Bill Mackey

Bill Mackey (15 December 1927, Dayton, Ohio - 29 July 1951, Winchester, Indiana, aged 23) was an American racing driver whose brief but promising career ended in one of motorsport's darkest days. Born William Gretsinger, he changed his name to avoid confusion with his father, William Gretsinger Sr., who raced stock cars and midgets in the 1930s. The Mackey name came about due to deference to a sponsor when father and son formed their own racing team in 1946 while working for Firestone in Indianapolis.

Bill became a notable midget and sprint car driver, winning a sprint car race at Dayton in 1950, demonstrating the talent that would earn him an Indianapolis 500 opportunity. Mackey competed in the 1951 Indianapolis 500, which was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950-1960, giving him one World Championship race credit, though he scored no championship points. His Indianapolis debut showed promise despite the challenges. Tragedy struck on July 29, 1951, at Funk's Speedway in Winchester, Indiana, a day that became known as 'Black Sunday' in American motorsport.

Mackey was one of three drivers killed while qualifying for an AAA sprint car race, and remarkably, all three victims had started on the eleventh row of the 1951 Indianapolis 500 grid just weeks earlier. The other two fatalities were Spider Webb and Chuck Stevenson, making this one of the most devastating single days in American racing history. Mackey's death at just 23 years old robbed motorsport of a talented young driver whose full potential would never be realized.