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And I told 'em: "Goddammit, somebody hit me from behind.". canceled and he and many others on the team went instead to Methodist Hospital to check on
builder who was credited with discovering Savage. Nebraska native Gordon Smiley was not the best-known driver attempting to qualify2. Art shook down a pushrod Plymouth V8 in one of last year's wedge-shaped Loutus cars that wears new aero features. [4] This would be his sole professional auto racing victory. Walthers car pinwheeled down the front straight with fuel pouring onto the track. ", "To me, it was a horrible year," recalled Andy Granatelli. "He was like a family member. The 48th running of the Indianapolis 500 was one of the races darkest days. With a pall cast over the proceedings, qualifications began for the 500. He served time in jail. As they were being
As debris flew, Dismores car caught fire and slid dangerously through the pits where fuel tanks and crew members were in close proximity. Reality set in quickly when, in a windy practice before pole qualifying, Pollard crashed in the first turn. I had no brows and almost like a burr haircut. The grandstand was showered in debris and burning fuel. Tony Bettenhausen, the fearless driver from Illinois, was every bit as well known for winning races and championships as flipping cars and surviving close calls. announcer, 'We're supposed to have 33 of the best drivers in the world and they can't even
Series officials responded to cries for a racing ban by imposing new safety measures, including fuel cells. "I think it was because of things like that that I really never got that close to
On lap 58, just behind Al Unser (who was about to make a pit stop of his own), Savage, pushing hard in anticipation of a coming rainstorm, lost control as he exited turn four. There was a mirror over the sink in the bathroom. The message was stressed in the costliest of terms
It rolled 325 feet, snapping metal poles and ripping off the 3-foot high fencing before it became entangled in steel cables and burst into flames. When Unser had an unusually long pit stop, Savage found himself leading the Indianapolis 500 for the first time in his career. with crashes that killed drivers Art Pollard and Swede Savage and crewman Armando Teran
A.J. google_color_url = "0033FF";
It was as if a message were being sent with the relentless rain that delayed,
And I was wasted. Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed. plastic cylinders and covering plates designed to minimize the force of impact. Rain hampered and reduce the possibility of fire. Two future Indy winners, Eddie Cheever and Gil de Ferran and Lyn St. James, the only woman to start the 1995 race, all got caught up in the spectacular melee. While the injured spectators and drivers were being attended to, the rains began to fall again, delaying the race until the next morning. Track officials said he was killed instantly. about it," winner Gordon Johncock said. Armando Moreno Teran, 22, of Santa Monica, Calif., a crew member for Andy Granatelli's cars, was struck and killed by fire truck on its way to Savage's wreck. While still being trapped into the wreckage, rescuers saw him moving, a fact that astonished Jim McKay and Chris Economaki, covering the race for ABC Sports broadcasts. In the one-off event, Savage had the throttle jam itself wide-open, sending him hard into the wall. Stan Foxs car made a hard right coming through the first turn, sending him into the outside wall as he collected five other cars and left debris was all across the track. ", Meanwhile in the pits, Teran, an STP crewman, headed toward the accident scene. google_page_url = document.location;
Stan Foxs car made a hard right coming through the first turn, sending him into the outside wall as he collected five other cars and left debris all across the track. "They looked exactly alike," Andy said, speaking in the hushed tones of grief 40 years later. 
"I jumped on the throttle coming out of 2," Krisiloff said, "and spun my wheels halfway down the back straight in high gear.". It was also reported that Savage could have lost control of his car due to the oil that Johnny Rutherford's McLaren - Offy was putting down, having been black flagged for dropping oil just a couple of laps earlier.Despite the sheer violence of the crash, and the fact that he was completely exposed by the impact, Savage never lost consciousness at any time, and later he talked with doctors throughout his journey to the Methodist Hospital Medical Center in Indianapolis. He had long hair and looked like Malibu Ken. He was just 26 years old when he died. During 1991 practices, Mark Dismore was coming out of the fourth turn at more than 215 mph when his car went to the right and backed into the inside wall. My other hand - the fingers are at different angles to each other, which you don't really notice most of the time 'cause the hand's not spread open in ordinary circumstances. When all was said and done, the teams just wanted to get the hell out of there and close the book on this chapter of motor racing history that many would prefer to forget. google_color_link = "0033FF";
Bedard later said he didnt remember the crash, returned to his day job and never competed again at Indianapolis. I just walked away.". He switched to gocarts at 12, turned to motorcycle racing at 15 and captured 35 events in a sixyear stretch. The Patrick Team was optimistic, knowing that they had two fast cars, and two fantastic drivers. David Earl "Swede" Savage Jr. was born in San Bernardino, Calif., on Aug. 26, 1946, which made him 25 when he first arrived as an Indianapolis 500 rookie in '72. Dan Wheldon got his second 500 victory in what might go down as the biggest mistake in Indy history. The much faster Conway had no immediate escape route, and the two cars touched. They shared hamburgers at the Burger Chef restaurant on West 16th Street, just east of the track. |
In Grand National, Savage took a third place on the half-mile oval at Bristol, while he piloted Gurneys powerful Lola Can-Am car to a top finish of fourth at the road course in Bridgehampton. "He came off the wall and almost landed on the front of my car," said Lee Kunzman, whose first Indy start carried him only a few hundred yards. Art qualified in 6th spot in 1970. A crowd estimated at 250,000 swarmed Indianapolis Motor Speedway's grandstands, suites and infield on May 12, 1973. Web65 Swede Savage Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Editorial Video Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 65 Swede Savage Premium High Res The race recommenced an hour later. Savage never recovered and died July 2, 1973. Then the fireworks began. As his car sped through the third turn on the second warmup lap in qualifying, Smiley tried to save his car after it wiggled. Kind, generous, friendly, outgoing, persistent, honest, gentlemanly, optismistic, competitive, even-tempered, vibrant - these words describe a few of the qualities of this exceptional person who was also a great race driver. It was a May to forget. WebSavages 1972 employer was a middling team with a two-year-old Brabham, which Swede somehow managed to qualify among the top 10 in every race. He was popular, had Midwestern roots and a flamboyance the series needed as Indys aging favorites faded away. Tales
[10] The force of the impact, with the car carrying a full load of fuel, caused the car to explode in a massive 60-foot (18m)-high plume of flame.[8][9][11]. Safety workers shielded television viewers from the scary scene by parking in front of the car with Ongais still seated in the cockpit as the air filled with white smoke. In his autobiography, Bobby Unser wrote that when Savage exited the pits, he became alarmed at how hard Savage was pushing, and dropped back slightly in anticipation of an incident. 
But Patrick also lost a crewman, Teran, and a driver, Savage. The rear of the car slipped out in Turn 4, and when Savage caught the car it google_ad_format = "728x90_as";
Savage would survive the crash but die a little more than four months later. Walther, 25, suffered a crushed kneecap and severe burns over most of his body. A frightening sound, screeching brakes, reverberated as drivers tried to evade crashing in the dense smoke. Wally Dallenbach stepped into Savage's. Success in both open-wheelers and sports cars led to a ride for the Questor Grand Prix in March of 1971. Just didn't go that way.". In the 1973 Indianapolis 500, Savage was entered in an STP-sponsored Eagle-Offenhauser prepared by master mechanic George Bignotti. Although the tragic '73 race left the whole sport in a sour mood, nobody recalls having doubts about going back in '74. Dave MacDonald, a rookie, was moving through the field on the second lap when his car spun coming out of the final turn. I had a lot of skin grafts on it. Cars were on the edge. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. He died of liver failure, attending physician Steve Olvey wrote in his book, "Rapid Response," due to a transfusion of contaminated plasma. The car hit the inside wall, causing an explosion that sent the car careering across the track and directly into the path of Eddie Sachs. Thirty-three minutes later, doctors pronounced Brayton dead. Dave MacDonald, a rookie, was moving through the field quickly late on the second lap when his car spun coming out of the final turn. Driver Art Pollard was killed in a horrific pole-day qualifying crash. Savage raced during an era when the speeds were climbing faster than the safety innovations could keep up. Dallenbach also talked to Savage in the hospital, because he was hired to replace him. He didn't get to race in 1972 although he qualfied his STP Lola in 10th spot. A hospital spokesman said the cause of his death was. Savage never recovered and died July 2, 1973. The much faster Conway had no immediate escape route, and the two cars touched. His wife, Sheryl, who is six months pregnant, and a 6year. But his mind was on Indy. limits were instituted and the rear wings were clipped from 64 inches in width to 55. Kunzman took over Pollard's car for the remainder of the 1973 season. The contact sent Snevas car airborne and into the catch fence as it caught fire. A race in his name has been held in the Rogue Valley and in Roseburg, where he lived for several years prior to moving to Medford. Savage was the third person to die as a result of accidents at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during May. The fuel tank exploded, the car disintegrated and debris tumbled down the track with Smileys body exposed. "Seldom have so many things that potentially could go wrong actually gone
Finally, mercifully, the "72 Hours of Indianapolis" were over. Swede Savage was the first to break the track record with a four lap average of 196.582 mph. The 36-year-old racing star was killed instantly. Andretti told the television audience the crash was the result of a child trying to do a mans job. 
1973 Indianapolis 500 crash and subsequent death, Complete Non-Championship Formula One results, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Andretti Wins Both Heats of Questor Race", "Swede Savage 1973 Indy 500 Fatal Crash Original ABC Broadcast Footage", "Deadly May of 1973 still resonates at Indianapolis Motor Speedway", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swede_Savage&oldid=1133528939, Sportspeople from San Bernardino, California, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2021, Articles needing additional references from May 2014, All articles needing additional references, Pages using small with an empty input parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 January 2023, at 07:12. Nobody has challenged Luyendyks track records since. J.R. Hildebrand was in position to end the American drought when a rookie mistake on the races final turn proved costly. car owner in Champ car. The race was postponed until Tuesday, when on the second parade lap, the sky opened again and another washout was declared. overturned, flaming car came to rest right in front of Dallenbach, who helped firefighters
Savage collected a pair of top-fives in the double-header at Trenton as the team began preparations for Indianapolis. Time trials began on time, at 11 a.m. Rutherford qualified at 198.413 to set a track record and take the pole. Thirty-two cars returned to their original positions. | People in the pits recall the searing intensity of the heat. The car skidded into the back stretch before rolling to a stop. It was a needed and welcome improvement. Although he was the second youngest driver on the United States Auto Club championship circuit, he had been racing for 17 years. Driver Art Pollard was killed in an accident during pole day practice. When Snevas burning car landed on the track, it tumbled side over side before rolling to a stop in the back straight. His tires were warmed, his four-speed gear box in high. For a while though, it was touch and go. The clouds finally broke, and the cars roared off for the start shortly after 2:00 pm. One of the top athletes probably in the country. Early attrition knocked out Mario Andretti, stock-car regular Bobby Allison and A.J. WebSwede Savage's car explodes after a spectacular crash in Turn 4 in the 1973 Indianapolis 500. 
He went to the hospital with Patrick to visit Savage. improved even more. Johnny Rutherford, who had been one of the first drivers on the scene of Pollard's
Stay up to date with everything Boston. Savage never recovered and died July 2, 1973. Then they had two big fellas, two great big fellas, come in and lift me up and hold me up in the air and let me try and move my legs. By Wednesday, tension and exhaustion infected the track. If the crash ended there, Dismore wouldnt even be close to making the list. None of those stories, perhaps, are as compelling as the story of David Earl Swede Savage Jr. who found himself in the lead of the biggest motor race in the world, just moments before the accident that would ultimately claim his life. "It's probably the lowest point in my life," said Patrick, who continues as a
When they got me up to walk, I'd get dizzy and go sit back down. |
Granatelli was the CEO and affable pitchman of the car's sponsor, STP oil products. Andy Granatelli gave me the film of the race. On the first day of qualifying, gusting winds slowed Savage from matching his best practice speeds, but he still shattered the track record with a four-lap qualifying average of 196.582mph (316.368km/h). Methanol, at 70 degrees, weighs about 6.6 pounds a gallon. from behind at 60 mph and killed him. David Earl "Swede" Savage Jr. (August 26, 1946 July 2, 1973) was an American race car driver. Art Pollard lived in Medford Oregon during the 1960s and early 70s and was killed during the Indianapolis 500 time trials on May 12, 1973. They were going to cut off the left hand at first, but the doctor felt he could save it. Savage was moving toward the front again on Lap 59
As the race started, Salt Walther and Jerry Grant touched wheels, launching Walthers car into the catch fence. That same year, 1968, he won the pole position at the Milwaukee 200 and led the race for the first 135 miles, when his brakes failed. Safety was the watchword for the 1974 Indianapolis 500. Series officials determined the crash was caused by a bolt that fell off, allowing the front axle to twist and forcing the car into the wall. All rights reserved. Sachs slammed into MacDonalds burning car, creating a second explosion that sent a billowing black cloud across the front straightaway. It was the Golden Era of IndyCar racing. The large wings of 1972-73 were reduced in size. He was diagnosed him with a concussion and a broken jaw. There were two driver fatalities during the month along with a crew member that was killed. 
Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "My whole family was in tears. Walther sustained severe burns and a crushed kneecap but survived. Struck by the young mans skill and bravado, Roberts was also impressed with his movie-star good looks. At the last moment, his car made one last, fortuitous turn, allowing the cars underside to hit the catch-fence before rebounding and nearly landing on top of Hunter-Reay. Drivers and crews were taut. Walther sustained severe burns and a crushed kneecap but survived. 
Since 1973, three competitors have been killed at Indy -- Gordon Smiley in '82, Jovy Marcelo in '92 and Scott Brayton in '96 -- along with two spectators and a trespasser
Art was buried in McMinnville Oregon. The rains hit the Speedway once again, ending the race after 332 miles. Art Pollard - driver
Savage headed back onto the race course, intent on grabbing back the lead. Driver Salt Walther suffered disfiguring burns in a fiery first-lap crash that injured 13 spectators. STROUDSBURG, Pa., July (UPI)Al Unser of Albuquerque, N.M., was reported in good condition today at a hospital where he was under treatment for injuries received in yesterday's Schaeffer 500 at Mount Pocono, Pa. Unser was injured when his Viceroy.Parnelli spun and struck a retaining wall. "Well, you were running 150 mph, you're not running 250. Incredibly, Cogan smashed the chances of two fan favorites in one unforgettable sequence (18:30). Other cars were losing parts. 
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swede savage crash photos