George Rice “Joie” Chitwood was an American racing driver, stuntman, and businessman, best known for his long-running Joie Chitwood Thrill Show, which made him one of the most famous automotive daredevils in North America.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace | Denison, Texas, USA |
| Born | 14 April 1912 |
| Died | 3 January 1988 |
| First Grand Prix | 1950 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last Grand Prix | 1950 Indianapolis 500 |
| Years Active | 1950 |
| Current/Last Team | Privateer: Kurtis Kraft |
Chitwood was born in Denison. Orphaned at 14, he left school early and moved to Topeka during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. He worked a variety of jobs, including as a shoe shiner and performer’s assistant, while learning welding skills that would later help him build and maintain race cars.
Racing career
Chitwood began racing in 1934 on dirt tracks in Kansas, quickly progressing to sprint car competition. He found early success in the Central States Racing Association, finishing runner-up in the standings in 1937 and 1938 before winning the championship in 1942 with a remarkable streak of 14 consecutive feature victories.
He competed in the Indianapolis 500 seven times between 1940 and 1950, achieving a best finish of fifth place on three occasions. Notably, he became the first driver to wear a safety belt at the 1941 race—an innovation that was initially controversial at the time.
Because the Indianapolis 500 counted toward the Formula One World Championship from 1950 to 1960, Chitwood is officially recorded as having competed in one World Championship event, finishing fifth and scoring one point.
“Joie” nickname
Chitwood earned his lifelong nickname “Joie” due to a newspaper error when a reporter misheard and misspelt his name. The unusual spelling stuck and became his professional identity.
Later life
After retiring, Chitwood remained associated with motorsport and entertainment through his family’s continued involvement in stunt driving and racing. His grandson, Joie Chitwood III, later became president of Daytona International Speedway.
Chitwood died on 3 January 1988 in Tampa Bay.
He was posthumously inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2010, recognising his contributions as both a racer and a pioneer of automotive stunt entertainment.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 1 |
| Race Starts | 1 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 9th |
| Best Race Finish | 5th |
| Retirements | 0 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 1 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Points
| Points Scored | 1 |
| Points Finishes | 1 |
| Most Points in a Single Season | 1 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Privateer: Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9th | 5th | 1 | 1 | 20th |
Stats by Constructor
| Constructor | Years | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privateer: Kurtis Kraft | 1950 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9th | 5th | 1 | 1 |
