Charlie Wiggins: The 'Negro Speed King' "Black History Month"
Charlie and his wife opened a garage in Indianapolis and quickly established himself as the city's top mechanic.
Charlie rose to chief mechanic and became recognized as the best mechanic in the city.
He was held in high regard by the city's elite, and particularly by white race car drivers, who were among the top contenders for the Indianapolis 500.
Every year Charlie would enter "The Wiggins Special" in the Indianapolis 500,
Harry MacQuinn, a white Indy 500 driver and friend of Charlie's, asked to use a "Wiggins Special" in a race at Louisville.
In 1934 Bill "Wild Bill" Cummings was one of the top competitors in the AAA asked Charlie to serve in his pit crew for the Indianapolis 500.
Bill Cummings won the 1934 Indianapolis 500 in what newsreels described as one of the greatest races in Indianapolis 500 history, and for years after, Bill Cummings publicly recognized and thanked Charlie for his skill and expertise in the victory.
He would champion the rights of black mechanics and drivers and continue to fight the segregationist practices of the American Automobile Association. He would train young black mechanics who would contribute greatly to the development of the automobile and racing, and he would be visited at his garage by many important white drivers and mechanics seeking his expertise.
In 1979 and was buried in an unmarked grave at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.
http://www.evansville.net/user/boneyard/babs07.htm
Larry "O":thumb
