Biography

Wilbur Shaw was born on October 31, 1902 in Shelbyville, Indiana, USA. He was an actor, known for The Crowd Roars (1932), 1928 Indianapolis 500 (1928) and 1927 Indianapolis 500 (1927). He was married to Cathleen "Boots" Stearns and Beatrice Patrick. He died on October 30, 1954 in Decatur, Indiana, USA.

Won the Indianapolis 500 speed car race in 1937, 1939 and 1940, with average speeds of 113.580, 115.035 and 114.277 mph respectively. His speed in 1937 was a track record at the time.

Inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1987.

Shaw defied death a number of times in a race car and in 1951 survived a near fatal heart attack at the Soap Box Derby in Akron, OH, after running up the hill.

His first wife, Beatrice, died giving birth. He had a son, Warren Wilbur Shaw Jr. (born in 1945), with his second wife, Cathleen.