Vukovich, bill open wheel 1992 inductees hall of fame. Bill vukovich 14, driving fuel injection special, leads manuel ayulo 88 and the rest of the drivers into the first run of the indy 500mile race on the indianapolis motor speedway track in. He was named the 1968 indianapolis 500 rookie of the year, a result of his seventhplace finish. Genealogy profile for bill vukovich genealogy for william john vukovich, sr. Billy vukovich, iii 19631990 find a grave memorial. The grandson of twotime indianapolis 500 winner bill vukovich and the son. Viewer discretion advised he was killed in a chainreaction crash while holding a 17second lead on the 57th lap of the 1955 indianapolis 500. Bill vukovich s legacy continued through his ancestors. Bill vukovich would have turned 100 on december heres what made the mad. Espn classic vukovich was a fearless racing legend. Bill vukovich fatal accident in the 1955 indy 500 youtube.
Click on the number of races to see individual races for that year. Click on the site to see bill vukovich s career results at that track glossary. Born in fresno, california, he was a thirdgeneration driver grandson of bill vukovich i and son of bill vukovich ii. Bill vukovich, who concentrated most of his racing efforts on the indianapolis 500 after winning the 1950 american automobile association national midget championship, was the fourth driver to score two consecutive victories at indianapolis. He won the 1953 and 1954 indianapolis 500 plus two. Profile for racing driver bill vukovich from united states. In 1988, he was indianapolis 500 race rookie of the year and also a three time veteran of the indy 500 198890. Vukovich had been the outstanding driver at the brickyard. Bill vukovich project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. He died on may 30, 1955 in indianapolis, indiana, united states. His racing career began at an early age, and he quickly established himself as one of the best drivers. A successful midget racer, vukovich saw his career kickstarted in 1950 when ecurie nationale belge signed him alongside charles van acker as. One driver who you may not consider is one of the 19 drivers who has won multiple indy 500 races and one of the five drivers who has won backtoback indy 500 races.
Before he began indy racing, vukovich drove midget cars for the edelbrock dirt track racing team. Memory lane bill vukovich wins 1954 indianapolis 500. William john vukovich iii august 31, 1963 november 25, 1990, better known as billy vukovich iii or bill vukovich iii was an. Now lives in indiana and has a few business interests.
There are 9 cousins remaining i am the youngest female, 67. Vukovich switched to entrant lindsey hopkins yearold car on the. Bill vukovich was born on december, 1918 in alameda, california, united states as william john vukovich sr. Raced in the heroes of indy race in the mid 2000s, but otherwise, his racing links are confined to memorial functions for his father and son, though he does appear often at historics, despite recent health problems. Driver bill vukovich 1952 aaa champ car series results. A hall of fame open wheeler with only five races at the brickyard must have been mighty good. Bill vukovich 3d, a thirdgeneration race car driver whose grandfather was killed while leading the indianapolis 500 in 1955, died sunday after a crash at mesa marin speedway. Of serbian descent another moniker the mad russian was somewhat misplaced, bill vukovich scored backtoback wins at indianapolis only to be killed when attempting to become the first man to win the race for three years in a row.
William bill vukovich december, 1918 in fresno, california may 30, 1955 in indianapolis, indiana was a yugoslavian american automobile racing driver. Beyond that, he won countless midget races, barnstorming the country. Vukovich s generosity to fellow drivers and friends was told by his mechanics, jim travers and frank coon, and others in the racing community. Killed in the 1955 indianapolis 500, whilst on course for his 3rd successive win. December, 1918 may 30, 1955 was an american automobile racing driver. Bill vukovich iii born 1963 continued family tradition as a racer, starting three times at indianapolis. Bill vukovich ii born march 29, 1944, fresno, california, is a former driver in the championship car division of usac and cart championship car series he was named the 1968 indianapolis 500 rookie of the year, a result of his 7th place finish. Bill vukovich iii fatal accident at mesa marin raceway. Vukovichs car struck boyds, became airborne, and landed upside down after going over the outside backstretch retaining wall, killing him. Although described as a russian, vukovich was actually of serbian descent. Bill vukovich was a racing legend during the fifties, best remembered for three indy 500 races. Bill vukovich ii vukovich at the 2014 indianapolis 500.
Vukovich, bill, 19181955 indianapolis motor speedway speedway, ind. December, 1918 may 30, 1955 was a serbian american automobile racing driver. Vuky was one of the greatest indycar drivers of all time. He won the race twice in a row and lost his life trying to become the only man to win it three times in succession. Vukovich raced in the 19651982 seasons, with 158 combined career starts, including the indianapolis 500 in 19681977, 19791980. He was a threetime starter of the indianapolis 500. Click on the year to see the standings for that year. In 1955, driver bill vuky vukovich returned to the indianapolis 500 to defend his title and try for an unmatched third consecutive win in the famed race. An introvert but good humoured man, bill and his brother eli, took over the family grape farm. Built by frank kurtis and driven by bill vukovich, the car revolutionized racing at indianapolis.
Winner bill vukovich interviewed in victory circle, 1954. None would be as great as bill vukovich motor sport magazine. He won the 1953 and 1954 indianapolis 500 plus two more american automobile. Indianapolis speedway race automobiles, racing automobile racing drivers automobile mechanics automobiles maintenance and repair crowds. His terrified codriver repeatedly protested as vukovich sliced corners on the precipitous mountain roads. In 1952, he led most of the race before being eliminated by steering gear failure with only nine laps to go. That same race threetime winner mauri rose suffered the crash that. Bill vukovich was an american racer of serbian ancestry who scored two victories at indianapolis 500 in 1953 and he was killed at 1955 indy 500 indy car racing dirt track racing indy cars automobile classic race cars racing helmets old race cars sprint cars f1 drivers what others are saying. Bill vukovich 3d, 27, driver of racing cars the new york. His son bill vukovich jr born 1944 was also a race car driver, participating times at indianapolis 500 and taking the 1968 indianapolis 500 rookie of the year honor. Considered by many racing analysts to be the greatest indianapolis 500 driver of all time.
Although bill vukovich died in the 1955 indianapolis 500, the vukovich story continued through his son, bill, jr. Vukies blazing spirit cloaked in a cool demeanor was evident in the 1954 pan american road race. Bill vukovich ii born 29 mar 1944 riverside, california. Racing fans said that vukie liked to drive just one way hard and fast.
William john vukovich sr was an american automobile racing driver. Bill won the 1953 indy 500 in 1953 he endured searing heat and led for 195 laps to win the 500, one of only five drivers that year to finish the race without relief. Njegov sin bill vukovich ii zavrsio je na drugom mjestu na indianapolisu 500, 1973. Indianapolis speedway race automobiles, racing automobile racing drivers interviews trophies borgwarner corporation crowds. Vukovich iii not only had the name but a spectacular driving record. Bill vukovich of fresno, ca, was often called vuky and the fresno flash.
Bill vukovich of fresno, ca, was often called vuky and. In terms of his skill and his ability and his determination. Vukovich was one of the top openwheel racecar drivers of the late 1940s and early1950s. Bill vukovich came out of of californias midget circuit to become one of the greatest drivers to ever compete on the massive indianapolis motor speedway. Winner bill vukovich interviewed in victory circle, 1954 description. He was an actor, known for roar of the crowd 1953, formula 1 1950 and profile of a race driver 1968. He won the 1953 and 1954 indianapolis 500 plus two more american automobile association national championship races. The first and third have passed on in racing accidents.
Bill vukovich winning the 1954 indy daddys favorite driver. The design offset and lowered the engine and surrounded the driver with a highsided cockpit, creating the first indianapolis roadster. M y dad was bill srs older brother the eight children have all passed on. He gave me a list of eight hot dogsdrivers with enough impassioned stamina to go flat out for as long as the raceor their carswould last. The thirdgeneration vukovich iii was killed in a sprint car race in bakersfield, california in 1990, prematurely ending his life at the age of 27.
See more ideas about indy cars, indy car racing and race cars. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most. Howard keck had arranged for epperly and his team to build the car for bill vukovich who had previously won the indy 500 back to back in 1953 and 1954. I think bill vukovich was probably the greatest driver weve ever known, said fellow twotime indy 500 winner rodger ward, when speaking to espn classics sportscentury series. Espn classic mad russian won first indy 500 in 1953. Bill vukovich ii racing career profile driver database. Although he made his big mark in indy car racing, vukovich drove midget cars for the edelbrock dirt track racing team early in his career.
Memory lane bill vukovich wins 1954 indianapolis 500 youtube. May 30, 1953 ignoring the blistering heat and leaving his fellow drivers in his fumes, bill vukovich put on. With better luck, vukovich would also have won at least the 1952 and 1955 indianapolis classics as well. On race day, one of the hottest indy 500s of all time, one driver died of heat stroke and only five finishers managed to do so without the aid of a relief driver. Winner of the 1953 and 1954 indianapolis 500 races. Bill vukovich, 195354 if a mount rushmore of the greatest drivers in indianapolis 500 history was carved from a granite mountainside, fourtime winners a. In winning the indianapolis 500 twice, the senior vukovich went from west coast midget racer to one of the most respected drivers in the paddock. Bill vukovich with his wife and marie wilson in victory circle.
To this day, no driver has ever won the indy 500 three times in a row, so keck and vukovich were determined to go all out to win the 1955 race with the unfair advantage of the streamliner. Bill vukovich s indianapolis 500 career was meteoric and placed him among the best ever to compete at the famed memorial day classic. Foyt, al unser and rick mears would be guaranteed a place, and it wouldnt be a stretch to put a twotime winner in the fourth spot bill vukovich. Few drivers dominated a short era of the indianapolis 500 more than bill vukovich, who won consecutive. William john vukovich iii was an american race car driver. Within a few years, bill vukovich was one of the countrys top drivers. Bill vukovich iii, grandson of a twotime winner of the indianapolis 500 and himself the only thirdgeneration indy 500 driver, was killed sunday while practicing for a california racing assn. Further information on this record can be found at its source.
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