On December 4, 2006, Oregon Sports Hall of Fame member and 1962 Indianapolis 500 runner-up Len Sutton passed away in his sleep at the age of 81.
Sutton worked for the Oregon Air National Guard, as a propeller mechanic in 1947, when he met Portland racecar builder Rolla Vollstedt. The pair would go on to dominate the Sprint car and roadster racing scene in the Pacific Northwest throughout the ’50s, before moving on to Indy in 1958. Sutton raced at Indy from 1958 to 1965, with his best finish being a 2nd place in 1962.
Upon hearing of Sutton’s death, Mario Andretti was quoted as saying, “I loved the man. I’m totally saddened by this… I remember, as a kid, seeing him in 1956, 1957, when he came to the East Coast. For some reason or another, I was always impressed by his demeanor. There was just something about him. And later on, when I got to know him, I always had a special feeling for him. He was truly, truly one of the gentlemen of our sport.”
