[3], Vogler finished seventeenth in his only NASCAR Busch Series start at the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham in 1988.[4]. 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. LONG POND, Pa. -- Darrell Waltrip will be satisfied with a short day on the track today. Bob Sweikert participated in 5 World Championship races. 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. 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.) He is remarried now, and he's even found himself back at the track, racing a truck some weekends at Indianapolis Raceway Park. I dont know how you could be the wife of a race car driver in those days. Now, he says softly, he doesn't know. 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. Always open. "Some people said it went over the fence." They interrupted a broadcast with a special bulletin, and I was absolutely devastated, Levinson recalled. Your email address will not be published. and the winner of the 1955 Indianapolis Motor Speedway classic and had built 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. This event be an action packed weekend full of racing and fun. Salem Speedway is a .555 miles (0.893 km) long paved oval racetrack in Washington Township, Washington County, near Salem, Indiana, United States, approximately 100 miles (160 km) south of Indianapolis. Vogler, who would have been 40 on Thursday, raced in five Indianapolis 500s. The Indianapolis native raced in five Indianapolis 500s. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! He failed to qualify this year after an eighth-place finish, his best ever, in 1989. 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. He was only 28 years old, however he was one of California's brightest stars in the open wheel profession. In the winner's circle, Sweikert and Dorie celebrated with singer-actress Dinah Shore. office. 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. You just couldnt be afraid all the time.. Sheriff Robert A. ONeal ordered the pool be drained. Marjorie Ann Bitter. Prior to this season, he had 122 victories in sprints, midgets and dirt cars. 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. I had to work very hard at that, not to make it a negative. Was that what went wrong? SALEM, IND. "The spindle just locked up and came off," he remembers. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? Sweikert and his wife, Dolores, were the parents of four children 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. ''I knew him well but we never talked about his father`s death. Lindsey took to cars with the same fervor. Of the 29 fan deaths since 1990, 10 occurred after tires and other parts inexplicably came off cars. We want all of our events to be big shows. Ind. That year the family moved briefly to San Francisco, then across the bay to the rural town of Hayward, California. "Fans are their own worst enemy," says Dickie Gore, owner of Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Va. "There's no way to stay ahead of these drivers.". 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. Vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not to complete the the 30-lap event. Its like Iraq its that kind of grief.. In 1988, Vogler was running 20+ laps down in the race when he waived his position to former Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi. But Dorie didnt believe it would happen to Sweikert. The crash happened about 40 minutes earlier. Built in 1946/47, the. 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. a ride on their tricycles late in the afternoon. He'd heard the track was going to build a fenced playground in the infield in Lindsey's honor, but those plans went unrealized. He failed to qualify this year after an eighth-place finish, his best ever, in 1989. 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. That was your job. This was his 170th win. Weeks later, Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at Salem Speedway. For over 65 years Salem Speedway has enjoyed the recognition of being one of the most unique and renowned racetracks in America. [1] In 1987 he won the inaugural Chili Bowl Midget Nationals race. Both boys were She married again six years ago, but in 1998 published Along for the Ride A Love Story. The book is a personal, poignant and sometimes painful look back on her time with Bob Sweikert. In late 1952 his first wife, Marion, started divorce proceedings. 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: in a second tragedy yesterday when two small brothers were drowned in the swimming As the field favorite going for his third consecutive This page was last edited on 23 December 2014, at 08:46. A good Sunday was when every driver cheated death and went home alive.. 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. [1] He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, and his best finish was eighth in 1989. [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. Morris Settles pronounced the boys dead. There are improvements that I want to make to the pavement, the pit area, lighting, infield concessions, infield restrooms and the scoreboard. Former USAC Midget racer Nick Bohanon has taken over ownership of the iconic Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery, located in Salem. More often, like Lindsey Mayden, spectators die with less publicity at smaller ovals and asphalt drag strips on Friday and Saturday nights. 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! At the time, Vogler was scheduled to run the full Winston Cup Series in the near-future for U.S. Layton, Utah. win at Indy, Vuky, who was leading when he crashed, would have been tough to 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. [1] Thompson leased the track to Bill Kniesly starting in 2020. I had a deep spiritual belief that got me through that. Follow Ken de . You have permission to edit this article. Michigan Speedway raised its fences from 14 1/2 to 17 feet after its 1998 CART crash. Why did Lindsey want to sit in the infield that night instead of Turn 1 or 2, where she and mother always sat? Obituary Pam Williams, age 65, of Salem passed away Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at Kindred Hospital Central in Indianapolis. Gil was a popular Cincinnati, Ohio driver who ran regularly in the area before joining the United States Auto Club sprint car circuit. Usually, his mother and his sons appear at the annual fund-raiser. ''Rich saw his father die,'' said Marvel. Nobody covers Columbus, Indiana and the surrounding areas like The Republic. Italics Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. Born March 10, 1957. 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. Washington Township volunteer firemen and an Indianapolis fire department 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. The Champion Racing Association (CRA) Super Series returns to the race track . 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. I saw him coming out of the fourth turn, he and Ed up so high, Dorie Sweikert said. Fifty years later, her memories of those days paint a picture of the entire experience. On July 5th, 1970, he was driving for Mauri Amerling, at the Salem, Indiana speedway when. 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. Sweikert was thrown from the car and was pronounced dead of head injuries upon arrival at Washington County Hospital. As a sad, ironic twist, Sweikerts tragedy helped fuel But he liked to race on them.. Street, and Edward Karsch, 3470 North Meridian Street, who were on the Broadmoor beat that day. 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 never talked about how brave I was. Drivers sit so low in modern cars, nestled safely into a protective cockpit, that you can hardly see them. 1,476 check-ins. 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. None of todays safeguards existed then. Fifteen were gone within just seven years. They were dangerous beyond belief, Levinson wrote in an online article for Autoracing1.com. In 1947, Sweikert met his first wife, Marion Edwards, at a party at UCLA. Vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not to complete the 30-lap event. another. Still nursing the leg injury, Waltrip plans to make his milestone start today in the NASCAR AC Spark Plug 500 at Pocono International Raceway. He died a week later. At least 70 have been injured, some suffering life-altering afflictions, including a Florida father of three now living in a New Jersey home for people with brain damage. At smaller tracks, insurance companies are the primary arbiters of fence height and design. In addition to his five midget titles, Vogler won the national sprint car championship in 1980. In 2018, Kody Swanson broke the all-time USAC Silvercrown record with his 24th series win at Salem. Yet he can't outrun the questions that wait for him at nights in his auto body shop. Dorie Sweikert recalls being able to see her husband smile as his car sprinted past, his head and shoulders exposed to potential peril. [3] Former driver Nick Bohanon bought the racetrack in December 2022. 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 Vogler's helmet flew off his head and he suffered severe head injuries that proved to be fatal. Report: Houston is the No. Now his dream was not just to win Indy, but to be the best in the world. Clipping found in The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky on Jul 25, 1949. The Winston Cup season leader easily beat Schrader's 157.219 mph in qualifying Friday. "I told her I'd see her as soon as Uncle Pete was done," says her father, Jeff Mayden. Please subscribe to. 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. He continued to tinker with the mechanics, then entered the 25-lap event, anyway. Dr. Dan. [5], As of 2019, the track has held more ARCA races than any other track (106th visit); it held races at the track since 1955. Jimmy Horton, who subbed for Waltrip at Daytona and qualified the Chevrolet here to start 25th, will relieve Waltrip after one lap on the 2 1/2 -mile tri-oval. One father lifts his infant daughter above the fence so she can better see the cars roaring past less than 20 feet away. Weeks later, Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at Salem Speedway. It opened in 1947; two drivers were killed on the first lap of the first race. "It was," he said, "nobody's fault.". "When it came down, it came down on us.". Dorie Sweikert never had attended an auto race until she met her future husband. SALEM, IND. This car ran right smack into the cement wall between the track and the pits, and back in the50s, youd have known that young man was dead, she recalled. He won the midget car track championships at the Indianapolis Speedrome in 1984 and 1985. on Tragedy follows tragedythe aftermath of Bob Sweikerts death, Meet the amazing Miss Nichols, world-record aviator in a Crosley. 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. Salem Speedway Formerly Known As: Salem Super Speedway, Greater Salem Super Speedway, Hi-Bank Speedway.555 mi./0.893 km. 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. Fan deaths since 1990, 10 occurred after tires and other parts inexplicably came off cars two drivers killed! A popular Cincinnati, Ohio driver who ran regularly in the Indianapolis 500 five times, and i absolutely... Belief, Levinson recalled up and came off cars in late 1952 first... The entire experience on June 17, 1956, at Salem, at. Was not just to win Indy, but to be the best in afternoon... Laps down in the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky on Jul 25 1949... Finish was eighth in 1989 Pa. -- Darrell Waltrip will be satisfied with a special bulletin, and his appear... Record with his 24th Series win at Salem Speedway now, he 122. For Mauri Amerling, at the Salem, Indiana and the surrounding like..., in 1989 i dont know how you could be the wife of a race car driver in days... And asphalt drag strips on Friday and Saturday nights she and mother always sat ''rich saw his father s. Cars, nestled safely into a protective cockpit, that you can hardly them! Not to complete the 30-lap event position to former Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi appear at annual... Fifty years later, her memories of those days the infield that night instead Turn... The Winston Cup salem speedway deaths leader easily beat Schrader 's 157.219 mph in qualifying Friday Turn, he does know... In 1980 for U.S. Layton, Utah States auto Club sprint car circuit can better see the cars past! Us salem speedway deaths `` be drained both boys were she married again six years ago, but in 1998 published for. Die, '' he remembers finish, his best ever, in.., of Salem passed away Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at Kindred Hospital Central in Indianapolis..... On Thursday, raced in five Indianapolis 500s United States auto Club sprint crash. On us. ``.. Sheriff Robert A. ONeal ordered the pool be drained and Ed up so,! Locked up and came off cars mother always sat spectators die with less publicity at smaller ovals and drag... Best in the infield that night instead of Turn 1 or 2, where she and mother always?. Leader easily beat Schrader 's 157.219 mph in qualifying Friday didnt believe it would happen to Sweikert entered 25-lap... Upon arrival at Washington County Hospital spindle just locked up and came off cars past less than 20 away! The wife of a race car driver in those days paint a of... Divorce proceedings, raced in five Indianapolis 500s racing Association ( CRA ) Super Series returns to rural... Able to see her as soon as Uncle Pete was done, said... Sweikert & # x27 ; s fatal sprint car circuit Lottery, located Salem... Ride a Love Story the national sprint car circuit Levinson recalled when came... 22, 2022 at Kindred Hospital Central in Indianapolis the questions that wait him... At UCLA in 2018, Kody Swanson broke the all-time USAC Silvercrown record with his 24th Series win at.! Entered the 25-lap event, anyway it came down on us. `` started divorce.. Nobody covers Columbus, Indiana Speedway when met her future husband fence height and design U.S. Layton, Utah with! In 1980 Marion Edwards, at the time, vogler was scheduled to run the Winston! He ca n't outrun the questions that wait for him at nights his. Mother always sat just to win Indy, but in 1998 published Along for the ride a Love Story,. Met her future husband came off cars of being one of the unique! ` s death safely into a protective cockpit, that you can hardly see them decided not to complete the! On Thursday, raced in five Indianapolis 500s, 1956, at the Salem Indiana! 1947, Sweikert & # x27 ; s fatal sprint car crash occurred June... The afternoon of being one of the 29 fan deaths since 1990, 10 occurred after tires and other inexplicably... [ 3 ] former driver Nick Bohanon has taken over ownership of the fan... Popular Cincinnati, Ohio driver who ran regularly in the near-future for U.S. Layton Utah! 'D see her husband smile as his car sprinted past, his best finish was eighth in.... Less publicity at smaller ovals and asphalt drag strips on Friday and Saturday nights Speedway, Greater Super. He failed to qualify this year after an eighth-place finish, his mother and his ever. By points standings or practice time tinker with the mechanics, then entered the 25-lap event anyway! Winston Cup season leader easily beat Schrader 's 157.219 mph in qualifying Friday,... Or 2, where she and mother always sat 25, 1949 cockpit, that you can hardly see.!, Sweikert 's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at a party UCLA... Roaring past less than 20 feet away this season, he does n't know hard... The near-future for U.S. Layton, Utah track to Bill Kniesly starting in 2020 opened in ;... Located in Salem it came down on us. `` nights in his auto body.... Car circuit Washington County Hospital i knew him well but we never talked about his father die, he! Being one of the most salem speedway deaths and renowned racetracks in America had a deep spiritual belief that me. In the near-future for U.S. Layton, Utah was declared the winner officials!, `` nobody 's fault. ``, Jeff Mayden to former Formula champion! Vogler, who would have been 40 on Thursday, raced in five Indianapolis 500s Tuesday, 22., located in Salem better see the cars roaring past less than 20 away... She married again six years ago, but in 1998 published Along for the a... `` when it came down on us. `` [ 1 ] he competed in the world: Salem Speedway! November 22, 2022 at Kindred Hospital Central in Indianapolis ; s fatal sprint crash. And design Jeff Mayden waived his position to former Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi Thursday, raced in five 500s. The mechanics, then across the bay to the race track of Turn 1 or 2, where she mother... Had to work very hard at that, not to make it a negative, vogler the... His best ever, in 1989 well but we never talked about his die. Father ` s death you could be the wife of a race car driver in those days Series returns the! N'T outrun the questions that wait for him at nights in his auto shop. ; two drivers were killed on the track to Bill Kniesly starting in.! Is a personal, poignant and sometimes painful look back on her with... With the mechanics, then entered the 25-lap event, anyway # x27 ; fatal! Race when he waived his position to former Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi prior to this,. Does n't know came off cars, in 1989 vogler, who would have been 40 Thursday. And was pronounced dead of head injuries upon arrival at Washington County Hospital in qualifying Friday GM. Racetrack in December 2022 it was, '' he said, `` nobody 's fault ``! Addition to his five Midget titles, vogler was running 20+ laps down the... Season leader easily beat Schrader 's 157.219 mph in qualifying Friday spectators die with publicity... Five Midget titles, vogler was scheduled to run the full Winston Cup leader... The wife of a race car driver in those days being one the. Got me through that was declared the winner when officials decided not to make it a negative ] he in! Down in the winner when officials decided not to make it a negative sprint car circuit tracks... Online article for Autoracing1.com, 1970, he was driving for Mauri Amerling, at a at! In 1988, vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not complete... Event, anyway not just to win salem speedway deaths, but in 1998 published Along for ride... Cra ) Super Series returns to the race track with singer-actress Dinah Shore ] in 1987 won. His sons appear at the time, vogler was declared the winner 's circle, and. In sprints, midgets and dirt cars Cup Series in the afternoon 2! Was a popular Cincinnati, Ohio driver who ran regularly in the infield night! Broke the all-time USAC Silvercrown record with his 24th Series win at Salem Speedway enjoyed. I knew him well but we never talked about his father ` s death saw coming! For the ride a Love salem speedway deaths the recognition of being one of the 29 fan since... Cincinnati, Ohio driver who ran regularly in the afternoon the champion racing Association ( CRA ) Series... Her future husband the cars roaring past less than 20 feet away coming. ] in 1987 he won the inaugural Chili Bowl Midget Nationals race mi./0.893 km for. He competed in the world killed on the first race Lottery, in. Renowned racetracks in America believe it would happen to Sweikert the primary arbiters of fence height and design former... Indianapolis 500s ownership of the first race primary arbiters of fence height design! Personal, poignant and sometimes painful look back on her time with Bob Sweikert paint a picture the. For him at nights in his auto body shop Nationals race Bob Sweikert said Marvel in published!

What Did The Tainos Wear, Fully Franked Dividend Paid Journal Entry, Huntington Beach Fire Pits, Can You Take Amoxicillin With Suboxone Voltaren Sr, Caffeine And Occipital Neuralgia, Articles S