Tommy Ivo, Date of Birth, Place of Birth

    

Tommy Ivo

American racing driver

Date of Birth: 18-Apr-1936

Place of Birth: Denver, Colorado, United States

Profession: actor, engineer

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Aries


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About Tommy Ivo

  • Tommy Ivo (born April 18, 1936), also known as "TV Tommy" and "Instant Ivo" is an actor and drag racer, who was active in the 1960s racing community.
  • In the late 1950s, Ivo raced a twin (side by side) Buick nailhead-engined dragster which was the first gasoline-powered dragster to break the nine-second barrier.The car held the Drag News AA/GD et record at 8.69.
  • The Twin Buick also was the first gas dragster to record speeds of 170, 175 and 180 mph which were Standard 1320 records as well.
  • It was unique in appearance and won numerous races, including NASCAR's first National Drag Race.
  • Later he designed a four-engine, four-wheel-drive dragster he called Showboat (with a quartet of Nailheads), but NHRA ruled it the first "exhibition" dragster, and he was unable to race it.Ivo was born in Denver, Colorado.
  • His acting career began in the early 1940s, with notable performances including Cousin Arne in I Remember Mama (1948), and William Button in Plymouth Adventure in 1952.
  • In 1955 Ivo appeared as Shelby in the "Heart of a Cheater" episode of the Lone Ranger TV show.
  • From 1959-61, Ivo appeared as Herbie Bailey on The Donna Reed Show.
  • Ivo guest starred in an episode of the syndicated adventure television series, Rescue 8 and in two episodes of Leave It To Beaver.
  • He also guest starred on the ABC/Warner Brothers western series, Sugarfoot and on the NBC western series The Tall Man.
  • In several episodes of Father Knows Best, he played one of the Bud Anderson's friends.
  • During the 1961-62 season, Ivo played the role of Haywood Botts in another ABC sitcom, Margie.
  • In 1963 he appeared in the "Honeymoon Hotel" episode of the Petticoat Junction.
  • In 1963, Ivo's Barnstormer (a nitro-burning 392 Hemi-powered slingshot, purchased to replace the failed Videoliner) became one of only two seven-second Top Fuel diggers, so he staged a Seven Second Match Race with the other, the Greer Black Prudhomme car, driven by Don Prudhomme, at San Gabriel Drag Strip.
  • (Prudhomme won.) During 1964, Ivo travelled to England, with Don Garlits and other racers, to participate in the First International Drag Festival, a six-event series that did much to promote drag racing in the United Kingdom.During 1972 and 1973, Ivo attended 100 race meets; this record was matched only by "Jungle Jim" Liberman and Ed "The Ace" McCulloch.He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005.

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