The contact sent Sneva’s car airborne and into the catch fence as it caught fire. Tom Sneva became the talk of the town in ’75 when he and rookie Eldon Rasmussen touched wheels in the second turn. The race ended after 133 laps with only 10 cars still on the track.
Savage never recovered and died July 2, 1973. Amid the chaos, crew member Armando Teran began running down pit lane to help Savage, but he was hit and fatally injured by a fire truck going the wrong way.
When the rain-delayed race continued two days later, Swede Savage was severely burned after his car made a sudden, sharp left turn coming down the front straight and slammed into the inside wall. Walther sustained severe burns and a crushed kneecap but survived. Walther’s car pin-wheeled down the front straight with fuel pouring onto the track. The impact broke a support pole and showered the crowd with debris. As the race started, Salt Walther and Jerry Grant touched wheels, launching Walther’s car into the catch fence.
INDY 500 TRACKMAP DRIVER
Driver Art Pollard was killed in a horrific pole-day qualifying crash. Speculation about cracking 200 mph vanished during a month everyone wanted to forget. _ 1973 - Art Pollard, Salt Walther, and Swede Savage
INDY 500 TRACKMAP SERIES
Series officials responded to cries for a racing ban by imposing new safety measures, including fuel cells. MacDonald and Sachs were killed, five other cars were involved and the race was stopped for more than an hour.
INDY 500 TRACKMAP DRIVERS
A frightening sound, screeching brakes, reverberated as drivers tried to evade crashing in the dense smoke. The two-time pole winner slammed into MacDonald’s burning car, creating a second explosion that sent a billowing black cloud (17:40) across the front straightaway. 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. 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. The 48th running of the Indianapolis 500 was one of the darkest days in race history. 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. 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. In the front straight, Bettenhausen lost control of Russo’s car and slammed into the outside wall. Two years later, Bettenhausen tried to help out an old friend by testing Paul Russo’s struggling car with tragic consequences. He retired three times before a 1959 Indy crash sent his car sliding 33 feet into the infield upside down.
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. The 36-year-old racing star was killed instantly. Vukovich’s car tumbled over the outside wall, toppled end over end (20:58) and rolled over on its side before coming to a stop. The best driver of the ’50s, couldn’t avoid the crash.
Keller’s car veered back onto the track and plowed into Johnny Boyd, who skidded between Ward and the wall - and directly into the path of Vukovich. When Rodger Ward lost control of his car because of a broken axle on Lap 57, Al Keller pulled his hand brake to avoid a collision. He won from the pole in 1953, won again in 1954 and led by a half-mile early in the 1955 race. Two-time race winner Bill Vukovich seemed destined for greatness at Indy. As Indy celebrates its 100th race on May 29, The Associated Press looks back at some of the worst crashes over the past century. But at a race that has too often ended in tragedy for drivers, crew members and fans, the most spectacular crashes are often the most unforgettable. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - High speed, risky maneuvers and a crowded field have always been a dangerous combination at the Indianapolis 500.
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