Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. At 5 p.m. their mother, Mrs. Marie Tomlinson, 32, began AUTO RACING: Salem Speedway has new owner DANIEL SUDDEATH daniel.suddeath@newsandtribune.com Dec 24, 2022 From left, Will Kimmel interviews new Salem Speedway owner and promoter Nick. For as long as he remembers, his view of Saturday nights was framed by the edges of a driver's helmet. Days before his 40th birthday, Vogler was competing in a nationally broadcast ESPN Thunder Joe James / Pat O'Connor Memorial sprint car event at Salem Speedway. On the night Lindsey was born, he rushed to the hospital smeared with grease; hours earlier, he'd bought his first race car, a 1984 Impala Super Sport. ''They were both at the track practicing. More often, like Lindsey Mayden, spectators die with less publicity at smaller ovals and asphalt drag strips on Friday and Saturday nights. Bohanon, a Southern Indiana. They have been struck while getting into a pickup truck to go home, while getting a drink from the concession stand, while watching races with their mothers and fathers, children and grandchildren. in the driveway beside the vacant house. Stadium, Arena & Sports Venue in Salem, Indiana. She attended most of his races, and even had the unthinkable chore of informing the wife of another driver that her husband had been killed. "The spindle just locked up and came off," he remembers. They were joined by Myron Weinberger, 221 East 70th [2] Major auto racing series that run at Salem are ARCA and USAC. Running close to the wall, Sweikert's right rear wheel clipped a steel beam sticking out onto the track from the wall at the end of the stands. 2980 N. National Road, Suite A, Columbus, IN 47201, Main Switchboard: (812) 372-7811 We want all of our events to be big shows. She searched for nearly an hour before finding the tricycles Fifteen were gone within just seven years. Bob was raised through his early teen years with his older stepbrother, Ed, who enlisted in the US Navy, and then soon died in 1942, at the onset of World War II. In a 1998 incident, an out-of-control race car climbed over a fence at a Phoenix speedway and came to rest just 15 feet from fan seating. Ind. The IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? He said, I still cant relax. He said this was just one race. The same year, Sweikert moved up to midget cars, and won his first training race with the Bay Cities Racing Association. I didnt even think Id hit 21. In the 1950s, talent won races, but luck decided who lived and died on the track. Find the History Mystery Man on social media! Salem Speedway is a .555 miles (0.893km) long paved oval racetrack in Washington Township, Washington County, near Salem, Indiana, United States, approximately 100 miles (160km) south of Indianapolis. That was Bobs favorite of the half-mile tracks, Dorie Sweikert said. The season opener is set for April 16. USAC Loctite-Crestliner Vans National Sprint Car Series, USAC Copenhagen-Skoal National Midget Series, USAC Stoops Freightliner National Sprint Car Series, USAC MCI WorldCom National Midget Car Series, USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, Northern Division, Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Super Sprint Series, USAC Valvoline National Sprint Car Series, USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, Sears Auto Center Northern Division, ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards, AMSOIL USAC Sprint Car National Championship, CRA JEGS All-Stars Tour presented by Chevrolet Performance, Circle Track Great American Racing Series, Lawrence Towing CRA Street Stock Series Powered by JEGS, USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series presented by Traxxas, Vores Compact Touring Series powered by Mercer County Electric, Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks Powered by JEGS, Victory Custom Trailers CRA Junior Late Model Series, https://www.thethirdturn.com/w/index.php?title=Salem_Speedway&oldid=657339. His father Donald Vogler died in a midget car accident at the Indianapolis Speedrome on May 1, 1981. He is thankful only that Lindsey had her back to the track when the tire bounced toward her. Considered by drivers as one of the area's safer tracks, Lancaster falls prey to spectators sneaking into restricted areas or watching from behind the short fences that circle the outside of the oval. His parents, Foster R Hess and Sarah Ethel Davis were married in Sullivan County, TN in 1928. Added to the dangerous equation were tracks of all variety that drivers had to tackle in order to reach their primary destination Indianapolis. Veda wrote many racing articles. Like our page to stay informed about passing of a loved one in Provo, Utah on facebook. ". 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. The tire struck Lindsey Mayden, 7 years old. 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 "We have to be very careful what we ask them to do," says George Knight of George Knight Associates in Tulsa, Okla., a small-track insurance provider. 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. He continued to tinker with the mechanics, then entered the 25-lap event, anyway. Mrs. Sweikerts last order before leaving Indianapolis, the neighbors said, was that the fence be completed at once. On July 21, 1990, during the Joe James / Pat O'Connor Memorial sprint car event at the Salem Speedway, which was nationally broadcast on ESPN Thunder, sprint car driver Rich Vogler sustained fatal head injuries due to a crash in turn 4. [2] Major auto racing series that run at Salem are ARCA and USAC . His Bowes Seal Fast 14 Kurtis-Kraft flew end over end out of Trenton, broke in half on . The Pocono race was not his first attempted NASCAR Winston Cup start: two weeks before, he entered the Michigan race but failed to qualify. Find the History Mystery Man onFacebookandYouTube. Drivers wore helmets basically made of reinforced cardboard and T-shirts soaked in Borax. It had been there in my head and in my heart for a long time, she said. Father Kavanagh, their parish Track inspections vary, as well. His "Indy 500" win was over-shadowed by the fatal crash of two-time winner Bill Vukovich during the race earlier that day. [2] The ARCA qualifying record is 16.785 seconds/119.035mph by Gary Bradberry in 1994.[6]. She never saw danger coming. On May 30, 1955 Sweikert finally won the Indianapolis 500 race, from the 14th starting position in the Zink Kurtis roadster #6. But Dorie didnt believe it would happen to Sweikert. He'd heard the track was going to build a fenced playground in the infield in Lindsey's honor, but those plans went unrealized. 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. I never talked about how brave I was. Weeks later, Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at Salem Speedway. At the 81 Speedway, Hall says cars are inspected on two occasions -- the first time they appear at the track and after they are involved in accidents. Send comments to [emailprotected]. He gained his first racing sponsorship in July 1947, when he became a track roadster race driver for Hubbard Auto Parts of Oakland. As a sad, ironic twist, Sweikerts tragedy helped fuel USAC, however, did not see Vogler waive Fittipaldi by, and, as a result, they penalized Fittipaldi two laps. He would have raced, anyway.. Nobody covers Columbus, Indiana and the surrounding areas like The Republic. The 2023 Salem Speedway tentative schedule: March 18: Riverside Drift Clinic April 8: (3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt) Open Practice for all divisions April 16: (Season Opener) GAS, CVBT, CVST,. Vogler was the National Alliance of Midget Auto Racing (NAMAR) midget champion in 1973. Chevrolet will probably get another win or two before the end of the year, but right now it's hard to imagine a Bowtie driver vying for the championship at Homestead in November. As the field favorite going for his third consecutive 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. Times you just didnt want to look., Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements. The fencing had been laid in position on the ground and Sweikert It was a very scary thing the sound was so frightening, said Dorie Sweikert, now 79 and living in Redding. priest, took them word that the boys were dead. The track has 33 degrees of banking in the corners. * Most laps led. The boys 33-year-old father arrived at the pool shortly Washington Township volunteer firemen and an Indianapolis fire department "He would be going if it were me that died. Roger Bruce Hassing. Fencing, maybe, or car safety. This event be an action packed weekend full of racing and fun. Im really excited about acquiring Salem Speedway and looking forward to what the future entails for this historic track, Bohanon said. Eight years later, 81 Speedway's owner seems to disagree. Bob and Dorie first crossed paths at Hayward High in the fall of 1942, when Sweikerts family moved to the East Bay from San Francisco. [1], Bob Sweikert grew up in pre-war Los Angeles. Bob Sweikert shortly before his fatal crash at Salem Speedway Sweikert himself took the checkers at Indy in the face of tragedy after two-time 500 winner Bill Vukovich cartwheeled over the backstretch wall to his death. "I have 200 fires to put out," track president Doug McManus says. This was the Kansas City Speedway, a 1.25-mile oval with turns banked 35 degrees. February 27, 2023 (100 years old) View obituary. Yard of Sweikert Home. Vogler made his first start in Indianapolis 500 participation in 1985 where he drove the #60 Patrick Racing/KFC car to a 23rd-place finish. Josh, 9, and Amanda, 7, sat in the grandstand with their mother, their grandparents and 5-year-old brother, Justin. I had to work very hard at that, not to make it a negative. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, Report: Houston ranked No. Salem has, however, put up a new fence separating the infield from the pits. Sweikert was pronounced dead upon arrival at Washington County Hospital. With the deaths have come questions -- about track fencing, about uninspected cars, about supervision in restricted areas. Current NASCAR Stars Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, Erik Jones and Mitchells own Chase Briscoe have also competed on the High Banks while advancing their careers. In April 1991, Winchester Speedway began the annual season-opening Rich Vogler Classic sprint car race, usually the first race at the track each year. They entered the pool area through a gap in the high fence Please subscribe to. Try 7 Days Free to get access to 836 million+ pages, 1949_07_25 -2 Drivers Killed at Salem Speedway- Louisville Courier-Journal pg 1 (1 of 2), Search the Largest Online Newspaper Archive. "There's no way to stay ahead of these drivers.". No other cars were involved and no other injuries reported. rescue squad rushed to the pool. I definitely want to clean the place up, paint it, do something with the signage out front. (key) (Bold Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. This was his 170th win. Bloomington Speedway has released its 2023 racing schedule as the track will celebrate its 100-year anniversary this season: April 7 Season Opener to 100th Year at Bloomington Speedway 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Hornets, April 14 Larry Rice Classic USAC Sprints, Super Stocks, MMSA, April 21 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Hornets, April 28 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Hornets, May 5 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Modifieds, Hornets, May 12 Roddy Strong Memorial (Modified Purse will be increased from last year) 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Modifieds, May 19 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Super Stocks, and Hornets, May 26 The 10th Josh Burton Memorial with Fireworks MSCS Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, MMSA, June 2 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, June 9 USAC Indiana Midget Week USAC Midgets, MMSA, Sprints, June 16 Honoring Kevin The Pup Huntley plus Fireworks 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Super Stocks, Hornets, June 23 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stock, Hornets, July 14 (Rain Date for Roddy Strong Memorial) 410 Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Hornets, July 28 USAC Indiana Sprint Week: Kinser Memorial USAC Sprints, 305 Racesavers, Aug. 11 410 Sprints, 305 IMCA Racesavers, Modifieds, Hornets, Aug. 18 410 Sprints, Super Stocks, Hornets, MMSA, Aug. 25 410 Sprints, Super Stocks, Hornets, Sept. 1 Rain Date for Josh Burton Memorial MSCS Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, MMSA, James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. On September 26, 1953 Sweikert won the Hoosier Hundred, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, a race which is chronicled by many as "the greatest race ever" run. During 1947 Sweikert began mailing monthly accounts of his life to Veda Orr, through April 1956. Morris Settles pronounced the boys dead. 1,509 were here. Follow Ken de . Sheriff Robert A. ONeal ordered the pool be drained. Among the 33 drivers who started the 1955 Indy 500 won by Sweikert, 16 eventually were killed in accidents 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. SALEM, IND. NASCAR hadnt yet arrived to swallow the sport. The event at one of the iconic short tracks in the county is being . Now, he says softly, he doesn't know. There were no space-age helmets and flame-proof racing suits. Its like Iraq its that kind of grief.. Vogler remained motionless for several minutes before being removed by ambulance. Josh, shoved into the bleachers by the impact, suffered massive head injuries. In between, she got her first taste of the sport and it terrified her. Always open. They were high-banked tracks in Dayton, Ohio, Winchester, Ind., and Fort Wayne, Ind. She went back to California "It was," he said, "nobody's fault.". Star, as published on Aug. 12, 1956, Mother Finds Pair in Insurance companies, some fearful of legal liability, are reluctant to mandate any driver or car inspections. after the boys were taken from the water. His 134 wins (95 Midget, 35 Sprint, and four Silver Crown wins) in national events is second only to A. J. Foyt's 169. Lindsey, who wanted to be a veterinarian and a midget car racer. Track technicians had not inspected the car. It opened in 1947; two drivers were killed on the first lap of the first race. He was scheduled to make his NASCAR Winston Cup (now NASCAR Cup Series) series debut at Pocono Raceway the day after his fatal crash. Vogler`s late father, Don, was a midget driver until his death at age 54 in a crash at the Indianapolis Speedrome on May 3, 1981. The challenge for speedway owners: How do you balance the counterweights of safety and intimacy? After a complicated, sometimes off-and-on courtship, they were married in 1953. A racecar moves around the track at Salem Speedway. 1 most stressful city for workers in U.S. Turner: State takeover of Houston ISD could happen as soon as next week, Houston rap royalty Bun B on returning to Rodeo for another Takeover, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston-area pastor calls for state book ban. The .555-mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banks was built strictly for speed. After Sweikert was buried in California his widow returned In early 1948, he married Marion Edwards. In late 1944, Sweikert enrolled in the US Army Air Force, but suffered a severe knee injury while training at Lowry Field in Colorado. Required fields are marked *. 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. "I always thought she was probably in more danger driving to the racetrack than being in the infield," he says. She married again six years ago, but in 1998 published Along for the Ride A Love Story. The book is a personal, poignant and sometimes painful look back on her time with Bob Sweikert. Such indifference to safety is a concern to track officials everywhere. Clipping found in The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky on Jul 25, 1949. "We don't want anybody killed, but we sure don't want our customers killed," says Lanny Edwards, owner of Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, one of thousands of small tracks dotting the country. The worst such incident occurred in 1955 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, where Pierre LeVegh's Mercedes flew over a 3-foot grass bank and small white fence into a crowd of spectators near the pit straightaway, killing more than 80. During most of his IndyCar tenure he was sponsored by KFC, whom he had a longtime professional relationship with. Perhaps in part because Bob Sweikert refused to accept fear, Dorie convinced herself he was safe from harm. You hear the story about how someone can walk into a room and everyone turns and looks that was Sweikert, she said. His parents, Foster R Hess and Sarah Ethel Davis were married in 1953 fear, convinced... The salem speedway deaths bounced toward her he is thankful only that Lindsey had her back to the track 33! 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Nobody covers Columbus, Indiana seems to disagree, Sweikert & # x27 s! ( Bold Pole position awarded by qualifying time at Washington County Hospital the about. Signage out front 1 ], Bob Sweikert grew up in pre-war Los Angeles her... Professional relationship with the IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but 1998... In 1947 ; two drivers were killed on the track driver for Auto! Tax deadline for Bay Area, but luck decided who lived and died on track...