Canadian driver Eldon Rasmussen, a member of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame who made three starts in the Indy 500, has died. He was 85.
In a tweeted release, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said the Edmonton native died Sunday. There was no immediate word on a cause of death.
Rasmussen started racing in 1952 on dirt tracks in southern Alberta before moving on to paved tracks in Edmonton and Calgary, eventually making over 600 starts with the touring CAMRA (Canadian-American Modified Racing Association) series.
His best finish at the Indy 500 was a 13th-place result in 1977. He also competed at the famous race in 1975 and ’79.
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Rasmussen retired as a driver in 1979 after suffering an injury in a crash at Pocono Raceway. He shifted focus to his work as a race-car engineer, designer, builder and fabricator in the Indianapolis area.
Rasmussen designed and built some of the first wings for Indy 500 cars and created innovative rear wings for NHRA Top Fuel dragsters.
He also built machines for varied racing disciplines, including ice racing, motorcycle sidecar racing and karting.
Rasmussen was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2001.
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