Louis George "Lou" Blaney (January 4, 1940 – January 25, 2009) was an American racecar driver who raced modifieds and sprint cars.[1] He was also the operator and part-owner of Sharon Speedway.[2]
Early life
Blaney was born in Hartford Township, Trumbull County, Ohio, where his father worked at a sawmill. He died in Sharon, Pennsylvania.
Racing career
He won 600 races in 47 years of racing, and is a member of the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame and Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Halls of Fame.[3]
Personal
He had 2 sons, both of whom race, as does a grandson. Dave Blaney is a World of Outlaws champion and former NASCAR Cup Series driver along with his son Ryan, who himself is a Team Penske driver, while Dale Blaney is a sprint car driver. Dale also was a college basketball player and was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, but decided not to pursue an NBA career so that he could focus on racing. In 2001 Blaney was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.[4]
Death
On January 25, 2009, Blaney died at age 69. He suffered from undisclosed medical problems for some time, and the cause of death was not released by his family.[5]
Legacy
Lou Blaney Memorial Race runs at Sharon Speedway every year.[6]
Awards and accomplishments
- National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, 2013 inductee
- Eastern Motorsport Press Association Hall of Fame, 2010 inductee
References
- ^ "Lou Blaney bio". Empaonline.org. 2009-01-25. Archived from the original on 2013-12-15. Retrieved 2013-12-15.
- ^ "Sprint Car star Lou Blaney dies". Autoweek. 2009-01-27. Archived from the original on 2013-12-15. Retrieved 2013-12-15.
- ^ Nelson, Diana (2009-02-01). "Obituary: Lou Blaney / Sprint and modified race car hall of famer - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Post-gazette.com. Retrieved 2013-12-15.
- ^ Nelson, Diana (2009-02-01). "Obituary: Lou Blaney / Sprint and modified race car hall of famer - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Post-gazette.com. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ Spaid, Brian (2009-01-25). "Racing Legend Lou Blaney Dies". South Jersey Dirt Racing/ToddJ. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ "Lou Blaney Memorial Tuesday; Blaney Brothers look to fend off invaders with Sprints; BRP Mod Tour also featured « Sharon Speedway". Sharonspeedway.com. Retrieved 2013-12-15.