There was kind of a machismo attached to it. Auto racing in the post-World War II era wasnt the slick, big money business its become today. [1] In 1987 he won the inaugural Chili Bowl Midget Nationals race. 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. [1], Bob Sweikert grew up in pre-war Los Angeles. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. 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. Ostapenko and Karsch removed the boys from the water. January 22, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. "It could have been a nightmare," the track's owner said then. James Tomlinson, 5 years old, and Anthony Tomlinson, 3, lost Vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not to complete the 30-lap event. 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. That car now resides in the Museum at the Indianapolis racetrack. "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. But there are those who think he adapted to the track as well as anybody. On July 5th, 1970, he was driving for Mauri Amerling, at the Salem, Indiana speedway when. Martin took the pole for today's 12:10 p.m. race, qualifying his Ford at 158.264 mph. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? (key) (Bold Pole position awarded by qualifying time. At their funeral, the Rev. The track has 33 degrees of banking in the corners. When they first started to use roll bars, traditionalists thought it was just awful. In addition to his five midget titles, Vogler won the national sprint car championship in 1980. There was always the darkness the thing about Vukie.. 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. Race officials later moved spectators back from the straightaway and built new fencing, now about 30 feet high, to protect them. Security, it seems, can get lost in the swirl. That grief gripped the loved ones of dozens of race car drivers in the 1950s. Pit fencing, however, is rarely mandated. [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. I wanted what he wanted, she said. He drove in northern California that year and later in Los Angeles. Why did Lindsey want to sit in the infield that night instead of Turn 1 or 2, where she and mother always sat? Fifty years later, her memories of those days paint a picture of the entire experience. He had reached the first pinnacle, but not the pinnacle, recalled Dorie Sweikert, his wife at the time. * Most laps led. 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 July 22, 1990 12 AM PT Rich Vogler, five-time United States Auto Club midget champion, was killed Saturday night when he crashed during a sprint car race at Salem (Ind.) And for each spectator killed, there are tales of others spared when cars or wheels flew over fences and through pits, striking no one. 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. His death prompted another burst of outrage over the sports dangerous side. Vogler, who would have been 40 on Thursday, raced in five Indianapolis 500s. As the field favorite going for his third consecutive win at Indy, Vuky, who was leading when he crashed, would have been tough to Bob Sweikerts death in an auto race last June was reflected Sweikert was pronounced dead upon arrival at Washington County Hospital. Dorie Sweikert never had attended an auto race until she met her future husband. On February 12, 1949 Sweikert won the first BCRA Indoor Midget Race Track championship, in Oakland, on the new 1/12 mile oval track. Finishing first among the survivors was a young driver from Pittsboro, Indiana, named Jeff Gordon. After winning the55 Indy title, Sweikert began plotting his next move. 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. He is buried at Lone Tree Cemetery in Fairview, California.[3]. In 2018, Kody Swanson broke the all-time USAC Silvercrown record with his 24th series win at Salem. The fencing had been laid in position on the ground and Sweikert But I'm doing therapy every day.". Salem Speedway will be under new ownership for the 2023 racing season. 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. Marjorie Ann Bitter. Donald Davidson, historian for the Indianapolis 500, said Sweikert is highly regarded among those familiar with the sports heritage. 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.. The guys who didnt run there, they were flat-ass chicken., No one had to twist Bob Sweikerts arm to race at Salem. Carol Ann Williams. Michaels Catholic Church, arrived and gave last rites. Country Club golf course behind the Sweikert home. High powered sprint cars accelerate down the straights at speeds reaching nearly 140 miles per hour. 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. to Indianapolis and listed the house for sale. which Sweikert was building of tall cedar stakes when he was killed at Salem, At the time, Vogler was scheduled to run the full Winston Cup Series in the near-future for U.S. 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. I never talked about how brave I was. They are. Sweikert was born in Los Angeles, California. 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. Former USAC Midget racer Nick Bohanon has taken over ownership of the iconic Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery, located in Salem. 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. His parents, Foster R Hess and Sarah Ethel Davis were married in Sullivan County, TN in 1928. Last Name "Williams" Was that what went wrong? 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. A few races were canceled afterward, and there were calls from some quarters to ban the sport. "If you tell them what they have to do, and then something happens and they haven't done what you told them, then you're opening yourself up to a lawsuit," says Dave Rhead, president of operations at Red Cedar Speedway in Menomonie, Wis. A small-track Saturday night: mid-September at the Lancaster (S.C.) Speedway, and the season has taken its usual toll. NASCAR hadnt yet arrived to swallow the sport. 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. The .555-mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banks was built strictly for speed. Neighbors who learned of the accident called the sheriffs In the winner's circle, Sweikert and Dorie celebrated with singer-actress Dinah Shore. 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. I had a son who was killed in a crash as well.''. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Vogler's helmet flew off his head and he suffered severe head injuries that proved to be fatal. The following morning, in part because of Vogler's testimony, the penalty was overturned and Fittipaldi was credited with the runner-up position. Learn More Last year he won 16 of the 33 races en route to his fifth championship. Death. I dont know how you could be the wife of a race car driver in those days. Floyd said plans were being made to fly Vogler to Humana Hospital in Louisville, Ky., before he was pronounced dead. Ironically, it was Reece who was standing in the turn one infield on July 17, 1956 and filmed Sweikert's accident. There over the next couple years, he built his own track roadster. SALEM - Salem Speedway is set to host the 33rd Halloween 200 from Oct. 22-24. 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. Salem Speedway. The banks were spooky. Please subscribe to. 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The boys, only sons of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Tomlinson, had 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. [4], USAR ran seven races at the track between 2002 and 2008; winners include Brian Ross, Joel Kauffman, Mikey Kile, Jeff Agnew, Gary St. This page was last edited on 23 December 2014, at 08:46. Racing close with Elisian, both cars pushed high. Learn how your comment data is processed. A good Sunday was when every driver cheated death and went home alive.. His 134 wins (95 Midget, 35 Sprint, and four Silver Crown wins) in national events is second only to A. J. Foyt's 169. That was your job. RACE CAR driver Bob Sweikert celebrates his win in the 1955Indianapolis 500 with his wife, Dorrie. 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. 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. Fifteen were gone within just seven years. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? William M. Ostapenko, 38, who was working in his yard at He is tied with Pat Flaherty for the record of the driver with the fewest points to have won a race. There are improvements that I want to make to the pavement, the pit area, lighting, infield concessions, infield restrooms and the scoreboard. 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. Eugene Gerber, bishop of Wichita's Roman Catholic diocese and a family friend, tried to console the mournful. The two often raced together, and Boyd qualified for entry in the 1955 Indianapolis 500 when Sweikert helped him overcome mechanical handling problems in Boyd's car. In a 1998 incident, an out-of-control race car climbed over a fence at a Phoenix speedway and came to rest just 15 feet from fan seating. In the 1950s, talent won races, but luck decided who lived and died on the track. He was awarded a 40th-place finish (as a "Did Not Start").[6]. 4.3. Lindsey, who wanted to be a veterinarian and a midget car racer. 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. Perhaps in part because Bob Sweikert refused to accept fear, Dorie convinced herself he was safe from harm. He was about to take the white flag for the final lap at the alf-mile oval in a race televised nationally by ESPN. Nobody planned this tragedy, he told them. 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