Chet Miller

Before Formula One was Formula One, and before the world came to know the names of Fangio, Ascari, and Moss, there was Chet Miller—an American racer who made the Indianapolis Motor Speedway his second home. Known affectionately as the “Dean of the Speedway”, Miller was a veteran of the brickyard long before it counted towards the World Drivers’ Championship.

Nationality	American
Born	Chester Joseph Miller 19 July 1902 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	15 May 1953 (aged 50) Speedway, Indiana, U.S.

Born on July 19, 1902, in the United States, Chester Joseph Miller built a reputation as a solid, consistent, and endlessly determined racer. His career revolved around the Indianapolis 500, a gruelling race that tested both man and machine in the heat of the Indiana sun.

In a curious twist of motorsport history, the Indy 500 was included in the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship from 1950 to 1960—despite being worlds apart in terms of cars, culture, and calendar. While European stars rarely ventured stateside to compete, American drivers like Chet Miller found themselves, almost accidentally, part of the F1 record books.

Miller took part in two World Championship-counting Indy 500s, with a best classified finish of 25th place, and no championship points scored. Still, his inclusion in the F1 stats sheets is a reminder that in the earliest days of the championship, the “World” in World Championship was taken quite literally.

Sadly, Chet Miller’s name is etched into history for a sombre reason. On May 15, 1953, during practice for that year’s Indy 500, he was driving a Novi-engined Special—a powerful, temperamental beast of a car—when he crashed fatally in the south turn of the Speedway. He was 50 years old.

With his passing, Miller became the first driver to die during a World Championship event, a tragic milestone in the sport’s long and dangerous journey. His death served as a stark reminder of the risks drivers took in an era with little safety equipment, primitive medical response, and cars that pushed the limits of physics—and drivers.

Chet Miller is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, a fitting resting place not far from the roar of the Speedway that defined his life and career.

Chet Miller Formula One World Championship career

F1 Career	1950–1953
Teams	Kurtis Kraft
Entries	4 (2 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1950 Indianapolis 500
Last entry	1953 Indianapolis 500

Chet Miller Teammates

1 driver	Involvement	First Year	Last Year
Duke Nalon	4	1950	1953

Chet Miller Complete Formula One Results

Year	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	WDC	Points
1950	Kurtis Kraft	Offenhauser L4	GBR	MON	500 DNQ	SUI	BEL	FRA	ITA			NC	0
1951	Kurtis Kraft	Offenhauser L4	SUI	500 25	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA	ESP		NC	0
1952	Kurtis Kraft	Offenhauser L4	SUI	500 30	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	NED	ITA		NC	0
1953	Kurtis Kraft	Offenhauser L4	ARG	500 DNQ	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	SUI	ITA	NC	0