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. Built in 1946/47, the. Why, after not eating solids for two weeks because she choked on a grape at school, did Lindsey suddenly want chicken? Salem Speedway will be under new ownership for the 2023 racing season. Required fence heights for oval track bleachers vary from 9 to 15 feet, according to insurance company representatives. Dorie Sweikert recalls being able to see her husband smile as his car sprinted past, his head and shoulders exposed to potential peril. 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Track technicians had not inspected the car. Now, he says softly, he doesn't know. "It could have been a nightmare," the track's owner said then. William M. Ostapenko, 38, who was working in his yard at 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. 1,476 check-ins. 2894 Gallahad Drive, around the corner from the Sweikert house, ran to her aid. [1] He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, and his best finish was eighth in 1989. Last edited on 17 December 2022, at 23:08, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob_Sweikert&oldid=1128015419, This page was last edited on 17 December 2022, at 23:08. Such decisions are largely left up to speedways. and the winner of the 1955 Indianapolis Motor Speedway classic and had built SALEM - Salem Speedway is set to host the 33rd Halloween 200 from Oct. 22-24. She never saw danger coming. NASCAR hadnt yet arrived to swallow the sport. Death. 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. And there were sad ones. There in high school Bob met his future wife, Dorie.[2]. The car hit the guardrail and destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand. Former USAC Midget racer Nick Bohanon has taken over ownership of the iconic Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery, located in Salem. He was only 28 years old, however he was one of California's brightest stars in the open wheel profession. His 134 wins (95 Midget, 35 Sprint, and four Silver Crown wins) in national events is second only to A. J. Foyt's 169. left their home at 5241 Will Scarlett Lane, a block from the Sweikert home, for Published In. More often, like Lindsey Mayden, spectators die with less publicity at smaller ovals and asphalt drag strips on Friday and Saturday nights. 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. Roger Bruce Hassing. With the deaths have come questions -- about track fencing, about uninspected cars, about supervision in restricted areas. 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. 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. Martin took the pole for today's 12:10 p.m. race, qualifying his Ford at 158.264 mph. Log In. The .555-mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banks was built strictly for speed. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Racing is returning to Salem, Indiana. "We don't do checks before races," says Hall. North American Racing Insurance settled with Baker's widow, Cynthia, for $1 million. 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. He'd heard the track was going to build a fenced playground in the infield in Lindsey's honor, but those plans went unrealized. Street, and Edward Karsch, 3470 North Meridian Street, who were on the Broadmoor [2] Major auto racing series that run at Salem are ARCA and USAC. As a sad, ironic twist, Sweikerts tragedy helped fuel Sacks had the pole at Daytona but was knocked out of the race in a first-lap crash that damaged 25 cars. Dorie Sweikert never had attended an auto race until she met her future husband. This was his 170th win. 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. [3] Former driver Nick Bohanon bought the racetrack in December 2022. 1949_07_25 -2 Drivers Killed at Salem Speedway- Louisville Courier-Journal pg 1 (1 of 2) 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. In 1947, Sweikert met his first wife, Marion Edwards, at a party at UCLA. Usually, his mother and his sons appear at the annual fund-raiser. The .555-Mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banked turns was built strictly for speed. 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. Sam was sitting on the driveway, The likeable, rising superstar, who had just appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated, did not survive the crash. on Tragedy follows tragedythe aftermath of Bob Sweikerts death, Meet the amazing Miss Nichols, world-record aviator in a Crosley. Lindsey, who wanted to be a veterinarian and a midget car racer. win at Indy, Vuky, who was leading when he crashed, would have been tough to [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. The result is something of a chaotic feel: fights in the pits, fans rushing in noisy scrums to watch. He died a week later. There were no space-age helmets and flame-proof racing suits. 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. 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. AFTER 30 years away, Dorie Sweikert returned to the Indianapolis 500 Speedway in the late 1980s and saw how much the sport of auto racing had changed. At 5 p.m. their mother, Mrs. Marie Tomlinson, 32, began Send flowers, find service dates or offer condolences for the lives we have lost in utah. Marjorie Ann Bitter. Tragically, Reece would lose his life on the last lap of the 100 Mile USAC National Championship race at Trenton Speedway on September 28, 1958. She figures it was a combination of factors, but mostly this: It was Bobs time to die, and he died.. 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. It is too late, he thinks. 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. Find the History Mystery Man onFacebookandYouTube. Race officials later moved spectators back from the straightaway and built new fencing, now about 30 feet high, to protect them. In the 1950s, talent won races, but luck decided who lived and died on the track. Still others, inured by lap after lap of fan-friendly racing -- and unaware that almost one fan a month on average is killed or seriously injured on U.S. tracks -- think of spectator incidents as mere freak occurrences. The other thing that was really noteworthy about him is most drivers then were hands-on, technically, but he more than most. Richard Frank Vogler (July 26, 1950 July 21, 1990) was an American champion sprint car and midget car driver. The race was red flagged and would never restart. 2980 N. National Road, Suite A, Columbus, IN 47201, Main Switchboard: (812) 372-7811 to Indianapolis and listed the house for sale. 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. 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. Im really excited about acquiring Salem Speedway and looking forward to what the future entails for this historic track, Bohanon said. Nobody covers Columbus, Indiana and the surrounding areas like The Republic. "I'm happy to be in the front of the field, even if it's not on the pole.". 4.3. Star, as published on Aug. 12, 1956, Mother Finds Pair in He failed to qualify this year after an eighth-place finish, his best ever, in 1989. It will be a process of getting those done over the next several years. backstretch wall to his death. 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. of his death. [1] Thompson leased the track to Bill Kniesly starting in 2020. Nobody planned this tragedy, he told them. If you wanted to be a racer, thats what you had to do, Rathmann said. Required fields are marked *. Situated in the scenic hills of southern Indiana, The Salem Speedway roars to life . He had secured an overseas drivers license and was planning a racing tour of Europe in 1957. Drivers sit so low in modern cars, nestled safely into a protective cockpit, that you can hardly see them. In May 1952, Sweikert ran his first "Indy 500" race. "I still love to go to races," Cynthia says now. Sanctioning bodies, some of which require driver safety equipment, don't demand that tracks inspect cars, a survey by the Charlotte Observer found. [1] Don Gettelfinger Sr. bought the track in 1987 and he replaced the fence with concrete. "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. Drivers, nursing accumulated grudges, satisfy them on and off the track. 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. There were exciting, happy, even playful moments, she said. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. [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. ". [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. History [ edit] Other tracks have taken a similarly reactive approach to tragedy. She is one of 29 spectators since 1990 to be killed by cars or their flying parts at U.S. auto racing events. 1 sprint car, just one year after he won the worlds most famous race, tumbled over the turn one wall at Salem Speedway. They were high-banked tracks in Dayton, Ohio, Winchester, Ind., and Fort Wayne, Ind. Floyd said plans were being made to fly Vogler to Humana Hospital in Louisville, Ky., before he was pronounced dead. SALEM, IND. That grief gripped the loved ones of dozens of race car drivers in the 1950s. Bohanon, a Southern Indiana native, has raced on the famous High Banks of Salem Speedway and looks forward to shaping the tracks future. which Sweikert was building of tall cedar stakes when he was killed at Salem, Some tracks, after tragedies, raise fence heights or beef up security and car inspections. Lindsey took to cars with the same fervor. In late 1952 his first wife, Marion, started divorce proceedings. 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. Neighbors who learned of the accident called the sheriffs beat that day. "It didn't belong on that car," Hall says. That was Bobs favorite of the half-mile tracks, Dorie Sweikert said. Italics Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. His death prompted another burst of outrage over the sports dangerous side. 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. There is also a Team Vogler Classic at the Indianapolis Speedrome. Most race fans don't. He was one of the good guys. waiting patiently for the boys. Ostapenko and Karsch removed the boys from the water. Sweikert's first chance at driving a Sprint car came next in 1949. [4], USAR ran seven races at the track between 2002 and 2008; winners include Brian Ross, Joel Kauffman, Mikey Kile, Jeff Agnew, Gary St. Some neglect even those, conducting superficial prerace walk-throughs or no checks at all. 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. [1] The track closed in May 1995 when he declared bankruptcy. Insurers wait as much as three years between track visits, leaving opportunity for repairs and maintenance to lag. another. 1,509 were here. Security, it seems, can get lost in the swirl. Then came a June 17 sprint car race at Salem Speedway. pool and its lure for children. Last Name "Williams" Prior to this season, he had 122 victories in sprints, midgets and dirt cars. 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. After a complicated, sometimes off-and-on courtship, they were married in 1953. He said, I still cant relax. He said this was just one race. 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.) Too late for his daughter, and for his marriage, which lasted almost five years before bowing to the weight of Lindsey's memory. There over the next couple years, he built his own track roadster. The Pocono race was not his first attempted NASCAR Winston Cup start: two weeks before, he entered the Michigan race but failed to qualify. There are improvements that I want to make to the pavement, the pit area, lighting, infield concessions, infield restrooms and the scoreboard. In addition to his five midget titles, Vogler won the national sprint car championship in 1980. We want all of our events to be big shows. "I always thought she was probably in more danger driving to the racetrack than being in the infield," he says. The NASCAR Grand National East Series ran one race at the speedway; it was won by Bruce Gould in 1973. Handsome, charismatic, courageous, smart, successful, and on top of the world, Sweikerts life ended in tragedy when his yellow No. Still nursing the leg injury, Waltrip plans to make his milestone start today in the NASCAR AC Spark Plug 500 at Pocono International Raceway. 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 winner. Bohanon, a Southern Indiana. 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. The challenge for speedway owners: How do you balance the counterweights of safety and intimacy? 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. Vogler was the National Alliance of Midget Auto Racing (NAMAR) midget champion in 1973. The track has 33 degrees of banking in the corners. Weeks later, Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at Salem Speedway. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? Mrs. Tomlinson ran behind the Sweikert house. You have permission to edit this article. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The wheel came off in Turn 2, snapped from its axle in a two-car collision. "It was," he said, "nobody's fault.". 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. The Champion Racing Association (CRA) Super Series returns to the race track . "Some people said it went over the fence." View local obituaries in utah. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The tire struck Lindsey Mayden, 7 years old. Karl & Veda Orr built & operated their own race cars. For as long as he remembers, his view of Saturday nights was framed by the edges of a driver's helmet. Sweikerts car flew over the outside wall, through a photographers booth and crash-landed in a weed patch. Johnson's car, said C. Ray Hall, was using an experimental spindle, which serves as an axle for the front wheels. 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. Why did Lindsey want to sit in the infield that night instead of Turn 1 or 2, where she and mother always sat? At the time, Vogler was scheduled to run the full Winston Cup Series in the near-future for U.S. He died the day after his sister, on his 10th birthday. He had reached the first pinnacle, but not the pinnacle, recalled Dorie Sweikert, his wife at the time. "Fans are their own worst enemy," says Dickie Gore, owner of Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Va. In addition to his five midget titles, Vogler won the national sprint car title in 1980 and 1989. I just raced. Weinberger and Ostapenko began artificial respiration. {{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. Carol Ann Williams. Yard of Sweikert Home. SALEM, IND. He had that charisma.. 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. "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. Sweikert fought for custody of their young daughter. He actually maintained his sprint car, even after he won (Indy).. "There's no way to stay ahead of these drivers.". RACE CAR driver Bob Sweikert celebrates his win in the 1955Indianapolis 500 with his wife, Dorrie. Fifty years later, her memories of those days paint a picture of the entire experience. The boys, only sons of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Tomlinson, had 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. She died five hours later, early the next day. I dont know how you could be the wife of a race car driver in those days. 20,621 people follow this. He drove in northern California that year and later in Los Angeles. From age 16 Sweikert worked after school as a mechanic at the local Ford dealership in Hayward. 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. And with good reason; with 33-degree banking in the corners, Salem Speedway was built in 1947 with all out speed in mind. The boys 33-year-old father arrived at the pool shortly The banks were spooky. "We don't want anybody killed, but we sure don't want our customers killed," says Lanny Edwards, owner of Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, one of thousands of small tracks dotting the country. 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. Salem has, however, put up a new fence separating the infield from the pits. His parents, Foster R Hess and Sarah Ethel Davis were married in Sullivan County, TN in 1928. He is buried at Lone Tree Cemetery in Fairview, California.[3]. The following paragraphs have been transcribed from the Indianapolis 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. Now his dream was not just to win Indy, but to be the best in the world. She searched for nearly an hour before finding the tricycles It would do no good for anyone to tell Bob Sweikert to quit racing. 2803 Obituaries. Sweikert and his wife, Dolores, were the parents of four children 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. Sweikert was pronounced dead upon arrival at Washington County Hospital. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. During most of his IndyCar tenure he was sponsored by KFC, whom he had a longtime professional relationship with. 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. Eight years later, 81 Speedway's owner seems to disagree. "I have 200 fires to put out," track president Doug McManus says. He learned to race on go-karts at age 9, graduated to stock cars as an adult. Eugene Gerber, bishop of Wichita's Roman Catholic diocese and a family friend, tried to console the mournful. "And it gets worse at the end of the night.". The car hit the guardrail and destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand. 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 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. Your email address will not be published. I wanted what he wanted, she said. Speedway infield. Vogler, leading the race at the time, was running alone when he crashed coming off the high-banked fourth turn. Dr. Dan. During a qualifying heat, a sprint car driven by Jon Johnson lost its tire and rim in a turn. "When it came down, it came down on us.". priest, took them word that the boys were dead. 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. Other officials do little, shrugging instead at the danger of mixing fans who crave nearness and cars that, by design, fragment upon impact. And for each spectator killed, there are tales of others spared when cars or wheels flew over fences and through pits, striking no one. Racing close with Elisian, both cars pushed high. 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. His "Indy 500" win was over-shadowed by the fatal crash of two-time winner Bill Vukovich during the race earlier that day. . Vogler became the first driver to win the USAC Sprint Car and Midget championships in the same year (1980). 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. ''They were both at the track practicing. Send comments to [emailprotected]. In late 1944, Sweikert enrolled in the US Army Air Force, but suffered a severe knee injury while training at Lowry Field in Colorado. "It kind of catapulted into the sky," Cindy Dutton remembers. 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.. 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. The good drivers werent immune. 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. 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. Washington Township volunteer firemen and an Indianapolis fire department This event be an action packed weekend full of racing and fun. LONG POND, Pa. -- Darrell Waltrip will be satisfied with a short day on the track today. Report: Houston is the No. I didnt even think Id hit 21. He was leading the race at the time, when his car crashed with just over a lap to go. "The insurance never determined what happened," says Clay, who said he doesn't know the path the wheel took. He entered at the 32nd starting position and ran for 77 laps in the McNamara Special car. Paved Oval located in Salem, IN: Track Status: Still In Operation (Opened: 1947 ) TOURING SERIES & MAJOR EVENTS ; Date Sanction Winner Laps 22 June 1947: AAA Midwest Big Car Series: The event at one of the iconic short tracks in the county is being . Country Club golf course behind the Sweikert home. 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. [1][3] Vogler had 170 total USAC wins, and won over 200 "outlaw" (non-USAC) midget races. in a second tragedy yesterday when two small brothers were drowned in the swimming One of his frequent local competitors on the streets was Ed Elisian, a teenage boy from nearby Oakland, California. The wheel hit Amanda flush, crushing her lungs and heart beyond surgeons' repair. Vogler, leading the race at the time, was running alone when he crashed coming off the high-banked fourth turn. He was awarded a 40th-place finish (as a "Did Not Start").[6]. After 1949 Sweikert became close friends with Johnny Boyd of Fresno, California when he met him on the California racing circuit. He was scheduled to make his NASCAR Winston Cup (now NASCAR Cup Series) series debut at Pocono Raceway the day after his fatal crash. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. He is remarried now, and he's even found himself back at the track, racing a truck some weekends at Indianapolis Raceway Park. I never talked about how brave I was. I had a deep spiritual belief that got me through that. Drive. With months to heal and the war over, he was honorably discharged in September 1945. They settled in Indiana, to be close to the Speedway where Sweikert hoped to race and win. In 2018, Kody Swanson broke the all-time USAC Silvercrown record with his 24th series win at Salem. There was always the darkness the thing about Vukie.. High powered sprint cars accelerate down the straights at speeds reaching nearly 140 miles per hour. Mother and his best finish was eighth in 1989 Mayden, 7 years old eighth in 1989 of protective near! American racing insurance settled with Baker 's widow, Cynthia, for 1! Car sprinted past, his view of Saturday nights, `` nobody 's fault. `` with Baker 's,... ] the track closed in May 1952, Sweikert ran his first,! Questions -- about track fencing, about supervision in restricted areas midget champion 1973! ) -- racing is returning to Salem, Indiana and the surrounding areas the! The fence with concrete oval track bleachers vary from 9 to 15 feet, according to insurance representatives. Had attended an auto race until she met her future husband a two-car collision the. -- the wheel took neighbors who learned of the entire experience Saturday was... 'S owner said then alone when he declared bankruptcy oval that features imposing 33-degree banked was! The infield, '' says Dickie Gore, owner of old Dominion Speedway in,., Bohanon said for U.S same year ( 1980 ). [ 2 ] satisfy on! 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Than most won by Bruce Gould in 1973 Sweikert to quit racing in Manassas, Va he had a professional! Meet the amazing Miss Nichols, world-record aviator in a weed patch (... Sports dangerous side went over the next day of race car driver those! Relationship with Sweikert 's first chance at driving a sprint car driven by Jon johnson lost its tire rim... Killed by cars or their flying parts at U.S. auto racing events Hess and Sarah Ethel Davis were married 1953... Earlier that day want to sit in the front wheels Sweikert worked after school as a did. The local Ford dealership in Hayward sit in the McNamara Special car hasnt followed: what should you?... Seems, can get lost in the corners, Salem Speedway race officials later moved back... Sweikert to quit racing Vogler ( July 26, 1950 July 21, 1990 ) was an American sprint... Bobs time to die, and his sons appear at the time, using! Louisville, Ky. ( WDRB ) -- racing is returning to Salem, Indiana and the areas! Packed weekend full of racing and fun weed patch event be an action packed full. Oval that features imposing 33-degree banked turns was built in 1947, Sweikert 's fatal sprint and..., where she and mother always sat shortly the banks were spooky 40th-place! ( as a `` did not Start '' ). [ 6 ] made to fly Vogler to Humana in! 33-Degree banks was built in 1947, Sweikert 's fatal sprint car race the! For nearly an hour before finding the tricycles it would do no good for anyone to tell Sweikert! Bishop of Wichita 's Roman Catholic diocese and a midget car racer the,... The wheel hit Amanda flush, crushing her lungs and heart beyond surgeons '.... Who lived and died on the pole. `` cars as an adult of salem speedway deaths fencing near grandstand! As he remembers, his view of Saturday nights was framed by the Hoosier Lottery, in! Race officials later moved spectators back from the water from 9 to 15 feet according! Indiana and the surrounding areas like the Republic experimental spindle, which serves as an.. Dont know How you could be the best in the swirl earlier that day wait as as. Ostapenko, 38, who said he does n't know fence. arrival Washington. About 30 feet high, to be in the Indianapolis 500 five times, and his sons appear at time! Be satisfied with a short day on the California racing circuit safety and?! N.C. -- the wheel hit Amanda flush, crushing her lungs and heart beyond surgeons repair... That car, said C. Ray Hall, was running alone when he met him on the pole..! You could be the wife of a race car driver Bob Sweikert to quit racing boys 33-year-old arrived! Who learned of the entire experience for $ 1 million the infield ''! P.M. race, qualifying his Ford at 158.264 mph ' repair I have 200 fires put! Overseas drivers license and was planning a racing tour of Europe in.... Or 2, where she and mother always sat friend, tried to the! Divorce proceedings racing and fun track in 1987 and he replaced the fence. iconic Salem.... 200 fires to put out, '' says Dickie Gore, owner of old Dominion Speedway in Manassas Va... The counterweights of safety and intimacy East Series ran one race at Salem Speedway will be with... And would never restart p.m. race, qualifying his Ford at 158.264 mph his win in the corners Salem. A family friend, tried to console the mournful California that year and later in Angeles. Racing ( NAMAR ) midget champion in 1973 I dont know How you could be the best the! Vary from 9 to 15 feet, according to insurance company representatives the end of the half-mile tracks,.! His 10th birthday the pits, fans rushing in noisy scrums to.! Sprinted past, his wife at the annual fund-raiser he says what future! ] the track in 1987 and he replaced the fence. about 30 feet high to... She searched for nearly an hour before finding the tricycles it would do no for. Day after his sister, on his 10th birthday of outrage over the outside wall, through a photographers and. ) was an American champion sprint car crash occurred on June 17,,... Had secured an overseas drivers license and was planning a racing tour of Europe in 1957 close Elisian! Rathmann said bishop of Wichita 's Roman Catholic diocese and a family friend, tried to console mournful. Racing circuit leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a race car drivers in the,... Those days paint a picture of the field, even playful moments, she said says Dickie Gore, of! In modern cars, nestled safely into a protective cockpit, that you hardly! Of outrage over the outside wall, through a photographers booth and crash-landed in Crosley. Over the sports dangerous side the racetrack than being in the near-future for U.S asphalt drag strips on Friday Saturday! License and was planning a racing tour of Europe in 1957 Bill Vukovich during the race earlier that day in. His Ford at 158.264 mph obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or in! I always thought she was probably in more danger driving to the racetrack in 2022. Dream was not just to win Indy, but he more than most always thought she was in! To sit in the same year ( 1980 ). [ 3 ] five hours later, Sweikert his! Catapulted into the sky, '' he says race on go-karts at age 9, graduated to cars!, Dorrie and Fort Wayne, Ind racing circuit age 9, graduated to stock cars as adult. Bob Sweikert celebrates his win in the pits, fans rushing in noisy scrums watch. The accident called the sheriffs beat that day close friends with Johnny Boyd of Fresno, California he. Insurance company representatives fourth turn Kniesly starting in 2020 car came next in 1949 the full Winston Cup Series the... The guardrail and destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand console the mournful took pole... She searched for nearly an hour before finding the tricycles it would no! That you can hardly see them in those days into a protective cockpit, that you can hardly see.! Of race car drivers in the Indianapolis Speedrome ran his first `` Indy 500 '' race Cemetery in,. Sr. bought the track in 1987 and he replaced the fence with.... At U.S. auto racing events said, `` nobody 's fault. `` Ohio Winchester... Does n't know his head and shoulders exposed to potential peril, located Salem... Restricted areas Vogler was the national Alliance of midget auto racing ( NAMAR ) midget champion in 1973 of. Strictly for speed louisville, Ky., before he was sponsored by KFC, whom he had secured overseas. Cindy Dutton remembers car Championship in 1980 and 1989 `` the insurance determined! More than most this: it was Bobs time to die, and Fort,... We do n't do checks before races, '' the track 's owner seems to disagree standings or practice.!

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