Donald Davidson, historian for the Indianapolis 500, said Sweikert is highly regarded among those familiar with the sports heritage. Sweikert was pronounced dead upon arrival at Washington County Hospital. Although Salem says technicians inspect cars, Mayden, a former driver there, says cars drove often with deficient parts -- especially in the lower classes. North American Racing Insurance settled with Baker's widow, Cynthia, for $1 million. He gained his first racing sponsorship in July 1947, when he became a track roadster race driver for Hubbard Auto Parts of Oakland. "It could have been a nightmare," the track's owner said then. In late 1944, Sweikert enrolled in the US Army Air Force, but suffered a severe knee injury while training at Lowry Field in Colorado. ''I knew him well but we never talked about his father`s death. Salem has, however, put up a new fence separating the infield from the pits. 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. Lindsey took to cars with the same fervor. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? Why, after not eating solids for two weeks because she choked on a grape at school, did Lindsey suddenly want chicken? 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. on Tragedy follows tragedythe aftermath of Bob Sweikerts death, Meet the amazing Miss Nichols, world-record aviator in a Crosley. I never talked about how brave I was. "He would be going if it were me that died. His "Indy 500" win was over-shadowed by the fatal crash of two-time winner Bill Vukovich during the race earlier that day. Morris Settles pronounced the boys dead. James Tomlinson, 5 years old, and Anthony Tomlinson, 3, lost One day I just said, OK, and I wrote it., Dorie doesnt blame anyone for Sweikerts death. 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. Of the 29 fan deaths since 1990, 10 occurred after tires and other parts inexplicably came off cars. It will be a process of getting those done over the next several years. He is remarried now, and he's even found himself back at the track, racing a truck some weekends at Indianapolis Raceway Park. 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. 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. priest, took them word that the boys were dead. Obituary Pam Williams, age 65, of Salem passed away Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at Kindred Hospital Central in Indianapolis. Tomlinson and his wife, who is expecting her third child in 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. 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. He was leading the race at the time, when his car crashed with just over a lap to go. Martin took the pole for today's 12:10 p.m. race, qualifying his Ford at 158.264 mph. In the 1950s, talent won races, but luck decided who lived and died on the track. He continued to tinker with the mechanics, then entered the 25-lap event, anyway. which Sweikert was building of tall cedar stakes when he was killed at Salem, His mother Eleanor started a college scholarship fund for aspiring Indiana students as part of Rich's concern over his sons, and the fund was started by USAC officials and sponsor Valvoline. Now, he says softly, he doesn't know. Sweikert was thrown from the car and was pronounced dead of head injuries upon arrival at Washington County Hospital. The Winston Cup season leader easily beat Schrader's 157.219 mph in qualifying Friday. the 25-by-12 pool with prideful anticipation. 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. Handsome, charismatic, courageous, smart, successful, and on top of the world, Sweikerts life ended in tragedy when his yellow No. Mrs. Tomlinson ran behind the Sweikert house. Situated in the scenic hills of southern Indiana, The Salem Speedway roars to life . His mother had married his stepfather, an electrician for the state of California, when Bob was an infant. The same year, Sweikert moved up to midget cars, and won his first training race with the Bay Cities Racing Association. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. Yet he can't outrun the questions that wait for him at nights in his auto body shop. He is thankful only that Lindsey had her back to the track when the tire bounced toward her. Vogler, leading the race at the time, was running alone when he crashed coming off the high-banked fourth turn. She figures it was a combination of factors, but mostly this: It was Bobs time to die, and he died.. Vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not to complete the 30-lap event. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. The Salem Speedway joined The Hills circuit in 1947, and immediately demonstrated its potential for disaster. 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. 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. Death. [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. Perhaps in part because Bob Sweikert refused to accept fear, Dorie convinced herself he was safe from harm. "It didn't belong on that car," Hall says. Pit fencing, however, is rarely mandated. It is too late, he thinks. 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. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. He won the midget car track championships at the Indianapolis Speedrome in 1984 and 1985. And for each spectator killed, there are tales of others spared when cars or wheels flew over fences and through pits, striking no one. Jeff Mayden hasn't been to Salem Speedway in the five years since his daughter's death. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. 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. in a second tragedy yesterday when two small brothers were drowned in the swimming In 2008, the viewing party was moved to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where 1996 scholarship recipient Ryan Newman won the aforementioned race. I definitely want to clean the place up, paint it, do something with the signage out front. pool and its lure for children. 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. The guys who didnt run there, they were flat-ass chicken., No one had to twist Bob Sweikerts arm to race at Salem. He failed to qualify this year after an eighth-place finish, his best ever, in 1989. Track inspections vary, as well. 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. 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. Star, as published on Aug. 12, 1956, Mother Finds Pair in This was the Kansas City Speedway, a 1.25-mile oval with turns banked 35 degrees. 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. Richard Frank Vogler (July 26, 1950 July 21, 1990) was an American champion sprint car and midget car driver. 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. The crash happened about 40 minutes earlier. View local obituaries in utah. 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.. "And it gets worse at the end of the night.". office. at the bottom of the water. Marjorie Ann Bitter. hunting for them, to call them to supper. 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. The following morning, in part because of Vogler's testimony, the penalty was overturned and Fittipaldi was credited with the runner-up position. Log In. Dr. Dan Anderson pronounced Vogler dead at 11:40 p.m. at the Washington County Memorial Hospital in Salem, according to Bill Marvel, vice president of the U.S. Auto Club. Pac-12 media rights: Our (final) predictions for the revenue, media partners, expansion decisions and more, Alameda County supervisors allow eviction moratorium to remain until end of April, Antioch: Homicide suspect arrested in Brentwood home, Tech, restaurant, logistics layoffs trigger more than 300 Bay Area job cuts, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not to complete the the 30-lap event. "Fans are their own worst enemy," says Dickie Gore, owner of Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Va. In May 1952, Sweikert ran his first "Indy 500" race. three weeks ago to make her home. 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. SALEM, IND. 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. Create new account. 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. Coming out of the 4th turn, the two cars started down the straightaway in front of the grandstand. But I'm doing therapy every day.". Mrs. Sweikerts last order before leaving Indianapolis, the neighbors said, was that the fence be completed at once. 1949_07_25 -2 Drivers Killed at Salem Speedway- Louisville Courier-Journal pg 1 (1 of 2) Orem, Utah. Finishing first among the survivors was a young driver from Pittsboro, Indiana, named Jeff Gordon. [1][3] Vogler had 170 total USAC wins, and won over 200 "outlaw" (non-USAC) midget races. ", But: "Everywhere I go, I check out their fence.". Added to the dangerous equation were tracks of all variety that drivers had to tackle in order to reach their primary destination Indianapolis. 20,621 people follow this. 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. "Some people said it went over the fence." Street, and Edward Karsch, 3470 North Meridian Street, who were on the Broadmoor "The insurance never determined what happened," says Clay, who said he doesn't know the path the wheel took. They had a large family wedding in West L.A. 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. Lindsey, who wanted to be a veterinarian and a midget car racer. They were dangerous beyond belief, Levinson wrote in an online article for Autoracing1.com. Michigan Speedway raised its fences from 14 1/2 to 17 feet after its 1998 CART crash. The wheel, witnesses would say later, bounced through the unrepaired hole in the fence, then struck Baker above his right eye. Track technicians had not inspected the car. SALEM, IND. Michaels Catholic Church, arrived and gave last rites. He had that charisma.. 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. His death prompted another burst of outrage over the sports dangerous side. Some neglect even those, conducting superficial prerace walk-throughs or no checks at all. another. LONG POND, Pa. -- Darrell Waltrip will be satisfied with a short day on the track today. 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. [2] Major auto racing series that run at Salem are ARCA and USAC . Carol Ann Williams. 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. She never saw danger coming. 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. 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. How do you deal with seeing your child's face every time your wife walks through the door? a ride on their tricycles late in the afternoon. 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. 1 sprint car, just one year after he won the worlds most famous race, tumbled over the turn one wall at Salem Speedway. About. Johnson's car, said C. Ray Hall, was using an experimental spindle, which serves as an axle for the front wheels. She searched for nearly an hour before finding the tricycles At smaller tracks, insurance companies are the primary arbiters of fence height and design. 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. He had secured an overseas drivers license and was planning a racing tour of Europe in 1957. "I'm happy to be in the front of the field, even if it's not on the pole.". It was completed about the time Born March 10, 1957. Learn More They entered the pool area through a gap in the high fence His father Donald Vogler died in a midget car accident at the Indianapolis Speedrome on May 1, 1981. 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. Vogler, who would have been 40 on Thursday, raced in five Indianapolis 500s. Weinberger and Ostapenko began artificial respiration. [3], Vogler finished seventeenth in his only NASCAR Busch Series start at the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham in 1988.[4]. That was Bobs favorite of the half-mile tracks, Dorie Sweikert said. [1] He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, and his best finish was eighth in 1989. "I told her I'd see her as soon as Uncle Pete was done," says her father, Jeff Mayden. [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. During a qualifying heat, a sprint car driven by Jon Johnson lost its tire and rim in a turn. On July 21, 1990, during the Joe James / Pat O'Connor Memorial sprint car event at the Salem Speedway, which was nationally broadcast on ESPN Thunder, sprint car driver Rich Vogler sustained fatal head injuries due to a crash in turn 4. 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. 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. After winning the55 Indy title, Sweikert began plotting his next move. Too late for his daughter, and for his marriage, which lasted almost five years before bowing to the weight of Lindsey's memory. Vogler, a native of Glen Ellyn, Ill., who lived in Indianapolis with his wife and three children, was pronounced dead from massive head injuries at Washington County Memorial Hospital, said USAC Vice President Bill Marvel. "We don't do checks before races," says Hall. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Former USAC Midget racer Nick Bohanon has taken over ownership of the iconic Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery, located in Salem. I dont know how you could be the wife of a race car driver in those days. No other cars were involved and no other injuries reported. Bohanon, a Southern Indiana native, has raced on the famous High Banks of Salem Speedway and looks forward to shaping the tracks future. He failed to qualify this year after an eighth-place finish, his best ever, in 1989. I know that sounds corny, but thats the way it was. 1,509 were here. waiting patiently for the boys. 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. He was about to take the white flag for the final lap at the alf-mile oval in a race televised nationally by ESPN. 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. Considered by drivers as one of the area's safer tracks, Lancaster falls prey to spectators sneaking into restricted areas or watching from behind the short fences that circle the outside of the oval. 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. They settled in Indiana, to be close to the Speedway where Sweikert hoped to race and win. ". 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! In addition to his five midget titles, Vogler won the national sprint car championship in 1980. 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. Sanctioning bodies, some of which require driver safety equipment, don't demand that tracks inspect cars, a survey by the Charlotte Observer found. . [1] The track closed in May 1995 when he declared bankruptcy. Dorie recalled thinking he was the most handsome young man shed ever seen. 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. The track has 33 degrees of banking in the corners. To get to Indy, Sweikert had to challenge what were known collectively as The Hills tracks that comprised the Midwest sprint car circuit. From age 16 Sweikert worked after school as a mechanic at the local Ford dealership in Hayward. 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. And there were sad ones. We are in the process of finalizing our 2023 schedule and will have that out next week.. 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. 4.3 out of 5 stars. On February 12, 1949 Sweikert won the first BCRA Indoor Midget Race Track championship, in Oakland, on the new 1/12 mile oval track. As the field favorite going for his third consecutive win at Indy, Vuky, who was leading when he crashed, would have been tough to More information on Salem Speedway and the 2023 season will be posted on the tracks website at salemspeedway.com and with social media posts on the tracks Facebook page. [1] Don Gettelfinger Sr. bought the track in 1987 and he replaced the fence with concrete. 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,. Then came a June 17 sprint car race at Salem Speedway. Dorie Sweikert never had attended an auto race until she met her future husband. "I ask myself every night if something could have been different," Mayden says. Both tracks also increased their fences' overhang. Ind. You hear the story about how someone can walk into a room and everyone turns and looks that was Sweikert, she said. 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.) You go to Salem, and you go home a widow. Fencing, maybe, or car safety. 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. Insurers wait as much as three years between track visits, leaving opportunity for repairs and maintenance to lag. Josh, 9, and Amanda, 7, sat in the grandstand with their mother, their grandparents and 5-year-old brother, Justin. 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. I was 17 when I first started racing. In late 1952 his first wife, Marion, started divorce proceedings. "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. 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. Steven Levinson, not yet a teen-ager at the time, got the news over the radio. There, Dawn Mayden and her daughter had left their lawn chairs for some barbecued chicken at a concession stand. If hed come along a half-century later, Bob Sweikert might have been that lucky young driver. The track has 33 degrees of banking in the corners. SALEM - Salem Speedway is set to host the 33rd Halloween 200 from Oct. 22-24. To his five midget titles, vogler won the midget car racer a,! The national sprint car and midget car track championships at the alf-mile oval in a turn did Lindsey suddenly chicken! Killed by cars or their flying parts at U.S. auto racing events age 16 Sweikert worked school. Immediately demonstrated its potential for disaster said, was that the fence with concrete me that.... Qualifying his Ford at 158.264 mph leader easily beat Schrader 's 157.219 in! Told her I 'd see her as soon as Uncle Pete was done, '' says her father, Mayden... 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