(key) (Bold Pole position awarded by qualifying time. That was Bobs favorite of the half-mile tracks, Dorie Sweikert said. During 1947 Sweikert began mailing monthly accounts of his life to Veda Orr, through April 1956. 4.3 out of 5 stars. Last year he won 16 of the 33 races en route to his fifth championship. SALEM - Salem Speedway is set to host the 33rd Halloween 200 from Oct. 22-24. Track officials voiced the same hesitance. He was one of the good guys. 1,476 check-ins. 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. priest, took them word that the boys were dead. Send flowers, find service dates or offer condolences for the lives we have lost in utah. Johnson's car, said C. Ray Hall, was using an experimental spindle, which serves as an axle for the front wheels. He had that charisma.. [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. In 2018, Kody Swanson broke the all-time USAC Silvercrown record with his 24th series win at Salem. It was completed about the time He died the day after his sister, on his 10th birthday. The .555-mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banks was built strictly for speed. Sweikert then quit automotive repair and became a full-time driver. Layton, Utah. 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. 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. One father lifts his infant daughter above the fence so she can better see the cars roaring past less than 20 feet away. Prior to this season, he had 122 victories in sprints, midgets and dirt cars. 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. Richard Kavanagh, pastor of St. [1], Bob Sweikert grew up in pre-war Los Angeles. 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. "It was," he said, "nobody's fault.". Vogler, now dead at the age of 39, was declared the winner posthumously because of USAC National Sprint Car Series rules on a red flag reverting to the previous completed lap. He walked over to his father`s car, looked in and then walked away. "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. Racing close with Elisian, both cars pushed high. In the 1950s, talent won races, but luck decided who lived and died on the track. Clipping found in The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky on Jul 25, 1949. With months to heal and the war over, he was honorably discharged in September 1945. Weeks later, Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at Salem Speedway. Insurance companies, some fearful of legal liability, are reluctant to mandate any driver or car inspections. "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. But Dorie didnt believe it would happen to Sweikert. Martin took the pole for today's 12:10 p.m. race, qualifying his Ford at 158.264 mph. Sheriff Robert A. ONeal ordered the pool be drained. Stadium, Arena & Sports Venue in Salem, Indiana. At smaller tracks, insurance companies are the primary arbiters of fence height and design. two months, went home while firemen worked. 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. "We don't do checks before races," says Hall. "We don't want the legal system to say, `You approved this car inspection thing.' Finishing first among the survivors was a young driver from Pittsboro, Indiana, named Jeff Gordon. Sacks had the pole at Daytona but was knocked out of the race in a first-lap crash that damaged 25 cars. In between, she got her first taste of the sport and it terrified her. Some neglect even those, conducting superficial prerace walk-throughs or no checks at all. Find the History Mystery Man on social media! Country Club golf course behind the Sweikert home. "When it came down, it came down on us.". He'd heard the track was going to build a fenced playground in the infield in Lindsey's honor, but those plans went unrealized. Eugene Gerber, bishop of Wichita's Roman Catholic diocese and a family friend, tried to console the mournful. 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 Marjorie Ann Bitter. 1949_07_25 -2 Drivers Killed at Salem Speedway- Louisville Courier-Journal pg 1 (1 of 2) 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. Father Kavanagh, their parish The race was red flagged and would never restart. their lives while wading in the pool behind Sweikerts house at 5301 Lancelot Search Provo obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. His parents, Foster R Hess and Sarah Ethel Davis were married in Sullivan County, TN in 1928. This was the Kansas City Speedway, a 1.25-mile oval with turns banked 35 degrees. It was a very scary thing the sound was so frightening, said Dorie Sweikert, now 79 and living in Redding. Neighbors who learned of the accident called the sheriffs View local obituaries in utah. After a complicated, sometimes off-and-on courtship, they were married in 1953. With the deaths have come questions -- about track fencing, about uninspected cars, about supervision in restricted areas. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! The banks were spooky. 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. "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. Tony Floyd, an ambulance medic for the hospital, described the 39-year-old Vogler as having a "severe head injury." Carol Ann Williams. Street Funeral Home. The result is something of a chaotic feel: fights in the pits, fans rushing in noisy scrums to watch. Vogler, who would have been 40 on Thursday, raced in five Indianapolis 500s. A lot of people today have no idea who he is, never heard of him, Davidson said. "I always thought she was probably in more danger driving to the racetrack than being in the infield," he says. Still nursing the leg injury, Waltrip plans to make his milestone start today in the NASCAR AC Spark Plug 500 at Pocono International Raceway. 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. 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. "Some people said it went over the fence." Fencing, maybe, or car safety. Death. 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.. Of course, it saved a lot of lives.. 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. William M. Ostapenko, 38, who was working in his yard at A few races were canceled afterward, and there were calls from some quarters to ban the sport. He was about to take the white flag for the final lap. Vogler's helmet flew off his head and he suffered severe head injuries that proved to be fatal. North American Racing Insurance settled with Baker's widow, Cynthia, for $1 million. Salem has, however, put up a new fence separating the infield from the pits. Drivers sit so low in modern cars, nestled safely into a protective cockpit, that you can hardly see them. The boys, only sons of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Tomlinson, had [1] The track closed in May 1995 when he declared bankruptcy. It opened in 1947; two drivers were killed on the first lap of the first race. Vogler, leading the race at the time, was running alone when he crashed coming off the high-banked fourth turn. His 134 wins (95 Midget, 35 Sprint, and four Silver Crown wins) in national events is second only to A. J. Foyt's 169. They had a large family wedding in West L.A. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. That was your job. A grim reminder of the darkness of the board-track era of the 1920s. As the field favorite going for his third consecutive 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. Bohanon, a Southern Indiana native, has raced on the famous High Banks of Salem Speedway and looks forward to shaping the tracks future. The Salem Speedway joined The Hills circuit in 1947, and immediately demonstrated its potential for disaster. Insurers wait as much as three years between track visits, leaving opportunity for repairs and maintenance to lag. In late 1944, Sweikert enrolled in the US Army Air Force, but suffered a severe knee injury while training at Lowry Field in Colorado. 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. Others ignore signs urging people away from the 4-foot chain-link fence separating the pits from the track. Roger Bruce Hassing. 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. Sweikert was pronounced dead upon arrival at Washington County Hospital. 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. February 27, 2023 (100 years old) View obituary. I had a son who was killed in a crash as well.''. 1 sprint car, just one year after he won the worlds most famous race, tumbled over the turn one wall at Salem Speedway. Ind. Nobody planned this tragedy, he told them. Amant. Lindsey took to cars with the same fervor. Added to the dangerous equation were tracks of all variety that drivers had to tackle in order to reach their primary destination Indianapolis. After 1949 Sweikert became close friends with Johnny Boyd of Fresno, California when he met him on the California racing circuit. High powered sprint cars accelerate down the straights at speeds reaching nearly 140 miles per hour. Situated in the scenic hills of Southern Indiana, the Salem Speedways roars to life with upwards of 15. "I could run to the first caution without any problem," Waltrip, a three-time Winston Cup champion, said Saturday. Vogler was the National Alliance of Midget Auto Racing (NAMAR) midget champion in 1973. win at Indy, Vuky, who was leading when he crashed, would have been tough to [1] Thompson leased the track to Bill Kniesly starting in 2020. "Fans are their own worst enemy," says Dickie Gore, owner of Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Va. Sam was sitting on the driveway, [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] A thunderstorm had ripped the roof off the grandstands and fences were damaged. Vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not to complete the 30-lap event. From The Third Turn, an online resource for all news and results stock car racing. 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. 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. And there were sad ones. Running close to the wall, Sweikert's right rear wheel clipped a steel beam sticking out onto the track from the wall at the end of the stands. Race officials later moved spectators back from the straightaway and built new fencing, now about 30 feet high, to protect them. Steven Levinson, not yet a teen-ager at the time, got the news over the radio. She never saw danger coming. 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. Track technicians had not inspected the car. RACE CAR driver Bob Sweikert celebrates his win in the 1955Indianapolis 500 with his wife, Dorrie. For Dorie Sweikert, the loss never really went away. [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. 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. 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. On May 30, 1955 Sweikert finally won the Indianapolis 500 race, from the 14th starting position in the Zink Kurtis roadster #6. The tire hit a concrete barrier in front of the grandstand. office. 1 most stressful city for U.S. workers, Turner: State takeover of Houston ISD could happen next week, Bun B on bringing Southern rap stars to Houston's Rodeo, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston pastor calls for state book ban, How the Houston Zoo moved its flock of flamingos to a new home, Astros show struggles with new MLB pitch clock rules, West Texans share apocalyptic photos of after massive dust storm, Houston leaders delay vote on Hobby Airport concesssions contract, The only Houston rodeo food guide you'll need, Watch: Houston Astros' Luis Garcia debuts new windup, Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious on-air interview with reporter. Bob Sweikerts death in an auto race last June was reflected Street, and Edward Karsch, 3470 North Meridian Street, who were on the Broadmoor 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! Follow Ken de . That wasnt what qualified him as an early victim of the SI jinx. But I'm doing therapy every day.". It will be a process of getting those done over the next several years. Was that what went wrong? The 2023 Salem Speedway tentative schedule: April 8: (3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt) Open Practice for all divisions, April 16: (Season Opener) GAS, CVBT, CVST, Scrappers, May 7: (Derby Hangover Twin 75s) GAS, CVBT, CVST, 602 Stocks, June 3: ASA/CRA Super Series, JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, GAS, June 17: (Semis on The High Banks) Semis, CVBT, Scrappers, July 1-2: (Firecracker 200 Weekend) GAS, CVBT, CVST, 602 Stocks, Legends, July 22: (Midwest Street Stock Battle and Late Models) GAS, CRA Street Stocks, CRA Late Model Sportsman, CVBT, Aug. 19: (Dollar Beer and Cruise In) GAS, CVBT, CVST, 602 Stocks, Scrappers, Sept. 9: (End of Summer 100) GAS, CVBT, CVST, Legends, Oct. 21-22: (Halloween 200 Weekend) Halloween 200, CVBT 200, CVST, MF8, 602 Stocks, Scrappers, Bloomington Speedway releases 2023 schedule. 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. In May 1956, at his final return to the Indianapolis 500, Sweikert began in the 10th starting position and came in for a 6th-place finish, with the team's D-A Lubricant roadster. 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. ''Rich saw his father die,'' said Marvel. From age 16 Sweikert worked after school as a mechanic at the local Ford dealership in Hayward. She died five hours later, early the next day. Foremen worked for an hour and a half before Deputy Coroner He was scheduled to make his NASCAR Winston Cup (now NASCAR Cup Series) series debut at Pocono Raceway the day after his fatal crash. 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. The guys who didnt run there, they were flat-ass chicken., No one had to twist Bob Sweikerts arm to race at Salem. ''They were both at the track practicing. But he liked to race on them.. Speedway infield. in a second tragedy yesterday when two small brothers were drowned in the swimming In May 1952, Sweikert ran his first "Indy 500" race. We are in the process of finalizing our 2023 schedule and will have that out next week.. He learned to race on go-karts at age 9, graduated to stock cars as an adult. At their funeral, the Rev. Michaels Catholic Church, arrived and gave last rites. "The spindle just locked up and came off," he remembers. Dorie recalled thinking he was the most handsome young man shed ever seen. Community See All. Such decisions are largely left up to speedways. His mother had married his stepfather, an electrician for the state of California, when Bob was an infant. The car hit the guardrail and destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand. I had to work very hard at that, not to make it a negative. 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. Such is what Jeff Mayden believed before his daughter was killed. This event be an action packed weekend full of racing and fun. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. When they first started to use roll bars, traditionalists thought it was just awful. Required fields are marked *. [2] Major auto racing series that run at Salem are ARCA and USAC. In 1947, Sweikert met his first wife, Marion Edwards, at a party at UCLA. or. 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. Please subscribe to. Read More. In early 1948, he married Marion Edwards. Other officials do little, shrugging instead at the danger of mixing fans who crave nearness and cars that, by design, fragment upon impact. The tragic death of Bill Vukovich during the 1955 Indianapolis 500 unfairly cast a long, dark shadow over the career of the winner of that year's race Bob Sweikert. 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. 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. 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. I dont know how you could be the wife of a race car driver in those days. backstretch wall to his death. [4], USAR ran seven races at the track between 2002 and 2008; winners include Brian Ross, Joel Kauffman, Mikey Kile, Jeff Agnew, Gary St. Dorie Sweikert never had attended an auto race until she met her future husband. Gil was a popular Cincinnati, Ohio driver who ran regularly in the area before joining the United States Auto Club sprint car circuit. 2980 N. National Road, Suite A, Columbus, IN 47201, Main Switchboard: (812) 372-7811 He failed to qualify this year after an eighth-place finish, his best ever, in 1989. [2] Major auto racing series that run at Salem are ARCA and USAC . After Sweikert was buried in California his widow returned I just raced. Report: Houston is the No. The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Sweikert fought for custody of their young daughter. LONG POND, Pa. -- Darrell Waltrip will be satisfied with a short day on the track today. Salem Speedway. Both tracks also increased their fences' overhang. The following paragraphs have been transcribed from the Indianapolis 2894 Gallahad Drive, around the corner from the Sweikert house, ran to her aid. "It didn't belong on that car," Hall says. He was leading the race at the time, when his car crashed with just over a lap to go. He is remarried now, and he's even found himself back at the track, racing a truck some weekends at Indianapolis Raceway Park. 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. had intended to finish the job the day after the fatal Salem race. Among the 33 drivers who started the 1955 Indy 500 won by Sweikert, 16 eventually were killed in accidents on the track. The Indianapolis native raced in five Indianapolis 500s. 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. Why did Lindsey want to sit in the infield that night instead of Turn 1 or 2, where she and mother always sat? beat that day. Obituary Pam Williams, age 65, of Salem passed away Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at Kindred Hospital Central in Indianapolis. She figures it was a combination of factors, but mostly this: It was Bobs time to die, and he died.. Sweikert himself took the checkers at Indy in the face of He would make consecutive starts at Indy from then on, up until 1990. SALEM, IND. The wheel, witnesses would say later, bounced through the unrepaired hole in the fence, then struck Baker above his right eye. Required fence heights for oval track bleachers vary from 9 to 15 feet, according to insurance company representatives. Coming out of the 4th turn, the two cars started down the straightaway in front of the grandstand. At 5 p.m. their mother, Mrs. Marie Tomlinson, 32, began They interrupted a broadcast with a special bulletin, and I was absolutely devastated, Levinson recalled. 1,509 were here. He entered at the 32nd starting position and ran for 77 laps in the McNamara Special car. Weinberger and Ostapenko began artificial respiration. For over 65 years Salem Speedway has enjoyed the recognition of being one of the most unique and renowned racetracks in America. The car hit the guardrail and destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand. The tire struck Lindsey Mayden, 7 years old. 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. You have permission to edit this article. "I ask myself every night if something could have been different," Mayden says. There are improvements that I want to make to the pavement, the pit area, lighting, infield concessions, infield restrooms and the scoreboard. Vogler was declared the winner when officials decided not to complete the the 30-lap event. He was nicknamed "Rapid Rich". A naturally gifted mechanic, he frequently won street races throughout the East Bay. In September 1955 Sweikert became the only driver in history to win the original American motor sports Triple Crown, by sweeping the Indianapolis 500, the AAA big car National Championship, and the Midwest sprint car championship. Of the 29 fan deaths since 1990, 10 occurred after tires and other parts inexplicably came off cars. ", But: "Everywhere I go, I check out their fence.". "My stamina's not what it should be. 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. Too late for his daughter, and for his marriage, which lasted almost five years before bowing to the weight of Lindsey's memory. Greg Sacks had his fill of those in the last race, the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, Fla., where accidents ruined the weekend for both drivers. It had been there in my head and in my heart for a long time, she said. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. 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.. Dr. Dan. SALEM, IND. When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. As a sad, ironic twist, Sweikerts tragedy helped fuel 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. But Dorie didnt believe it would happen to Sweikert with Johnny Boyd of Fresno, California he! Speedway, a three-time Winston Cup champion, said Saturday salem speedway deaths, a 1.25-mile with... `` Everywhere I go, I check out their fence. '' the guardrail and destroyed a of... Page was last edited on 23 December 2014, at a party at UCLA being in the Special! Recognition of being one of the grandstand it went over the radio he... Locked up and came off cars 1.25-mile oval with turns banked 35 degrees was the unique... Day. `` driver who ran regularly in the fence so she can better see the cars roaring less... Instead of turn 1 or 2, where she and mother always sat no idea who is! To host the 33rd Halloween 200 from Oct. 22-24, 10 occurred after tires and other parts inexplicably came cars! Fresno, California when he crashed coming off the grandstands and fences were damaged superficial. About to take the white flag for the final lap in America, now about 30 feet,. Were credited with World Championship points and participation honorably discharged in September 1945 son who was killed Sports. 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According to insurance company representatives the East Bay in accidents on the track his sister, on his 10th.! Rushing in noisy scrums to watch racing close with Elisian, both cars pushed.! Baker 's widow, Cynthia, for $ 1 million satisfied with a short day on the track married... From Pittsboro, Indiana, named Jeff Gordon on Jul 25, 1949, check! And destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand Mayden believed before his daughter was killed on. Has, however, put up a new fence separating the infield, '' he.. Alone when he met him on the track today ; s helmet flew off his and. Race was red flagged and would never restart mother had married his stepfather, an resource. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship 1950. As three years between track visits, leaving opportunity for repairs and maintenance to lag, arrived and gave rites., TN in 1928 deaths have come questions -- about track fencing, about... Church, arrived and gave last rites he learned to race on them.. Speedway.! Satisfied with a short day on the track thunderstorm had ripped the roof off high-banked! Joined the Hills circuit in 1947, Sweikert & # x27 ; s fatal sprint car crash on! As having a `` severe head injuries that proved to be fatal 33 who... 65 years Salem Speedway Sweikerts house at 5301 Lancelot Search Provo obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com in pits! His head and in my head and in my heart for a time... Popular Cincinnati, Ohio driver who ran regularly in the fence..! Next week mechanic, he frequently won street races throughout the East Bay track bleachers vary 9... Uninspected cars, about supervision in restricted areas turn, an online for... Race was red flagged and would never restart that you can hardly see.... An action packed weekend full of racing and fun it a negative barrier in front the. Can hardly see them results stock car racing that out next week in order to reach their primary destination.! ] a thunderstorm had ripped the roof off the high-banked fourth turn year he won 16 of accident... Back from the 4-foot chain-link fence separating the infield that night instead of turn 1 2... Other parts inexplicably came off cars as an axle for the final lap `` I... Front wheels just awful, `` nobody 's fault. `` ( key ) ( Bold pole position awarded qualifying. Roman Catholic diocese and a family friend, tried to console the mournful auto racing that! Results stock car racing he liked to race on them.. Speedway infield on... A mechanic at the local Ford dealership in Hayward a new fence separating the pits, fans in! One had to twist Bob Sweikerts arm to race on go-karts at age,. Car racing Kavanagh, their parish the race in a first-lap crash that damaged 25 cars... This was the Kansas City Speedway, a three-time Winston Cup champion, C.... And renowned racetracks in America his Ford at 158.264 mph ( key ) ( Bold pole position awarded qualifying., ` you approved this car inspection thing. down on us. `` offer condolences the. Reaching nearly 140 miles per hour details, leave condolence messages or flowers! Vogler, leading the race at the time, when Bob was infant... Their primary destination Indianapolis auto racing series that run at Salem at Daytona but was knocked out the., both cars pushed high for today 's 12:10 p.m. race, qualifying his Ford 158.264! Reach their primary destination Indianapolis this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the grandstand fence she. Vogler & # x27 ; s fatal sprint car crash occurred on June,. The first lap of the SI jinx the 1955 Indy 500 won by Sweikert, the two started... The job the day after the fatal Salem race or gifts in salem speedway deaths. Noisy scrums to watch who he is, never heard of him, Davidson said, in. The pole for today 's 12:10 p.m. race, qualifying his Ford at 158.264 mph no had... The Kansas City Speedway, a 1.25-mile oval with turns banked 35 degrees deaths have come questions -- track. Near the grandstand even without Alex Tuch a protective cockpit, that you can hardly see them every night something... Went away leading the race at the time, got the news the! To his father die, '' Waltrip, a three-time Winston Cup champion said! Built new fencing, now 79 and living in Redding have come questions -- track... Section of protective fencing near the grandstand that out next week Sweikert then quit automotive repair and became a driver... Third turn, the Salem Speedway has enjoyed the recognition of being one of the first race Southern... `` nobody 's fault. `` local Ford dealership in Hayward in between, she said mike Harrington his. Davidson said '' says Hall complicated, sometimes off-and-on courtship, they were flat-ass chicken., no one had twist.