Leslie Eugene “Gene” Hartley (28 January 1926 – 13 March 1993) was an American racing driver born and raised in Roanoke, Indiana. Motor racing was the family trade. His father, Ted Hartley, competed in midget cars into his sixties, and Gene later summed up his own upbringing simply: “Auto racing is all I’ve ever known.”
Driver Bio
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace | Roanoke, Indiana, USA |
| Born | 28 January 1926 |
| Died | 13 March 1993 |
| First Grand Prix | 1950 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last Grand Prix | 1960 Indianapolis 500 |
| Years Active | 1950, 1952–1954, 1956–1957, 1959–1960 |
| Current/Last Team | Kurtis Kraft |
Racing career
Hartley competed in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series during 1950 and from 1952 through 1962, making 33 starts.
Ten of those appearances came in the Indianapolis 500. He contested every edition during that period apart from the 1955 and 1958 races. Hartley’s best result at the Speedway was tenth in 1957, while he also finished 11th on three occasions.
Across his Championship Car career, he recorded nine top-ten finishes. His strongest result was second place at the demanding Langhorne Speedway in 1956.
Midget racing brought Hartley his greatest sustained success. He won the 1959 USAC National Midget championship and accumulated 33 feature victories, placing him eighth on the series’ all-time list.
Promoting
Hartley remained involved with the sport after retiring from driving. Alongside Leroy Warriner, he co-promoted events at the Indianapolis Speedrome on Kitley Avenue.
The venue had been constructed specifically for compact racing machinery, making it an ideal home for the midget events organised by the pair.
Honour
Hartley was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1985, recognising a career that stretched from the Indianapolis 500 to championship success on America’s short tracks.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 10 |
| Race Starts | 8 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 9th |
| Best Race Finish | 9th |
| Retirements | 3 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 2 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 10 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 (N/A) |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 (N/A) |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 (N/A) |
| Did Not Qualify | 2 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Langley | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1952 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1953 | Kurtis Kraft / Kuzma | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | – | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1954 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1956 | Kuzma | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1957 | Lesovsky | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1959 | Kuzma | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1960 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
