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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Newsman Don O’Reilly wrote this article on Vukovich for the May 23, 1957 edition of The Indianapolis News 500 HALL OF FAME Vuky – an Enigma to Some, but a Champion to All By DON O’REILLY Bill Vukovich was a complex personality to many people who knew him only casually, but there were those who were privileged to see the warmth break through the outer shell that was not the real Vuky.He received one of the greatest tributes that can be paid from a close friend, former News sports writer, Angelo Angelopolous, who said: "Bill Vukovich came closest to being the completely honest man. If he didn’t like a thing or a man, he shunned it or him. He figured he was wasting time for both. He punctured balloons, he struck to the core, he feared not to tell the truth, he feared not the consequences. He cared not if he incurred a man’s displeasure, for he cared only to keep his self-respect intact." Vuky began his racing career in the late 1930’s and earned fame as a heavy-footed terror of the Pacific Coast midgets, winning the Pacific championship in 1946 and 1947. (Editors Note: While this article was reprinted in its exact form, this information is not exactly correct. Bill Vukovich won what was called the URA Red Circuit Crown in 1945 and 1946. In 1947 Vukovich came in second in the red circuit crown which was won by Bill Zaring.) In 1950 he was the AAA national midget champion and switched to the big speedway cars the following year. He arrived at Indianapolis with a reputation as one of the most to-be-feared competitors. In his first 500-Mile Race his car was out on the 29th lap with an oil leak. Indianapolis history is dotted with the stories of heartbreak, but none more moving than Vuky's end-of-the-race crash in 1952, after he had led most of the way and was on adds-on favorite to roll into victory lane. A steering part failed and the Howard Keck Fuel Injection Special hit the wall just eight laps from the finish. Vuky was not injured. When he returned in 1953 he was recognized as a definite potential winner, and he didn’t disappoint. Bill Vukovich won the pole position in one of the most dramatic qualifying runs ever recorded. As he roared through his final lap a light rain started to fall. The officials hesitated because Vuky was obviously a candidate for the coveted pole position. Vuky was in the "short chute" now, going into the fourth turn. Nothing would be gained, officials figured, by throwing the yellow light now, because he was too near the turn. As he roared down the straightaway, the heavens opened up in a cloudburst. Vuky took the checkered flag at an estimated 175 mph. Could he get through the first turn safely on that rain-soaked slippery asphalt? He did, as a roar went up from the crowd, and officials and newsmen each took a deep breath of relief. It is history that Bill Vukovich went on to win that 1953 race, leading all but two laps. He came back in 1954 to win again, the third man in history to capture two in a row. In 1955, tragedy struck, and Bill Vukovich was trapped in a traffic jam of skidding and sliding race cars. He was killed as his car crashed on the backstretch. Vuky was leading the race at the time, apparently on his way to a third straight victory. Vuky had won the 500-Mile Race from the pole position in 1953 and from the 19th starting spot in 1954, proving his contention that "you can win it from any position." He was an all-time great at Indianapolis. -30-
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