Career
He is best known as a daredevil in the Born in Denison, Texas of Cherokee Indian ancestry, he was dubbed "Joie" by a track promoter and the name stuck. Chitwood started his racecar driving career in 1934 at a dirt track in Winfield, Kansas. From there, he began racing sprint cars.
Between 1940 and 1950 he competed at the Indianapolis 500 seven times, finishing fifth on three different occasions.
He was the first man ever to wear a safety belt at the Industry 500. Chitwood also operated the "", an exhibition of auto stunt driving that became so successful he gave up racing.
Often called "Hell Drivers," he had five units that for more than forty years toured across North America thrilling audiences in large and small towns alike with their death-defying automobile stunts. His show was so popular, that in January 1967, the performance at the Islip Speedway, New York was broadcast on American Broadcasting Company television"s Wide World of Sports.
On May 13, 1978, Joie Chitwood Junior.(b August 31, 1943) set a world record when he drove a Chevrolet Chevette for 5.6 miles (90 km) on just 2 wheels.
The show was featured during season 3 of CHiPs in an episode entitled "Thrill Show". Joie Junior. did stunts for "Miami Vice" on several occasions. Chitwood"s show was credited by Evel Knievel as being his inspiration to become a daredevil when his show appeared in his home town of Butte, Montana.
Chitwood was frequently hired by Hollywood film studios to either do stunt driving for films or to act as auto-stunt coordinator.
On a few occasions he appeared in a minor role, notably with Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck in the 1950 film about auto racing, To Please a Lady. In 1973,Joie Chitwood Junior. is credited as a Stunt Coordinator for the hugely successful James Bond film Live and Let Die (film), where he was also the stunt driver and acted in a minor part.
Safety Consultant
Joie Chitwood Junior. also acted as a car safety consultant, intentionally crashing vehicles for subsequent investigation. He had intentionally crashed more than 3000 vehicles by the time he appeared on the game show I"ve Got A Secret in 1965.
Joie Junior. and Joie Senior test-crashed guardrails and breakaway Interstate signs for United States Steel and aluminum light poles for Aluminum Company of America. The highways are safer today because of these tests.
Joie Chitwood died in 1988, aged 75, in Tampa Bay, Florida. He was inducted in the National Sprint Carolina Hall of Fame in 1993. He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2010 in the Historic category.
* shared drive with Tony Bettenhausen
(key)
* Indicates shared drive with Tony Bettenhausen.