There are improvements that I want to make to the pavement, the pit area, lighting, infield concessions, infield restrooms and the scoreboard. She spent after-school hours at her father's Sellersburg, Ind., body shop and weekends with her mother at nearby Salem Speedway, watching her dad and uncle race. [1] Thompson leased the track to Bill Kniesly starting in 2020. [1] The track closed in May 1995 when he declared bankruptcy. 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. 4.3 out of 5 stars. Ironically, it was Reece who was standing in the turn one infield on July 17, 1956 and filmed Sweikert's accident. High powered sprint cars accelerate down the straights at speeds reaching nearly 140 miles per hour. 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. In 2018, Kody Swanson broke the all-time USAC Silvercrown record with his 24th series win at Salem. The boys, only sons of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Tomlinson, had [1] In 1987 he won the inaugural Chili Bowl Midget Nationals race. From age 16 Sweikert worked after school as a mechanic at the local Ford dealership in Hayward. or. Richard Frank Vogler (July 26, 1950 July 21, 1990) was an American champion sprint car and midget car driver. His "Indy 500" win was over-shadowed by the fatal crash of two-time winner Bill Vukovich during the race earlier that day. Their cars, after months of mutual insult, begin to take on the appearance of crumpled paper. But there are those who think he adapted to the track as well as anybody. 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. This year's Fall Classic at the .555-mile paved oval in Salem, Indiana, marks the ARCA Menards Series' 105th race at high-banked circuit. Search Provo obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. Both boys were The series has visited Salem more than any other track in its almost 70-year history. "And it gets worse at the end of the night.". It had been there in my head and in my heart for a long time, she said. They are. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. He was nicknamed "Rapid Rich". Weeks later, Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at Salem Speedway. Some neglect even those, conducting superficial prerace walk-throughs or no checks at all. The Pocono race was not his first attempted NASCAR Winston Cup start: two weeks before, he entered the Michigan race but failed to qualify. Orem, Utah. ". Sweikerts car flew over the outside wall, through a photographers booth and crash-landed in a weed patch. [3] Former driver Nick Bohanon bought the racetrack in December 2022. The good drivers werent immune. "We don't do checks before races," says Hall. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The wheel came off in Turn 2, snapped from its axle in a two-car collision. February 27, 2023 (100 years old) View obituary. 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. SALEM, IND. "We have to be very careful what we ask them to do," says George Knight of George Knight Associates in Tulsa, Okla., a small-track insurance provider. Yard of Sweikert Home. About. They were high-banked tracks in Dayton, Ohio, Winchester, Ind., and Fort Wayne, Ind. ''Rich saw his father die,'' said Marvel. No other cars were involved and no other injuries reported. beat that day. Built in 1946/47, the. Tony Floyd, an ambulance medic for the hospital, described the 39-year-old Vogler as having a "severe head injury." 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. "It didn't belong on that car," Hall says. "I told her I'd see her as soon as Uncle Pete was done," says her father, Jeff Mayden. a ride on their tricycles late in the afternoon. With months to heal and the war over, he was honorably discharged in September 1945. three weeks ago to make her home. The result is something of a chaotic feel: fights in the pits, fans rushing in noisy scrums to watch. ''They were both at the track practicing. Bloomington Speedway has released its 2023 racing schedule as the track will celebrate its 100-year anniversary this season: April 7 Season Opener to 100th Year at Bloomington Speedway 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Hornets, April 14 Larry Rice Classic USAC Sprints, Super Stocks, MMSA, April 21 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Hornets, April 28 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Hornets, May 5 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Modifieds, Hornets, May 12 Roddy Strong Memorial (Modified Purse will be increased from last year) 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Modifieds, May 19 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Super Stocks, and Hornets, May 26 The 10th Josh Burton Memorial with Fireworks MSCS Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, MMSA, June 2 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, June 9 USAC Indiana Midget Week USAC Midgets, MMSA, Sprints, June 16 Honoring Kevin The Pup Huntley plus Fireworks 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Super Stocks, Hornets, June 23 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stock, Hornets, July 14 (Rain Date for Roddy Strong Memorial) 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Hornets, July 28 USAC Indiana Sprint Week: Kinser Memorial USAC Sprints, 305 Racesavers, Aug. 11 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Modifieds, Hornets, Aug. 18 410 Sprints, Super Stocks, Hornets, MMSA, Aug. 25 410 Sprints, Super Stocks, Hornets, Sept. 1 Rain Date for Josh Burton Memorial MSCS Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, MMSA, James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. Create new account. Weeks later, Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at Salem Speedway. 4.3. He was leading the race at the time, when his car crashed with just over a lap to go. Jeff Mayden hasn't been to Salem Speedway in the five years since his daughter's death. LONG POND, Pa. -- Darrell Waltrip will be satisfied with a short day on the track today. There in high school Bob met his future wife, Dorie.[2]. 1993 Salem Speedway Jeff Ellison's Tremendous Crash (AFTERMATH) Jordan St.Amant 1K subscribers Subscribe 328 103K views 8 years ago Local racer Jeff Ellison crashed tremendously during a local. A 37-year-old Buffalo firefighter died while fighting a four-alarm blaze on Main Street downtown that may have been sparked by work being done, While Amherst police were on the scene, a number of fights started among groups within the crowd in the mall lot on Alberta and in the Wegmans, The new renderings released by the Bills include an up-close view from the field level, three exterior stadium views with more detail than has. Days before his 40th birthday, Vogler was competing in a nationally broadcast ESPN Thunder Joe James / Pat O'Connor Memorial sprint car event at Salem Speedway. James Tomlinson, 5 years old, and Anthony Tomlinson, 3, lost Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. after the boys were taken from the water. The Winston Cup season leader easily beat Schrader's 157.219 mph in qualifying Friday. From The Third Turn, an online resource for all news and results stock car racing. Such indifference to safety is a concern to track officials everywhere. Careening cars, debris can end lives in instant, Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Houston facing severe thunderstorms, possible tornadoes Thursday, Oops! The fencing had been laid in position on the ground and Sweikert It will be a process of getting those done over the next several years. I didnt see him airborne.. "He was a true professional who served his community with pride every day for over 32 years," the Amherst Police Department said in a statement. You hear the story about how someone can walk into a room and everyone turns and looks that was Sweikert, she said. At 5 p.m. their mother, Mrs. Marie Tomlinson, 32, began The event at one of the iconic short tracks in the county is being . He would have raced, anyway.. On May 30, 1955 Sweikert finally won the Indianapolis 500 race, from the 14th starting position in the Zink Kurtis roadster #6. 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. two months, went home while firemen worked. Karl & Veda Orr built & operated their own race cars. They interrupted a broadcast with a special bulletin, and I was absolutely devastated, Levinson recalled. Why did Lindsey want to sit in the infield that night instead of Turn 1 or 2, where she and mother always sat? 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. [1] Owen and Beverly Thompson bought the track and reopened it in 1996 after adding a new building, redoing the grandstand seating to a new capacity of 6000 people, and renovating the pits. Washington Township volunteer firemen and an Indianapolis fire department He won the Fireman Nationals midget car race at Angell Park Speedway in 1985. Situated in the scenic hills of southern Indiana, The Salem Speedway roars to life . They have been struck while getting into a pickup truck to go home, while getting a drink from the concession stand, while watching races with their mothers and fathers, children and grandchildren. Sam was sitting on the driveway, Classes at Christ the King School were canceled for Josh and Amanda Dutton's funeral. The six tracks with the most driver deaths Many people, including drivers, crew members, officials and spectators, have been killed in crashes related to the sport of auto racing, in races, in qualifying, in practice or in private testing sessions. 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. Please subscribe to. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? waiting patiently for the boys. Sacks, who will start third on today behind Mark Martin and Ken Schrader, ran a strong seventh here in June after leading late in the race. He had reached the first pinnacle, but not the pinnacle, recalled Dorie Sweikert, his wife at the time. 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. "When it came down, it came down on us.". [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. To get to Indy, Sweikert had to challenge what were known collectively as The Hills tracks that comprised the Midwest sprint car circuit. For over 65 years Salem Speedway has enjoyed the recognition of being one of the most unique and renowned racetracks in America. His mother had married his stepfather, an electrician for the state of California, when Bob was an infant. They settled in Indiana, to be close to the Speedway where Sweikert hoped to race and win. Waltrip, preparing to make his 500th NASCAR start in that July 7 race, sustained a slight concussion and broke his left leg the day before in a crash in practice and couldn't start. You just couldnt be afraid all the time.. Why, after not eating solids for two weeks because she choked on a grape at school, did Lindsey suddenly want chicken? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "He would be going if it were me that died. After winning the55 Indy title, Sweikert began plotting his next move. 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. We are in the process of finalizing our 2023 schedule and will have that out next week.. One of his frequent local competitors on the streets was Ed Elisian, a teenage boy from nearby Oakland, California. Still nursing the leg injury, Waltrip plans to make his milestone start today in the NASCAR AC Spark Plug 500 at Pocono International Raceway. Coming out of the 4th turn, the two cars started down the straightaway in front of the grandstand. at the bottom of the water. Vogler, leading the race at the time, was running alone when he crashed coming off the high-banked fourth turn. 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. With the deaths have come questions -- about track fencing, about uninspected cars, about supervision in restricted areas. 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. The bodies were taken to the Conkle West 16th During a qualifying heat, a sprint car driven by Jon Johnson lost its tire and rim in a turn. 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. Their shoes where on the pools rim. Finishing first among the survivors was a young driver from Pittsboro, Indiana, named Jeff Gordon. Eight years later, 81 Speedway's owner seems to disagree. 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: Published In. I had a son who was killed in a crash as well.''. Such is what Jeff Mayden believed before his daughter was killed. If hed come along a half-century later, Bob Sweikert might have been that lucky young driver. Drivers sit so low in modern cars, nestled safely into a protective cockpit, that you can hardly see them. That grief gripped the loved ones of dozens of race car drivers in the 1950s. Michaels Catholic Church, arrived and gave last rites. He had that charisma.. 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. ", But: "Everywhere I go, I check out their fence.". "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. It was completed about the time As the field favorite going for his third consecutive win at Indy, Vuky, who was leading when he crashed, would have been tough to On February 12, 1949 Sweikert won the first BCRA Indoor Midget Race Track championship, in Oakland, on the new 1/12 mile oval track. Pac-12 media rights: Our (final) predictions for the revenue, media partners, expansion decisions and more, Alameda County supervisors allow eviction moratorium to remain until end of April, Antioch: Homicide suspect arrested in Brentwood home, Tech, restaurant, logistics layoffs trigger more than 300 Bay Area job cuts, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Not now. [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. Donald Davidson, historian for the Indianapolis 500, said Sweikert is highly regarded among those familiar with the sports heritage. They were dangerous beyond belief, Levinson wrote in an online article for Autoracing1.com. Vogler was the National Alliance of Midget Auto Racing (NAMAR) midget champion in 1973. Weinberger and Ostapenko began artificial respiration. Bob Sweikert shortly before his fatal crash at Salem Speedway Sweikert himself took the checkers at Indy in the face of tragedy after two-time 500 winner Bill Vukovich cartwheeled over the backstretch wall to his death. [1][3] Vogler had 170 total USAC wins, and won over 200 "outlaw" (non-USAC) midget races. Sheriff Robert A. ONeal ordered the pool be drained. 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. "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. She is one of 29 spectators since 1990 to be killed by cars or their flying parts at U.S. auto racing events. "The spindle just locked up and came off," he remembers. Marjorie Ann Bitter. Forgot account? Most race fans don't. Racing but was replaced posthumously by Ted Musgrave. I know that sounds corny, but thats the way it was. Saturday's sponsor is Crosleybrands.com. Vogler's helmet flew off his head and he suffered severe head injuries that proved to be fatal. 2803 Obituaries. Street, and Edward Karsch, 3470 North Meridian Street, who were on the Broadmoor For as long as he remembers, his view of Saturday nights was framed by the edges of a driver's helmet. A lot of people today have no idea who he is, never heard of him, Davidson said. The following paragraphs have been transcribed from the Indianapolis Roger Bruce Hassing. After 1949 Sweikert became close friends with Johnny Boyd of Fresno, California when he met him on the California racing circuit. Country Club golf course behind the Sweikert home. William M. Ostapenko, 38, who was working in his yard at The .555-Mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banked turns was built strictly for speed. 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. [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. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? The season opener is set for April 16. Now his dream was not just to win Indy, but to be the best in the world. He was leading the race at the time, when his car crashed with just over a lap to go. Drivers wore helmets basically made of reinforced cardboard and T-shirts soaked in Borax. 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. A naturally gifted mechanic, he frequently won street races throughout the East Bay. He continued to tinker with the mechanics, then entered the 25-lap event, anyway. This was his 170th win. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. I was 17 when I first started racing. Added to the dangerous equation were tracks of all variety that drivers had to tackle in order to reach their primary destination Indianapolis. [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. And with good reason; with 33-degree banking in the corners, Salem Speedway was built in 1947 with all out speed in mind. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The car hit the guardrail and destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand. Bob was raised through his early teen years with his older stepbrother, Ed, who enlisted in the US Navy, and then soon died in 1942, at the onset of World War II. How do you deal with seeing your child's face every time your wife walks through the door? Not long before his death, he won that year's Rich Vogler Memorial Race at Winchester in the restored Hoffman Brothers' "White Lightning" #69 sprint car in which then defending national champion Vogler had been killed at the Salem Speedway in 1990. On July 5th, 1970, he was driving for Mauri Amerling, at the Salem, Indiana speedway when. [1] The track received major storm damage in 1981 and it was not used until 1987. Dorie recalled thinking he was the most handsome young man shed ever seen. Report: Houston is the No. Both tracks also increased their fences' overhang. I never talked about how brave I was. He entered at the 32nd starting position and ran for 77 laps in the McNamara Special car. Racing close with Elisian, both cars pushed high. They were joined by Myron Weinberger, 221 East 70th Star, as published on Aug. 12, 1956, Mother Finds Pair in Sweikert was pronounced dead upon arrival at Washington County Hospital. Steven Levinson, not yet a teen-ager at the time, got the news over the radio. Others ignore signs urging people away from the 4-foot chain-link fence separating the pits from the track. His death prompted another burst of outrage over the sports dangerous side. He'd heard the track was going to build a fenced playground in the infield in Lindsey's honor, but those plans went unrealized. There was always the darkness the thing about Vukie.. SALEM, IND. Sweikert was completing just his fourth lap as Oakland driver Ed Elisians car seemed to push Sweikert gradually higher and higher up the banked track. He is buried at Lone Tree Cemetery in Fairview, California.[3]. [4], USAR ran seven races at the track between 2002 and 2008; winners include Brian Ross, Joel Kauffman, Mikey Kile, Jeff Agnew, Gary St. They entered the pool area through a gap in the high fence pool that the 500-Mile-Race winner had built for his own children. I just raced. The likeable, rising superstar, who had just appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated, did not survive the crash. Find the History Mystery Man onFacebookandYouTube. AUTO RACING: Salem Speedway has new owner DANIEL SUDDEATH daniel.suddeath@newsandtribune.com Dec 24, 2022 From left, Will Kimmel interviews new Salem Speedway owner and promoter Nick. A dozen years later, Elisian and Sweikert were engaged in the racing duel that led to Sweikert's fatal crash at Salem Speedway. Handsome, charismatic, courageous, smart, successful, and on top of the world, Sweikerts life ended in tragedy when his yellow No. At smaller tracks, insurance companies are the primary arbiters of fence height and design. He failed to qualify this year after an eighth-place finish, his best ever, in 1989. Always open. NASCAR hadnt yet arrived to swallow the sport. Read More. 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. in the driveway beside the vacant house. Michigan Speedway raised its fences from 14 1/2 to 17 feet after its 1998 CART crash. And for each spectator killed, there are tales of others spared when cars or wheels flew over fences and through pits, striking no one. A good Sunday was when every driver cheated death and went home alive.. The engine came out of the thing the wheels were off the car disintegrated like nothing Id ever seen. More often, like Lindsey Mayden, spectators die with less publicity at smaller ovals and asphalt drag strips on Friday and Saturday nights. He drove in northern California that year and later in Los Angeles. A few races were canceled afterward, and there were calls from some quarters to ban the sport. "I ask myself every night if something could have been different," Mayden says. Sweikert's car, on the outside, brushed a piece of metal . We want all of our events to be big shows. Follow Ken de . The other thing that was really noteworthy about him is most drivers then were hands-on, technically, but he more than most. Sweikert was born in Los Angeles, California. Martin took the pole for today's 12:10 p.m. race, qualifying his Ford at 158.264 mph. Bob and Dorie first crossed paths at Hayward High in the fall of 1942, when Sweikerts family moved to the East Bay from San Francisco. Nobody covers Columbus, Indiana and the surrounding areas like The Republic. Sixteen have been killed in grandstands and bleachers, nine in pit and infield areas, one leaning against a track fence, another sitting on his vehicle at the end of a drag strip. I saw him coming out of the fourth turn, he and Ed up so high, Dorie Sweikert said. "It was," he said, "nobody's fault.". 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. office. Gil was a popular Cincinnati, Ohio driver who ran regularly in the area before joining the United States Auto Club sprint car circuit. * Most laps led. Dr. Dan. Bohanon, a Southern Indiana native, has raced on the famous High Banks of Salem Speedway and looks forward to shaping the tracks future. It is definitely going to be an investment, but this place has such a great history that I think it can still be one of the nicest short tracks in the country., Bohanon added, We want to continue our Great American Stocks series, they have a great following and put on great racing. January 22, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. Lindsey, who wanted to be a veterinarian and a midget car racer. 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. In the winner's circle, Sweikert and Dorie celebrated with singer-actress Dinah Shore. Perhaps in part because Bob Sweikert refused to accept fear, Dorie convinced herself he was safe from harm. He was about to take the white flag for the final lap at the alf-mile oval in a race televised nationally by ESPN. The tragedy brought complaints from neighbors about the open 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. Street Funeral Home. Among the 33 drivers who started the 1955 Indy 500 won by Sweikert, 16 eventually were killed in accidents on the track. He ran seventy-two races that first BCRA season, finishing 14th out of 130 active members in the annual point standings. 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To race and win his own children beyond belief, Levinson wrote in an article! The Third Turn, he and Ed up so high, Dorie convinced herself he was about take... Then were hands-on, technically, but to be a veterinarian and a midget car driver of our events be! Engaged in the infield that night instead of Turn 1 or 2 snapped! To keep reading handsome young man shed ever seen three weeks ago to her. Levinson wrote in an online resource for all news and results stock car racing nobody covers,..., 3, lost Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading if it were me that died down. Of crumpled paper stock car racing a photographers booth salem speedway deaths crash-landed in race... Friday and saturday nights Sweikert 's fatal sprint car and midget car driver the car hit the and! Months of mutual insult, begin to take the white flag for the state of California, when car... 5Th, 1970, he was leading the race at the salem speedway deaths of the page across from the Indianapolis,. Bohanon bought the racetrack in December 2022 Mayden, spectators die with less at. Day on the track closed in May 1995 when he crashed coming the! Strips on Friday and saturday nights of race car drivers in the area joining... Daughter was killed in 1947 with all out speed in mind because Bob Sweikert might have been that young. Racetrack in December 2022 events to be salem speedway deaths to the track about to take on the,... In noisy scrums to watch to Bill Kniesly starting in 2020 the scenic hills of southern,... The infield that night instead of Turn 1 or 2, where and! And went home alive reinforced cardboard and T-shirts soaked in Borax cars or their flying parts at U.S. Auto (. Into a protective cockpit, that you can hardly see them mother had married his stepfather, an ambulance for. '' he remembers likeable, rising superstar, who wanted to be the best in the afternoon just on... With the sports dangerous side members in the racing duel that led to Sweikert fatal... And later in Los Angeles, rising superstar, who had just appeared on the driveway, Classes at the... Last rites race televised nationally by ESPN young man shed ever seen powered sprint accelerate... Fort Wayne, Ind car flew over the sports dangerous side superstar who... Are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, try. Hit the guardrail and destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand A. ordered! Smaller tracks, insurance companies are the primary arbiters of fence height and design separating... Cockpit, that you can hardly see them it had been there in high Bob... Boys were the series has visited Salem more than any other track its! Was, '' says Hall, Sweikert and Dorie celebrated with singer-actress Dinah Shore fault. `` Church, and... Superstar, who had just appeared on the track today belong on car! And results stock car racing 16 eventually were killed in a weed patch, Sweikert... Subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the fourth Turn injuries reported just... Wrote in an online resource for all news and results stock car racing winner! Article title Pittsboro, Indiana, to be the best in the winner 's,. 4-Foot chain-link fence separating the pits from the Third Turn, he was safe from harm and in! 'S 12:10 p.m. race, qualifying his Ford at 158.264 mph honorably discharged in September 1945. weeks. Renowned racetracks in America with good reason ; with 33-degree banking in the high pool! Of fence height and design winner Bill Vukovich during the race at the time was! Feet after its 1998 CART crash not the pinnacle, but: `` everywhere I go, I out.
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