Tony Elliot

Tony Elliott, 54, Warsaw, died Oct. 2, 2015. He was born Jan. 24, 1961, in Warsaw, to Jim and Sue Thomas Elliott. He graduated from Warsaw Community High School in 1980. As a young man he watched his father, Jim, forge a successful racing career and he naturally gravitated to the sport. In time it became clear that Tony did not simply take the torch from his father, he grabbed the torch with both hands and ran with it. In the end he would be recognized as among the best sprint car drivers in the nation. Locally, he would win two track championships each at Warsaw and Gas City, and at Kokomo Speedway he won eight crowns and notched 60 feature wins. Yet, he had much larger dreams and he began to compete regularly with the United States Auto Club. He was soon hailed as among the most versatile drivers in the land and among the very best in USAC’s storied history. He burst on the national scene in 1987, winning his first USAC national sprint car race at Santa Fe Speedway in Hinsdale, Ill., and he would eventually score 26 USAC National races and the 1998 and 2000 National championship. He also was named the 1992 Most Improved USAC Silver Crown driver, and in that same year finished second in USAC National Midget points. In his long career he also raced internationally, winning the New Zealand Sprint Car Grand Prix in 1998, and in 2004 he was Australian Speed Car champion. He was also a successful businessman, and in recent years was the proprietor of the Elliott’s Custom Trailers and Carts in Warsaw. A devoted husband and father, he leaves his wife, Cindy Boling Elliott; children: Tristen, Cortney, Ryan, Brandon and Jack; his mother, Sue Priest; a brother, Jim (and spouse Suzi) Elliott; sisters: Joni Elliott, Lynne (and spouse Sam) Alameda and Pattie Hartman-Laney; one uncle; one aunt; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Jim Elliott, and his stepfather, Jerry Priest. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Warsaw Community Church, with Pastor Denny Wilson officiating. The service will be webcasted and may be viewed beginning at 9:50 a.m. by going to warsaw.cc/elliottservice.com Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery. Calling is from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the church. Services are entrusted to McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapel, Warsaw.
The family kindly requests memorials to the Tony Elliott Chili Bowl Memorial Foundation C/O Lake City Bank 202 E. Center St. Warsaw, IN 46580. Condolences via mchattonsadlerfuneralchapels.com