Back then, the Wide World of Sports televised the qualifier, but they did radio updates every 30 minutes, Mike said. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. The pride of Roseburg and Medford, Oregon had driven his last lap. His family lived there for 11 months after his birth, and Pollock never returned to the town. He was driving under the influence of alcohol and was killed after he was thrown from the vehicle. google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; MEDFORD, Ore. Among those starting their engines in the 1950s, 60s and early 70s were two Southern Oregon natives, Bob Christie of Grants Pass and Art Pollard of Medford. Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, USA. He didn't get to race in 1972 although he qualfied his STP Lola in 10th spot. The car slammed into the outside wall coming out of turn one, burst into flames, and spun as it headed to the grass on the inside of the short chute. "It's probably the lowest point in my life," said Patrick, who continues as a He made speeches at schools and churches and visited the troops in Vietnam, but his pet project was the LaRueCarter Memorial Hospital for retarded children in Indianapolis. He was a mechanic and car dealer at the time of his death. This isn't going to do any good either. By Wednesday, tension and exhaustion infected the track. Safety was the watchword for the 1974 Indianapolis 500. A.J. Instead, he survived with multiple burns, particularly to his Maybe not to dad, because I think he took the relationships he had for granted, because he was that way though his whole life. Bobby Unser took the pole at 195.940 mph, 17 mph faster than the year before. He qualified 12th, but due to mechanical trouble on lap 7, he finished 31st. Smiley died instantly from massive trauma inflicted by the severe impact. The car was demolished. It gets to your stomach, to your head.". https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7232111/art-lee-pollard. I think he was probably the first driver that we had who helped local people. Art L. Pollard, 61, of Commerce City, passed away October 2, 2019 in Brighton CO surrounded by his family. Art Pollard, American race car driver (b. George Snider had. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Art Pollard (7232111)? Make a life-giving gesture Pollard was known as a giving man who did things like visit troops in Vietnam and give speeches at churches and high schools all over the nation. It erupted in flames with the green flag still waving. That same year, 1968, he won the pole position at the Milwaukee 200 and led the race for the first 135 miles, when his brakes failed. Pollard frequently visited Larue Carter Memorial Hospital, a facility for mentally ill youth, and each May arranged for a busload or two of its children to come to the track for a picnic. Teran, a mechanic on Graham McRae's car, sprinted down pit lane to see if he could be of help to his injured teammate. On lap 57, Savage pitted and took on a full fuel load. Failed to report flower. "When I finally got out, I was still weak. google_color_bg = "ECF8FF"; I had a lot of skin grafts on it. A native of Portland, Oregon, Bob Kehoe is a freelance automotive journalist and photographer who wrote his first car column for his high school newspaper. he also had the rookie of the year, Graham McRae, who finished 16th. Again on Wednesday, after another rain delay, the teams tried again. Walther's fate might have been worse; had the tank stayed with the car he surely would Once I got the news I called the hospital, but by then he had passed away. Who Painted the Most Expensive Paintings in the World? When they got me up to walk, I'd get dizzy and go sit back down. Parts of my kneecap were smashed. Time trials began on time, at 11 a.m. Rutherford qualified at 198.413 to set a track record and take the pole. You will then receive an email that helps you regain access. Bob Stewart was a member of his first crew at Indianapolis, and a life-long friend. Art Pollard (born 05 May 1927 Dragon, Utah; died 12 May 1973 Indianapolis, Indiana). Miller was surprised when Pollard said he would take the car out during pre-qualifying practice. And so that helped. Nov 13, 1957 - Oct 2, 2019 Art shook down a pushrod Plymouth V8 in one of last year's wedge-shaped Loutus cars that wears new aero features. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jackson-Pollock, National Gallery of Art, Washington - Biography of Jackson Pollock, Guggenheim - Biography of Jackson Pollock, The Art Story - Biography of Jackson Pollock, Jackson Pollock - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Jackson Pollock - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Methanol, at 70 degrees, weighs about 6.6 pounds a gallon. Driver Art Pollard was killed in an accident during a practice Driver Swede Savage and mechanic Armando Teran also died A crowd estimated at 250,000 swarmed Indianapolis Motor Speedway's. The car was uncompetitive and Art switched to a new Lotus Offy. "When I first got out, I remember I put on my nice-looking crepe slacks and my good-looking shirts. Over the next 16 years his family lived in California and Arizona, eventually moving nine times. If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site, please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send". "Friends and Family Remember May 12 1973", "Art Pollard Racing in 1973, the Tragedy and Reactions", "Art Pollard: Early Years and Personal Facts", https://web.archive.org/web/20071205052904/http://artpollard.tripod.com/1972-73.html, https://web.archive.org/web/20110810203442/http://www.judydippel.com/cmsj/, https://artpollardracedriver.info/art-pollard-by-years/art-pollard-racing-in-1973-the-tragedy-and-reactions/, https://oilpressure.com/2012/02/27/art-pollard-somehow-always-overshadowed/, https://www.historicracing.com/driverDetail.cfm?driverID=5062, http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20160430/SPORTS/160439978, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Art_Pollard&oldid=1091444970, Pages using small with an empty input parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 June 2022, at 11:04. Pre Race Events 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 2016, Marc Evans, 3. And I saw myself and , honest to God, didn't believe it was me. Driver Art Pollard was killed in a horrific pole-day qualifying crash. I think I cried for about two minutes. Rene Thomas, the 1914 race winner, was driven around the track. Can You Match These Lesser-Known Paintings to Their Artists? Jackson Pollock died in a car crash in the summer of 1956 at age 44. Art Pollard lived in Medford Oregon during the 1960s and early 70s and was killed during the Indianapolis 500 time trials on May 12, 1973. He was rushed to Methodist Hospital, but died shortly afterward. It was a lot of fun.. Dallenbach also talked to Savage in the hospital, because he was hired to replace him. Born in Dragon, Utah, Pollard died in Indianapolis, Indiana, as a result of injuries sustained in practice for the 1973 Indianapolis 500. | "It was just a race that everybody wanted to get over with and go home and forget He was just an everyday, common person that shared stories. that much more safe.". May 1973 arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with even more hype than usual, google_ad_client = "pub-8002195670072149"; "I jumped on the throttle coming out of 2," Krisiloff said, "and spun my wheels halfway down the back straight in high gear.". Martin says Bob Christie was a class act in the racing community. He was 46. He would share an apartment in Greenwich Village with Sanford and his wife until 1942. Salt miraculously made it back the next year, qualifying in 14th position for the 1974 Indy 500. Car trouble ends his day early on lap 45. | rescue Walther. Plump organized charity basketball games that Pollard helped promote with other drivers, in addition to his own charity work at an Indianapolis hospital. ). for Championship Auto Racing Teams. And I looked in it. My car hit another and then spun down the track with the wheels off it. The men invested countless evenings in the garage, burning the midnight oil to help transform an old 1933 Chevy Coupe into a bonafide competitor. crash, ended up on the pole at 198.413 mph, including one lap in the 199s. Over the course of time, speeds have continued to increase but safety measures have In time trials, with a car with the new air wing design, and running in high winds, the car went out of control and flipped several times at speeds over 190 miles an hour. "My whole family was in tears. Bob Green remembers that windy Saturday morning, too; cant forget it really. "They looked exactly alike," Andy said, speaking in the hushed tones of grief 40 years later. No one did. //-->,
