# Bill Vukovich II

William John Vukovich Jr. (March 29, 1944 – August 20, 2023) was an American driver in the championship car division of USAC and the CART series.

## Career

Vukovich was named the 1968 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, a result of his seventh-place finish. Vukovich raced in the 1965–1982 seasons, with 158 combined career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1968–1977, 1979–1980. He finished in the top ten 85 times, with one victory in 1973 at Michigan. His best finish at the Indianapolis 500 came in 1973, where he finished second in a rain-shortened, tragedy-marred event.
Vukovich also had 23 National midget car victories in his career, and drove for part of his career in J. C. Agajanian's midget car.

## Personal life and death

Bill Vukovich II was the son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bill Vukovich and the father of Billy Vukovich III, both of whom were killed in racing accidents. Vukovich and his wife, Joyce, were married for 60 years. Vukovich died on August 20, 2023, at the age of 79.

## Award

* Vukovich was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998.

## Complete USAC Championship Car results

| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | Pos | Points |
| 1965 | PHX | TRE | INDY | MIL | LAN | PPR | TRE | IRP | ATL | LAN | MIL | ISF | MIL | DSF | INF | TRE | SAC | PHX 9 | | | | | | | | | | | 37th | 80 |
| 1967 | PHX | TRE | INDY | MIL | LAN | PIP | MOS | MOS | IRP | LAN 23 | MTR 23 | MTR 11 | SPR 6 | MIL 16 | DUQ 5 | ISF 4 | TRE 13 | SAC 17 | HAN 26 | PHX DNQ | RIV 7 | | | | | | | | 15th | 470 |
| 1968 | HAN 26 | LVG 6 | PHX 19 | TRE 5 | INDY 7 | MIL 13 | MOS 9 | MOS 7 | LAN 14 | PIP | CDR 9 | NAZ 3 | IRP 13 | IRP 6 | LAN 6 | LAN 4 | MTR | MTR | SPR 4 | MIL 7 | DUQ 3 | ISF 5 | TRE 6 | SAC 16 | MCH 19 | HAN 6 | PHX 4 | RIV 7 | 5th | 2,410 |
| 1969 | PHX 4 | HAN 8 | INDY 32 | MIL 17 | LAN 4 | PIP | CDR 19 | NAZ 13 | TRE 6 | IRP 22 | IRP | MIL 5 | SPR 3 | DOV | DUQ 4 | ISF 14 | BRN DNQ | BRN | TRE 24 | SAC 13 | KEN 9 | KEN 17 | PHX 6 | RIV 27 | | | | | 8th | 1,280 |
| 1970 | PHX DNS | SON 20 | TRE DNP | INDY 23 | MIL 13 | LAN 12 | CDR | MCH | IRP | SPR DNP | MIL | ONT DNQ | DUQ | ISF | SED | TRE | SAC 3 | PHX 10 | | | | | | | | | | | 32nd | 200 |
| 1971 | RAF | RAF | PHX | TRE 25 | INDY 5 | MIL 3 | POC 5 | MCH 2 | MIL 14 | ONT 10 | TRE 4 | PHX 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3rd | 2.250 |
| 1972 | PHX 20 | TRE 18 | INDY 28 | MIL 4 | MCH 11 | POC 4 | MIL 2 | ONT 3 | TRE 4 | PHX 15 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2nd | 2.200 |
| 1973 | TWS 15 | TRE 3 | TRE 2 | INDY 2 | MIL 22 | POC 24 | MCH 3 | MIL 3 | ONT 12 | ONT | ONT 24 | MCH 1 | MCH 15 | TRE 6 | TWS 20 | PHX 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4th | 2.440 |
| 1974 | ONT 10 | ONT | ONT 21 | PHX 8 | TRE 3 | INDY 3 | MIL 3 | POC 8 | MCH 5 | MIL 10 | MCH 19 | TRE 18 | TRE | PHX 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6th | 1,925 |
| 1975 | ONT | ONT 4 | ONT 23 | PHX 4 | TRE | INDY 6 | MIL 7 | POC 3 | MCH 3 | MIL 8 | MCH 11 | TRE | PHX 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5th | 2.080 |
| 1976 | PHX DNQ | TRE 22 | INDY 31 | MIL 6 | POC 26 | MCH | TWS 6 | TRE 8 | MIL 15 | ONT 24 | MCH | TWS 5 | PHX 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14th | 660 |
| 1977 | ONT 20 | PHX 19 | TWS | TRE 13 | INDY 17 | MIL | POC 9 | MOS 12 | MCH 14 | TWS | MIL | ONT 31 | MCH | PHX | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 27th | 220 |
| 1978 | PHX | ONT | TWS | TRE | INDY DNQ | MOS | MIL | POC 28 | MCH | ATL | TWS | MIL | ONT 26 | MCH | TRE | SIL | BRH | PHX | | | | | | | | | | | 40th | 20 |
| 1979 | ONT 3 | TWS 6 | INDY 8 | MIL 2 | POC 6 | TWS 6 | MIL 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2nd | 1,770 |
| 1980 | ONT | INDY 12 | MIL 21 | POC 28 | MDO | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 29th | 65 |
| 1981-82 | INDY DNQ | POC 6 | ILL 17 | DUQ | ISF 6 | INDY DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13th | 568 |
| 1982-83 | SPR | DUQ | NAZ | INDY DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | 0 |
| 1983-84 | DUQ 12 | INDY DNP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19th | 20 |

## Complete PPG Indy Car Series results

| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pos. | Pts |
| 1979 | Leader Card Racing | PHX | ATL | ATL | INDY 8 | TRE | TRE | MCH | MCH | WGL | TRE | ONT | MCH | ATL | PHX | | | - | 0 |
| 1980 | Leader Card Racing | ONT | INDY 12 | MIL 21 | POC 28 | MDO | MCH | WGL | MIL 19 | ONT 34 | MCH 25 | MEX | PHX 12 | | | | | 37th | 96 |
| 1981 | Rattlesnake Racing | PHX | MIL | ATL | ATL | MCH 15 | RIV DNQ | MIL | MCH 14 | WGL | MEX 27 | PHX | | | | | | 33rd | 6 |
| 1982 | | PHX | ATL | MIL 11 | CLE | MCH | MIL | POC 29 | RIV | ROA | MCH | PHX | | | | | | 41st | 2 |
| 1983 | | ATL | INDY DNQ | MIL | CLE | MCH | ROA | POC | RIV | MDO | MCH | CPL | LAG | PHX | | | | - | 0 |
| 1984 | | LBH | PHX | INDY DNQ | MIL | POR | MEA | CLE | MCH | ROA | POC | MDO | SAN | MCH | PHX | LAG | CPL | - | 0 |

## Indianapolis 500 results

| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish |
| 1968 | Shrike | Offy | 23rd | 7th |
| 1969 | Laycock | Offy | 26th | 32nd |
| 1970 | Brabham | Offy | 30th | 23rd |
| 1971 | Brabham | Offy | 11th | 5th |
| 1972 | Eagle | Offy | 18th | 28th |
| 1973 | Eagle | Offy | 16th | 2nd |
| 1974 | Eagle | Offy | 16th | 3rd |
| 1975 | Eagle | Offy | 8th | 6th |
| 1976 | Eagle | Offy | 9th | 31st |
| 1977 | Coyote | Foyt | 23rd | 17th |
| 1978 | Eagle | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
| 1979 | Watson | Offy | 34th | 8th |
| 1980 | Watson | Offy | 30th | 12th |
| 1981 | Watson | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
| 1982 | Lightning | Cosworth | Failed to Qualify | |
| 1983 | Eagle | Chevrolet | Failed to Qualify | |