Eugene Robert Force was an American racecar driver whose career stretched across one of the toughest and most competitive eras in open-wheel racing.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace | New Madison, Ohio, USA |
| Born | 15 June 1916 |
| Died | 21 August 1983 |
| First Grand Prix | 1951 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last Grand Prix | 1960 Indianapolis 500 |
| Years Active | 1951–1952, 1957, 1959–1960 |
| Current/Last Team | Kurtis Kraft |
Born in the small town of New Madison, Ohio, Force carved out a respected career in the brutal world of AAA and USAC Championship Car racing.
Between 1951 and 1960, he competed across multiple AAA and USAC Championship Car seasons, making starts in 1951, 1952, 1954, 1956, and from 1958 through 1960. Over the course of his career, Force made 33 Championship Car starts, including appearances in the legendary Indianapolis 500 in both 1951 and 1960 — the crown jewel of American open-wheel racing.
Although he never claimed victory at Indy, Force built an impressive career. He recorded 16 top-ten finishes in Championship Car racing. His best result was third place, a finish he accomplished on three separate occasions.
One of the most memorable chapters of Force’s career came during the 1960 Indianapolis 500, when he drove the famous “McKay Special” #37. The car was a 1959 Kurtis Kraft 500J owned and entered by Roy McKay of Dayton, Ohio, with Charlie Altfater serving as mechanic. Like many Indy cars of the period, it combined raw power, simple engineering, and immense bravery from the driver strapped inside.
Unlike many machines from the era that disappeared into history, the McKay Special remarkably survived in largely original condition. It has since been carefully restored to its authentic 1960 Indianapolis 500 appearance and remains a cherished piece of American racing heritage. The car still occasionally appears at vintage motorsport events, including the prestigious 2008 Monterey Historics, where fans were once again able to see the machine that Force raced more than four decades earlier.
Force’s life ended in 1983 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, where he suffered a fatal heart attack.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 5 |
| Race Starts | 2 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 20th |
| Best Race Finish | n/a |
| Retirements | 2 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 3 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 5 (including DNQs) |
| Reached Q3 | – |
| Q2 Eliminations | – |
| Q1 Eliminations | – |
| Did Not Qualify | 3 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22nd | DNF | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1960 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20th | DNF | 0 | 0 | NC |
Stats by Constructor
| Constructor | Years | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurtis Kraft | 1951, 1959–1960 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20th | DNF | 0 | 0 |
