Chris Kneifel (born April 23, 1961, in Chicago, Illinois), is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1982–1984 seasons with 19 career starts, including the 1983 and 1984 Indianapolis 500, and finished in the top ten 6 times. He was the last driver to start the Indianapolis 500 with a qualifying speed under 200 miles per hour (320 km/h). In 1984, Jacques Villeneuve originally qualified for the final starting position at just over 200 mph (320 km/h), but withdrew after being injured in a practice crash. Kneifel, the next fastest car at just under 200 mph (320 km/h), started in his place.

Earlier in his career, Kneifel raced in the Formula Ford and Formula Atlantic Series. After CART, he was the 1985 Trans-Am Rookie of the Year. Later he transitioned to American Le Mans Series endurance racing. He capped his career by teaming with Ron Fellows, Frank Freon, and Johnny O'Connell to win the 2001 24 Hours of Daytona. From 2001 to 2004, he served as the Chief Steward (Race Director) for CART.[1][2]

Standing at 6 feet 6 inches (2 meters), Kneifel was one of the tallest racing drivers in IndyCar racing history.[3]

Racing record

SCCA National Championship Runoffs

Year Track Car Engine Class Finish Start Status
1981 Road Atlanta Tiga FF80 Ford Formula Ford 18 Running

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2000 United States Corvette Racing Canada Ron Fellows
United Kingdom Justin Bell 		Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GTS 326 11th 4th
Source:[4]

References

  1. ^ "Kneifel named CART's chief steward". United Press International. March 4, 2001. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  2. ^ Wolf, Jeff (April 5, 2007). "Race's start is Kneifel's finish". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  3. ^ "Kneifel In Charge As CART's New Chief Steward". Autoweek. March 12, 2001. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  4. ^ "Chris Kneifel". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Retrieved August 26, 2023.

External links

Winners of the 24 Hours of Daytona
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