Evening star., 1955-05-31
SPEEDWAY
Continued From Page C-1

two veteran drivers fought for
the lead as if they were in a dirt
track sprint.
McGrath. starting in the front
row. won the first two laps.
Vuky, starting in the second row.
! gradually took command and set
a record of 1922 miles an hour
for the first 1875 miles.
McGrath's ignition system
failed and he was through at
1875 miles. Sweikert, Tony Bet
tenhausen of Tinley Park, H.;
Sam Hanks Of Burbank, Calf.
and Jimmy Bryan Of Phoenix,
1854 National champion, were
coming hard, but not gaining, on
Vukovich when the big wreck
happened with stunning sud-
denneSs.
Didn't Have Chance
Rodger Ward of Los Angeles
lost control coming out of the
southwest turn. Johnny Boyd.
fellow townsman of Vukovich
driving in his first 500, locked
wheels with AL Keller, another
Speedway rookie from Green
Acres, Fla, and both cars
tipped.
Vukovich didn't have a chance.
His Hopkins Special plowed into
the wreckage and bounced end
over end. 1t went over the wall,
hit safety patrol car and
stopped upside down, in flames.
Ed Elisian of Oakland, Calf,
a friend of Vuky. skidded his car
into the inf1eld and ran across
the track in an effort to help.
But the swarthy, nerveless little
man was dead-probably before
the car came to rest.
Vukovich was 36 years old. He
turned to the big cars. and the
big money, after winning the
national midget racing cham
pionship in 1850. He led 486 OF
the last 800 laps raced at the
Speedway.
Ward escaped with q Scraped
nose. Injuries to Keller and
Boyd also were relatively minor.
Richard Wolfe suffered a frac-
tured collarbone and Charles D.
Mallender a broken ankle in
the patrol car hit by one of
Vukovich's wheels.
Niday Injured Severly
Driver Cal Niday, 80. of Pa
coima, Calf. also was injured
severely when his car hit the
wall on the northwest turn, late
in the race, The car bounced
into the infleld and caught fire.
Niday suffered burns, concus-
sion and fractured ribs.
| Fred Agabashian of Albany,
Calf; Art Cross of La Porte,
Ind, and Jimmy Reece of Okla
homa City escaped injury in
| spins.
Sweikert drove smart. steady
race and deserved the victory
that came when the early 'front.'
runners were wrecked or slowed
by mechanical troubles.
The former Hayward (Calif.)
boy, who was sixth in AAA ma
tional standings last year. had
failed to finish in the money in
three previous Speedway starts.
Bryan took control after the
big wreck but his fuel pump
failed at 225 miles. He led 80
laps.
Sweikert. driving a brand-new
Kurtis-Kraft owned by John
link of Tulsa. Okla. surrendered
the lead for "a laps to Cross as a
result of a pit stop for fuel and
tires.
Battle for Second Place
Cross car spun out of control
on the 169th lap and Don Free
land of Los Angeles took the
lead. Freeland's transmission
failed.
Sweikert was unchallenged the
last 100 miles while Bettenhausen
and Pat O'Connor of North
Vernon. Ind. fought a spirited
battle for second place. O'Con-
nor's fuel line broke and he
finished eighth.
BettenhauSen, relieved by vet
| eran Paul Russo of Fort Worth,
Tex. for part of the race, finished
for the first time in nine starts.
He was about two laps back Of
Sweikert. Jimmy Davies of
Pacoima, Calf. was third.
Hanks, former national cham
pion. ran as high as third early
in the race but his car stalled
after 1874 laps.
Niday also had been as high as
fourth and was sixth when he
hit the wall.
1t was just Sweikert's day.
One Rookie in Money
Al Herman of Allentown. Pa.
was the only one of eight rockies
who finished in the money. He
drove a little dirt-track car to
seventh place.
Johnny Thompson, Spring.
field, Mass. finished fourth in
the little car the late Manuel
Ayulo of Burbank, Calf, drove
to second place in the national
standings last year. Ayulo was
killed at the Speedway on Q
practice run May is.
Vukovich's death was the 46th
since the first races at the
Speedway in 1909. two years be-
fore the first 500-mile event.
They included Is drivers, IA me
chanics. six spectators and one
workman.
The drivers won't know the
exact amount each won until
tonight's victory dinner. The
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