R.I.P. Tommy "The Flying Farmer" Hennershitz
The first group of pics of Tommy were taken at the Eastern Motor Museum in PA when he dropped in while we were there. The area was a reproduction of his garage when he was racing back in his day. He gave us an hour or more entertaining us with stories from his career.
Tommy
Tommy in his car
Tommy smiling
Tommy with Wags
A crowd around Tommy incuding Tom Schmeh
Tommy with more time for us
Tommy with Tom Schmeh
Tommy appeared to be having fun
Tommy climbing in his car
Tommy pointing out something
Tommy's garage
Tommy in the seat
A busy garage
Tommy and the Wags. It was an honor for him to spend the time with us. Museum director Lynn Paxton hung around to listen as well and would jog his memory to tell more stories as we listened.
Tommy with Mitch Smith
Tommy Fred Jiggs Peters and Roscoe Pappy Hough.
Tommy
Tommy
Tommy
Tommy
Tommy
Tommy
Tommy
Tommy
Tommy in the Kurtis Kraft Special
Tommy with Mario Andretti
Tommy
Tommy
Tommy's garage in the Eastern Motor museum
Another shot
A pair of racing Aces Tommy and Mark Light
Poster
Book
Book
April 6, 1942 - August 1, 1999
Tommy
Tommy
# 1
# 1
# 1
# 1
# 1
# 1
# 2
# 2
# 2
# 2
# 2
# 7 indy 1948
Tommy with # 27
# 44
# 44
# 46
# 56
# 70
# 70
# 29 amd Charlie Musselman # 42 at Langhorne
Tommy and Don Branson
Tommy at Williams Grove
# 1 leading at Allentown 1960
# 1 outside Van Johnson and Jud Larson
Here's a wooden plaque created for Tommy
Thomas (Tommy) Paul Hinnershitz (April 6, 1912 – August 1, 1999) was an American race car driver. Hinnershitz was active through the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s on dirt, asphalt and boards, driving Sprint Cars, at that time slightly smaller versions of Indianapolis cars that could be raced on half mile dirt race tracks.
Over his 30-year career, he captured 103 American Automobile Association and United States Auto Club victories and seven East Coast sprint car championships in 1949-1952, 1955-1956, and 1959.
Hinnershitz was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.
Hinnershitz was inducted into the Eastern Motorsport Press Association Hall of Fame in 1975.
Hinnershitz was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in the first class in 1990.
Hinnershitz was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2003.
Hinnershitz was inducted into the United States Auto Club Hall of Fame in 2016.
Updated 3/18/18
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