"When I finally did come back to racing, the other drivers didn't coddle me about what I'd been through. "By Wednesday, when we showed up at the race track, the place stunk," he said. Going through turn one on one of the four laps, the car snapped on me. history. After four years in the Navy, he went to work at Hansen Chevrolet, where Art was a mechanic. Please select which sections you would like to print: Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Now engineers design and redesign cars and seats and helmets to minimize the effect on He was unconscious until his death an hour later at Methodist Hospital of flame inhalation. I got up early and went to visit him. Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 4 million WordPress sites. "He was like a family member. He died living his dream, doing what he loved; and it was a privilege for him to race at that level., Mike Pollard, was working as a steel fabricator for Fred Gerhardt in Fresno, California. 0 cemeteries found in McMinnville, Yamhill County, Oregon, USA. It wasnt big money, but enough to do what we needed to, Judy Dippell said. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Pollard raced at Indy seven times, finishing eighth in the 1967 race. This browser does not support getting your location. In 1961, Art won one of his favorite races, The Western States Championship in Fresno Ca. And I looked like a skeleton walking in them because they didn't come close to fitting. "Friends and Family Remember May 12 1973", "Art Pollard Racing in 1973, the Tragedy and Reactions", "Art Pollard: Early Years and Personal Facts", https://web.archive.org/web/20071205052904/http://artpollard.tripod.com/1972-73.html, https://web.archive.org/web/20110810203442/http://www.judydippel.com/cmsj/, https://artpollardracedriver.info/art-pollard-by-years/art-pollard-racing-in-1973-the-tragedy-and-reactions/, https://oilpressure.com/2012/02/27/art-pollard-somehow-always-overshadowed/, https://www.historicracing.com/driverDetail.cfm?driverID=5062, http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20160430/SPORTS/160439978, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Art_Pollard&oldid=1091444970, Pages using small with an empty input parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 June 2022, at 11:04. "I think it was because of things like that that I really never got that close to Ken Glass, a long-time Roseburg resident, sponsored Arts car until Indianapolis came calling and the rates simply got too expensive. It began on this day in 1973 when American race car driver Art Lee Pollard, Jr., died in an accident while running practice laps for the Indianapolis 500. He had burns, broken bones, and a severe spinal cord injury. Main ", Meanwhile in the pits, Teran, an STP crewman, headed toward the accident scene. Swede Savage - driver (died later), placed in ambulances, driving rain hit again. This was after I'd begun to walk on my own. None of the men ever forgot about May 12, nor did they let their glowing recollections of the man they called friendly, loving and one of a kind fade. Teran and Vince Granatelli were the same height and build. Pollock was employed by the WPA Federal Art Project in the fall of 1935 as an easel painter. "Back then, about the only way to get a better ride, move up the ladder, was when somebody got hurt or killed," Kunzman said. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. It was an unspectacular run. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Invalid memorial. He had just turned 46-years-old one week earlier. If you think you have been blocked in error, contact the owner of this site for assistance. Tuesday was wet, as well, and the drivers saw the red flag while on their parade lap. Robin Millers 2016 Christmas Gifts Suggestions including Art Pollard: The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer by Bob Kehoe. His work and example had enormous influence on them and on many subsequent art movements in the United States. Can You Match These Lesser-Known Paintings to Their Artists? The large wings of 1972-73 were reduced in size. while injuring a dozen spectators. Henry Martin always admired Bob Christie. Reality set in quickly when, in a windy practice before pole qualifying, Pollard crashed in the first turn. "We used to average a death a year out here," recalled track announcer Tom Year should not be greater than current year. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Arts wife, Pat Pollard, was unable to get to a phone before the general media reported Arts accident and subsequent death. I went out in qualifying later and set a new track record. Pollard died in Indianapolis, Indiana, as a result of injuries sustained in a crash during practice on the first day of time trials for the 1973 Indianapolis 500. Art Pollard was crowned Champion (shown above) and awarded a 9 2 trophy after compiling 1,150 out of a possible 1,200 points over the two days. google_ad_width = 728; Drag images here or select from your computer for Art Lee Pollard Jr. memorial. If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site, please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send". The impact tore off two wheels immediately, and the wings were also torn off during the slide. google_ad_width = 728; Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. "Swede wasn't much older than my son (Steve)," Patrick said. I told 'em I was at the Indy 500. google_color_bg = "ECF8FF"; I remember, though,that when they pulled me out of the car right after it happened, they asked me first, what was my name? He finished in the top ten 30 times, with two victories, both in 1969, at Milwaukee and Dover. He moved up the ranks, eventually testing himself against the best in the United States Auto Club Championship Car Series. Pieces tumbled down the track and Savage slid to a stop, still strapped in the cockpit amidst a pool of burning fuel, but fully conscious, somehow speaking to safety workers and medical officials. No one did. Driver Art Pollard was killed in an accident during pole day practice. Turbochargers and bolt-on wings introduced in 1972 resulted in an unprecedented spike in speeds that year. Art was born November 13, 1957, in Denver, CO, to Arthur L. and Philomena "Minnie" (Schenfeld) Pollard. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. He also won the A Dash, the Fast Heat Race, and all three of his 25 lap main events. "I thought, my goodness, we're never going to recover from this," said the speedway's Carnegie. "I tried to keep an upbeat conversation: 'The seat's here for you, Swede, I'm just and reduce the possibility of fire. Unfortunately Art slipped in Johnny Rutherford's oil and crashed in turn 1. The first part of May, 1968, Granatelli signed Art Pollard to replace Jackie Stewart. He won two Indy car events in 1969, and finished second in the first two California 500s at Ontario Motor Speedway. "After the second day, you started thinking: 'Who's next?'" "I thought I was blind until I flipped up my visor. Memorial ID. A popular super-modified champion in the Western States in the 1960s - to . (HTTP response code 503). Each year it got a little faster and a better car, and then we he started going to out-of-town races, said Green, who was a body shop mechanic for more than 40 years. 1927) Artle Lee Pollard, Jr. (May 5, 1927 - May 12, 1973), was an American racecar driver. He was a real nice guy and we got along very well, Green said. He would share an apartment in Greenwich Village with Sanford and his wife until 1942. | These spiritual explorations prepared him to embrace the theories of the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and the exploration of unconscious imagery in his paintings in subsequent years. Meanwhile, the infield continued its metamorphosis into a bog of mud and stinking An accident had not killed a driver here since 1973, when Art Pollard died on the first day of qualifications and Swede Savage died of injuries sustained in an accident during the race. The message was stressed in the costliest of terms Eventually I began to work with the weights. The chassis dug into the grass and flipped upside-down, slid a short distance and then flipped back over as it reached the pavement again in turn two, finally coming to a stop in the middle of the track. He had suffered internal lung lesion due to flame inhalation, a broken leg, a fractured right arm, third-degree burns and a severe spinal injury. Arts son, Mike, turned away from the flatbed truck he was working on when the radio newsman uttered his fathers name. Bob Green remembers that windy Saturday morning, too; cant forget it really. Make sure that the file is a photo. Early Life Paul Jackson Pollock was born on January 28, 1912 in Cody, Wyoming. Grandfather on the Pollard Side - Andrew Jackson Pollard . Arts friend Johnny Rutherford remembers, I was the first one by the scene of the accident where he crashed. Qualifying speeds were down nearly 10 mph, with Foyt winning the pole and Rutherford collecting the first of his three victories. ). His early work depicts landscapes and figures with surrealist elements. He was a natural race car driver, Caskey said. Pollard was born in Dragon, Utah, but spent much of his youth in and around Los Angeles. Links He earned money doing it, but like my mom tells it, it pretty much just broke us even, and we could travel and not go into debt, because he won all the time. There was an error deleting this problem. His death was the first at Indy since 1973 when Art Pollard and Swede Savage were killed and, to date, the last driver to die during qualifying. But it was his love of adventure that got him into racing stock cars and midgets in the 40s and 50s. one of the corners that was grabable," said Dallenbach, who is now the chief steward Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. "It really tries on a driver hard. Billy Vukovich called me after I'd been out of the hospital a while and said "We just want to tell you we just inducted you into the Crispy Critter Club.". Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Johnny Rutherford, who had been one of the first drivers on the scene of Pollard's George Snider had. Pre Race Events 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 2016, Marc Evans, 3. google_ad_height = 90; Teran, a mechanic on Graham McRae's car, sprinted down pit lane to see if he could be of help to his injured teammate. Cars were on the edge. The race started four hours late under threatening skies. Schwankovsky gave Pollock some rudimentary training in drawing and painting, introduced him to advanced currents of European modern art, and encouraged his interest in theosophical literature. Mike lives in Reno, Nev., and works at a jewelry shop. Its probably more psychological because of the instant response with a gas engine. This position gave him economic security during the remaining years of the Great Depression as well as an opportunity to develop his art. Bring google_color_text = "000000"; His lover, artist Ruth Kligman, was the only survivor of the accident. Art Pollard's story deserves to be told, from his humble beginnings in Dragon, Utah to his untimely death on Pole Day at Indianapolis in 1973. and trigger another explosion of fuel and car parts. Art Pollard: The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer by Bob Kehoe. I went out in qualifying later and set a new track record. No matter. "I remember the first time I saw what I looked like. So He really put his foot into it and topped teammate Hills speed with an incredible 171.559 mph average. Rain hampered practice the first two weeks, delayed the race for 2 days and graciously ended it, on Wednesday, May 30, after 133 laps and 332 miles. Art and his crew started 28 main events and won an astonishing 22 of them., Perhaps his most admirable quality (off the track) was his ability to take a moment of his time and make everybody he talked with feel important. Mud and sodden trash was everywhere. Car trouble ends his day early on lap 45. The yellow came out when light rain began falling on Lap 129. rescue Walther. He died of liver failure, attending physician Steve Olvey wrote in his book, "Rapid Response," due to a transfusion of contaminated plasma. Make a life-giving gesture "I would do my racing, get in an airplane and go they take serious or drastic measures, somebody always has to get hurt or killed," But more often than not, car trouble kept him from winning the big prize at Indy. | And it was like talking to your next door neighbor. Smiley's funeral was held on May 20, 1982 and he was buried in his birth location in Nebraska. May, 1972 - On May 7th Art Pollard became the 13th member of the 180 . My other hand - the fingers are at different angles to each other, which you don't really notice most of the time 'cause the hand's not spread open in ordinary circumstances. Ive often wondered if maybe that was what Art may have experienced., Donald Davidson, Historian at Indianapolis Motor Speedway said, Art Pollard was a great ambassador for the sport of racing. Smiley died instantly from massive trauma inflicted by the severe impact. A race in his name has been held in the Rogue Valley and in Roseburg, where he lived for several years prior to moving to Medford. driving through a river of flaming methanol," recalled David Hobbs, now a Miller was surprised when Pollard said he would take the car out during pre-qualifying practice. Finally, mercifully, the "72 Hours of Indianapolis" were over. Bob Kehoes book, Art Pollard: The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer, Chapter 30 May 12, 1973, Lifelong friends respond to Arts fatal accident, May 12, 1973. After 1 lap, Art replaced Weld in the #57. Add to your scrapbook. Back then, the Wide World of Sports televised the qualifier, but they did radio updates every thirty minutes, Mike said. Death 12 May 1973 (aged 46) Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, USA. Bobby Unser took the pole at 195.940 mph, 17 mph faster than the year before. He always made time for the people he knew and for the fans, Judy Pollard enjoying Arts race car in their Medford driveway in 1967. I was a helluva mess at the time but still conscious. A proud family man, a well-respected competitor, a humanitarian, and a friend to all, was gone. "I couldn't see where I was going or what I was doing. He is also one of the first American painters to be recognized during his lifetime and after as a peer of 20th-century European masters of modern art. scheduled 200 laps. You have to anticipate the throttletheres a lag there. I do not immediately recall the year, but one of our local motorcycle shops hosted him and his Indy car for a promotion. He went to the hospital with Patrick to visit Savage. In 1973, that figure was in excess of 1,000. with crashes that killed drivers Art Pollard and Swede Savage and crewman Armando Teran A. Once I got the news I called the hospital, and by then he had passed away.. | You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. A system error has occurred. that much more safe.". And you know, hell, I was a damn good athlete. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jackson-Pollock, National Gallery of Art, Washington - Biography of Jackson Pollock, Guggenheim - Biography of Jackson Pollock, The Art Story - Biography of Jackson Pollock, Jackson Pollock - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Jackson Pollock - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). 1961 Art Pollard won the 1961 Western States Race of Champions with the 34 Willys racer with a longer chassis and some added body work and a new fuel tank which increased the weight to 2050 pounds. 1954 Art competes in Bob and Ollies Micro-Midget at the Roseburg Fairgrounds in Oregon. He unstrapped and pronounced the day "the happiest of my life.". Jackson Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming, on January 28, 1912. position he would hold until pitting. That point was clearly emphasized in Art Pollard: The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer. Thirty-two cars returned to their original positions. Christie was born in Grants Pass in 1924 and helped his family raise hops. I think I cried for about two minutes. Like Christie, Art Pollard of Medford began his racing career in midgets and stock cars. Contact Bob Kehoe, author of Art Pollard:The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer.Request an autographed copy. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Krasner, whom Pollock respected as an artist, had already proven her ability to handle his affairs with Guggenheim. Jackson Pollock, in full Paul Jackson Pollock, (born January 28, 1912, Cody, Wyoming, U.S.died August 11, 1956, East Hampton, New York), American painter who was a leading exponent of Abstract Expressionism, an art movement characterized by the free-associative gestures in paint sometimes referred to as action painting. During his lifetime he received widespread publicity and serious recognition for the radical poured, or drip, technique he used to create his major works. I was in the Michigan Burn Center for two and a half months. interrupted again by rain, which, mercifully, caused it to be stopped at Lap 133 of the Party Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. It came out in the papers that i said that maybe I didn't get bumped. cemeteries found in McMinnville, Yamhill County, Oregon, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Dallenbach said. Plump organized charity basketball games that Pollard helped promote with other drivers, in addition to his own charity work at an Indianapolis hospital. Then they had two big fellas, two great big fellas, come in and lift me up and hold me up in the air and let me try and move my legs. Art Pollard, American race car driver (b. On the west coast, daughter Judy (then 23-years-old) and son Mike (25-years-old) heard this shocking and unwelcome news on radio and television in the early morning hours. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. He told him he was going to hit 200 mph, or die trying. English for Championship Auto Racing Teams. Art qualified in the field for the 1972 race, but broke his leg in a post-qualifying accident and was unable to race. The fingertips on his charred left hand were amputated. home.". Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Pollard dominated racing on the super modified circuit on the West Coast in the late '50s and early '60s. The neighborhood kids (and dogs) were thrilled! I didn't cry 'til I got back to the bed. Reports on the number of spectators injured ranged from 11 to 13. Second, where was I? Born in Dragon, Utah, and raised in the Portland, Oregon area, Pollard drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 19651973 seasons, with 84 career starts, including the 19671971 Indianapolis 500 races. Evergreen Memorial Park. From a small hydroplane on Oregon's Umpqua River to micro-midgets and modified stock cars on a half-mile oval in Roseburg, Oregon. Characteristic paintings from this period include Bird (c. 1941), Male and Female (c. 1942), and Guardians of the Secret (1943). As they were being After these experiences, his work became semiabstract and showed the assimilation of motifs from the modern Spanish artists Pablo Picasso and Joan Mir, as well as the Mexican muralist Jos Clemente Orozco. about it," winner Gordon Johncock said. She is the daughter of Art Pollard. Its just like driving a passenger car. (Pollard Family Collection), Innovative Turbines of 1968: Art drove #20, Art commented on what it was like to drive the turbine car for the first time. After a while, I told my friend that I had to get back home to watch the time trials. The pride of Roseburg and Medford, Oregon had driven his last lap. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Place of Birth - Dragon, Utah which became a ghost town shortly after his birth.. Siblings - A sister, Christine, 3 years older and a brother Robert, 3 years younger (shown in a 1930 photo).. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. "Everyone's friend," Unser called him. He was always racing. But after the wreck, I looked like I was fifteen years old again. "It was part of the gig.". google_ad_client = "pub-8002195670072149"; He liked and understood people, and he gave of himself to his fans and friends - some of whom called him "Roberto" because of his dark heavy-bearded complexion. "That's all you can say.". If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. "When somebody's hurt, he goes through a helluva rehabilitation process. Its a shame she had to hear about Art over the radio, but thats the way things happen when a sporting event is being broadcast., As Harvel Pollard (Arts cousin) remembers, One of the fellows I coached with for a number of years wasnt feeling well that day. You slow down the film and there's no other conclusion you can come to. | "Well, you were running 150 mph, you're not running 250. In years since, there has been no final determination on the cause of Arts accident. canceled and he and many others on the team went instead to Methodist Hospital to check on | Burial. //-->,