Don Freeland (March 25, 1925 – November 2, 2007) was an American racing driver best remembered for eight consecutive appearances in the Indianapolis 500.
A Los Angeles native, Freeland served as a U.S. Navy mechanic during the Second World War before exchanging military machinery for racing cars. From 1952 to 1962, he competed in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, assembling an impressively consistent record. Across 76 starts, he reached the top ten 41 times and recorded three runner-up finishes, although victory remained just beyond his grasp.
Freeland qualified for every Indianapolis 500 held between 1953 and 1960. His strongest run may have come in 1955, when second place appeared to be his until transmission trouble forced him out with only 22 laps remaining. He returned one year later to claim third, his best result at the Speedway. Top-ten finishes in 1954 and 1958 further underlined his reliability at American racing’s biggest event.
Freeland died in San Diego, California, on November 2, 2007. He was 82.
