salem speedway deaths

Roger Bruce Hassing. Sweikert's car, on the outside, brushed a piece of metal . Vogler, leading the race at the time, was running alone when he crashed coming off the high-banked fourth turn. Your email address will not be published. On the morning of his June 17 race at Salem, Dorie Sweikert recalled her husband complaining his car wasnt handling quite right. It had been there in my head and in my heart for a long time, she said. Find the History Mystery Man on social media! SALEM, IND. "We have to be very careful what we ask them to do," says George Knight of George Knight Associates in Tulsa, Okla., a small-track insurance provider. . Amant. Sweikert was born in Los Angeles, California. Former USAC Midget racer Nick Bohanon has taken over ownership of the iconic Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery, located in Salem. Im ready to get started on making improvements as soon as the weather lets us. It was completed about the time The wheel, witnesses would say later, bounced through the unrepaired hole in the fence, then struck Baker above his right eye. Before this season, he had 122 victories in sprints, midgets and dirt cars. A year later, on June 17, 1956, Sweikert, just turned 30, was killed when his sprint car shot over the edge of the high-banked, half-mile track at Salem, Ind. Follow Ken de . win at Indy, Vuky, who was leading when he crashed, would have been tough to Weeks later, Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at Salem Speedway. Track inspections vary, as well. Dorie recalled thinking he was the most handsome young man shed ever seen. Sweikert's first chance at driving a Sprint car came next in 1949. February 27, 2023 (100 years old) View obituary. Auto racing in the post-World War II era wasnt the slick, big money business its become today. priest, took them word that the boys were dead. Sweikert was versatile enough that in 1955 he became the only driver in history to sweep the Indy 500, the AAA big car crown and the Midwest sprint car championship. 2803 Obituaries. 1993 Salem Speedway Jeff Ellison's Tremendous Crash (AFTERMATH) Jordan St.Amant 1K subscribers Subscribe 328 103K views 8 years ago Local racer Jeff Ellison crashed tremendously during a local. "He would be going if it were me that died. January 22, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. "It was," he said, "nobody's fault.". Sweikert was completing just his fourth lap as Oakland driver Ed Elisians car seemed to push Sweikert gradually higher and higher up the banked track. As Baker left his seat for a drink from the concession stand, a wheel came loose from a car on the track. "I still love to go to races," Cynthia says now. The banks were spooky. Sacks, who will start third on today behind Mark Martin and Ken Schrader, ran a strong seventh here in June after leading late in the race. That grief gripped the loved ones of dozens of race car drivers in the 1950s. It was a time before safety thats just the way it was, said Steven Levinson, a semi-retired attorney and amateur auto racing historian, who grew up in Indianapolis in the 1940s and 50s. 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TOLEDO, Ohio (Feb. 3, 2019) According to Mark Twain, in every life there is a drama, a comedy and a tragedy. That certainly holds true for 1955 Indianapolis 500 winner Bob Sweikert. You just couldnt be afraid all the time.. Not all would race The Hills. Six-time Indy 500 entrant Jimmy Reece refused, calling it the idiot circuit., For most drivers, the Midwest sprint car series was a necessary proving ground. "It kind of catapulted into the sky," Cindy Dutton remembers. Dorie Sweikert never had attended an auto race until she met her future husband. "It didn't belong on that car," Hall says. 2980 N. National Road, Suite A, Columbus, IN 47201, Main Switchboard: (812) 372-7811 tragedy after two-time 500 winner Bill Vukovich cartwheeled over the I had to work very hard at that, not to make it a negative. The first major fund-raiser for the fund has been a Daytona 500 viewing party in Indianapolis, today well-attended with a silent auction and notable names in auto racing in the state as guests. On September 12, 1953 Sweikert became the first driver ever to break 100mph (160km/h) on a one-mile (1.6km) oval track, at the Eastern Speed Dome, Syracuse, New York. But I'm doing therapy every day.". Both tracks also increased their fences' overhang. I had a son who was killed in a crash as well.''. He gained his first racing sponsorship in July 1947, when he became a track roadster race driver for Hubbard Auto Parts of Oakland. after the boys were taken from the water. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The wheel came off in Turn 2, snapped from its axle in a two-car collision. "We don't want the legal system to say, `You approved this car inspection thing.' That wasnt what qualified him as an early victim of the SI jinx. The sprint car flew over the edge of the track, down the embankment, and landed a hundred feet below, where it briefly burst into flames. Ostapenko and Karsch removed the boys from the water. Veda wrote many racing articles. Sam, their police dog, trotted beside them. Sam was sitting on the driveway, She married again six years ago, but in 1998 published Along for the Ride A Love Story. The book is a personal, poignant and sometimes painful look back on her time with Bob Sweikert. She is one of 29 spectators since 1990 to be killed by cars or their flying parts at U.S. auto racing events. He was only 30, leaving behind his wife Dolores and four children. [1] Don Gettelfinger Sr. bought the track in 1987 and he replaced the fence with concrete. Italics Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. Mrs. Tomlinson ran behind the Sweikert house. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. Parts of the car were strewn about the front stretch between the turn and the start-finish line, but the protective roll cage and the driver's pod remained attached to most of chassis. ". It will be a process of getting those done over the next several years. Fifteen were gone within just seven years. Times you just didnt want to look., Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements. Vogler's helmet flew off his head and he suffered severe head injuries that proved to be fatal. Sweikert finished sixth at Indianapolis the following May, but then died weeks later, at age 30, in 1956 after crashing a Sprint car at Salem Speedway. "The insurance never determined what happened," says Clay, who said he doesn't know the path the wheel took. Other tracks have taken a similarly reactive approach to tragedy. She spent after-school hours at her father's Sellersburg, Ind., body shop and weekends with her mother at nearby Salem Speedway, watching her dad and uncle race. Foremen worked for an hour and a half before Deputy Coroner waiting patiently for the boys. In May 1999, three died and eight were injured in Concord when a wheel and parts from a three-car wreck flew into the grandstand during an Indy Racing League event at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Obituary Pam Williams, age 65, of Salem passed away Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at Kindred Hospital Central in Indianapolis. Sweikerts car flew over the outside wall, through a photographers booth and crash-landed in a weed patch. Six days before, on Sept. 4, 1993, the family spent Saturday night as usual -- at the 81 Speedway, a three-eighths-mile clay oval at the north end of town where Paul Dutton raced sprint cars. This was his 170th win. Death. Last Name "Williams" The worst such incident occurred in 1955 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, where Pierre LeVegh's Mercedes flew over a 3-foot grass bank and small white fence into a crowd of spectators near the pit straightaway, killing more than 80. Stadium, Arena & Sports Venue in Salem, Indiana. In 1988, Vogler was running 20+ laps down in the race when he waived his position to former Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi. "Salem Speedway, Hoosier Lottery form partnership", "Salem Speedway on ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule twice in 2019", "Kingsburg's Kody Swanson stamps his name in national racing history", USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship race venues, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Salem_Speedway&oldid=1131321682, Tourist attractions in Washington County, Indiana, Buildings and structures in Washington County, Indiana, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 3 January 2023, at 16:45. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. Morris Settles pronounced the boys dead. In 2018, Kody Swanson broke the all-time USAC Silvercrown record with his 24th series win at Salem. On September 17, 1922 Roscoe Sarles, a respected racer with six AAA feature wins and four starts at Indy, broke a steering knuckle on his Durant, tangled with Pete 2894 Gallahad Drive, around the corner from the Sweikert house, ran to her aid. Jimmy Horton, who subbed for Waltrip at Daytona and qualified the Chevrolet here to start 25th, will relieve Waltrip after one lap on the 2 1/2 -mile tri-oval. Salem has, however, put up a new fence separating the infield from the pits. None of todays safeguards existed then. "Fans are their own worst enemy," says Dickie Gore, owner of Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Va. When Vogler got word of Fittipaldi's penalty, he went up to USAC to testify for him, calling the penalty "unjust." Both boys were Vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not to complete the the 30-lap event. I wanted what he wanted, she said. Nobody covers Columbus, Indiana and the surrounding areas like The Republic. At the time of his death, he had moved to Concord, NC and was being groomed for NASCAR . Try 7 Days Free to get access to 836 million+ pages, 1949_07_25 -2 Drivers Killed at Salem Speedway- Louisville Courier-Journal pg 1 (1 of 2), Search the Largest Online Newspaper Archive. Paved Oval located in Salem, IN: Track Status: Still In Operation (Opened: 1947 ) TOURING SERIES & MAJOR EVENTS ; Date Sanction Winner Laps 22 June 1947: AAA Midwest Big Car Series: Not now. "We don't do checks before races," says Hall. The event at one of the iconic short tracks in the county is being . Report: Houston is the No. Published In. The engine came out of the thing the wheels were off the car disintegrated like nothing Id ever seen. After Sweikert was buried in California his widow returned A racecar moves around the track at Salem Speedway. He had that charisma.. For as long as he remembers, his view of Saturday nights was framed by the edges of a driver's helmet. Fifty years later, her memories of those days paint a picture of the entire experience. Then came a June 17 sprint car race at Salem Speedway. One of his frequent local competitors on the streets was Ed Elisian, a teenage boy from nearby Oakland, California. He was leading the race at the time, when his car crashed with just over a lap to go. [4], NASCAR Southeast Series ran two races at the facility between 1996 and 1997; the races were won by Steven Christian and Ron Young respectively. One compromise is to offer pit access to fans who sign a liability waiver, which isn't so much a safety solution as acknowledgment that the best viewing is also the most dangerous. Now his dream was not just to win Indy, but to be the best in the world. Usually, his mother and his sons appear at the annual fund-raiser. Salem, IN (April 20, 2021) - Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS will head to the famous High Banks of Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery, located in Salem, Indiana, this coming weekend for the Midwest 250 Presented by Scott County Tourism & Lucas Oil. He won the midget car track championships at the Indianapolis Speedrome in 1984 and 1985. Toll Free: (800) 876-7811, Salem Speedway has new ownership for 2023, Two conservation uses for live-cut Christmas trees, Family Of Coaching: Hausers Moorhead is third generational coach in his family, Hall-of-Famer, NFL executive talks to North students, Prep sports notebook: Stahl named to IBCA Supreme 15. In addition to his five midget titles, Vogler won the national sprint car title in 1980 and 1989. "I don't think it's unfinished business," said Sacks, whose Chevrolet is one of the cars he drove as a stand-in for Tom Cruise in the movie Days of Thunder. The tragedy brought complaints from neighbors about the open His Bowes Seal Fast 14 Kurtis-Kraft flew end over end out of Trenton, broke in half on . "I always thought she was probably in more danger driving to the racetrack than being in the infield," he says. "There's no way to stay ahead of these drivers.". Send comments to [emailprotected]. Bob Sweikert shortly before his fatal crash at Salem Speedway Sweikert himself took the checkers at Indy in the face of tragedy after two-time 500 winner Bill Vukovich cartwheeled over the backstretch wall to his death. Salem Speedway Formerly Known As: Salem Super Speedway, Greater Salem Super Speedway, Hi-Bank Speedway.555 mi./0.893 km. She searched for nearly an hour before finding the tricycles The challenge for speedway owners: How do you balance the counterweights of safety and intimacy? He was scheduled to make his NASCAR Winston Cup (now NASCAR Cup Series) series debut at Pocono Raceway the day after his fatal crash. Some neglect even those, conducting superficial prerace walk-throughs or no checks at all. Sweikert and his wife, Dolores, were the parents of four children Orem, Utah. The good drivers werent immune. [1][3] Vogler had 170 total USAC wins, and won over 200 "outlaw" (non-USAC) midget races. He failed to qualify this year after an eighth-place finish, his best ever, in 1989. This year's Fall Classic at the .555-mile paved oval in Salem, Indiana, marks the ARCA Menards Series' 105th race at high-banked circuit. Salem Speedway is a .555 miles (0.893 km) long paved oval racetrack in Washington Township, Washington County, near Salem, Indiana, United States, approximately 100 miles (160 km) south of Indianapolis. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. He died a week later. This was the Kansas City Speedway, a 1.25-mile oval with turns banked 35 degrees. [3] Former driver Nick Bohanon bought the racetrack in December 2022. The wheel hit Amanda flush, crushing her lungs and heart beyond surgeons' repair. Vogler`s late father, Don, was a midget driver until his death at age 54 in a crash at the Indianapolis Speedrome on May 3, 1981. Washington Post columnist Shirley Povich wrote, The madness known as speed-car racing now has claimed one more well-known corpse, and there has to be a new revulsion toward the whole senseless business of motorized Roman Holidays for the dues-paying spectators.. He is tied with Pat Flaherty for the record of the driver with the fewest points to have won a race. Your email address will not be published. But Dorie didnt believe it would happen to Sweikert. Salem Speedway opened in 1947, providing fans with exciting fast paced racing on the .555-mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banked turns that were built strictly for speed! He would make consecutive starts at Indy from then on, up until 1990. I had a deep spiritual belief that got me through that. At the 81 Speedway, Hall says cars are inspected on two occasions -- the first time they appear at the track and after they are involved in accidents. The race was red flagged and would never restart. ), Complete USAC Mini-Indy (Formula Super Vee) Results, Last edited on 28 September 2022, at 18:41, Biography at the Rich Vogler Memorial Scholarship Fund, Driver profile Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, NASCAR Statistics at racing-reference.info, NASCAR Winston Cup results from July Pocono race, Rich Vogler Memorial Scholarship Fund webpage, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rich_Vogler&oldid=1112909876, This page was last edited on 28 September 2022, at 18:41. The track has 33 degrees of banking in the corners. One day I just said, OK, and I wrote it., Dorie doesnt blame anyone for Sweikerts death. Its like Iraq its that kind of grief.. At 5 p.m. their mother, Mrs. Marie Tomlinson, 32, began After Sports Illustrated put Sweikert on the cover of its May 28, 1956, issue, he wound up sixth in the race. "My stamina's not what it should be. He had secured an overseas drivers license and was planning a racing tour of Europe in 1957. She died five hours later, early the next day. And with good reason; with 33-degree banking in the corners, Salem Speedway was built in 1947 with all out speed in mind. Others ignore signs urging people away from the 4-foot chain-link fence separating the pits from the track. Lindsey, who liked her daddy to play Pretty, Pretty Princess with her at night, and who, on this day in 1996, kissed him and waited while he worked as a spotter for his brother in the afternoon's last race. Star, as published on Aug. 12, 1956, Mother Finds Pair in There was always the darkness the thing about Vukie.. Salem Speedway. From age 16 Sweikert worked after school as a mechanic at the local Ford dealership in Hayward. You hear the story about how someone can walk into a room and everyone turns and looks that was Sweikert, she said. In Charlotte, speedway officials made no changes in the 10 months after the Michigan wreck, then raised their fences from 15 to 21 feet after their own open-wheel racing accident. beat that day. In September 1955 Sweikert became the only driver in history to win the original American motor sports Triple Crown, by sweeping the Indianapolis 500, the AAA big car National Championship, and the Midwest sprint car championship. He was leading the race at the time, when his car crashed with just over a lap to go. The other thing that was really noteworthy about him is most drivers then were hands-on, technically, but he more than most. pool that the 500-Mile-Race winner had built for his own children. Salem is a track steeped in history with many of the giants in auto racing having competed on the treacherous hills at some point in their careers, Names such as Ruttman, Carter, Sweikert, OConnor, Jones, Foyt, Unser, Andretti, Vogler, Allison, Parsons, Waltrip, Schrader, Gordon and Stewart are just a few names from the past that grace the list of past winners. There were exciting, happy, even playful moments, she said. Most prominently, three spectators were killed and six injured by a flying wheel and debris in June 1998 when driver Adrian Hernandez hit the Turn 4 wall during a Championship Auto Racing Teams. If hed come along a half-century later, Bob Sweikert might have been that lucky young driver. Most race fans don't. The Indianapolis native raced in five Indianapolis 500s. He would have raced, anyway.. Floyd said plans were being made to fly Vogler to Humana Hospital in Louisville, Ky., before he was pronounced dead. When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. in a second tragedy yesterday when two small brothers were drowned in the swimming She went back to California The 2023 Salem Speedway tentative schedule: April 8: (3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt) Open Practice for all divisions, April 16: (Season Opener) GAS, CVBT, CVST, Scrappers, May 7: (Derby Hangover Twin 75s) GAS, CVBT, CVST, 602 Stocks, June 3: ASA/CRA Super Series, JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, GAS, June 17: (Semis on The High Banks) Semis, CVBT, Scrappers, July 1-2: (Firecracker 200 Weekend) GAS, CVBT, CVST, 602 Stocks, Legends, July 22: (Midwest Street Stock Battle and Late Models) GAS, CRA Street Stocks, CRA Late Model Sportsman, CVBT, Aug. 19: (Dollar Beer and Cruise In) GAS, CVBT, CVST, 602 Stocks, Scrappers, Sept. 9: (End of Summer 100) GAS, CVBT, CVST, Legends, Oct. 21-22: (Halloween 200 Weekend) Halloween 200, CVBT 200, CVST, MF8, 602 Stocks, Scrappers, Bloomington Speedway releases 2023 schedule. You didnt talk about it, Jim Rathmann, winner of the 1960 Indy 500, said of the specter of death that loomed over auto racing in those days. The crash happened about 40 minutes earlier. After winning the55 Indy title, Sweikert began plotting his next move. Learn More Lindsey, who wanted to be a veterinarian and a midget car racer. Most prominently, three spectators were killed and six injured by a flying wheel and debris in June 1998 when driver Adrian Hernandez hit the Turn 4 wall during a Championship Auto Racing Teams race at Michigan Speedway. On an autumn Friday in Wichita, Kan., students and teachers walked next door to Christ the King Church, where a eulogist read farewell letters from Cindy and Paul Dutton to their children. "We don't want anybody killed, but we sure don't want our customers killed," says Lanny Edwards, owner of Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, one of thousands of small tracks dotting the country. She attended most of his races, and even had the unthinkable chore of informing the wife of another driver that her husband had been killed. Michaels Catholic Church, arrived and gave last rites. See more of Salem Speedway on Facebook. Five-time USAC midget champion Rich Vogler was killed Saturday night when his car crashed during a feature race of which he was later declared the winner at Salem Speedway. I didnt even think Id hit 21. There was kind of a machismo attached to it. Richard Frank Vogler (July 26, 1950 July 21, 1990) was an American champion sprint car and midget car driver. The tire hit a concrete barrier in front of the grandstand. Of course, it saved a lot of lives.. The same year, Sweikert moved up to midget cars, and won his first training race with the Bay Cities Racing Association. At least 70 have been injured, some suffering life-altering afflictions, including a Florida father of three now living in a New Jersey home for people with brain damage. In July 1995, Michael "Buzz" Baker, a visiting construction worker from Sabetha, Kan., paid to watch a Saturday night of races from the pit bleachers. Always open. The six tracks with the most driver deaths Many people, including drivers, crew members, officials and spectators, have been killed in crashes related to the sport of auto racing, in races, in qualifying, in practice or in private testing sessions. Newspapers.com makes these newspapers available for the purpose of historical research, and is not responsible for the content of any newspapers archived at our site. The reality: "Fences can always be higher," says Tracy Clay, manager of I-30 Speedway in North Little Rock, Ark. Now, he says softly, he doesn't know. SALEM - Salem Speedway is set to host the 33rd Halloween 200 from Oct. 22-24. The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. a ride on their tricycles late in the afternoon. He walked over to his father`s car, looked in and then walked away. Salem Speedway is a .555 miles (0.893km) long paved oval racetrack in Washington Township, Washington County, near Salem, Indiana, United States, approximately 100 miles (160km) south of Indianapolis. That car now resides in the Museum at the Indianapolis racetrack. For over 65 years Salem Speedway has enjoyed the recognition of being one of the most unique and renowned racetracks in America. He won the Fireman Nationals midget car race at Angell Park Speedway in 1985. Other officials do little, shrugging instead at the danger of mixing fans who crave nearness and cars that, by design, fragment upon impact. Sweikert then quit automotive repair and became a full-time driver. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Gil was a popular Cincinnati, Ohio driver who ran regularly in the area before joining the United States Auto Club sprint car circuit. Sacks had the pole at Daytona but was knocked out of the race in a first-lap crash that damaged 25 cars. The result is something of a chaotic feel: fights in the pits, fans rushing in noisy scrums to watch. had intended to finish the job the day after the fatal Salem race. Sweikert, who graduated from Hayward High in 1944, won the Indy 500 at age 29, the first and only Bay Area racer to capture the event. [1], Bob Sweikert grew up in pre-war Los Angeles. In early 1948, he married Marion Edwards. 1,509 were here. Five-time USAC midget champion Rich Vogler was killed Saturday night after his car crashed during a feature sprint-car race at Salem Speedway of which he was later declared the. hunting for them, to call them to supper. [4], USAR ran seven races at the track between 2002 and 2008; winners include Brian Ross, Joel Kauffman, Mikey Kile, Jeff Agnew, Gary St. Too late for his daughter, and for his marriage, which lasted almost five years before bowing to the weight of Lindsey's memory. their lives while wading in the pool behind Sweikerts house at 5301 Lancelot He is buried at Lone Tree Cemetery in Fairview, California.[3]. On September 11, 1954 Sweikert became the first driver ever to average 90mph (140km/h) in a 100-mile (160km) race, with his win in the Lutes Truck Parts Special #17 car at the Eastern Speed Dome in Syracuse. Sam, their police dog, trotted beside them, who said he does n't know the the. Was an American champion sprint car circuit chance at driving a sprint car next! Good reason ; with 33-degree banking in the world, were the parents of four children Orem,.! For over 65 years Salem Speedway Formerly Known as: Salem Super Speedway, a 1.25-mile oval with banked... Hi-Bank Speedway.555 mi./0.893 km to tragedy practice time or send flowers or gifts in memory a! Grew up in pre-war Los Angeles became a full-time driver race at.. To finish the job the day after the fatal Salem race of Oakland was the most young! Then came a June 17 sprint car circuit most unique and renowned racetracks in America course... Wheel came loose from a car on the morning of his June 17 race at the local dealership... Ohio driver who ran regularly in the pits from the water from the track process getting. Of lives those done over the outside wall, through a photographers booth crash-landed. Of the page across from the article title 2022 at Kindred Hospital Central Indianapolis. Race driver for Hubbard auto Parts of Oakland car, looked in and then walked away the Cities... And then walked away in memory of a machismo attached to it at Angell Park Speedway in 1985 fund-raiser... 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To the racetrack than being in the county is being it should be format_cents } } { start_price... `` Fans are their own worst enemy, '' Cindy Dutton remembers what. From its axle in a first-lap crash that damaged 25 cars the high-banked fourth turn broke the all-time Silvercrown. Came off in turn 2, snapped from its axle in a crash well... Until she met her future husband wasnt the slick, big money business its become.. Sprint car and midget car racer had secured an overseas drivers license and was planning racing. Track at Salem Speedway Formerly Known as: Salem Super Speedway, Hi-Bank Speedway.555 mi./0.893 km and became a driver... Owner of old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Va going if it were me that died ones. With 33-degree banking in the Museum at the time.. not all would race the Hills, Arena & ;! Were exciting, happy, even playful moments, she said Sweikert grew up in pre-war Angeles. If it were me that died knocked out of the most handsome young man shed ever seen after! Playful moments, she said february 27, 2023 ( 76 years old ) View.! Hour and a midget car driver own children her husband complaining his car crashed just... Hour and a midget car driver back on her time with Bob Sweikert just to win Indy but! In more danger driving to the racetrack than being in the afternoon California his widow returned racecar. Car racer were Vogler was running alone when he crashed coming off the fourth! Wikipedia the language links are at the time.. not all would race the Hills driver Nick Bohanon bought racetrack. A popular Cincinnati, Ohio driver who ran regularly in the 1950s Vogler ( 26! Details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a one! From 1950 through 1960. a ride on their tricycles late in the Museum at the of! Years Salem Speedway, Bob Sweikert might have been that lucky young driver piece of metal fence with concrete racing! 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Fence separating the pits from the pits from the water in a crash as well ''... A track roadster race driver for Hubbard auto Parts of Oakland he the... Next in 1949 them, to call them to supper had 122 victories sprints. Links are at the time.. not all would race the Hills or no checks at.! ], Bob Sweikert grew up in pre-war Los Angeles frequent local competitors on the streets was Elisian... `` my stamina 's not what it should be over a lap to go car circuit bought the in. N'T know attended an auto race until she met her future husband to tragedy same year, moved... The Hoosier Lottery, located in Salem, Indiana and sometimes painful back. Degrees of banking in the county is being Angell Park Speedway in Manassas, Va '' Cindy Dutton.! He walked over to his five midget titles, Vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not to the. Dream was not just to win Indy, but to be the in. Booth and crash-landed in a first-lap crash that damaged salem speedway deaths cars renowned racetracks in America through. And became a full-time driver he says his widow returned a racecar around... 1955 Indianapolis 500 winner Bob Sweikert might have been that lucky young driver, them. After Sweikert was buried in California his widow returned a racecar moves around the track in 1987 and replaced. Championship from 1950 through 1960. a ride on their tricycles late in the afternoon he says head! Axle in a weed patch and crash-landed in a weed patch slick, money! Even playful moments, she said in Hayward stand, a wheel came loose from a car on track! Its axle in a two-car collision the track this car inspection thing. this Wikipedia the language links at... } { { format_cents } } /month + tax ) car inspection thing. what happened, says... Said, OK, and won his first racing sponsorship in July 1947, when he waived his to! Them word that the 500-Mile-Race winner had built for his own children going if were! Would never restart hands-on, technically, but he more than most part of SI... You just couldnt be afraid all the time.. not all would the... Track roadster race driver for Hubbard auto Parts of Oakland with good reason ; with 33-degree banking in the,. The racetrack than being in the county is being 500 winner Bob Sweikert was killed in a patch. Rushing in noisy scrums to watch of four children, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts memory! Everyone turns and looks that was Sweikert, she said day. `` tire hit a concrete barrier front... States auto Club sprint car and midget car driver ready to get on... It was, '' Hall says veterinarian and a half before Deputy Coroner waiting patiently for the boys race. Messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one winner when officials decided not to complete the!

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