Fred Frame

American racing driver (1894–1962)

Frederick William Frame (born Frederick William Colbath, June 3, 1894 – April 24, 1962) was an American racing driver. One of the leading AAA Championship Car drivers of the late 1920s and early 1930s, Frame is best remembered for his victory at the 1932 Indianapolis 500.

He was born Frederick William Colbath on June 3, 1894, in Exeter, New Hampshire. His parents were Frank Colbath and Isabella Colbath (McClish). At a young age Colbath's father departed the family, and by 1910 Isabella had remarried to C. James Frame, and had relocated with her husband and son to Pasadena, California. By this point Fred, as he was commonly known, had taken his stepfather's surname.

Frame began dirt track racing in about 1922. On July 5, 1923, Frame set his first world record in San Luis Obispo, California, driving a mile on a dirt track in 43.4 seconds. Frame's record mile, established in a non competitive event, surpassed the previous record for a dirt track mile of 45 seconds, held by Barney Oldfield of St. Louis since August 1917. Frame also continued to race on dirt tracks and began to venture outside of California in 1926, escaping serious injury in a crash in September of that year in a five mile race in Abilene, Texas, held in conjunction with the West Texas Fair. A Texas racer was less fortunate, being killed in the same race when his car went through a railing and rolled. finishing in 11th place. He was brought back in 1928 by car owner Bill White to drive the same Duesenberg which had won the race the previous year. Despite limited practice time, Frame was able to qualify the car at over 111 miles per hour and sat in second place at the halfway point of the race, which was started by 33 cars on a quest for a share of $100,000 in prize money. He would finish in 10th place, after leading the race for 11 laps — receiving bonus prize money of $100 per lap led provided by race sponsors. Frame would race at Indianapolis eight times in all, including a second place finish in the 1931 race.

Frame's greatest career victory was a win in the 1932 Indianapolis 500 on May 31, 1932. Driving a tan Miller Hartz front wheel drive machine, the 10 year racing veteran Frame finished the course in 4 hours, 48 minutes, 3.79 seconds. Frame dueled fellow competitor Howard Wilcox of Indianapolis over the last 75 miles in front of a packed crowd of 155,000 spectators to win the victory in a race in which only 10 of 40 starting cars managed to finish.