Bill Vukovich

Information about Bill Vukovich

Bill Vukovich (born December 13, 1918 in Fresno, California, died May 30, 1955), was an American automobile racing driver, of Serbian descent. He was known variously as "Vuky" and "The Mad Russian" for his intense driving style, as well as the "Silent Serb" for his cool demeanor. [1] Several drivers of his generation have referred to him as the greatest ever encountered in American motorsport.[2]

Racer

Midget car

Before he began Indy racing, Vukovich drove midget cars for the Edelbrock dirt track racing team. He raced on the West Coast of the United States in the URA, and won the series' 1945 and 1946 midget car championships. Vukovich won the 1948 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Gilmore Stadium, and six of the last eight races at the stadium track before it was closed for good. [3] He won the 1950 AAA National Midget championship.

Indianapolis 500

In 1952, his sophomore year in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 500-Mile Race, he quickly moved up from his starting position in the middle of the third row to take the lead, and led 150 laps in dominant fashion before suffering steering failure on the 192nd of the 200 laps. He returned to win the race in consecutive years, 1953 and 1954. He led 71.7% of laps that he drove in competition at the track, and remains the only driver ever to lead the most laps in the race three consecutive years. [3]

Death at Indy

He was killed in a chain-reaction crash while holding a 17-second lead on the 57th lap of the 1955 Indianapolis 500.

Vukovich was exiting the second turn, trailing three slower cars — driven by Rodger Ward, Al Keller, and Johnny Boyd — when Ward's car swerved as the result of a strong gust of wind. Keller, swerving into the infield to avoid Ward, lost control and slid back onto the track, striking Boyd's car and pushing it into Vukovich's oncoming path. Vukovich's car struck Boyd's, became airborne, and landed upside down after going over the outside backstretch retaining wall and somersaulting several times, killing him. Vukovich was the second of two not only former winners but also defending champions of the race to have died in competition, following Floyd Roberts in 1939, and the only former winner to have been killed while leading. Coincidently, Roberts' car was also hurdled over the backstretch fence after exiting the second turn, during his fatal accident.

Lifetime achievement awards

Family

His son, Bill Vukovich II, and his grandson, Bill Vukovich III, also competed in the Indianapolis 500, with Vukovich II taking second in 1973, and Vukovich III being named Rookie of the Year in 1988.

Indy 500 results

Year[4] Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
19518120133.7251629290Oil tank
1952268138.212217191150Steering
1953141138.39211200195Running
19541419138.47815120090Running
195545141.0713255650Crash BS
Totals676485
Starts5
Poles1
Front Row1
Wins2
Top 52
Top 102
Retired3

World Championship career summary

The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Bill Vukovich participated in 5 World Championship races. He started on the pole 1 time, won 2 races, set 3 fastest laps, and finished on the podium 2 times. He accumulated a total of 19 championship points.

References

See also

External links

Preceded by
Troy Ruttman		Indianapolis 500 Winner
1953		Succeeded by
Repeat
Preceded by
Repeat		Indianapolis 500 Winner
1954		Succeeded by
Bob Sweikert
Preceded by
Onofre Marimón		Formula One fatal accidents
May 30, 1955		Succeeded by
Eugenio Castellotti
 •  • [ e]
Indianapolis 500 Winners
Four-time winners
A. J. Foyt • Al Unser, Sr. • Rick Mears

Three-time winners
Meyer • Shaw • Rose • Rutherford • B. Unser

Two-time winners
Milton • Vukovich • Ward • Johncock • Fittipaldi • Luyendyk • Unser, Jr. • Castroneves

One win
Harroun • Dawson • Goux • Thomas • DePalma • Resta • Wilcox • Chevrolet • Murphy • Corum
Boyer • DePaolo • Lockhart • Souders • Keech • Arnold • Schneider • Frame • Cummings • Petillo
Roberts • Davis • Robson • Holland • Parsons • Wallard • Ruttman • Sweikert • Flaherty • Hanks
Bryan • Rathmann • Jones • Clark • Hill • Andretti • Donohue • Sneva • Sullivan • Rahal
Villeneuve • Lazier • Cheever • Brck • Montoya • de Ferran • Rice • Wheldon • Hornish • Franchitti

December 13 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events


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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1880s  1890s  1900s  - 1910s -  1920s  1930s  1940s
1915 1916 1917 - 1918 - 1919 1920 1921

Year 1918 (MCMXVIII
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Fresno, California

Flag
Seal
Nickname: Fresno, the All American City & Raisin Capital of the World
Location in the state of California
Coordinates:
Country
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May 30 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events


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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1920s  1930s  1940s  - 1950s -  1960s  1970s  1980s
1952 1953 1954 - 1955 - 1956 1957 1958

Year 1955 (MCMLV
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Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
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Automobile racing (also known as auto racing, motor racing, or car racing) is a sport involving racing automobiles. Auto racing began in 1895,[1] and is now one of the world's most popular sports.
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Automobile racing (also known as auto racing, motor racing, or car racing) is a sport involving racing automobiles. Auto racing began in 1895,[1] and is now one of the world's most popular sports.
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Serbs (Serbian: Срби or Srbi) are a South Slavic people who live mainly in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and, to a lesser extent, in Croatia.
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Midget cars are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratios and typically using four-cylinder engines. Despite their name, they are fully capable of being driven by average-sized drivers.
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Edelbrock Corporation

Private company
Founded Beverly Hills, California (1938), USA
Headquarters Torrance, California

Key people Victor Edelbrock, Sr., Founder (1934-1962)
Victor Edelbrock, Jr.
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Dirt track racing is a type of auto racing performed on oval tracks. It began in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 30s. Two different types of racecars predominated—open wheel racers in the Northeast and West and stock cars in the
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West Coast", "Western Seaboard", or "Pacific Seaboard" are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the Western United States, comprising most often California, Oregon and Washington.
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The Turkey Night Grand Prix is an annual race of sprint cars and midget cars. It has been held on Thanksgiving night most years since 1934. It is currently held in Irwindale, California.

Drivers

The event is considered a major event in the sprint and midget cars series.
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Gilmore Stadium was a multi-use stadium in Los Angeles, California. It was opened in May 1934 and demolished in 1952, when the land was used to build CBS Television City. The stadium held 18,000. It was located next to Gilmore Field.
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The AAA (usually read triple-A, or sometimes three As), formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is an American not-for-profit automobile lobby group and service organization.
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The 1952 Indianapolis 500 was held on Friday, May 30, 1952 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was part of the 1952 World Drivers' Championship.

Classification


Pos Grid No Driver Team Qual Rank Laps Led Time/Retired Points
1 7 98 Troy Ruttman
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Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana (a separate town completely surrounded by Indianapolis) in the United States, is the second-oldest surviving automobile racing track in the world (after Milwaukee), and the home of the most famous open wheel race in the
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Indianapolis 500

Venue Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Corporate sponsor none
First race 1911
First IRL race 1996
Distance 500 miles
Number of laps 200
Previous names International 500-Mile Sweepstakes (1911–1915)


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The 1953 Indianapolis 500 was held on Saturday, May 30, 1953 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was part of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship.

__FORCETOC__

Classification


Pos Grid No Driver Team Qual Rank Laps Led Time/Retired Points
1 1 14
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The 1954 Indianapolis 500 was held on Monday, May 31, 1954 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was part of the 1954 World Drivers' Championship.

Classification


Pos Grid No Driver Team Qual Rank Laps Led Time/Retired Points
1 19 14 Bill Vukovich
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The 1955 Indianapolis 500 was held on Monday, May 30, 1955 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was part of the 1955 World Drivers' Championship.

Classification


Pos Grid No Driver Team Qual Rank Laps Led Time/Retired F-1 Points
1 14 6 Bob Sweikert
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Rodger Ward (January 10, 1921 – July 5, 2004) was an American racecar driver who won the 1959 and 1962 Indianapolis 500. He also was the 1959 and 1962 USAC Championship Car champion. Ward was born in Beloit, Kansas, and died in Anaheim, California.
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Al Keller (April 11, 1920 Alexander, New York – November 19, 1961 Phoenix, Arizona) was an American racecar driver.

Keller participated in the NASCAR "Strictly Stock"/"Grand National" (predecessors to the current NEXTEL Cup) series from 1949 to 1956 with 29 career
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Johnny Boyd (August 19, 1926 - October 27, 2003) was an American racecar driver.

Born in Fresno, California, Boyd drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series from 1954 to 1966 with 56 starts.
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Floyd Roberts (February 12, 1904 - May 30, 1939) is a former Championship Car racing driver from Jamestown, North Dakota. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1938 with a record speed of 117.2 mph. He led for 92 laps.
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The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to auto racing either as a driver, owner, developer or engineer.
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The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is a Hall of Fame and museum in Novi, Michigan for American motorsports legends.

Museum

The museum hosts over forty motorports-related vehicles. The collection is constantly changing.
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National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame and museum for midget cars. The Hall of Fame is located at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and can be accessed during weekly Sunday races during the summer.
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Bill Vukovich II (born March 29, 1944, Fresno, California), is a former driver in the championship car division of USAC and CART Championship Car series.

He was named the 1968 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, a result of his 7th place finish.
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