; mother, Mrs. Louise D. Kelley; three sisters, Mrs. Harold Ross, Mrs. James Ross and Mrs. Ralph Fitzgerald; and a brother, Robert, all of Cincinnati.
Rusty Kelley was a successful short track racer in the 1950s. He grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he raced midgets until moving to Pontiac, Michigan in 1951. After he relocated, Kelley raced modified hardtops at tracks in Ohio and Michigan. He was a regular feature race winner at M-59 Speedway in Pontiac, where he was 1956 track champion. The following year, he was track champion at Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, Michigan. He was a member of NASCAR, MARC (Midwest Association for Race Cars) and Land O' Lakes Racing Association.
While on his second qualifying lap at Toledo's Raceway Park, Kelley's modified hardtop suffered an apparent locked steering gear. The car sailed over the east embankment of the track, at Turn Two, rolled repeatedly, then burst into flames. Kelley died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.
He was survived by his widow, Virginia, of Pontiac, MI; mother, Mrs. Louise D. Kelley; three sisters, Mrs. Harold Ross, Mrs. James Ross and Mrs. Ralph Fitzgerald; and a brother, Robert, all of Cincinnati.
Merchant Marine veteran
Rusty Kelley was a successful short track racer in the 1950s. He grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he raced midgets until moving to Pontiac, Michigan in 1951. After he relocated, Kelley raced modified hardtops at tracks in Ohio and Michigan. He was a regular feature race winner at M-59 Speedway in Pontiac, where he was 1956 track champion. The following year, he was track champion at Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, Michigan. He was a member of NASCAR, MARC (Midwest Association for Race Cars) and Land O' Lakes Racing Association.
While on his second qualifying lap at Toledo's Raceway Park, Kelley's modified hardtop suffered an apparent locked steering gear. The car sailed over the east embankment of the track, at Turn Two, rolled repeatedly, then burst into flames. Kelley died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.
He was survived by his widow, Virginia, of Pontiac, MI; mother, Mrs. Louise D. Kelley; three sisters, Mrs. Harold Ross, Mrs. James Ross and Mrs. Ralph Fitzgerald; and a brother, Robert, all of Cincinnati.
Rusty Kelley was a successful short track racer in the 1950s. He grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he raced midgets until moving to Pontiac, Michigan in 1951. After he relocated, Kelley raced modified hardtops at tracks in Ohio and Michigan. He was a regular feature race winner at M-59 Speedway in Pontiac, where he was 1956 track champion. The following year, he was track champion at Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, Michigan. He was a member of NASCAR, MARC (Midwest Association for Race Cars) and Land O' Lakes Racing Association.
While on his second qualifying lap at Toledo's Raceway Park, Kelley's modified hardtop suffered an apparent locked steering gear. The car sailed over the east embankment of the track, at Turn Two, rolled repeatedly, then burst into flames. Kelley died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.
He was survived by his widow, Virginia, of Pontiac, MI; mother, Mrs. Louise D. Kelley; three sisters, Mrs. Harold Ross, Mrs. James Ross and Mrs. Ralph Fitzgerald; and a brother, Robert, all of Cincinnati.
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Interment April 16, 1958
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