A Report On The Accident That Killed Bill
Vukovich In The 1955 Indianapolis 500-Mile-Race
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A Report On The Accident That Killed Bill Vukovich In The 1955 Indianapolis 500-Mile-Race
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George Thompson Lived A Dream We’ve all dreamed of having our favorite celebrity over to our house to spend the night – to talk and joke around like we were good buddies. But it happens to a very few people. But it did happen to George A. Thompson, son of Lawrence E. Thompson, owner of the home on W 15th Street in Speedway, Indiana where Bill Vukovich stayed in the Months of May from 1952 to 1955. Thompson remembers it as happy times spent in the company of the two time Indy legend -- of times of Vuky coming and going from the house as he walked to and from the famous oval for practice -- about the excitement of his arrival in Speedway after the long trip across country from California -- to the time Vuky wanted to know if it was o.k. if a "few" friends from Fresno stayed at the house during race time. Thompson was in rarified air. In those days drivers running in the "500" did stay at neighboring homes close to the track. The Thompson family could have had numerous drivers staying there – but in this case George's home housed his hero – the legendary Bill Vukovich. It was a glorious time and one that made it much more crushing when it all ended in such terrible tragedy in 1955. In 1951 Vuky had stayed in what was known as the Manifolds’ Home which was three houses east of the Thompson’s at 334 W. 15th Street. But for some reason in 1952 Vuky began staying at the Thompson residence "I had always thought that Clarence Cagle sent him to us", Thompson said. "My parents were close friends with Clarence and his then wife and he always ask them to room a driver". But that might not have been positively the case . "On the other had we were close friends with the Manifolds and maybe she sent him to us. We were both located close to the track". "We did not realize at the time of his arrival the happiness, joy, tears and pain he would bring us over the next several years", said Thompson. Thompson does not claim to be an expert on Bill Vukovich because a lot of what he saw was the driver going in and out of the home, always busy, always focused. It was difficult with Vuky’s time schedule to be able to sit down over a cup of coffee and discuss the world. But there were those times when he did speak to him – and get at least a cursory idea of what he was like. And when asked to sum him up, his response was "a great man." According to Thompson, Vukovich would show up the first part of May about the time the track opened for practice. Thompson does not remember Vuky having his own personal car but of course "later he won a couple to drive back in." Thompson does remember him walking to and from the Speedway since they were so close. "He stayed in the back bedroom upstairs," Thomson remembered. "There are five bedrooms in the house. The stairway to the upstairs was at the end of the living room. From the top of the stairs you would turn left and walk down a hallway around a corner to the left to the room. The room is all by itself at the northeast corner." Thompson remembers in 1953 when Vuky drove up to front of the house with his wife Esther and fellow race driver Ed Elisian. "He and Bill were close", Thomson said. "He was a frequent visitor". "Esther and my Mother were very close" too. "Esther spent a lot of time around the house. She thought I was funny and I could make her laugh." "She ate lunch with us several times", (Thompson walked home from school daily for lunch). With Bill at the track practicing, perhaps he wanted somebody he could trust with Esther -- to keep company with her in case anything happened. In the early days Bill apparently did not come as prepared as he should have for all the activities surrounding the 500-Mile-Race. In 1952 when Vuky was leading the race with just a few laps to go, had steering gear failure and wound up against the wall, he still had a respectable finishing position. That required him to attend the 500 Victory Celebration. When told about the Banquet and that he’d have to show up in a coat and tie George said Vuky told Mrs Thompson that he had not brought clothes from Fresno for such an event, Since Vuky and George were about the same build and height she was able to fix Bill up with a sport coat and slacks so he could attend the Victory Dinner. One little known fact was that Vuky had what was described as a bad cold during the first part of May one year and that his mother actually had to take care of him for at least one day. Maybe because he was never used to needing any help himself, apparently this was one occasion when Vuky was a little more talkative than his usual quiet self. He even cracked some self deprecating jokes related to his being sick that apparently resonated through the Thompson home for days. One year Vuky told the Thompson’s that he had a "few" friends from Fresno that were coming to the race and needed a place to stay and wondered if they could maybe sleep in the basement. Of course the Thompson’s said fine but as the race was about two days away 21 people showed up including Eli and Mike Vukovich. Thompson thought he had half the City of Fresno there. Somehow they rounded up enough cots and slept them all. On Race morning Mrs. Thomson somehow whipped together breakfast for the bunch of them before they headed for the track. It was a fantastic time and to top it off Bill won the race that year. 1955 was terrible for everybody involved. "How painful it was", Thompson remembered. "My car was parked on the backstretch", not far from the accident scene. "We could see the car flipping as it got really airborne." When Mike Vukovich came over after the race was over to see the wrecked car, Thompson loaned him his own car right then and there to help him with what Mike was faced with and what he had to do. That night at the house Thompson described a horrific scene. "It was terrible. Esther was laying on the couch and a parade of people came by to pay there respects. Thompson reported. "Most all the race drivers were standing on the porch trying to keep the press from invading our property." "You can only imagine how tragic it was. Somehow we all made it through the next couple of days." The memorial service was held at Conkle Funeral Home on that Monday. Esther insisted that George’s Mom be in the family room for the service. George’s mother was with Esther at the track and Esther had collapsed in her arms at the track hospital according to newspaper reports. "I also attended," George said. "Another terrible memory." "After that year Esther came back and brought her daughter Marlene and maybe Billy, Jr. but I don't remember him being there. I guess it was to finalize Vuky's death for her and the kids", Thompson said. "We had a wonderful time. I even took Marlene to the the Deluxe Outdoor Movie Theater in Clermont, a little town just west of Speedway. It's where they have the National Drags every September." While it all ended in tragedy, through his life George has always tried to cherish the fond memories that Bill Vukovich, two-time winner of the greatest race in the world, brought to them when he stayed at the Thompson House in Speedway. |
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