Respected Indianapolis Crew Chief, Howard Gilbert, passed away on February 4, 2008, at his home in Payson, Arizona. He was 91. Gilbert first attended the Indianapolis 500 in 1947, as a gopher, which led to his involvement in every Indy 500 thereafter until 1989.
Gilbert worked as a mechanic for a great number of years, as well as a Crew Chief and car builder. His resume includes four Indy 500 victories: 1949 (Bill Holland, driver), 1957 (Sam Hanks), 1958 (Jimmy Bryan), and 1977 (A.J. Foyt). In addition, Gilbert worked with George Salih on the construction of the 1957 Indy 500–winning “Belond Special,” as well as the 1968–1969 Gilbert Cheetah. In 1970, Gilbert joined A.J. Foyt’s team where he served as a Crew Chief, in addition to building many of Foyt’s Indy and NASCAR race motors.
“I’d known Howard for years before he came to work for me,” said Foyt. “Howard worked for George Salih on the Belond Special, the laydown roadster that Sam Hanks and Jimmy Bryan drove when they won Indy [1957 and 1958, respectively]. They just don’t make mechanics like that anymore. He was a good friend of mine for many, many years.”
By Casey Annis
