At their funeral, the Rev. 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. Drivers sit so low in modern cars, nestled safely into a protective cockpit, that you can hardly see them. During 1947 Sweikert began mailing monthly accounts of his life to Veda Orr, through April 1956. 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. 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. That was your job. That was Bobs favorite of the half-mile tracks, Dorie Sweikert said. The season opener is set for April 16. I was 17 when I first started racing. Salem has, however, put up a new fence separating the infield from the pits. The tire struck Lindsey Mayden, 7 years old. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Sabres place Alex Tuch on injured reserve; top-line winger's status is uncertain, Paula's Donuts to move Clarence store that faced backlash for tax breaks to Amherst, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Chad Hall's departure from Buffalo Bills to Jaguars remains a bit of a mystery. Lindsey, who liked her daddy to play Pretty, Pretty Princess with her at night, and who, on this day in 1996, kissed him and waited while he worked as a spotter for his brother in the afternoon's last race. Richard Kavanagh, pastor of St. pool and its lure for children. Vogler's helmet flew off his head and he suffered severe head injuries that proved to be fatal. Michigan Speedway raised its fences from 14 1/2 to 17 feet after its 1998 CART crash. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. Josh, shoved into the bleachers by the impact, suffered massive head injuries. 20,621 people follow this. And with good reason; with 33-degree banking in the corners, Salem Speedway was built in 1947 with all out speed in mind. They are. When I hit 30, I figured Id better quit.. which Sweikert was building of tall cedar stakes when he was killed at Salem, 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. to Indianapolis and listed the house for sale. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 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. 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 winner. After winning the55 Indy title, Sweikert began plotting his next move. A lot of people today have no idea who he is, never heard of him, Davidson said. [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. Their cars, after months of mutual insult, begin to take on the appearance of crumpled paper. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? It was a very scary thing the sound was so frightening, said Dorie Sweikert, now 79 and living in Redding. In Charlotte, speedway officials made no changes in the 10 months after the Michigan wreck, then raised their fences from 15 to 21 feet after their own open-wheel racing accident. At smaller tracks, insurance companies are the primary arbiters of fence height and design. on Tragedy follows tragedythe aftermath of Bob Sweikerts death, Meet the amazing Miss Nichols, world-record aviator in a Crosley. The No other cars were involved. In May 1952, Sweikert ran his first "Indy 500" race. There over the next couple years, he built his own track roadster. Perhaps in part because Bob Sweikert refused to accept fear, Dorie convinced herself he was safe from harm. As Baker left his seat for a drink from the concession stand, a wheel came loose from a car on the track. Race officials later moved spectators back from the straightaway and built new fencing, now about 30 feet high, to protect them. Clipping found in The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky on Jul 25, 1949. 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. Obituary Pam Williams, age 65, of Salem passed away Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at Kindred Hospital Central in Indianapolis. As firemen worked, the Rev. Among the 33 drivers who started the 1955 Indy 500 won by Sweikert, 16 eventually were killed in accidents on the track. * Most laps led. The Champion Racing Association (CRA) Super Series returns to the race track . Keep reading with unlimited digital access. Track officials voiced the same hesitance. Your email address will not be published. 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 following morning, in part because of Vogler's testimony, the penalty was overturned and Fittipaldi was credited with the runner-up position. Sweikert, who graduated from Hayward High in 1944, won the Indy 500 at age 29, the first and only Bay Area racer to capture the event. He actually maintained his sprint car, even after he won (Indy).. Nobody covers Columbus, Indiana and the surrounding areas like The Republic. 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. Required fence heights for oval track bleachers vary from 9 to 15 feet, according to insurance company representatives. "I'm happy to be in the front of the field, even if it's not on the pole.". There were no space-age helmets and flame-proof racing suits. High powered sprint cars accelerate down the straights at speeds reaching nearly 140 miles per hour. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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 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. 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. "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. January 22, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. Vogler, leading the race at the time, was running alone when he crashed coming off the high-banked fourth turn. SALEM, IND. "It kind of catapulted into the sky," Cindy Dutton remembers. Sweikert was thrown from the car and was pronounced dead of head injuries upon arrival at Washington County Hospital. 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. 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. Fencing, maybe, or car safety. And there were sad ones. In the 1950s, talent won races, but luck decided who lived and died on the track. 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. Im really excited about acquiring Salem Speedway and looking forward to what the future entails for this historic track, Bohanon said. That year the family moved briefly to San Francisco, then across the bay to the rural town of Hayward, California. 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. Bob Sweikert participated in 5 World Championship races. Donald Davidson, historian for the Indianapolis 500, said Sweikert is highly regarded among those familiar with the sports heritage. There are improvements that I want to make to the pavement, the pit area, lighting, infield concessions, infield restrooms and the scoreboard. Other officials do little, shrugging instead at the danger of mixing fans who crave nearness and cars that, by design, fragment upon impact. 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