Two great drivers

[doozer]

My dad saw Bill Sr almost right in front of him. Pretty sure anyway.

[Fine Vol]

Originally Posted by doozer

My dad saw Bill Sr almost right in front of him. Pretty sure anyway.

Who is your Dads favorite driver?

[doozer]

Poncho Carter

[doozer]

Or Lone Star JR.

[rbroyles]

Originally Posted by doozer

Tom Sneva still holds the record for worst Indy wreck walked away from.

Hard to argue that, how about Mario going airborne a couple years ago in a test.

[doozer]

Mario would be #2.

[doozer]

Vogler was killed at Salem. Vucovich III out in California in sprint car.

[rbroyles]

Originally Posted by doozer

Vogler was killed at Salem. Vucovich III out in California in sprint car.

You are right about Vogler, I should have checked, but that's easy. Salem was a poor excuse for a track, safety wise.

Dwayne "Pancho" Carter spoke at an assembly program at my High School, and another year Roger Ward did. They showed film footage of the races of late 50s & early 60s.

[doozer]

Vogler was coming to the flag to win what was going his to be his final race when his car got on two wheels and his cage smacked the wall killing him instantly. He was dead before he slid across the line. I don't know if the part about his last race was true, but I remember hearing something like that.

[rbroyles]

Originally Posted by doozer

Vogler was coming to the flag to win what was going his to be his final race when his car got on two wheels and his cage smacked the wall killing him instantly. He was dead before he slid across the line. I don't know if the part about his last race was true, but I remember hearing something like that.

He was nearly decapitated, I remember his helmet rolling down the track.

[doozer]

I can't believe I can recall all this (with a little help from my old man).

[doozer]

interesting tidbit of information i learned about Rich Vogler from reading today. Jeff Gordon was running second to him at the time of his accident.

also, he died a few day before his 40th birthday and the day before he was scheduled to drive at Pocono in a NASCAR race.

so it wasn't his last race he was killed in but it might have been his last sprint car race.

[doozer]

Originally Posted by doozer

My dad saw Bill Sr almost right in front of him. Pretty sure anyway.

correction. my dad was not there. he did say that the image of Bill Sr.'s arm sticking out from underneath his burning race car on the front page of the Indy Star is one picture he will never forget.

there a great book out right now about all the deaths at the 1955 Indy 500. i need to read it.

[rbroyles]

Originally Posted by doozer

interesting tidbit of information i learned about Rich Vogler from reading today. Jeff Gordon was running second to him at the time of his accident.

also, he died a few day before his 40th birthday and the day before he was scheduled to drive at Pocono in a NASCAR race.

so it wasn't his last race he was killed in but it might have been his last sprint car race.

I'm fairly sure it was to be his last Sprint car race, I vaguely remember it, I recall feeling how sad it was.

As for the book on Indy deaths, sounds interesting, although this whole subject is getting me down. You probably recall the 1964 500 when Eddie Sachs & Dave McDonald were both burned to death. The guy I went to work for in Ohio, Mick Rupp, was a rookie in that race and ran as high as third, finishing 6th. That would normally gain rookie of the year honors, but some guy named Andretti finished 4th. Mario came to visit several times, and we built a kart for Michael to race when he was about 12 yrs old. I was at the first SCCA driving School Michael drove at Nelson Ledges Road Course. He drove a Formula Ford, and was the class of the field.

[orange parmejohn]

good stuff, rbroyles. i had never heard of those guys, but i am glad to hear that someone cares enough to keep their memories alive. its an amazing thing, to lose your life in a race car. much respect.