Hardy Allen, 1932-2017

Pioneering IndyCar crew member Hardy Allen has died of pancreatic cancer. A native of Los Angeles, Allen worked for two of the sport's icons as a mechanic, fueler and parts man in the 1960s and early 1970s for Dan Gurney's All American Racers before moving over to A.J. Foyt Enterprises.

Allen's presence on pit lane at the Indianapolis 500, and other stops on the championship trail, came at a time in the sport when men and women of color were rarely welcome. With his hulking frame and dark skin, Allen cut an imposing silhouette, but as RACER's Robin Miller recalls, he erased barriers with grace.

"He disarmed people because he was so warm and funny," he said. "He'd make fun of you or himself, which put everybody at ease. Hardy was just a really nice guy who made it hard for anyone to dislike him."

As the son of Thomas Allen, a mechanic at the Douglas Aircraft Corporation and former owner of an aviation school bearing his name, he was raised in a household where pride and achievement was standard. The elder Allen, who became the first black man to fly across the country – from Los Angeles to New York – in a bi-plane in 1932, would inspire Hardy to pursue lofty goals of his own.

A love for making and racing soap box derby cars sent Allen on a path that would eventually lead him to motor racing and two of its great innovators.

"That was a challenge," he told Ebony magazine in a profile from 1970. "Because I got beat and I wondered how that other car could beat me when he had the same wheels."

Attending Mt. San Antonio College, Allen studied jet propulsion and commercial art before enlisting in the Army. Rising to the rank of lieutenant, Allen became a demolitions specialist and was among the swimming students trained by fellow enlistee Clint Eastwood.

After the Army, Allen worked as a mechanic and also raced motorcycles. He'd meet Gurney at Riverside in 1964, just prior to AAR's formation, and was among the Big Eagle's first employees at the Santa Ana-based outfit. They'd form quite a friendship that lasted well after Allen moved on to other teams. Nicknamed "Hardly Any Parts" by Phil Remington, AAR's late and beloved chief fabricator, Allen was treated like family.

Gurney and Allen visited for the final time earlier this year at the unveiling of the All American Racers expo at the Petersen Museum. Allen, visibly ill and in the midst of his fight with cancer, attended the event to celebrate his friend.

In a letter sent to Allen's son Danny earlier this week, Gurney expressed his deep affection for Hardy and the entire Allen family.

"Although not unexpected, the news of Hardy's passing hit me hard this morning," he wrote. "He was a special friend whose cheerful attitude had a positive influence on my life. The stories of the lives of his Mom and Dad were inspiring, full of love for humanity and Hardy was an outstanding cheerleader for the same principles. When I think of him I get reminded of the lines in an old song: '...where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day.' God bless you Hardy Allen!"

In sharing a sincere remembrance of Allen, Foyt thought back to some of the color-related fun they had at the expense of others.

"We've been very close friends for years," the four-time Indy 500 winner told RACER. "A couple of times in California they were going to present me with a trophy and I asked Hardy to go and accept it for me because I couldn't get out there. So he agreed. And they were saying, 'A.J. Foyt isn't here.' Hardy held his hand up. They said 'Yes?' He said, 'I'm A.J.'s brother and I've got to accept the trophy for him.' We had a lot of fun together and I thought the world of him."

Considering the regard held for Allen by Gurney and Foyt, his loss is especially unfortunate.

"The last time I saw him we were testing at Phoenix earlier this year, and before that, I saw him at Indy last year," he said. "He'll be dearly missed. I know Dan Gurney loved him as much as I did."