INDIANAPOLIS – As Don and Mel Kenyon discussed their life journey during the premiere of the documentary “King of the Midgets” some in the audience stared in disbelief.
Mel Kenyon is the author of seven USAC championships and 111 national victories. Oh, by the way, he won other titles and plenty of non-USAC events during a career that spanned 55 years. Often forgotten is Kenyon’s stellar record at the Indianapolis 500, marked by four top-five finishes.
Too much time has passed since Mel’s last race to assume all who read this column truly know this story. Many of his greatest days in racing came after a fiery crash at Langhorne (Pa.) Speedway in 1965 that cost him every finger on his left hand. It was unfathomable he would ever race again.
Yet his brother Don, his lifelong crew chief, devised a unique ball and socket system that allowed Mel to use what was left of his left hand when behind the wheel.
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