Danny Kladis, a South Side native but most recently of New Lenox, passed away on April 26 at the age of 92. He was one of the Chicago area’s first colorful racing characters, whose driving ability was matched only by his ability to tell a tale. I had the wonderful fortune of speaking with him a few times in his later years and came away so much richer for the experience.
Nobody that I know knew him as well as Adams, who announced at Raceway when Kladis made his memorable run in the 300-lapper, and who chronicled his midget racing exploits through the years in the pages of Illustrated Speedway News.
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“Danny was one of the hard chargers,” Adams said. “He wasn’t a world champion, but he won a heck of a lot of championships. He could drive anything that raced.
Kladis was serious when the checkered flag flew. It truly is impossible to track down every one of his championships, but it’s a fact that in 1946 he won at least four midget titles at tracks in Indiana and Illinois.
“He once told me that he won a total of 32 track championships in Iowa alone,” Adams said. “I’ll tell you what. In the early days, as early as 1940, he would drive a V8-powered midget and beat the Offys once in a while. Not often, but once in awhile. That was one of the things he was most proud of.”
And then there was Indy.
Kladis, at the age of 29, drove for Andy Granatelli in the 1946 Indy 500. He started 31st. After 46 laps, his car stalled when something went awry with the fuel valve. He had to be towed from the track, which meant an automatic disqualification. He was credited with 21st place.
In the longer race, however, he won, outliving everybody else in the field.
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