We are in the process of finalizing our 2023 schedule and will have that out next week.. Still others, inured by lap after lap of fan-friendly racing -- and unaware that almost one fan a month on average is killed or seriously injured on U.S. tracks -- think of spectator incidents as mere freak occurrences. But he liked to race on them.. "I always thought she was probably in more danger driving to the racetrack than being in the infield," he says. "I told her I'd see her as soon as Uncle Pete was done," says her father, Jeff Mayden. Eight years later, 81 Speedway's owner seems to disagree. 1 sprint car, just one year after he won the worlds most famous race, tumbled over the turn one wall at Salem Speedway. Dorie Sweikert never had attended an auto race until she met her future husband. The series has visited Salem more than any other track in its almost 70-year history. Not now. 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. [2] He won USAC National Sprint Car Series championships in 1980 and 1989, USAC National Midget Series championships in 1978, 1980, 1983, 1986, and 1988. After 1949 Sweikert became close friends with Johnny Boyd of Fresno, California when he met him on the California racing circuit. Required fence heights for oval track bleachers vary from 9 to 15 feet, according to insurance company representatives. Im ready to get started on making improvements as soon as the weather lets us. Lindsey, who liked her daddy to play Pretty, Pretty Princess with her at night, and who, on this day in 1996, kissed him and waited while he worked as a spotter for his brother in the afternoon's last race. A naturally gifted mechanic, he frequently won street races throughout the East Bay. They are. 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. ''Rich saw his father die,'' said Marvel. The car hit the guardrail and destroyed a section of protective fencing near the grandstand. Vogler, a native of Glen Ellyn, Ill., who lived in Indianapolis with his wife and three children, was pronounced dead from massive head injuries at Washington County Memorial Hospital, said USAC Vice President Bill Marvel. On May 30, 1955 Sweikert finally won the Indianapolis 500 race, from the 14th starting position in the Zink Kurtis roadster #6. In July 1995, Michael "Buzz" Baker, a visiting construction worker from Sabetha, Kan., paid to watch a Saturday night of races from the pit bleachers. ''They were both at the track practicing. He'd heard the track was going to build a fenced playground in the infield in Lindsey's honor, but those plans went unrealized. The following paragraphs have been transcribed from the Indianapolis You just couldnt be afraid all the time.. High powered sprint cars accelerate down the straights at speeds reaching nearly 140 miles per hour. Racing close with Elisian, both cars pushed high. Its like Iraq its that kind of grief.. 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. Jeff Mayden hasn't been to Salem Speedway in the five years since his daughter's death. "He would be going if it were me that died. July 22, 1990 12 AM PT Rich Vogler, five-time United States Auto Club midget champion, was killed Saturday night when he crashed during a sprint car race at Salem (Ind.) NASCAR hadnt yet arrived to swallow the sport. She never saw danger coming. "We don't want the legal system to say, `You approved this car inspection thing.' 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. 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. An Observer survey of track officials showed that few speedways inspect cars closely for more than basic safety items such as restraints and helmets. His father Donald Vogler died in a midget car accident at the Indianapolis Speedrome on May 1, 1981. "He was a true professional who served his community with pride every day for over 32 years," the Amherst Police Department said in a statement. Learn how your comment data is processed. Sweikert was thrown from the car and was pronounced dead of head injuries upon arrival at Washington County Hospital. Marjorie Ann Bitter. He would make consecutive starts at Indy from then on, up until 1990. That was your job. He died the day after his sister, on his 10th birthday. Fifteen were gone within just seven years. Some tracks, after tragedies, raise fence heights or beef up security and car inspections. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Sabres place Alex Tuch on injured reserve; top-line winger's status is uncertain, Paula's Donuts to move Clarence store that faced backlash for tax breaks to Amherst, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Chad Hall's departure from Buffalo Bills to Jaguars remains a bit of a mystery. Sweikert's first chance at driving a Sprint car came next in 1949. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, Report: Houston ranked No. Saturday's sponsor is Crosleybrands.com. 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. He was leading the race at the time, when his car crashed with just over a lap to go. Search Provo obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. In late 1952 his first wife, Marion, started divorce proceedings. After a complicated, sometimes off-and-on courtship, they were married in 1953. The wheel, witnesses would say later, bounced through the unrepaired hole in the fence, then struck Baker above his right eye. He ran seventy-two races that first BCRA season, finishing 14th out of 130 active members in the annual point standings. Classes at Christ the King School were canceled for Josh and Amanda Dutton's funeral. Foremen worked for an hour and a half before Deputy Coroner in the driveway beside the vacant house. There was kind of a machismo attached to it. 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. Obituary Pam Williams, age 65, of Salem passed away Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at Kindred Hospital Central in Indianapolis. hunting for them, to call them to supper. The challenge for speedway owners: How do you balance the counterweights of safety and intimacy? The Indianapolis native raced in five Indianapolis 500s. Five-time USAC midget champion Rich Vogler was killed Saturday night after his car crashed during a feature sprint-car race at Salem Speedway of which he was later declared the winner. The track has 33 degrees of banking in the corners. In the 1950s, talent won races, but luck decided who lived and died on the track. Sixteen have been killed in grandstands and bleachers, nine in pit and infield areas, one leaning against a track fence, another sitting on his vehicle at the end of a drag strip. "The insurance never determined what happened," says Clay, who said he doesn't know the path the wheel took. [2] Major auto racing series that run at Salem are ARCA and USAC . Newspapers.com makes these newspapers available for the purpose of historical research, and is not responsible for the content of any newspapers archived at our site. Yet he can't outrun the questions that wait for him at nights in his auto body shop. Insurance companies, some fearful of legal liability, are reluctant to mandate any driver or car inspections. January 22, 2023 (76 years old) View obituary. Fencing, maybe, or car safety. [2] Major auto racing series that run at Salem are ARCA and USAC. Salem, IN (April 20, 2021) - Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS will head to the famous High Banks of Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery, located in Salem, Indiana, this coming weekend for the Midwest 250 Presented by Scott County Tourism & Lucas Oil. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. No other cars were involved and no other injuries reported. He would have raced, anyway.. 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. Dorie Sweikert recalls being able to see her husband smile as his car sprinted past, his head and shoulders exposed to potential peril. More information on Salem Speedway and the 2023 season will be posted on the tracks website at salemspeedway.com and with social media posts on the tracks Facebook page. The 2023 Salem Speedway tentative schedule: April 8: (3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt) Open Practice for all divisions, April 16: (Season Opener) GAS, CVBT, CVST, Scrappers, May 7: (Derby Hangover Twin 75s) GAS, CVBT, CVST, 602 Stocks, June 3: ASA/CRA Super Series, JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, GAS, June 17: (Semis on The High Banks) Semis, CVBT, Scrappers, July 1-2: (Firecracker 200 Weekend) GAS, CVBT, CVST, 602 Stocks, Legends, July 22: (Midwest Street Stock Battle and Late Models) GAS, CRA Street Stocks, CRA Late Model Sportsman, CVBT, Aug. 19: (Dollar Beer and Cruise In) GAS, CVBT, CVST, 602 Stocks, Scrappers, Sept. 9: (End of Summer 100) GAS, CVBT, CVST, Legends, Oct. 21-22: (Halloween 200 Weekend) Halloween 200, CVBT 200, CVST, MF8, 602 Stocks, Scrappers, Bloomington Speedway releases 2023 schedule. For over 65 years Salem Speedway has enjoyed the recognition of being one of the most unique and renowned racetracks in America. When they first started to use roll bars, traditionalists thought it was just awful. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? Situated in the scenic hills of Southern Indiana, the Salem Speedways roars to life with upwards of 15. 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. She went back to California In late 1944, Sweikert enrolled in the US Army Air Force, but suffered a severe knee injury while training at Lowry Field in Colorado. Sweikert and his wife, Dolores, were the parents of four children It will be a process of getting those done over the next several years. Bohanon, a Southern Indiana. or. 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. His "Indy 500" win was over-shadowed by the fatal crash of two-time winner Bill Vukovich during the race earlier that day. Vogler, now dead at the age of 39, was declared the winner posthumously because of USAC National Sprint Car Series rules on a red flag reverting to the previous completed lap. But I'm doing therapy every day.". There are improvements that I want to make to the pavement, the pit area, lighting, infield concessions, infield restrooms and the scoreboard. One father lifts his infant daughter above the fence so she can better see the cars roaring past less than 20 feet away. Some neglect even those, conducting superficial prerace walk-throughs or no checks at all. Vogler was the National Alliance of Midget Auto Racing (NAMAR) midget champion in 1973. Dorie recalled thinking he was the most handsome young man shed ever seen. Neighbors who learned of the accident called the sheriffs The same year, Sweikert moved up to midget cars, and won his first training race with the Bay Cities Racing Association. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. As a sad, ironic twist, Sweikerts tragedy helped fuel of his death. Among the 33 drivers who started the 1955 Indy 500 won by Sweikert, 16 eventually were killed in accidents on the track. RACE CAR driver Bob Sweikert celebrates his win in the 1955Indianapolis 500 with his wife, Dorrie. Finishing first among the survivors was a young driver from Pittsboro, Indiana, named Jeff Gordon. 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,. History [ edit] There were no space-age helmets and flame-proof racing suits. Born March 10, 1957. Learn More Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. Salem has, however, put up a new fence separating the infield from the pits. "It was," he said, "nobody's fault.". The bodies were taken to the Conkle West 16th In 2008, the viewing party was moved to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where 1996 scholarship recipient Ryan Newman won the aforementioned race. on Tragedy follows tragedythe aftermath of Bob Sweikerts death, Meet the amazing Miss Nichols, world-record aviator in a Crosley. The 1955 Indy 500 won by Sweikert, 16 salem speedway deaths were killed in accidents on track... Fatal crash of two-time winner Bill Vukovich during the race at the Indianapolis Speedrome on May 1, 1981 dead! To disagree 65 years Salem Speedway in the 1955Indianapolis 500 with his wife Marion! The process of finalizing our 2023 schedule and will have that out next week vacant.! 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