Background
Milton was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on November 14, 1893.
Milton was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on November 14, 1893.
He was notable for having only one functional eye, a disability that would have disqualified him from competing in modern motorsports. He began his career in racing in 1914, competing on dirt tracks in the Midwestern United States. In 1919, he was one of the dominant figures in American racing, winning five of the nine championship races including the International Sweepstakes at Sheepshead Bay, New York, and making his debut at the Indianapolis 500.
Later that year he suffered severe burns when his car burst into flames during a race at Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
Record at the Indianapolis 500
Milton was a starter in the Indianapolis 500 eight times, earning the pole position once, and finishing in the top five on four occasions. He drove for Duesenberg his first time in 1919 and again the following year when he finished third.
His last was the 1927 Indianapolis 500 where he finished eighth. At the 1936 race, Milton returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to drive the Packard 120 Pace Carolina.
In 1949 Milton was appointed chief steward for the Indianapolis 500.
Health problems forced him to retire in 1957. Death
Milton died in 1962 in Mount Clemens, Michigan, at the age of 68 of self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
