That car now resides in the Museum at the Indianapolis racetrack. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. [3] Former driver Nick Bohanon bought the racetrack in December 2022. Most race fans don't. In 2018, Kody Swanson broke the all-time USAC Silvercrown record with his 24th series win at Salem. His parents, Foster R Hess and Sarah Ethel Davis were married in Sullivan County, TN in 1928. Street Funeral Home. Greg Sacks had his fill of those in the last race, the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, Fla., where accidents ruined the weekend for both drivers. Not now. or. 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.) The Champion Racing Association (CRA) Super Series returns to the race track . "When it came down, it came down on us.". 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. We want all of our events to be big shows. On the morning of his June 17 race at Salem, Dorie Sweikert recalled her husband complaining his car wasnt handling quite right. Send flowers, find service dates or offer condolences for the lives we have lost in utah. At their funeral, the Rev. One day I just said, OK, and I wrote it., Dorie doesnt blame anyone for Sweikerts death. Yard of Sweikert Home. Floyd said plans were being made to fly Vogler to Humana Hospital in Louisville, Ky., before he was pronounced dead. She figures it was a combination of factors, but mostly this: It was Bobs time to die, and he died.. He ran seventy-two races that first BCRA season, finishing 14th out of 130 active members in the annual point standings. There were exciting, happy, even playful moments, she said. 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. Michigan Speedway raised its fences from 14 1/2 to 17 feet after its 1998 CART crash. in a second tragedy yesterday when two small brothers were drowned in the swimming Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. Weeks later, Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at Salem Speedway. The Pocono race was not his first attempted NASCAR Winston Cup start: two weeks before, he entered the Michigan race but failed to qualify. "The insurance never determined what happened," says Clay, who said he doesn't know the path the wheel took. 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. SALEM, IND. Weeks later, Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at Salem Speedway. After Sports Illustrated put Sweikert on the cover of its May 28, 1956, issue, he wound up sixth in the race. Racing close with Elisian, both cars pushed high. Both boys were One of his frequent local competitors on the streets was Ed Elisian, a teenage boy from nearby Oakland, California. 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. It is too late, he thinks. 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. Sweikert was thrown from the car and was pronounced dead of head injuries upon arrival at Washington County Hospital. 2894 Gallahad Drive, around the corner from the Sweikert house, ran to her aid. [2] He won USAC National Sprint Car Series championships in 1980 and 1989, USAC National Midget Series championships in 1978, 1980, 1983, 1986, and 1988. He was about to take the white flag for the final lap. In 1947, Sweikert met his first wife, Marion Edwards, at a party at UCLA. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The wheel came off in Turn 2, snapped from its axle in a two-car collision. Before this season, he had 122 victories in sprints, midgets and dirt cars. Community See All. First there was the business of trying to defend his Indy 500 title. His 134 wins (95 Midget, 35 Sprint, and four Silver Crown wins) in national events is second only to A. J. Foyt's 169. to Indianapolis and listed the house for sale. This was the Kansas City Speedway, a 1.25-mile oval with turns banked 35 degrees. They settled in Indiana, to be close to the Speedway where Sweikert hoped to race and win. Richard Kavanagh, pastor of St. It had been there in my head and in my heart for a long time, she said. And there were sad ones. Nobody covers Columbus, Indiana and the surrounding areas like The Republic. "It was," he said, "nobody's fault.". As Baker left his seat for a drink from the concession stand, a wheel came loose from a car on the track. 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. I dont know how you could be the wife of a race car driver in those days. Amant. Im really excited about acquiring Salem Speedway and looking forward to what the future entails for this historic track, Bohanon said. beat that day. 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. With months to heal and the war over, he was honorably discharged in September 1945. Usually, his mother and his sons appear at the annual fund-raiser. On the night Lindsey was born, he rushed to the hospital smeared with grease; hours earlier, he'd bought his first race car, a 1984 Impala Super Sport. Donald Davidson, historian for the Indianapolis 500, said Sweikert is highly regarded among those familiar with the sports heritage. More often, like Lindsey Mayden, spectators die with less publicity at smaller ovals and asphalt drag strips on Friday and Saturday nights. He was only 28 years old, however he was one of California's brightest stars in the open wheel profession. ". As the field favorite going for his third consecutive 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. Sweikert and his wife, Dolores, were the parents of four children So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? After 1949 Sweikert became close friends with Johnny Boyd of Fresno, California when he met him on the California racing circuit. 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. He was one of the good guys. Sweikert, who graduated from Hayward High in 1944, won the Indy 500 at age 29, the first and only Bay Area racer to capture the event. I saw him coming out of the fourth turn, he and Ed up so high, Dorie Sweikert said. As a sad, ironic twist, Sweikerts tragedy helped fuel Sheriff Robert A. ONeal ordered the pool be drained. After Sweikert was buried in California his widow returned 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. In January 1953, Sweikert married his high school sweetheart, divorcee Dorie with her two children, with whom he had recently become reacquainted. Your email address will not be published. Salem Speedway. The following paragraphs have been transcribed from the Indianapolis "It kind of catapulted into the sky," Cindy Dutton remembers. "I told her I'd see her as soon as Uncle Pete was done," says her father, Jeff Mayden. rescue squad rushed to the pool. Father Kavanagh, their parish Vogler's helmet flew off his head and he suffered severe head injuries that proved to be fatal. {{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. "There's no way to stay ahead of these drivers.". 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. None of todays safeguards existed then. There were no space-age helmets and flame-proof racing suits. Vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not to complete the the 30-lap event. after the boys were taken from the water. He died the day after his sister, on his 10th birthday. The car hit the guardrail and destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand. [1] Thompson leased the track to Bill Kniesly starting in 2020. hunting for them, to call them to supper. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? He died a week later. 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,. Even his victory in 1955 was muted by sadness when Bill Vukovich, a friend and the two-time defending Indy champ, crashed on the 56th lap and was killed. 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. Vogler became the first driver to win the USAC Sprint Car and Midget championships in the same year (1980). Vogler was the National Alliance of Midget Auto Racing (NAMAR) midget champion in 1973. Veda wrote many racing articles. Send comments to [emailprotected]. and the winner of the 1955 Indianapolis Motor Speedway classic and had built During most of his IndyCar tenure he was sponsored by KFC, whom he had a longtime professional relationship with. For over 65 years Salem Speedway has enjoyed the recognition of being one of the most unique and renowned racetracks in America. [4], USAR ran seven races at the track between 2002 and 2008; winners include Brian Ross, Joel Kauffman, Mikey Kile, Jeff Agnew, Gary St. Stadium, Arena & Sports Venue in Salem, Indiana. Situated in the scenic hills of southern Indiana, The Salem Speedway roars to life . 4.3 out of 5 stars. High powered sprint cars accelerate down the straights at speeds reaching nearly 140 miles per hour. 4.3. The .555-mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banks was built strictly for speed. The series has visited Salem more than any other track in its almost 70-year history. ), Complete USAC Mini-Indy (Formula Super Vee) Results, Last edited on 28 September 2022, at 18:41, Biography at the Rich Vogler Memorial Scholarship Fund, Driver profile Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, NASCAR Statistics at racing-reference.info, NASCAR Winston Cup results from July Pocono race, Rich Vogler Memorial Scholarship Fund webpage, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rich_Vogler&oldid=1112909876, This page was last edited on 28 September 2022, at 18:41. "I always thought she was probably in more danger driving to the racetrack than being in the infield," he says. in the driveway beside the vacant house. When Vogler got word of Fittipaldi's penalty, he went up to USAC to testify for him, calling the penalty "unjust." ''They were both at the track practicing. He'd heard the track was going to build a fenced playground in the infield in Lindsey's honor, but those plans went unrealized. [1], Bob Sweikert grew up in pre-war Los Angeles. I never talked about how brave I was. A racecar moves around the track at Salem Speedway. Last year he won 16 of the 33 races en route to his fifth championship. "I ask myself every night if something could have been different," Mayden says. He was only 30, leaving behind his wife Dolores and four children. Martin took the pole for today's 12:10 p.m. race, qualifying his Ford at 158.264 mph. From age 16 Sweikert worked after school as a mechanic at the local Ford dealership in Hayward. Weinberger and Ostapenko began artificial respiration. The Indianapolis native raced in five Indianapolis 500s. It will be a process of getting those done over the next several years. Required fields are marked *. [1] He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, and his best finish was eighth in 1989. Fifteen were gone within just seven years. Italics Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. firemen drained it before leaving the scene. This was his 170th win. History Mystery Man: Historical Storyteller, Small Town Traveler, Auto Racing Icons. Lindsey, who wanted to be a veterinarian and a midget car racer. 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! 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. [2] The ARCA qualifying record is 16.785 seconds/119.035mph by Gary Bradberry in 1994.[6]. Bradway died from injuries suffered in a tragic sprint car crash during the Super Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway in Washington State on June 21, 1987. "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. At the time, Vogler was scheduled to run the full Winston Cup Series in the near-future for U.S. Sweikert fought for custody of their young daughter. I had a son who was killed in a crash as well.''. See more of Salem Speedway on Facebook. office. 1 sprint car, just one year after he won the worlds most famous race, tumbled over the turn one wall at Salem Speedway. Create new account. When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. His "Indy 500" win was over-shadowed by the fatal crash of two-time winner Bill Vukovich during the race earlier that day. 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. Vogler's helmet flew off his head and he suffered severe head injuries that proved to be fatal. Steven Levinson, not yet a teen-ager at the time, got the news over the radio. About See All. Five-time USAC midget champion Rich Vogler was killed Saturday night after his car crashed during a feature sprint-car race at Salem Speedway of which he was later declared the. He is buried at Lone Tree Cemetery in Fairview, California.[3]. James Tomlinson, 5 years old, and Anthony Tomlinson, 3, lost William M. Ostapenko, 38, who was working in his yard at "I'm happy to be in the front of the field, even if it's not on the pole.". SALEM - Salem Speedway is set to host the 33rd Halloween 200 from Oct. 22-24. pool and its lure for children. [1][3] Vogler had 170 total USAC wins, and won over 200 "outlaw" (non-USAC) midget races. 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. And with good reason; with 33-degree banking in the corners, Salem Speedway was built in 1947 with all out speed in mind. 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. He had that charisma.. LONG POND, Pa. -- Darrell Waltrip will be satisfied with a short day on the track today. Ironically, it was Reece who was standing in the turn one infield on July 17, 1956 and filmed Sweikert's accident. Such decisions are largely left up to speedways. He won numerous major national events: the Hut Hundred eight times, the 4-Crown Nationals midget car event four times, the Copper Classic twice, the Hoosierdome Invitational twice, the WWRA Florida Winter Nationals in 1983, and the Night Before the 500 once. 1,509 were here. It was completed about the time 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. Ostapenko and Karsch removed the boys from the water. Clipping found in The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky on Jul 25, 1949. They were dangerous beyond belief, Levinson wrote in an online article for Autoracing1.com. 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