Editing Travis Webb

{{Short description|American racing driver (1910–1990)}}
{{Infobox racing driver
| name              = Spider Webb
| birth_name        = Travis Leon Webb
| birth_date        = {{Birth date|1910|10|08}}
| birth_place       = [[Joplin, Missouri]], U.S.
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|1990|01|27|1910|10|08}}
| death_place       = [[McMinnville, Oregon]], U.S.
| module1 = 
  {{Infobox Champ Car driver|embed=yes
  | Total_Champ_Races = 24+
  | Years_In_Champ    = 10
  | Best_Champ_Pos    = 17th (tie) ([[1949 AAA Championship Car season|1949]])
  | First_Champ_Race  = [[1939 AAA Championship Car season|1939]] [[IndyCar Series at the Milwaukee Mile|Milwaukee 100]] ([[Milwaukee Mile|Milwaukee]])
  | Last_Champ_Race   = [[1954 AAA Championship Car season|1954]] [[1954 Indianapolis 500|Indianapolis 500]] ([[Indianapolis Motor Speedway|Indianapolis]])
  | Champ_Wins        = 0
  | Champ_Podiums     = 4
  | Champ_Poles       = 1
| module2 = 
  {{Infobox F1 driver|embed=yes
  | Years             = {{F1|1950}}, {{F1|1952}}–{{F1|1955}}
  | Team(s)           = [[Maserati in motorsport|Maserati]], [[Bromme]], [[Kurtis Kraft]]
  | Races             = 5 (4 starts)
  | Championships     = 0
  | Wins              = 0
  | Podiums           = 0
  | Points            = 0
  | Poles             = 0
  | Fastest laps      = 0
  | First race        = [[1950 Indianapolis 500]]
  | Last race         = [[1955 Indianapolis 500]]
}}}}}}

'''Travis Leon''' "'''Spider'''" '''Webb''' (October 8, 1910 – January 27, 1990) was an American [[racing driver]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Spider Webb |url=http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/WebbSpider.htm |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=www.champcarstats.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Allen |title=Travis (Spider) Webb |url=https://www.oldracingcars.com/driver/Travis_Webb |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=OldRacingCars.com |language=en}}</ref> He was the 1948 [[American Automobile Association]] (AAA) Midwest Sprint Car champion. He raced in numerous AAA Championship Car races including six [[Indianapolis 500]]s.

Known as "Spider",<ref name="NSCHoF" /> Webb transported a portable bar in the trunk of his car at all times and was known for his free spirit and his humor.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Reed|first=Terry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dxAig9jh64YC&pg=PT83 |title=Indy: The Race and Ritual of the Indianapolis 500|date=2005|publisher=Potomac Books, Inc.|isbn=978-1-59797-391-5|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nwitimes.com/news/history/indy-500/gallery-indianapolis-in-the-s/collection_22b7a28d-5391-5063-bb1b-37a8e2122ba9.html|title=Gallery: Indianapolis 500 in the 1940s|website=nwitimes.com|date=24 May 2016 |language=en|access-date=2020-03-19}}</ref>

== Early life ==

Webb was born in [[Joplin, Missouri]].<ref name="NSCHoF">{{cite web |title=Travis Spider Webb |url=https://www.sprintcarhof.com/helper_pages/FileGet.aspx?id=136 |publisher=[[National Sprint Car Hall of Fame]] |access-date=April 18, 2021 |format=pdf |date=1997}}</ref> His father made cabinets.<ref name="NSCHoF" /> Webb's parents moved the family to [[Los Angeles, California]] in 1923.<ref name="NSCHoF" />

== Racing career ==

Webb began racing on the [[Rogers Dry Lake|Muroc Dry Lake]] (now known as Rogers Dry Lake) in 1928.<ref name="NSCHoF" /> His car owner gave him the nickname "Spider".<ref name="NSCHoF" />

Webb decided to stop racing on the long straightaways and decided to focus on dirt oval racing of Southern California.<ref name="NSCHoF" /> One of the tracks that he raced was [[Legion Ascot Speedway]] where he raced in the "B" class.<ref name="NSCHoF" />

=== Sprint car career ===

In 1936, Webb and [[Jimmy Wilburn]] were offered rides in "Big Cars" in the Central States Racing Association (CSRA).<ref name="NSCHoF" /> Both accepted and moved to [[Indianapolis]].<ref name="NSCHoF" /> Webb won the final CSRA race of the 1938 season at [[Winchester Speedway]].<ref name="NSCHoF" /> Webb switched from the CSRA to the [[AAA Contest Board|American Automobile Association]] (AAA) Midwest series in 1941 and finished fourth in the season points.<ref name="NSCHoF" />

Racing was halted during [[World War II]].<ref name="NSCHoF" /> In late 1947, Webb won three straight AAA Midwest races at [[Dayton Speedway]], [[Salem Speedway]], and Winchester.<ref name="NSCHoF" /> He won another race at Salem and finished second in 1947 AAA Midwest points to [[Johnny Shackleford]].<ref name="NSCHoF" /> Webb started the 1948 season by winning seven times and finishing second in the first eight races.<ref name="NSCHoF" /> He missed a few races that season while running a Champ Car but still won the AAA Midwest championship.<ref name="NSCHoF" /> Webb started the 1949 season with a new sprint car that he co-owned; by June he had moved back to a car owned by Johnny Vance.<ref name="NSCHoF" /> He had a second-place finish at [[Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway]] in Detroit and a third at the [[Syracuse Mile]]; he finished third in the final AAA Midwest points.<ref name="NSCHoF" />

Webb finished fifth in the 1950 AAA Midwest points.<ref name="NSCHoF" /> After the racing season was over, he had a thumb injury at his friend's shop and had to sit out the entire 1951 season.<ref name="NSCHoF" />

=== Championship car career ===

In [[1939 AAA Championship Car season|1939]], Webb made a one-off [[AAA Contest Board|American Automobile Association]] (AAA) Champ Car start at the [[Milwaukee Mile]]; he started last in the 17 car field and finished seventh.<ref>{{cite web |title=1939 Champ Car Results |url=https://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/webbsp01/1939/UO |website=Racing Refer |access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref> Webb made two [[1946 AAA Championship Car season|Champ Car starts in 1946]]; he finished tenth at the [[Indiana State Fair]]grounds and eighth at Milwaukee.<ref>{{cite web |title=1946 Champ Car Results |url=https://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/webbsp01/1946/UO |website=Racing Reference |access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref> Webb was offered a ride from Mutt Anderson into the [[1948 Indianapolis 500]] but did not qualify.<ref name="NSCHoF" /><ref name="1948Indy500">{{cite web |title=1948 Indianapolis 500 Results |url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race/1948-02/UO |website=Racing Reference |access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref> At the last minute, he was offered another ride and qualified the Bromme dirt champ car 30th.<ref name="NSCHoF" /><ref name="1948Indy500" /> His race ended early after an oil line failure; he finished 27th after completing 27 of 200 laps.<ref name="1948Indy500" /> Webb qualified 26th for the [[1949 Indianapolis 500]] but finished last (33rd) after he transmission broke before he could complete one lap.<ref name="NSCHoF" /> He switched to a car owned by Charles Bowes starting with the ninth race of the [[1949 AAA Championship Car season|1949 season]]<ref name="1949AAAChampResults">{{cite web |title=Spider Webb 1949 AAA Champ Car Series Results |url=https://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/webbsp01/1949/UO |website=Racing Reference |access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref> after [[Mel Hansen]] was unable to race.<ref name="NSCHoF" /> Webb started on the pole position for Syracuse race before finishing third. He finished second at Detroit and eighth at [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack]] (Springfield Mile).<ref name="1949AAAChampResults" />

Webb finished the [[1950 Indianapolis 500]] in 20th place after the race was shorted due to rain on lap 138.<ref name="1950AAAResults">{{cite web |title=Spider Webb 1950 AAA Champ Car Series Results |url=https://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/webbsp01/1950/UO |website=www.racing-reference.info |access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref> He did not qualify for four races and finished 18th in his only other Champ Car race at Springfield.<ref name="1950AAAResults" /> Webb got bumped out of the field for the [[1952 Indianapolis 500]] but made the field in a last-minute qualifying attempt for Bromme.<ref name="NSCHoF" /> He finished 22nd after having to retire with an oil leak late in the race.<ref>{{cite web |title=1952 AAA Champ Car Results |url=https://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/webbsp01/1952/UO |website=Racing Reference |access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref> In the [[1953 Indianapolis 500]], he started 29th and finished 22nd.<ref name="1953AAAResults">{{cite web |title=1953 AAA Champ Car results |url=https://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/webbsp01/1952/UO |website=Racing Reference |access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref> He did not qualify for five events and finished 15th in the event that he did qualify (Springfield).<ref name="1953AAAResults" /> Bromme called Webb in another last-minute deal for the [[1954 Indianapolis 500]];<ref name="NSCHoF" /> he qualified 29th and finishing 30th.<ref>{{cite web |title=1954 AAA Champ Car results |url=https://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/webbsp01/1954/UO |website=Racing Reference |access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref> Webb failed to qualify for the [[1955 Indianapolis 500]].<ref name="NSCHoF" />

=== World Drivers' Championship career ===

The [[AAA Contest Board|AAA]]/[[United States Auto Club|USAC]]-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA]] [[List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions|World Drivers' Championship]] from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship participation, and were eligible to score WDC points alongside those which they may have scored towards the [[AAA Contest Board|AAA]]/[[United States Auto Club|USAC]] [[List of American open-wheel racing national champions|National Championship]].

Webb participated in four World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. His best finish was 19th place,<ref name=":0" /> and he scored no World Drivers' Championship points.

== Post racing career ==

After retiring from racing, Webb moved to [[Norwalk, California]].<ref name="NSCHoF" /> He purchased earthmoving equipment and worked on the [[Los Angeles Zoo]] construction.<ref name="NSCHoF" /> He died at the age of 79 in [[McMinnville, Oregon]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.racing-statistics.com/en/drivers/travis-webb|title=Travis Webb|website=Formula 1 Statistics|language=en|access-date=2020-03-19}}</ref>

== Awards and honors ==

* Webb was inducted in the [[National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum|National Sprint Car Hall of Fame]] in 1997.<ref name="NSCHoF" />

== Motorsports career results ==

=== Indianapolis 500 results ===

{{col-begin|width=auto}}
{{col-break}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Year
!Car
!Start
!Qual
!Rank
!Finish
!Laps
!Led
!Retired
!Chassis
!Engine
|-
![[1948 Indianapolis 500|1948]]
|51
|30
|125.545
|12
|27
|27
|0
|Oil line
| [[Bromme]]
| [[Offy]]
|-
![[1949 Indianapolis 500|1949]]
|37
|26
|127.002
|26
|33
|0
|0
|Transmission
| [[Bromme]]
| [[Offy]]
|-
![[1950 Indianapolis 500|1950]]
|21
|14
|129.748
|26
|20
|126
|0
|Flagged
| [[Maserati]]
| [[Offy]]
|-
![[1952 Indianapolis 500|1952]]
|48
|29
|135.962
|11
|22
|162
|0
|Oil Leak
| [[Bromme]]
| [[Offy]]
|-
![[1953 Indianapolis 500|1953]]
|62
|18
|136.168
|17
|19
|166
|0
|Oil Leak
| [[Kurtis Kraft]]
| [[Offy]]
|-
![[1954 Indianapolis 500|1954]]
|65
|29
|137.979
|26
|30
|104
|0
|Oil leak
| [[Bromme]]
| [[Offy]]
|-
|colspan=6|'''Totals'''<ref name=race>[http://www.indy500.com/stats/drivers.php?drivername=Spider%20Webb Spider Webb Indy 500 Race Stats]</ref>
|585
|0
|
|}
{{col-break|gap=1em}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Starts
|6
|-
!Poles
|0
|-
!Front Row
|0
|-
!Wins
|0
|-
!Top 5
|0
|-
!Top 10
|0
|-
!Retired
|5
|}
{{col-end}}

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Spider}}
[[Category:1910 births]]
[[Category:1990 deaths]]
[[Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers]]
[[Category:National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Joplin, Missouri]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from Missouri]]
[[Category:AAA Championship Car drivers]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]