in the points toward the Championship. Murphy died in a race promoted by a friend, at the Syracuse, New York fairgrounds dirt track on September 15, 1924. (see below.) Indianapolis 500 results Award He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1998. Death Although not an accomplished dirt racer, he agreed to appear at a race promoted by a friend, at the Syracuse, New York fairgrounds dirt track on September 15, 1924. As he charged for the lead late in the race on lap 138 of 150, his car slid sideways, possibly hitting oil or a part failure causing it, and crashed through the inside wooden rail. A large piece of the rail was pushed through Murphy’s chest, impaling him and killing him instantly. Murphy was buried at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles, in the O'Donnell family plot. His death made headlines across the country. His funeral was attended by most of the great drivers and racing entrepreneurs, engineers and promoters of the time. In a precedent-setting move, the American Automobile Association's Competition Board awarded the 1924 National Championship posthumously, to Murphy. At the funeral, Fred J. Wagner, Chief Starter for the AAA's Contest Board, said in his eulogy, Sportsmanship, like every other moral quality is not instinctive. It must be acquired. Jimmy Murphy, as no other, possessed the quality of a 100% sportsman. Invariably, when he won, he attributed his success to the goddess of fortune. He carried his honors more blithely than any other man I have ever come in contact with in my 30 years as an official. He accepted victory without a sneer or a strut, and defeat without a whimper. He was one in a million. See also American Championship car racing References Information on Murphy’s life has been gathered from various sources, including the original record books of the old AAA's Contest board, from newspapers of the time including the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Examiner and the Los Angeles Times; from the annals of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, Jerry Grant of the Champion Spark Plug Company, and the public relations department of the AC/Delco Division of General Motors, as well as a personal interview with the late Peter DePaolo, who was a contemporary of Murphy. External links 1894 births 1924 deaths AAA Championship Car drivers American people of Irish descent American racing drivers Champ