When it came to driving a race
car no one had more natural talent than this kid. In 1945, at
the age of 15, Troy entered the family car in a roadster race
at San Bernardino, California and came home a winner. He won
19 of the 21 races staged there that year and by the end of
1947 was the Champion of the California Roadster Association.
He had also won his first 5 midget features that year. 1948
saw him not only repeat as CRA Roadster Champion, but also win
23 midget main
events and the United Racing
Association Blue Circuit (Offy) driving title.
In May of 1949 Troy left
California for the AAA Sprint and Championship car circuits of
the Midwest. Over the next three and a half seasons he not
only won three AAA Sprint Car Championships and the 1952
Indianapolis 500 at the age of 22, but managed to compete in
51 midget events winning 16 and placing in the top three 28
times.
Injuries from a sprint car crash in August of 1952 sidelined
Ruttman for one and a half seasons and when he returned in
1954 it was on a greatly reduced schedule.
Sadly, Troy passed away in 1997, just a month before the long
planned “Troy Ruttman Day” in his hometown of Mooreland,
Oklahoma.
