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Joe
Csiki won his first race at the Plainville Stadium on June 6, 1961,
and took down his last checkers on July 1, 1967. Before
that first win he was turning heads as a talented driver, being
named the 1956 United Sock Car Club Most Promising Driver, and the
1958 NEMA Rookie of the Year. He was the 1961 NEMA Non-Offy Owner
Champion, and the ’62 NEMA Non-Offy Driver Champion. He followed up
as the 1963 and ’65 NEMA Driver Champion. In 1964, he was named
United Racing Club Rookie of the Year, and he was the ARDC Driving
Champion in 1966.
Csiki listed two ARDC 100 lap races, one at Old Bridge and one
at Wall Stadium, along with a 50 lapper at Trenton in 1966, as three
of his bigger wins.
Joe was a talented man who did it all, excelling as a driver,
as a mechanic, and as an owner. His work with stock blocks in
midgets helped to end the domination of the Offenhausers. In fact,
his ARDC Championship in 1966 marked the first time that a non-Offenhauser
powered car had taken down the championship. Rumor had it that Joe
was about to go racing at Indy, with help from the Ford Motor
Company. There’s no telling how many more honors Joe would have
won, but his life ended tragically from injuries sustained at
Bedford, PA Fairgrounds in August of 1967. |
