Davey Hamilton
An IndyCar ironman whose career was defined by remarkable consistency and a dramatic comeback from a devastating crash.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American racing driver·Birthday: June 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Davey Hamilton emerged from the American open-wheel racing scene as a model of tenacity. The Idaho native built his reputation not on a trophy case of wins, but on a relentless ability to finish races at the front. Throughout the 1990s, he became a cornerstone of the Indy Racing League, challenging for championships with a steady hand, securing multiple runner-up finishes in the season standings without ever taking a checkered flag. His career nearly ended in 2001 at Texas Motor Speedway in a horrific crash that shattered his feet. The long, painful road back to the cockpit became his defining chapter. Through over 20 surgeries and immense determination, Hamilton returned to race in the Indianapolis 500, proving his resilience was as powerful as his speed. His story shifted from that of a championship contender to an inspirational figure who refused to let the sport go.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Davey was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Davey Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Davey's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Finished as the runner-up in the Indy Racing League championship standings in both the 1996-1997 and 1998 seasons.
- Made 56 IndyCar Series starts, consistently finishing in competitive positions despite never winning a race.
- Successfully returned to race in the Indianapolis 500 after suffering life-altering foot injuries in a 2001 crash.
- Secured three second-place finishes in his IndyCar career, showcasing his speed and consistency.
Did You Know?
He is the son of former USAC driver Davey Hamilton Sr.
He served as the president of the Indy 500 Oldtimers club.
His feet were rebuilt using bones from cadavers after his 2001 crash.
He later competed in the Stadium Super Trucks series after his IndyCar career.
“To finish first, you must first finish; consistency is its own victory.”
