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. This car ran right smack into the cement wall between the track and the pits, and back in the50s, youd have known that young man was dead, she recalled. Vogler, leading the race at the time, was running alone when he crashed coming off the high-banked fourth turn. 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. Days before his 40th birthday, Vogler was competing in a nationally broadcast ESPN Thunder Joe James / Pat O'Connor Memorial sprint car event at Salem Speedway. Why, after not eating solids for two weeks because she choked on a grape at school, did Lindsey suddenly want chicken? [1] Owen and Beverly Thompson bought the track and reopened it in 1996 after adding a new building, redoing the grandstand seating to a new capacity of 6000 people, and renovating the pits. Fencing, maybe, or car safety. 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. Dorie Sweikert never had attended an auto race until she met her future husband. 1949_07_25 -2 Drivers Killed at Salem Speedway- Louisville Courier-Journal pg 1 (1 of 2) Just 12 days after Sweikerts bitter-sweet win at Indianapolis, the sport suffered its worst tragedy when a car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France went off the track and into the crowd, killing 80 spectators. Star, as published on Aug. 12, 1956, Mother Finds Pair in Speedway infield. For over 65 years Salem Speedway has enjoyed the recognition of being one of the most unique and renowned racetracks in America. The names, logos, and other source identifying features of newspapers depicted in our database are the trademarks of their respective owners, and our use of newspaper content in the public domain or by private agreement does not imply any affiliation with, or endorsement from, the publishers of the newspaper titles that appear on our site. Such is what Jeff Mayden believed before his daughter was killed. USAC, however, did not see Vogler waive Fittipaldi by, and, as a result, they penalized Fittipaldi two laps. [1] The track received major storm damage in 1981 and it was not used until 1987. Finishing first among the survivors was a young driver from Pittsboro, Indiana, named Jeff Gordon. Weeks later, Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at Salem Speedway. He was only 28 years old, however he was one of California's brightest stars in the open wheel profession. The good drivers werent immune. As a sad, ironic twist, Sweikerts tragedy helped fuel High powered sprint cars accelerate down the straights at speeds reaching nearly 140 miles per hour. waiting patiently for the boys. 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. He was scheduled to make his NASCAR Winston Cup (now NASCAR Cup Series) series debut at Pocono Raceway the day after his fatal crash. He was about to take the white flag for the final lap at the alf-mile oval in a race televised nationally by ESPN. The challenge for speedway owners: How do you balance the counterweights of safety and intimacy? He would make consecutive starts at Indy from then on, up until 1990. Sweikert returned to Hayward and opened his own small business, Sweikert Automotive, an automotive repair shop based out of his parents' garage. Forgot account? He entered at the 32nd starting position and ran for 77 laps in the McNamara Special car. Drivers sit so low in modern cars, nestled safely into a protective cockpit, that you can hardly see them. I didnt even think Id hit 21. Donald Davidson, historian for the Indianapolis 500, said Sweikert is highly regarded among those familiar with the sports heritage. [3] Former driver Nick Bohanon bought the racetrack in December 2022. Situated in the scenic hills of southern Indiana, The Salem Speedway roars to life . [2] Major auto racing series that run at Salem are ARCA and USAC . Sweikert and his wife, Dolores, were the parents of four children "The spindle just locked up and came off," he remembers. He had that charisma.. left their home at 5241 Will Scarlett Lane, a block from the Sweikert home, for 1 most stressful city for U.S. workers, Turner: State takeover of Houston ISD could happen next week, Bun B on bringing Southern rap stars to Houston's Rodeo, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston pastor calls for state book ban, How the Houston Zoo moved its flock of flamingos to a new home, Astros show struggles with new MLB pitch clock rules, West Texans share apocalyptic photos of after massive dust storm, Houston leaders delay vote on Hobby Airport concesssions contract, The only Houston rodeo food guide you'll need, Watch: Houston Astros' Luis Garcia debuts new windup, Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious on-air interview with reporter. Ostapenko and Karsch removed the boys from the water. at the bottom of the water. After a complicated, sometimes off-and-on courtship, they were married in 1953. The event at one of the iconic short tracks in the county is being . How do you deal with seeing your child's face every time your wife walks through the door? While completing the third lap, Sweikert was running near the outside wall in 4th place, side by side with his past teenage East Bay streets rival, Ed Elisian, in 5th. Robert Charles Sweikert (May 20, 1926 June 17, 1956) was an American racing driver, best known as the winner of the 1955 Indianapolis 500 and the 1955 National Championship, as well as the 1955 Midwest Sprint car championship - the only driver in history to sweep all three in a single season. Neighbors who learned of the accident called the sheriffs Why did Lindsey want to sit in the infield that night instead of Turn 1 or 2, where she and mother always sat? We are in the process of finalizing our 2023 schedule and will have that out next week.. 2980 N. National Road, Suite A, Columbus, IN 47201, Main Switchboard: (812) 372-7811 He failed to qualify this year after an eighth-place finish, his best ever, in 1989. Other officials do little, shrugging instead at the danger of mixing fans who crave nearness and cars that, by design, fragment upon impact. On the first lap of the first race held at Salem, on June 22, 1947, Clay Corbitt locked wheels with Jack Schultz, went over the banking and was killed. That grief gripped the loved ones of dozens of race car drivers in the 1950s. He was one of the good guys. She is one of 29 spectators since 1990 to be killed by cars or their flying parts at U.S. auto racing events. His "Indy 500" win was over-shadowed by the fatal crash of two-time winner Bill Vukovich during the race earlier that day. The race was red flagged and would never restart. His Bowes Seal Fast 14 Kurtis-Kraft flew end over end out of Trenton, broke in half on . "Fans are their own worst enemy," says Dickie Gore, owner of Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Va. In 2018, Kody Swanson broke the all-time USAC Silvercrown record with his 24th series win at Salem. 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. Now, he says softly, he doesn't know. LONG POND, Pa. -- Darrell Waltrip will be satisfied with a short day on the track today. and the winner of the 1955 Indianapolis Motor Speedway classic and had built Vogler remained motionless for several minutes before being removed by ambulance. Waltrip, preparing to make his 500th NASCAR start in that July 7 race, sustained a slight concussion and broke his left leg the day before in a crash in practice and couldn't start. "And it gets worse at the end of the night.". Saturday's sponsor is Crosleybrands.com. Wife of popular Wild 94.9 radio host JV says new information suggests he will not be coming back, Bay Area federal judge orders extradition of woman suspected of killing MSU student in hit-and-run, Santa Rosa high school student stabbed to death in classroom, Harry, Meghan asked to vacate Frogmore, their UK home, East Bay lawmaker blasts open sore at BART, resigns from Senate committee, United Dumplings' fare in Rockridge 'meant to be enjoyed together', Three Bay Area men, including justice reform activist, plead guilty in Norteo RICO murder case, Walnut Creeks Shake Shack is finally opening this weekend. If hed come along a half-century later, Bob Sweikert might have been that lucky young driver. From age 16 Sweikert worked after school as a mechanic at the local Ford dealership in Hayward. Eight years later, 81 Speedway's owner seems to disagree. I didnt see him airborne.. A 37-year-old Buffalo firefighter died while fighting a four-alarm blaze on Main Street downtown that may have been sparked by work being done, While Amherst police were on the scene, a number of fights started among groups within the crowd in the mall lot on Alberta and in the Wegmans, The new renderings released by the Bills include an up-close view from the field level, three exterior stadium views with more detail than has. 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. Lindsey, who wanted to be a veterinarian and a midget car racer. He died the day after his sister, on his 10th birthday. During most of his IndyCar tenure he was sponsored by KFC, whom he had a longtime professional relationship with. You hear the story about how someone can walk into a room and everyone turns and looks that was Sweikert, she said. There in high school Bob met his future wife, Dorie.[2]. Vogler's helmet flew off his head and he suffered severe head injuries that proved to be fatal. Marjorie Ann Bitter. He died a week later. Sweikert's first chance at driving a Sprint car came next in 1949. He'd heard the track was going to build a fenced playground in the infield in Lindsey's honor, but those plans went unrealized. 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. With months to heal and the war over, he was honorably discharged in September 1945. Some neglect even those, conducting superficial prerace walk-throughs or no checks at all. Find the History Mystery Man on social media! Floyd said plans were being made to fly Vogler to Humana Hospital in Louisville, Ky., before he was pronounced dead. 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. Richard Frank Vogler (July 26, 1950 July 21, 1990) was an American champion sprint car and midget car driver. Eugene Gerber, bishop of Wichita's Roman Catholic diocese and a family friend, tried to console the mournful. I had a son who was killed in a crash as well.''. He won the Fireman Nationals midget car race at Angell Park Speedway in 1985. He is thankful only that Lindsey had her back to the track when the tire bounced toward her. For over 65 years Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery has enjoyed the recognition of being one of the most unique and renowned race tracks in America. Roger Bruce Hassing. First there was the business of trying to defend his Indy 500 title. Bohanon, a Southern Indiana native, has raced on the famous High Banks of Salem Speedway and looks forward to shaping the tracks future. The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Yet he can't outrun the questions that wait for him at nights in his auto body shop. priest, took them word that the boys were dead. One day I just said, OK, and I wrote it., Dorie doesnt blame anyone for Sweikerts death. In April 1991, Winchester Speedway began the annual season-opening Rich Vogler Classic sprint car race, usually the first race at the track each year. of his death. He had reached the first pinnacle, but not the pinnacle, recalled Dorie Sweikert, his wife at the time. Its like Iraq its that kind of grief.. The car hit the guardrail and destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand. Tragically, Reece would lose his life on the last lap of the 100 Mile USAC National Championship race at Trenton Speedway on September 28, 1958. She searched for nearly an hour before finding the tricycles They had a large family wedding in West L.A. When I hit 30, I figured Id better quit.. Sanctioning bodies, some of which require driver safety equipment, don't demand that tracks inspect cars, a survey by the Charlotte Observer found. Carol Ann Williams. ''I knew him well but we never talked about his father`s death. This page was last edited on 23 December 2014, at 08:46. 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Dr. Dan. [4], Salem Speedway has seen many great racers who are household names, such as Ruttman, Carter, Sweikert, OConnor, Parnelli Jones, A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Mario Andretti, Vogler, Allison, Parsons, Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Busch, Kasey Kahne, Ken Schrader, Joey Logano, and the list goes on. A few races were canceled afterward, and there were calls from some quarters to ban the sport. Fifty years later, her memories of those days paint a picture of the entire experience. Your email address will not be published. A dozen years later, Elisian and Sweikert were engaged in the racing duel that led to Sweikert's fatal crash at Salem Speedway. And with good reason; with 33-degree banking in the corners, Salem Speedway was built in 1947 with all out speed in mind. 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. The likeable, rising superstar, who had just appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated, did not survive the crash. Bloomington Speedway has released its 2023 racing schedule as the track will celebrate its 100-year anniversary this season: April 7 Season Opener to 100th Year at Bloomington Speedway 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Hornets, April 14 Larry Rice Classic USAC Sprints, Super Stocks, MMSA, April 21 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Hornets, April 28 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Hornets, May 5 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Modifieds, Hornets, May 12 Roddy Strong Memorial (Modified Purse will be increased from last year) 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Modifieds, May 19 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Super Stocks, and Hornets, May 26 The 10th Josh Burton Memorial with Fireworks MSCS Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, MMSA, June 2 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, June 9 USAC Indiana Midget Week USAC Midgets, MMSA, Sprints, June 16 Honoring Kevin The Pup Huntley plus Fireworks 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Super Stocks, Hornets, June 23 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stock, Hornets, July 14 (Rain Date for Roddy Strong Memorial) 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Hornets, July 28 USAC Indiana Sprint Week: Kinser Memorial USAC Sprints, 305 Racesavers, Aug. 11 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Modifieds, Hornets, Aug. 18 410 Sprints, Super Stocks, Hornets, MMSA, Aug. 25 410 Sprints, Super Stocks, Hornets, Sept. 1 Rain Date for Josh Burton Memorial MSCS Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, MMSA, James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. The banks were spooky. You just couldnt be afraid all the time.. A racecar moves around the track at Salem Speedway. Search Provo obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. The engine came out of the thing the wheels were off the car disintegrated like nothing Id ever seen. Last edited on 17 December 2022, at 23:08, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob_Sweikert&oldid=1128015419, This page was last edited on 17 December 2022, at 23:08. There was kind of a machismo attached to it. "He would be going if it were me that died. Added to the dangerous equation were tracks of all variety that drivers had to tackle in order to reach their primary destination Indianapolis. Country Club golf course behind the Sweikert home. That car now resides in the Museum at the Indianapolis racetrack. No other cars were involved. The bodies were taken to the Conkle West 16th [1] The track closed in May 1995 when he declared bankruptcy. He was leading the race at the time, when his car crashed with just over a lap to go. 4.3 out of 5 stars. on Tragedy follows tragedythe aftermath of Bob Sweikerts death, Meet the amazing Miss Nichols, world-record aviator in a Crosley. "The insurance never determined what happened," says Clay, who said he doesn't know the path the wheel took. Drivers, nursing accumulated grudges, satisfy them on and off the track. Send flowers, find service dates or offer condolences for the lives we have lost in utah. Bob Sweikert participated in 5 World Championship races. 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 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. We want all of our events to be big shows. ''Rich saw his father die,'' said Marvel. Mrs. Tomlinson ran behind the Sweikert house. They entered the pool area through a gap in the high fence [1] Don Gettelfinger Sr. bought the track in 1987 and he replaced the fence with concrete. 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 was your job. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Racing is returning to Salem, Indiana. 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. The wheel, witnesses would say later, bounced through the unrepaired hole in the fence, then struck Baker above his right eye. Sweikert fought for custody of their young daughter. 47K views, 969 likes, 76 loves, 119 comments, 367 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from History Mystery Man: Salem Speedway is one of the most iconic race tracks in America. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. That year the family moved briefly to San Francisco, then across the bay to the rural town of Hayward, California. It bounded free down the small-track straightaway and into the pits, slamming off a car's hood and leaping, faster than fright, into the Salem (Ind.) With the deaths have come questions -- about track fencing, about uninspected cars, about supervision in restricted areas. Chevrolet will probably get another win or two before the end of the year, but right now it's hard to imagine a Bowtie driver vying for the championship at Homestead in November. Gil was a popular Cincinnati, Ohio driver who ran regularly in the area before joining the United States Auto Club sprint car circuit. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? Sweikert was born in Los Angeles, California. The boys, only sons of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Tomlinson, had He gained his first racing sponsorship in July 1947, when he became a track roadster race driver for Hubbard Auto Parts of Oakland. Vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not to complete the 30-lap event. . Orem, Utah. A naturally gifted mechanic, he frequently won street races throughout the East Bay. 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. Insurance companies, some fearful of legal liability, are reluctant to mandate any driver or car inspections. The .555-Mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banked turns was built strictly for speed. Sam was sitting on the driveway, "I could run to the first caution without any problem," Waltrip, a three-time Winston Cup champion, said Saturday. In 1947, Sweikert met his first wife, Marion Edwards, at a party at UCLA. Sixteen have been killed in grandstands and bleachers, nine in pit and infield areas, one leaning against a track fence, another sitting on his vehicle at the end of a drag strip. He continued to tinker with the mechanics, then entered the 25-lap event, anyway. 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. There over the next couple years, he built his own track roadster. [2] A thunderstorm had ripped the roof off the grandstands and fences were damaged. 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.. [4], The ASA National Tour ran six races at the track, from 1998 through 2003 and the winners were Scott Hansen (twice), David Stremme, Tim Sauter, Gary St. Amant and Robbie Pyle. Track officials voiced the same hesitance. Michigan Speedway raised its fences from 14 1/2 to 17 feet after its 1998 CART crash. She figures it was a combination of factors, but mostly this: It was Bobs time to die, and he died.. Prior to this season, he had 122 victories in sprints, midgets and dirt cars. On February 12, 1949 Sweikert won the first BCRA Indoor Midget Race Track championship, in Oakland, on the new 1/12 mile oval track. 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. Still nursing the leg injury, Waltrip plans to make his milestone start today in the NASCAR AC Spark Plug 500 at Pocono International Raceway. Morris Settles pronounced the boys dead. Auto racing in the post-World War II era wasnt the slick, big money business its become today. We will keep the other local divisions that have been running at the track and plan to continue to bring in some additional outside touring series to keep fans interested in coming to all our events. In May 1956, at his final return to the Indianapolis 500, Sweikert began in the 10th starting position and came in for a 6th-place finish, with the team's D-A Lubricant roadster. She died five hours later, early the next day. He won 1 race and accumulated a total of 8 championship points. For Dorie Sweikert, the loss never really went away. Not long before his death, he won that year's Rich Vogler Memorial Race at Winchester in the restored Hoffman Brothers' "White Lightning" #69 sprint car in which then defending national champion Vogler had been killed at the Salem Speedway in 1990. They settled in Indiana, to be close to the Speedway where Sweikert hoped to race and win. There are improvements that I want to make to the pavement, the pit area, lighting, infield concessions, infield restrooms and the scoreboard. [1], Bob Sweikert grew up in pre-war Los Angeles. Sheriff Robert A. ONeal ordered the pool be drained. "There's no way to stay ahead of these drivers.". The .555-mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banks was built strictly for speed. "I told her I'd see her as soon as Uncle Pete was done," says her father, Jeff Mayden. (key) (Bold Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Careening cars, debris can end lives in instant, Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Houston facing severe thunderstorms, possible tornadoes Thursday, Oops! "Some people said it went over the fence." I definitely want to clean the place up, paint it, do something with the signage out front. Obituary Pam Williams, age 65, of Salem passed away Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at Kindred Hospital Central in Indianapolis. The season opener is set for April 16. Bohanon, a Southern Indiana. Weeks later, Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at Salem Speedway. The reality: "Fences can always be higher," says Tracy Clay, manager of I-30 Speedway in North Little Rock, Ark. Yard of Sweikert Home. If you wanted to be a racer, thats what you had to do, Rathmann said. 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. "We don't do checks before races," says Hall. AUTO RACING: Salem Speedway has new owner DANIEL SUDDEATH daniel.suddeath@newsandtribune.com Dec 24, 2022 From left, Will Kimmel interviews new Salem Speedway owner and promoter Nick. Track inspections vary, as well. Built in 1946/47, the. Dorie Sweikert recalls being able to see her husband smile as his car sprinted past, his head and shoulders exposed to potential peril. "A good Sunday was when every driver cheated death and went home alive." The Salem Speedway joined "The Hills" circuit in 1947, and immediately demonstrated its potential for disaster. Track technicians had not inspected the car. He walked over to his father`s car, looked in and then walked away. 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