Indianapolis Motor Speedway fatalities in Indy 500, spectators
For some, danger is one of the attractions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With great speed comes the potential for disaster. Since the track opened in 1909, more than 70 people have died there, most from racing-related action.
Here are 10 notes about the tragic side of racing.
Deaths before the Indy 500 was created
Six people died at the Speedway in accidents during races contested before the first Indianapolis 500. Five of those — one driver, two riding mechanics and two spectators — occurred in a three-day span in 1909.
According to an Indianapolis Star report about the second such incident, driver and survivor Charles Merz testified before a local coroner that the right front tire on his car exploded, sending the car to swerve into a fence and over an embankment.
"We were going about 60 or 70 mph, and after the machine turned over I crawled part way out and that is all I remember," Merz said, according to the story.
Riding mechanic Claude Kellum and two spectators were killed in that crash.
A difficult job
Riding mechanics had it rough; 13 died between 1909-39.
The 1930s were particularly hazardous
Twenty-three people died at the track during that decade. Five people died in a three-day span in 1933. Driver Bill Denver and riding mechanic Bob Hurst were killed during qualifying and, two days later, driver Mark Billman was killed early in the race, and driver Lester Spangler and riding mechanic G.L. Jordan were killed later in the race.
Two defending Indy 500 champs died in race action
They were Floyd Roberts in 1939 and Bill Vukovich in 1955.
Roberts' car struck another, sending it through an outer wall and into a tree.
Vukovich was leading in his effort to win a third straight 500 when he got caught in an accident involving slower-running cars. Vukovich's car wound up cartwheeling outside an outer wall and on fire.
Indianapolis News reporter Jess Gilson recounted Vukovich's crash from the backstretch: "In the split second that my head was turned, it sounded like all hell was breaking loose. Looking back, I saw Vuky's racer go up in the air and turn end over end on the outside of the wooden retaining rail. ... Then it burst into flames."
Two drivers died in the same Indy 500 race crash just once
May 30, 1964: Dave MacDonald's car spun and hit a wall, exploded and bounced into oncoming traffic. Eddie Sachs hit MacDonald, and his car also caught fire.
They both drove rear-engine cars (rare in that day) fueled by gasoline, which was more combustible than the alcohol mixture many other cars used. The accident prompted significant rule changes regarding race car fuel tanks.
Most recent racing death at IMS
Aug. 29, 2010: 13-year-old motorcycle racer Peter Lenz fell off his machine during a warm-up lap and was run over by another competitor.
Most recent IMS death in an Indy car: What happened to Tony Renna?
Oct. 22, 2003: Tony Renna, who had recently signed with the Ganassi racing team, crashed during testing.
"This was his big break, the one he had been waiting for his whole life," teammate Scott Dixon said at the time, according an Indianapolis Star story.
Trespasser on the track
May 29, 1991: Just days after the Indy 500 that year, Stephen White got on the track in a pickup. After a few laps, a maintenance minivan parked near the start-finish line. White slammed into it.
Most recent Indy 500 spectator death
May 24, 1987: A tire from a crashed race car was struck by another race car, launching it over the catch fence and striking Lyle Kurtenbach.
Most recent driver death from Indy 500-related injuries: What caused the Swede Savage crash?
May 30, 1973: Swede Savage lost control of his car exiting Turn 4 and hit the inside wall. The car exploded on impact.
"I've never seen a car so badly torn up," said John Mahler, who responded to the crash, according to the Indianapolis Star. "It is almost unbelievable that Swede could have lived through a thing like this."
Savage died on July 2.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis Motor Speedway fatalities in Indy 500, spectators
