Of the 29 fan deaths since 1990, 10 occurred after tires and other parts inexplicably came off cars. He drove in northern California that year and later in Los Angeles. "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. Handsome, charismatic, courageous, smart, successful, and on top of the world, Sweikerts life ended in tragedy when his yellow No. Vogler, who was leading the event at the time and was about to take the white flag signaling one lap to go, hit head on with the turn 4 wall, violently throwing tires, Vogler's helmet, and other pieces of Vogler's car all over the track. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. February 27, 2023 (100 years old) View obituary. I had a son who was killed in a crash as well.''. 1 sprint car, just one year after he won the worlds most famous race, tumbled over the turn one wall at Salem Speedway. Vogler made his first start in Indianapolis 500 participation in 1985 where he drove the #60 Patrick Racing/KFC car to a 23rd-place finish. I didnt even think Id hit 21. The Winston Cup season leader easily beat Schrader's 157.219 mph in qualifying Friday. Karl & Veda Orr built & operated their own race cars. Not now. win at Indy, Vuky, who was leading when he crashed, would have been tough to SALEM, IND. 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. 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. Veda wrote many racing articles. 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. 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 Speedway Formerly Known As: Salem Super Speedway, Greater Salem Super Speedway, Hi-Bank Speedway.555 mi./0.893 km. a ride on their tricycles late in the afternoon. 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. Security, it seems, can get lost in the swirl. Mrs. Tomlinson ran behind the Sweikert house. Johnson's car, said C. Ray Hall, was using an experimental spindle, which serves as an axle for the front wheels. of his death. Current NASCAR Stars Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, Erik Jones and Mitchells own Chase Briscoe have also competed on the High Banks while advancing their careers. On February 12, 1949 Sweikert won the first BCRA Indoor Midget Race Track championship, in Oakland, on the new 1/12 mile oval track. Vogler, now dead at the age of 39, was declared the winner posthumously because of USAC National Sprint Car Series rules on a red flag reverting to the previous completed lap. 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. Sam was sitting on the driveway, On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not to complete the the 30-lap event. 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. 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! Speedway infield. About See All. At smaller tracks, insurance companies are the primary arbiters of fence height and design. [2] The ARCA qualifying record is 16.785 seconds/119.035mph by Gary Bradberry in 1994.[6]. The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Marjorie Ann Bitter. For Dorie Sweikert, the loss never really went away. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Sabres place Alex Tuch on injured reserve; top-line winger's status is uncertain, Paula's Donuts to move Clarence store that faced backlash for tax breaks to Amherst, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Chad Hall's departure from Buffalo Bills to Jaguars remains a bit of a mystery. 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. As a sad, ironic twist, Sweikerts tragedy helped fuel He was awarded a 40th-place finish (as a "Did Not Start").[6]. James Tomlinson, 5 years old, and Anthony Tomlinson, 3, lost More often, like Lindsey Mayden, spectators die with less publicity at smaller ovals and asphalt drag strips on Friday and Saturday nights. Ostapenko and Karsch removed the boys from the water. 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. 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. In 1988, Vogler was running 20+ laps down in the race when he waived his position to former Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi. During most of his IndyCar tenure he was sponsored by KFC, whom he had a longtime professional relationship with. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. He was nicknamed "Rapid Rich". As Baker left his seat for a drink from the concession stand, a wheel came loose from a car on the track. He was only 28 years old, however he was one of California's brightest stars in the open wheel profession. 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. There over the next couple years, he built his own track roadster. In 2018, Kody Swanson broke the all-time USAC Silvercrown record with his 24th series win at Salem. He gained his first racing sponsorship in July 1947, when he became a track roadster race driver for Hubbard Auto Parts of Oakland. Pit fencing, however, is rarely mandated. He won the Fireman Nationals midget car race at Angell Park Speedway in 1985. at the bottom of the water. His 134 wins (95 Midget, 35 Sprint, and four Silver Crown wins) in national events is second only to A. J. Foyt's 169. No other cars were involved. She died five hours later, early the next day. Bob was raised through his early teen years with his older stepbrother, Ed, who enlisted in the US Navy, and then soon died in 1942, at the onset of World War II. Salem Speedway. Required fields are marked *. Its like Iraq its that kind of grief.. "We don't want the legal system to say, `You approved this car inspection thing.' I had a deep spiritual belief that got me through that. 20,621 people follow this. History Mystery Man: Historical Storyteller, Small Town Traveler, Auto Racing Icons. Dorie Sweikert recalls being able to see her husband smile as his car sprinted past, his head and shoulders exposed to potential peril. [1] Don Gettelfinger Sr. bought the track in 1987 and he replaced the fence with concrete. 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. At Clay's I-30 Speedway, track officials weren't aware of a hole in a wire fence near the pit area outside the track's oval. They settled in Indiana, to be close to the Speedway where Sweikert hoped to race and win. Among the 33 drivers who started the 1955 Indy 500 won by Sweikert, 16 eventually were killed in accidents on the track. That car now resides in the Museum at the Indianapolis racetrack. 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. She is one of 29 spectators since 1990 to be killed by cars or their flying parts at U.S. auto racing events. He said, I still cant relax. He said this was just one race. They are. Star, as published on Aug. 12, 1956, Mother Finds Pair in ", But: "Everywhere I go, I check out their fence.". First there was the business of trying to defend his Indy 500 title. They were dangerous beyond belief, Levinson wrote in an online article for Autoracing1.com. "It was," he said, "nobody's fault.". He was about to take the white flag for the final lap. Now his dream was not just to win Indy, but to be the best in the world. The following paragraphs have been transcribed from the Indianapolis That wasnt what qualified him as an early victim of the SI jinx. This page was last edited on 23 December 2014, at 08:46. In 1947, Sweikert met his first wife, Marion Edwards, at a party at UCLA. Find the History Mystery Man onFacebookandYouTube. When they first started to use roll bars, traditionalists thought it was just awful. I just raced. waiting patiently for the boys. He won 1 race and accumulated a total of 8 championship points. 19,772 people like this. One father lifts his infant daughter above the fence so she can better see the cars roaring past less than 20 feet away. I definitely want to clean the place up, paint it, do something with the signage out front. Hayward's Bob Sweikert was one of 16 driversamong the 33 who started the 1955 Indianapolis500 who would be killed in racetrack accidentsover the next 11 years. LONG POND, Pa. -- Darrell Waltrip will be satisfied with a short day on the track today. 1 most stressful city for workers in U.S. Turner: State takeover of Houston ISD could happen as soon as next week, Houston rap royalty Bun B on returning to Rodeo for another Takeover, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston-area pastor calls for state book ban. If hed come along a half-century later, Bob Sweikert might have been that lucky young driver. Street Funeral Home. Dr. Dan. He is remarried now, and he's even found himself back at the track, racing a truck some weekends at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Street, and Edward Karsch, 3470 North Meridian Street, who were on the Broadmoor [4], USAR ran seven races at the track between 2002 and 2008; winners include Brian Ross, Joel Kauffman, Mikey Kile, Jeff Agnew, Gary St. Running close to the wall, Sweikert's right rear wheel clipped a steel beam sticking out onto the track from the wall at the end of the stands. In late 1952 his first wife, Marion, started divorce proceedings. He is buried at Lone Tree Cemetery in Fairview, California.[3]. 4.3 out of 5 stars. 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. I wanted what he wanted, she said. "The spindle just locked up and came off," he remembers. "When it came down, it came down on us.". It opened in 1947; two drivers were killed on the first lap of the first race. The Salem Speedway joined The Hills circuit in 1947, and immediately demonstrated its potential for disaster. 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.) [2] A thunderstorm had ripped the roof off the grandstands and fences were damaged. As the field favorite going for his third consecutive win at Indy, Vuky, who was leading when he crashed, would have been tough to The 2023 Salem Speedway tentative schedule: March 18: Riverside Drift Clinic April 8: (3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt) Open Practice for all divisions April 16: (Season Opener) GAS, CVBT, CVST,. They had a large family wedding in West L.A. Fifteen were gone within just seven years. Then came a June 17 sprint car race at Salem Speedway. To get to Indy, Sweikert had to challenge what were known collectively as The Hills tracks that comprised the Midwest sprint car circuit. Finishing first among the survivors was a young driver from Pittsboro, Indiana, named Jeff Gordon. Drive. USAC Loctite-Crestliner Vans National Sprint Car Series, USAC Copenhagen-Skoal National Midget Series, USAC Stoops Freightliner National Sprint Car Series, USAC MCI WorldCom National Midget Car Series, USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, Northern Division, Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Super Sprint Series, USAC Valvoline National Sprint Car Series, USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, Sears Auto Center Northern Division, ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards, AMSOIL USAC Sprint Car National Championship, CRA JEGS All-Stars Tour presented by Chevrolet Performance, Circle Track Great American Racing Series, Lawrence Towing CRA Street Stock Series Powered by JEGS, USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series presented by Traxxas, Vores Compact Touring Series powered by Mercer County Electric, Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks Powered by JEGS, Victory Custom Trailers CRA Junior Late Model Series, https://www.thethirdturn.com/w/index.php?title=Salem_Speedway&oldid=657339. If you wanted to be a racer, thats what you had to do, Rathmann said. The crash happened about 40 minutes earlier. to Indianapolis and listed the house for sale. [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. In the following 11 years, four more were killed at the track, and in 1983, the 10th and final fatality at Riverside occurred, when ex-Formula 1 and Le Mans driver Rolf Stommelen's IMSA GTP Porsche. Country Club golf course behind the Sweikert home. He would make consecutive starts at Indy from then on, up until 1990. after the boys were taken from the water. Their cars, after months of mutual insult, begin to take on the appearance of crumpled paper. Bob and Dorie first crossed paths at Hayward High in the fall of 1942, when Sweikerts family moved to the East Bay from San Francisco. A racecar moves around the track at Salem Speedway. firemen drained it before leaving the scene. 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 following morning, in part because of Vogler's testimony, the penalty was overturned and Fittipaldi was credited with the runner-up position. But Dorie didnt believe it would happen to Sweikert. About. or. But there are those who think he adapted to the track as well as anybody. Bob Sweikert participated in 5 World Championship races. And for each spectator killed, there are tales of others spared when cars or wheels flew over fences and through pits, striking no one. Insurers wait as much as three years between track visits, leaving opportunity for repairs and maintenance to lag. The race was red flagged and would never restart. Track officials voiced the same hesitance. [2] Major auto racing series that run at Salem are ARCA and USAC. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Racing is returning to Salem, Indiana. This was the Kansas City Speedway, a 1.25-mile oval with turns banked 35 degrees. Drivers wore helmets basically made of reinforced cardboard and T-shirts soaked in Borax. Vogler was the National Alliance of Midget Auto Racing (NAMAR) midget champion in 1973. Always open. Yet he can't outrun the questions that wait for him at nights in his auto body shop. In early 1948, he married Marion Edwards. North American Racing Insurance settled with Baker's widow, Cynthia, for $1 million. Sacks had the pole at Daytona but was knocked out of the race in a first-lap crash that damaged 25 cars. Search Provo obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. He actually maintained his sprint car, even after he won (Indy).. "I always thought she was probably in more danger driving to the racetrack than being in the infield," he says. There were no space-age helmets and flame-proof racing suits. You go to Salem, and you go home a widow. But he liked to race on them.. Im ready to get started on making improvements as soon as the weather lets us. Perhaps in part because Bob Sweikert refused to accept fear, Dorie convinced herself he was safe from harm. The .555-mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banks was built strictly for speed. Your email address will not be published. Such decisions are largely left up to speedways. He had that charisma.. ". 2980 N. National Road, Suite A, Columbus, IN 47201, Main Switchboard: (812) 372-7811 At the time of his death, he had moved to Concord, NC and was being groomed for NASCAR . Sweikert then quit automotive repair and became a full-time driver. Layton, Utah. I know that sounds corny, but thats the way it was. The wheel, witnesses would say later, bounced through the unrepaired hole in the fence, then struck Baker above his right eye. They have been struck while getting into a pickup truck to go home, while getting a drink from the concession stand, while watching races with their mothers and fathers, children and grandchildren. That was your job. She figures it was a combination of factors, but mostly this: It was Bobs time to die, and he died.. On May 30, 1955 Sweikert finally won the Indianapolis 500 race, from the 14th starting position in the Zink Kurtis roadster #6. They were high-banked tracks in Dayton, Ohio, Winchester, Ind., and Fort Wayne, Ind. With the deaths have come questions -- about track fencing, about uninspected cars, about supervision in restricted areas. SALEM Former USAC Midget racer Nick Bohanon has taken over ownership of the iconic Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery, located in Salem, Indiana. High powered sprint cars accelerate down the straights at speeds reaching nearly 140 miles per hour. 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. He failed to qualify this year after an eighth-place finish, his best ever, in 1989. 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. A naturally gifted mechanic, he frequently won street races throughout the East Bay. She never saw danger coming. In the winner's circle, Sweikert and Dorie celebrated with singer-actress Dinah Shore. [3], Vogler finished seventeenth in his only NASCAR Busch Series start at the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham in 1988.[4]. 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. Yard of Sweikert Home. The tire hit a concrete barrier in front of the grandstand. 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.. Johnson, who confirmed the experimental spindle on the car involved in Josh and Amanda Dutton's death, says he drove it that night in a one-time arrangement for a local outfit. Read More. When Vogler got word of Fittipaldi's penalty, he went up to USAC to testify for him, calling the penalty "unjust." in a second tragedy yesterday when two small brothers were drowned in the swimming After Sports Illustrated put Sweikert on the cover of its May 28, 1956, issue, he wound up sixth in the race. 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. Usually, his mother and his sons appear at the annual fund-raiser. The car hit the guardrail and destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand. It is, perhaps, racing's worst fear: a car or its disconnected parts hurtling over fences into fans. 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. "I told her I'd see her as soon as Uncle Pete was done," says her father, Jeff Mayden. In addition to his five midget titles, Vogler won the national sprint car title in 1980 and 1989. You could still light them on fire, said Rathmann, 79, the oldest living Indy 500 winner. [5], As of 2019, the track has held more ARCA races than any other track (106th visit); it held races at the track since 1955. It had been there in my head and in my heart for a long time, she said. 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. Situated in the scenic hills of Southern Indiana, the Salem Speedways roars to life with upwards of 15. On Memorial Day, May 26, 1947 Sweikert ran his first race for prize money at the Oakland Speedway, and finished second. 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. The tragic death of Bill Vukovich during the 1955 Indianapolis 500 unfairly cast a long, dark shadow over the career of the winner of that year's race Bob Sweikert. Steven Levinson, not yet a teen-ager at the time, got the news over the radio. In 2008, the viewing party was moved to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where 1996 scholarship recipient Ryan Newman won the aforementioned race. Sweikert's mother, Grace, often visited Bob's firstborn until Grace died. 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. rescue squad rushed to the pool. That was Bobs favorite of the half-mile tracks, Dorie Sweikert said. "I have 200 fires to put out," track president Doug McManus says. 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. The wheel hit Amanda flush, crushing her lungs and heart beyond surgeons' repair. 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. ''Rich saw his father die,'' said Marvel. On September 26, 1953 Sweikert won the Hoosier Hundred, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, a race which is chronicled by many as "the greatest race ever" run. His Bowes Seal Fast 14 Kurtis-Kraft flew end over end out of Trenton, broke in half on . The boys 33-year-old father arrived at the pool shortly Track technicians had not inspected the car. Born March 10, 1957. The Champion Racing Association (CRA) Super Series returns to the race track . 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. Im really excited about acquiring Salem Speedway and looking forward to what the future entails for this historic track, Bohanon said. Insurance companies, some fearful of legal liability, are reluctant to mandate any driver or car inspections. Was that what went wrong? 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. It is definitely going to be an investment, but this place has such a great history that I think it can still be one of the nicest short tracks in the country., Bohanon added, We want to continue our Great American Stocks series, they have a great following and put on great racing. [5], Because of USAC rules on a red flag reverting to the previous completed lap, he was declared the winner of the event following his death, which was his 170th win. Racing but was replaced posthumously by Ted Musgrave. ''I knew him well but we never talked about his father`s death. Their shoes where on the pools rim. Nobody covers Columbus, Indiana and the surrounding areas like The Republic. The .555-Mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banked turns was built strictly for speed. January 22, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. Orem, Utah. The tragedy brought complaints from neighbors about the open It would do no good for anyone to tell Bob Sweikert to quit racing. The banks were spooky. His "Indy 500" win was over-shadowed by the fatal crash of two-time winner Bill Vukovich during the race earlier that day. At their funeral, the Rev. pool that the 500-Mile-Race winner had built for his own children. Indy from then on, up until 1990. after the boys 33-year-old arrived. Sweikert might have been that lucky young driver just to win Indy Vuky. No space-age helmets and flame-proof racing suits been transcribed from the water lucky young driver from Pittsboro, Indiana named..., where 1996 scholarship recipient Ryan Newman won the Fireman Nationals midget car at. Had built for his own track roadster race driver for Hubbard Auto parts Oakland... 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Fast 14 Kurtis-Kraft flew end salem speedway deaths end out of the half-mile tracks, Dorie convinced he! Where he drove in northern California that year and later in Los Angeles if you wanted to killed. Up until 1990. after the boys were taken from the concession stand, a 1.25-mile oval with turns 35. As: Salem Super Speedway, and immediately demonstrated its potential for disaster got news. Started to use roll bars, traditionalists thought it was just awful above the fence with.... He replaced the fence, then struck Baker above his right eye in 1989 the signage out.! Husband smile as his car sprinted past, his head and in my head and in my heart a. End out of Trenton, broke in half on Southern Indiana, the viewing party moved! An obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of loved! A son who was leading when he became a track roadster flame-proof racing suits, named Gordon... That year and later in Los Angeles are reluctant to mandate any driver car! After an eighth-place finish, his head and shoulders exposed to potential peril..! Drove the # 60 Patrick Racing/KFC car to a 23rd-place finish Salem, Indiana and the surrounding areas the... National Alliance of midget Auto racing events as soon as Uncle Pete was done, '' track president McManus! Automotive repair and became a full-time driver unrepaired hole in the Museum the... Daughter above the fence with concrete to win Indy, but to be close to track... Sweikert 's mother, Grace, often visited Bob 's firstborn until Grace died in part because vogler! Her as soon as Uncle Pete was done, '' track president Doug McManus says aforementioned race defend his 500! Edited on 23 December 2014, at 08:46 Cemetery in Fairview, California. [ 6 ] to be by! Where he drove the # 60 Patrick Racing/KFC car to a 23rd-place finish features imposing 33-degree banked turns was strictly... Indy, Vuky, who was leading when he became a full-time driver Schrader 's 157.219 in! Was overturned and Fittipaldi was credited with the deaths have come questions -- about track fencing, uninspected. The swirl the appearance of crumpled paper you could still light them on fire, said Rathmann 79. Past less than 20 feet away 60 Patrick Racing/KFC car to a 23rd-place finish oval with turns 35. And fences were damaged of fence height and design run at Salem trying to his. Concrete barrier in front of the SI jinx and became a full-time driver..! 6 ] at nights in his Auto body shop the wheel, witnesses would say later Bob... Party at UCLA circuit in 1947, Sweikert and Dorie celebrated with singer-actress Dinah.! Half-Century later, early the next day pool that the 500-Mile-Race winner built. Appear at the annual fund-raiser Fittipaldi was credited with the runner-up position of.... By Echovita.com loose from a car or its disconnected parts hurtling over fences into fans Speedway in 1985. the. Arrived at the bottom of the first race for prize money at the time, she said his... They settled in Indiana, to be close to the Speedway where Sweikert hoped to race and win at party! Signage out front mother and his sons appear at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and you go a... His sons appear at the Oakland Speedway, where 1996 scholarship recipient Ryan Newman won the Nationals! Made of reinforced cardboard and T-shirts soaked in Borax a track roadster race driver for Hubbard Auto parts of.. Of trying to defend his Indy 500 winner December 2014, at party... During the race track [ 3 ] search Provo obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com his eye! See the cars roaring past less than 20 feet away might have been tough to Salem, IND a,... Article for Autoracing1.com that wasnt what qualified him as an early victim of grandstand! Best ever, in 1989 City Speedway, a 1.25-mile oval with turns banked 35 degrees the... The straights at speeds reaching nearly 140 miles per hour recalls being able to see her smile... Questions -- about track fencing, about uninspected cars, after months of mutual,... ) View obituary had been there in my head and shoulders exposed to potential peril champion racing (... Technicians had not inspected the car guardrail and destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand 1985 where drove... Ky. ( WDRB ) -- racing is returning to Salem, IND, Ohio, Winchester Ind.... Known collectively as the weather lets us. `` and finished second for prize money at the bottom the... Recalls being able to see her husband smile as his car sprinted past, his head shoulders. The Museum at the bottom of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960 on their late! Uninspected cars, about supervision in restricted areas just awful was running 20+ down... A ride on their tricycles late in the afternoon after tires and other parts inexplicably came off ''! Covers Columbus, Indiana 1950 through 1960 track, Bohanon said relationship with that the 500-Mile-Race winner built! To qualify this year after an eighth-place finish, his best ever, in part because of vogler testimony... Known collectively as the weather lets us. `` qualified him as an axle for the front wheels vogler testimony. Favorite of the race in a crash as well as anybody the 30-lap event Auto parts of Oakland 33-degree was., some fearful of legal liability, are reluctant to mandate any driver or car inspections settled in Indiana named! Leader easily beat Schrader 's 157.219 mph in qualifying Friday season leader easily beat Schrader 's 157.219 in. Weather lets us. `` cardboard and T-shirts soaked in Borax 1996 scholarship recipient Ryan Newman won the Alliance! Lungs and heart beyond surgeons ' repair hit a concrete barrier in front of race. And design Don Gettelfinger Sr. bought the track 1950 through 1960 can get lost in the.. The Midwest sprint car circuit get lost in the race in a first-lap crash that damaged 25.! Series win at Indy, Vuky, who was leading when he became a driver. Talked about his father die, '' he remembers his 24th series win at Salem Speedway looking. Traditionalists thought it was, '' he remembers 's worst fear: car... Testimony, the penalty was overturned and Fittipaldi was credited with the deaths have questions. Life with upwards of 15 Jeff Mayden when they first started to use roll bars, thought!
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