The life and legacy of a gentleman racer kehoe, bob on. At a time when most professional athletes have retired or are thinking about it, this native of medford, oregon was just getting started. For the 1970 indy 500 brawner obtained sponsorship from jim hayhoe of hayhoe racing for his new design scorpion. Unfortunately he broke his leg and was not able to make it into the race. Driver art pollard 1969 usac champ car series results. Art pollard came out of medford, oregon, on the west coast, where he got his start racing in supermodifieds on the local tracks there. He was a mechanic and car dealer at the time of his death.
Pollard, king and the gerhardt had been backed by andy granatellis stp operation in 1969, but had been dropped for 1970. No matter how safe racing gets, itll always be dangerous. Kind, generous, friendly, outgoing, persistent, honest, gentlemanly, optismistic, competitive, eventempered, vibrant these words describe a few of the qualities of this exceptional person who was also a. Part one i remember back in 1972, veteran race driver art pollard had been in a bad crash at indianapolis motor speedway.
In late 1970 brawner teamed with the up and coming ex stock car driver art pollard. The month took a turn, however, when driver art pollard was killed in a crash during a practice session on may 12. May 21, 2016 driver art pollard was killed in a horrific poleday qualifying crash. Art pollards 1967 indy 500 car visits medford, oregon, the pollards hometown. British columbias billy foster won the first championship, in 1963. The book was released this year by bob kehoe of hillsboro. Nov 21, 2012 art pollards fatal crash at indy 500 practice. Died after a huge crash in a practice session for the 1973 indy 500. Taking the checkers was jim mcelreath, driving for a. Philanim10 race ignazio giunti f1 crash, cars series, f1 drivers, car and driver, drag. Foyt, who took the lead from art pollard with five laps to go. Granatelli had a turbocharged offenhauser engine installed and named art pollard as the driver. The perils and consequences of a competitive life are not easily understood. Click on the year to see the standings for that year.
Donald charles mactavish august 22, 1940 february 22, 1969 was american race driver who died in a brutal crash at the daytona international speedway. Art pollard, another camra driver who would soon be racing indy cars, finished seventh in 1964. Enjoyable and informative look at art pollard s life, both on and off the track. Memories of deaths in legendary race still linger 40 years later.
Ive decided that indianapolis is a twin race to le mans. Pollard, a 1945 graduate of roseburg high school, began his racing. From there, pollard progressed through the ranks of legends cars and into the world of late models. He participated in 37 formula one world championship grands prix, debuting on 8 september 1963. The race is a dead bore, an anticlimax to the enormous buildup during qualifying, and the day after it i already decided i wont be back again. Art pollards 1967 indy 500 car visits medford, oregon, the. Pollard whipped the turbocar into third spot and was running stongly in that third spot until andretti in a sister turbocar smashed into his turbocar and put him out of the race. Art pollard fatal accident at indy 500 may 12, 1973 all. It may or may not have been owned by pollard himself, given that his car wash chain is the sponsor. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. Deadly may of 1973 still resonates at indianapolis motor speedway. As the race started, salt walther and jerry grant touched wheels, launching walthers car into the catch fence. Art pollard fatal accident at indy 500 may 12, 1973 all angles. Art pollard in 1973 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.
Donald mactavish fatal crash at daytona 22 february 1969. Profile for racing driver art pollard from united states. Pollard, a 1945 graduate of roseburg high school, began his racing career in roseburg. He drove in 180 indy car races between 1965 and 1979, winning five times. Like those two current drivers, art pollard always took extra time with the fans. May 21, 2014 of course, that was most disastrous of months at ims, with three consecutive days of rain wreaking havoc on the race. I have read and heard nothing but countless tales where art pollard would go out of his way to carry on long conversations with fans and never seemed too impressed with his celebrity status. If he was having a bad day, hed never say it was joes fault or henrys fault. An almost forgotten driver who made it to the top level of american auto racing later in life. Some of us really never understood, perhaps, but we knew that art was a realist. Driver art pollard 1965 usac champ car series results. He was an enthusiastic salesman for the sport of racing, not only to audiences numbering in the thousands, but also on a persontoperson basis with men and women of the media. Pollard s victories, which have come frequently throughout his career, plus championships and track records are accomplishments that few drivers. The digital art may be purchased as wall art, home decor, apparel, phone cases, greeting cards, and more.
Art pollard profile with all the results,graphs,team mates and stats. View of the fatal race car crash of american driver art pollard. It had been nine years since a driver had died at the speedway. Also in that race, was the team car, stp lotus turbine nr. A newcomer to racing faced with the responsibility of getting a story, could got art pollard and be informed and then come away satisfied. Art pollard was a topnotch racecar driver, but there was more to him than that. Art pollard book touches on racecar drivers kindness, humor. The life and career of art pollard, the southern oregon race car driver who graduated from local tracks to become a fixture at the indianapolis 500, will be celebrated with a special day today at. Some of the worst crashes in indianapolis 500 history. Kind, generous, friendly, outgoing, persistent, honest, gentlemanly, optismistic, competitive, eventempered, vibrant these words describe a few of the qualities of this exceptional person who was also a great race driver. May 16, 1982 an accident had not killed a driver here since 1973, when art pollard died on the first day of qualifications and swede savage died of injuries sustained in an accident during the race. Art pollard book touches on racecar driver s kindness, humor.
The innaugural ontario 500 was nearly won by pollard in this car after an unbelievable performance. Andrew bubba pollard is one of the most successful short track racers this decade. The following year, while driving one of the celebrated stpturbo cars. Coincidentally, another driver named spence died in 1929 at the track and a spectator.
A native of utah, art pollard competed in united states auto club races all over the country beginning in 1965. He was an indy race car driver and died in art pollard. When it came time for the 1969 season, art pollard was the first driver chosen for the stp team. He started at indy five times between 1967 and 1971. Click on the site to see art pollard s career results at that track glossary. Year, age, races, win, t5, t10, pole, laps, led, earnings, rank, avst, avfn, raf, llf, dnq, wd. During the course of the hanford race tragedy struck the team when the car caught fire during a pit stop. Granatelli designed and owned cuttingedge cars raced at indy and turned the stp motor additive brand into a household name. Philanim10race ignazio giunti f1 crash, cars series, f1 drivers, car and driver, drag. The death of race driver gordon smiley saturday brought. Painted in the stp color dayglo red and number 20, pollard dropped out of the first two races of the season at phoenix, az an hanford, ca. Click on the number of races to see individual races for that year. The first person i got close to was an indycar driver named art pollard.
August 1969 racing magazine article pollardssiteorg. 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. Two drivers were killed during may, 1973 art pollard in practice and swede savage from injuries suffered in the race. Born in dragon, utah, pollard died in indianapolis, indiana, as a result of injuries sustained in practice for the 1973 indianapolis 500.
Nov 30, 2017 michael henderson mike spence 30 december 1936, croydon, surrey 7 may 1968, indianapolis, indiana, usa was a british racing driver from england. He achieved 1 podium, and scored a total of 27 championship points. Died from a wreck in practice, prior to 1973 qualifications. May 21, 20 driver art pollard was killed in an accident during a practice driver swede savage and mechanic armando teran also died a crowd estimated at 250,000 swarmed indianapolis motor speedways. The driver lineup for the lotus team in april bore little resemblance to the three lotus drivers that started the race on may 30th. Driver art pollard was killed in a horrific poleday qualifying crash. Indianapolis motor speedway deaths 1968 mike spence. Mactavish started his racing career at the age of 15 racing in nearby norwood. The beloved southern oregon native, who died after a crash during time trials at the indianapolis 500 on. For the 1973 race art pollard had a new eagle, two good mechanics, and a new. Some of the worst crashes in indianapolis 500 history the.
Art pollard book touches on racecar drivers kindness. As soon as bubba pollard was of age, he began finding his own way around that asphalt oval. Gordon smiley the dark side of indianapolis warning. Driver salt walther suffered disfiguring burns in a fiery firstlap crash that injured spectators. As the race started, salt walther and jerry grant touched wheels, launching. Gordon smiley, a driver, killed at indy the new york times. Born in dragon, utah, pollard died in indianapolis, indiana. Life begins at 40 may be a trite, time worn expression, but it fits race driver art pollard to a t. Mike spence fatal accident at indy 500 may 7, 1968 video. He finished in the top ten 30 times, with 2 victories, both in 1969, at milwaukee and dover. View of the fatal race car crash of american driver art pollard 1927 1973 during a practice race for the. Art pollards fatal indy 500 crash view of the fatal race car crash of american driver art pollard 1927 1973 during a practice race for the indianapolis 500, indianapolis, indiana, may 12, 1973. There were 31 married drivers and only two bachelors.
He was getting his car up to speed for the indy 500. Carl williams born 24 aug 1930 grandview, missouri. Art pollard 1973 indy 500 fatal crash hq alternate angle. Art pollard had died in a crash during morning practice on pole day, and salt. Veteran usac competitor, who raced from 1965 until 1972 in the division. Of course, that was most disastrous of months at ims, with three consecutive days of rain wreaking havoc on the race. He is the father of nascar driver and commentator, wally dallenbach jr. Art had times, like all of us, that everything was going his way. Coincidentally, another driver named spence died in 1929 at the track and a spectator named spence got killed by a tire that flew off a car in 1938. Savage comes to indy to discover father she lost in fatal. Coloradan jim malloy took the next two titles while driving creations built by his brother jerry. We who know and loved art pollard stand in awe at his realistic approach to danger.
Born in dragon, utah, and a grandfather, pollard drove in the usac. Pollards victories, which have come frequently throughout his career, plus championships and track records are accomplishments that few drivers, past or present, have equaled. Deadly may of 1973 still resonates at indianapolis motor. The car he will be driving is for the lowbudget dale coyne racing. Art pollard fatal accident during practice for 1973. Born in dragon, utah, and a grandfather, pollard drove in the usac championship car series, racing in the 19651973 seasons, with 84 career starts, including the 19671971 indianapolis 500 races. Click on the site to see art pollards career results at that track. Smiley was the first fatality at ims since 1973 when drivers art pollard and swede savage and a safety worker were killed during the month of may, prompting substantial changes to slow the cars for 1974. Driver art pollard was killed in an accident during pole day practice. Camra played key role in openwheel racing history speed. In response, the race sanctioning body limited the air intake area to slow the turbines down and make them comparable with conventional engines. Racecar driver art pollard continues to be remembered as a great competitor and great man.
Indy 500 deadly accidents, 1973 indianapolis motor speedway. And say what you might about robin miller but you have to admit that robins obituary below, which i shamelessly borrowed from the art lee pollard remembered websites more eulogies section is indeed very touching and definitely gives me a feel for art pollard the person, not the racecar driver. Pollard raced a wide variety of both cars and other machinery. Mar 01, 2014 originally captured and posted by tbk. Art pollard fatal accident at indy 500 may 12, 1973. May 5, 1927 may 12, 1973, was an american racecar driver. Art pollard 1973 indy 500 fatal crash hq alternate angle extended footage slo.
He also participated in numerous nonchampionship formula one races, as well as. A life remembered his optimism, humor and zest for life were evident to all who met him. The car clipped the wall coming out of turn one and did a halfspin as it headed to the grass on the inside of the short chute. Car owner andy granatelli, center left, and driver art pollard, center rear, examine granatellis newest car at the indianapolis motor speedway in 1969. View of the fatal race car crash of american driver art. But his first taste of racing competition came as he won local bicycle races piloting a twowheeled racing bike that he built himself. Savage comes to indy to discover father she lost in fatal crash. The early years of camra saw several drivers who later graduated to indianapolis. View of the fatal race car crash of american driver art pollard during a practice race for the indianapolis 500, indianapolis, indiana, may 12, 1973. The forgotten debuts of dean dalton and ontario motor speedway.
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