Adding insult to injury is the fact that Swede’s crew member, Armando Teran, was killed when a fire truck racing to save Savage hit him. Some believe that Scarborough may have inhaled CO2 while crews were putting out flames from the car with a fire extinguisher, which could have been the actual cause of death.In 1935, Clay Weatherly was driving the same car that Johnny Hannon had fatally crashed in ten days earlier during testing. Fortunately, it hasn’t happened since 1973 when Swede Savage ran over a patch of oil that caused him to hit the inside wall in turn four, which shot him back to the outside wall where he crashed once again.Swede left the track conscious, but he would die 33 days later in the hospital. 1987 Indianapolis 500 : Wins Podiums Poles; 39: 97: 28: NASCAR Cup Series career; 5 races run over 3 years: First race: 1968 Motor Trend 500 : Last race: 1986 Winston Western 500 : Wins Top tens Poles; 0: 3: 0: After his son Al Unser Jr. joined the national championship circuit in 1983, Unser has generally been known by the retronymic name of "Al Unser Sr." or "Big Al." 2017 Indy 500. 2017 Verizon IndyCar Drivers. Swede left the track conscious, but he would die 33 days later in the hospital. died while racing knew, perhaps, how to live more than all others." Vukovich was leading the race when Rodger Ward spun his car coming out of turn two. Adding insult to injury is …
At 47, Unser was the oldest to win the race. His car wound up hitting and going over the outer wall, sending it into a high-speed cartwheel outside the track. ~ Juan Fangio. 2018 Verizon IndyCar Drivers. Others Killed At The Speedway: Harry Holcomb Claude Kellum Sam Dickson Robert Bandini Nicholas Mollinard Paul Marshall Clarence Grove Harry Cox Bob Hurst G.L. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io The story of the 1987 Indianapolis 500 reads like something out of a Burt Reynolds movie. Crashes can occur each year drivers take to the track. Unser was born in …
That is why this event is labeled The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.One of the biggest reasons racing is so popular is that it’s dangerous.
Autoweek may earn money from the links on this page. Most recently, driver Scott Brayton, who had won the pole position, died due to a skull fracture sustained during a practice run while testing a back-up car in 1996.There have been 21 non-driver deaths linked to the Indy 500 (13 at the race, 8 during practice or qualifying runs). Safety wasn’t as big of an issue 50-100 years ago as it is today, which you’ll be able to tell by some of the facts that I post.Our list only includes drivers who passed away as the result of a wreck during the actual race. Four years later, both Mark Billman and Lester Sprangler died in 1933.The 1919 Indy 500 claimed two lives. He would die of a basilar skull fracture before help could reach him.Floyd Roberts was the next driver at the Indy 500 to die in 1939, followed by Shorty Cantlon in 1947. Mario Andretti won his third and final pole for the Indy 500 in 1987, when grandson Marco was an infant.
Personal life. Tweets by @openwh33l. Weatherly went flying into and over the wall in turn four and was already pronounced dead when rescue crews arrived.The next death occurred in 1929 when Bill Spence turned over in turn two on lap ten, throwing him from the car. Fortunately, it hasn’t happened since 1973 when Swede Savage ran over a patch of oil that caused him to hit the inside wall in turn four, which shot him back to the outside wall where he crashed once again. Coming out of turn four, MacDonald spun and crashed into the inside wall. Spectators killed at the Indy 500: 1909 1909 1923 1931 1938 1960 1960 1964 1987. The first was Arthur Thurman, whose car turned over on lap forty-four, which killed him instantly. The Indy 500 was canceled only during World War I and World War II and Penske’s staff has gone to extreme lengths to make the race still feel like a world-class event even without fans. Indy has taken extraordinary precautions to keep bystanders safe since those horrific accidents.The majority (11 of 21) of non-driver fatalities have occurred with a mechanic/team member who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Also, Salt Walther crashed in the front straightaway early in the race and was severely burned.The final three deaths proceeding Savage’s were in 1958 with Pat O’Connor and 1964 with both Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald. Several more incidents have occurred during practice sessions for the Indy 500 and at other events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.There have been 14 drivers that have died while racing in the Indy 500 dating back to 1919. When you have 33 Indy Cars averaging speeds of 150-plus miles per hour, there is a lot that can go wrong. Foyt's record. Autoweek participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. I’m going to cover some of the accidents that have happened in this race throughout the years. May 24, 1987 - Al Unser Sr., behind the wheel of a year-old car he had to beg to drive, won his fourth Indy 500, tying A.J. There have been 14 drivers that have died while racing in the Indy 500 dating back to 1919. 2016 …
Then Louis LeCocq was turned over on lap ninety-six, which caused the fuel tank to rupture and burst into flames.A total of 23 drivers have been killed during practice or qualifying runs at the Indy 500. Nine of these untimely fatalities were spectators at the race, however, it is important to note that the majority of these accidents occurred prior to 1961, just two spectators have been killed since 1960, and none since 1987. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Sachs hit MacDonald’s car head-on, and he was killed instantly.