The Tom Cox Story

by Wayne Adams (published in Raceway Park program, 1954)

As far back as Tom Cox can remember, he wanted to drive race cars and his ambition was keenly demonstrated when he spent countless hours as a youth constructing soap-box versions, some of which were powered with tiny 1 h.p. engines and would actually run. The ‘racing bug’ really started an infection in Tom at the age of 14 when he saw his first real auto race—a big car event at the old Cook County Fairgrounds, now the site of Maywood Park at River Road and North Ave.

From that day on—he had racing in his blood and he set about to make friends with anyone and everyone that knew anything about the sport. He attended every race he possibly could and in the post-war years of 1947-48 he served on pit crews for Harold Lustgarten and Andy Black with their midget racing team. He followed the circuit with the car owners, drivers and their Offys and once in a while, Tom would get a chance to ‘warm-up’ the powerful little mites. He was in his glory—then, something happened.

Along came stock cars and started a completely new phase of racing. It was difficult to actually get into competition with the midgets as there were numerous experienced drivers without steady cars—but here was a new idea and most of the midget chauffeurs frowned on stocks as a passing fancy and foolish fad, therefore an inexperienced lad might have a chance.

Tom’s good friend, Irv Wurm was ready to give stock car racing a whirl and together they plunged into the business. Cox drove Wurm’s Ford on the Milwaukee mile in his first endeavor and ran 18 laps before he was forced out with mechanical trouble. His career had started. He ran at Gill Stadium a few times, then in 1949 he entered action at Raceway Park with the original Championship Stock Car Club where he became a consistent competitor and finished 16th in point standing in his first year.

Tom Cox first appeared in a Raceway Park feature victory column April 30, 1950 driving a 1949 Ford. Driving the Ford and later an Olds during 1950, he scored a total of six feature wins and finished 7th in points. The following year, he devoted much of his time to the mile tracks and larger events in the midwestern area. He did not win a feature at Raceway and was not in the top 15 drivers of the year.

He came back in 1952 to drive a 1949 Olds and took five wins during the season but ran up-front often enough to wind up 4th in points behind Bud Koehler, Bob Pronger and Don Oldenberg. Last year (1953), Cox won six features—most of them during the latter few weeks of the season.

Since late in the ’49 season and thru 1953, Tom owned and drove and maintained his own car but this year at Raceway Park he is driving a 1950 Olds owned by Bill DiGonia of Blue Island and is enjoying his greatest racing year. At this writing he has won ten features—second only to Bud Koehler, and is 2nd in points.

Tom Cox was born on Chicago ’s north side, July 17, 1926 and still lives in the area but someday soon he hopes to move his family into a new home which he is constructing during his spare time, in suburban Villa Park . He and his wife Donna have four wonderful children—Tommy, age 5-1/2; Bobby, 3-1/2; Geraldine, 2; and Jimmy 4 months. Tom is an architectural and ornamental iron worker, employed as a foreman with Steel Sash Service. He attended the St. Priscilla elementary school and Lane Tech High School where he participated in track and football events. During World War II, he served two years with the Merchant Marine then joined the Coast Guard Reserve.

In addition to his Raceway Park driving, Tom also competed at many other tracks in the midwestern circuits over the past few years including many of the recent SAFE Circuit of Champions late model runs. He won a 100 lap late model race at Raceway Sept. 24th, 1952 and placed 3rd in another ‘100’ that same evening with Bud Koehler taking the win. He drove in at least a dozen or more AAA sanctioned late model races on mile tracks until they made a practice of ‘barring’ drivers who did not devote 100 per cent of their time to AAA interests.

His biggest thrill came in 1950 on the Milwaukee mile while running under AAA—still a comparative ‘green-horn’ in the business. He tied for fast qualifying and was running 2nd in a 100 mile race until a tire blew and set him on the sidelines after 67 rugged laps. He has had two big disappointments in the sport—once in 1952, at Indianapolis 16th St. quarter mile when he led a late model event 97 laps—was nearly three laps ahead, when a gas line broke with only three laps to go; and just recently when he lost the Mid-Season Championship 100 lapper to Bud Koehler on the 99th lap over the rain-soaked course. He offers no excuse for this latter defeat except that he “went to sleep on the job after leading by half a lap with only 20 to go.”

Tom finally got his chance to drive a midget car in competition at Raceway in 1952 but after a few attempts he went back to stock car racing, which he felt offered him exactly what he wanted from the sport. He still holds the one lap qualifying record for late model stocks at the Detroit Motor City Speedway (clay track) which he set in 1951. The track has since been asphalted so his dirt track mark will always stand at that oval. Cox is usually a mild-mannered fellow but has been known to fight for his rights both on and off the track. He is a rather short, stocky individual and always has time to talk to a fan or attempt to help a competitor. Despite all his stock car action and his close calls, Tom Cox has never been upside down on a race track. It is one experience he could probably fore-go and never miss. He now has about ten trophies that he has picked up at various tracks and he has his sights set for a Championship trophy someday—somewhere.

END

Thanks to Todd Miller for his editorial help with this story.