George Reggie “Little George” Amick (October 24, 1924 – April 4, 1959) was an American racing driver best known for his success in midget cars and the American National Championship. His brief career included a remarkable Indianapolis 500 debut before his life was cut short in an accident at Daytona.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace | Vernonia, Oregon, USA |
| Born | 24 October 1924 |
| Died | 4 April 1959 |
| First Grand Prix | 1957 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last Grand Prix | 1958 Indianapolis 500 |
| Years Active | 1957–1958 |
| Current/Last Team | Epperly |
Racing career
Amick began competing in jalopies around the Northwestern United States before progressing into midget racing. He quickly became a consistent front-runner, placing inside the top ten of the USAC National Midget standings in each of his three seasons.
His record included 16 USAC feature victories and 38 wins overall. Among the most significant was the prestigious 1957 Turkey Night Grand Prix.
The move into Indy cars brought three victories from 43 starts, but Amick’s finest performance came without actually winning. For his first Indianapolis 500 in 1958, team owner Norm Demler placed him in an unusual “lay-down” roadster designed by Quin Epperly and based on George Salih’s victorious 1957 concept.
With 20 laps remaining, Amick held a comfortable second place behind Jimmy Bryan. Demler’s team believed their rookie had enough speed to close the gap and potentially challenge for victory. Rather than encourage an inexperienced driver into a high-risk pursuit, however, they chose to protect the result.
Amick maintained his pace and finished an excellent second. The performance earned him Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honours and marked him as one of American racing’s brightest emerging talents.
Death
On April 4, 1959, Amick competed in the USAC Daytona 100, the only Indy-car race ever staged at Daytona International Speedway. He was killed in an accident on the final lap of the 100-mile event. He was 34.
Amick was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, in Section 235, Lot 723.
Honours
Half a century after his death, Amick’s achievements in short-track competition received formal recognition. He was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 2 |
| Race Starts | 1 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 25th |
| Best Race Finish | 2nd |
| Retirements | 0 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Podiums
| Podiums | 1 |
| First Podium | 1958 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last Podium | 1958 Indianapolis 500 |
| 1st Place | 0 |
| 2nd Place | 1 |
| 3rd Place | 0 |
| Most Consecutive Podiums | 0 |
| Most Podiums in a Single Season | 1 |
| Seasons with Podiums | 1 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 2 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Points
| Points Scored | 6 |
| Points Finishes | 1 |
| Most Points in a Single Season | 6 |
| Seasons with Points | 1 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Epperly | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25th | 2nd | 1 | 6 | 15th |
| 1957 | Snowberger | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | DNQ | DNQ | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epperly | 1958 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25th | 2nd | 1 | 6 |
| Snowberger | 1957 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | 0 |
