An excellent midget driver, his real name was Cletus. A long time resident of Des Plaines, he died after a short period of ill-health. In 1937, O'Rourke had the rare, if somewhat unwanted achievement of winning a race upside down, when he locked wheels with another car, causing O'Rourke's car to flip and pass the finish line the wrong way round! In later life, O'Rourke owned and ran three restaurants in Chicago, dabbled in local politics and became a deputy for the Cook County Sheriff. O'Rourke started racing in 1932, and also spent a time as a riding mechanic in the mid-1930's. O'Rourke continued racing into the early 1950's, when he was competing in indoor midget events.

Biography last updated 17 Jun 2015