1955 INDIANAPOLIS 500 "THE UNFORGETTABLE 500" INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 76084 

It's all about speed now. That's racing, in case you haven't heard.

Sweikert died only a few weeks after coming in 6th at the 1956 Indy 500 (June 17, racing Sprints at Salem).

And it was all about Perfect Circle. The best piston rings in the world.

What year was that

​@@JJ-bv2gp Scotland's Jackie Stewart drove in the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix on the 8.76-mile Spa-Francorchamps circuit which since 1925 had already claimed the lives of 21 car and motorcycle racers (and would experience another 27 deaths through last year). It was a wet day (Formula One cars race in the rain, unlike Indy cars on ovals); the rain had stopped when the race began, but began pouring away from the starting grid. Four cars spun out of the race at Turn Six (of 14 turns), and four more (one restarted) at the next "curve", the Masta Kink, with Stewart's BRM hitting a telegraph pole, landing upside down leaving him with a broken shoulder, cracked ribs and trapped inside the damaged car with fuel pouring out on him (in those days, fire was the race drivers worst fear). Two other drivers, Englishman Graham Hill and American Bob Bondurant, left their cars to scrounge tools from a spectator and free Stewart - after half an hour! - and carry him to the bed of a pickup truck to wait for the ambulance. When it finally arrived, it took him to the track's first aid center where he lay on the stretcher on the floor with cigarette butts and other trash until another ambulance came to take him to the hospital - only to get lost on the way. Of the fifteen cars that started the race, only seven came back around on that first lap... That debacle inspired Stewart to become an untiring advocate for safety improvements in the sport, which made him very unpopular to some drivers who loved the image of themselves as gladiators and to track owners who were upset by the added expenses of such proposed measures (legit medical facilities, more track workers around the circuits, proper firefighting equipment, guardrails around tracks - there's a famous photo of one of the cars caught out by the rain that day half-hanging over a wall with a ten-foot drop below it - portable medical teams to go to the sites of accidents, winches and cranes to lift cars off the track, etc. He may be the most unloved three-time World Driving Champion ever because of his campaign, but with credentials like that behind him, change slowly but eventually happened so deaths are far fewer than they ever were.

@@JerseyDevilBM So true, thanks for you're post!

I was 14 when this took place. Listening to the "500" on the radio was an exciting tradition since I was about 6 or so. I notice now how the men somehow looked older and more mature for their ages in that time. Racing was hard on them in many ways - the attraction carried me into motorcycle racing in the '60s. Seemed like being a hero was all that mattered when I was young but the charm wore off as practicality edged in.

I was 10. I started listening to the race when I was 7 or 8. Listened to or watched every race ,including the year I was in Vietnam, until Tony George created the split. Haven't watched or listened since.

That's why what drivers like A.J. Foyt did was so remarkable. Not only did A.J. win a lot of races and championships, four Indy 500s, as well as qualifying for 35 500s in a row, and set numerous records, but the fact that he survived about the deadliest era of racing and was racing into the '90s is an accomplishment in itself. Oh, and I have to mention that his car, driven by Tony Kanaan, finished in the top ten at Indy on Sunday.

The driver's head was at least 9 inches above the cockpit and didn't have much of a prayer in the event of a rollover.

There were a lot of fatalities but it’s actually astonishing there weren’t many more.

I'm from Phoenix and lived at 7th Street north of Bethany. I hear Jimmy Bryan and his family lived in the 7th St & Northern Av area.

Did you kniw my Dad? Bob DeBisschop, he was AJ Watson's right hand...the tall one with the pit board in this video. Dad went on to develope the Turbo Charged Offenhauser that took Bobby Unser to victory at Kndy in 1968. We moved to Phoenix in 1968 and I remember going to Clints's garage as well. I was 9 and still remember. I lost my Dad last year, so these are cherished memories 💔

It was also unforgettable because the multitude of fatal accidents that year in all series (and, yes, I am counting the Le Mans disaster), almost killed auto racing in the United States, and, really, worldwide...

​@@RandysRacingPlace633 Not to mention the losses of Ferrari driver (& 2x WDC) Alberto Ascari and car enthusiast James Dean. 1955 was a strange/tragic year.

Seventh mist I feel he was the best indy driver of all time,,,,,,,, He was just so tough and hard driver!

I watched an interview with Bill Vukovich II, a former driver who raced the Indy 500 12 times, including a second place finish in the also tragic 1973 running. He shares his thoughts on losing his childhood idol - his father - and his beloved son to racing. I can't remember where it aired, but it's truly touching.

Bob Sweikert in 1956

@@mgrayfox59 Yes.

I think they had a waist seat belt. 9:00 You can see the driver reaching for it's side before he gets out of the car. 19:10 that guy would have been ejected for the car with no seat belt, you can see clearly that he is strapped in there and they are struggling to get him out... but still 1 dead, multiple injuries.. this race was just brutal!

25:02

Don't think they ever considered that.. The show always goes on

1955 Le Mans nearly did get auto racing banned in Europe for sure.

Numerous major races all over the world were canceled as a result and several countries, including major players like France and Germany, banned racing at least for the rest of 1955, supposedly until steps were taken to improve safety at various tracks. Switzerland's ban has never been rescinded, at least until their 2015 OK of electric vehicle racing only. In the U.S., which had its share of high profile racing deaths the same year (including that of reigning two-time Indy 500 winner Bill Vukovich while on his way to a potential third straight triumph in the race), similar steps were taken and the American Automobile Association (yes, that AAA), which was the sanctioning body for racing in the U.S., including Indy cars, withdrew completely from the sport, leading to the formation of the United States Auto Club to fill the same role, including running Indy cars for the next twenty-four years.

@@pabloescobar1106 Le Mans

@@JerseyDevilBM An AAA got out, hence USAC was formed.

I came on with every season, too much danger and needless injuries in some cases. Notice how much of the grandstand straightaway was brick then.... .

I believe the duration of the yellow flag is considered a suitable period of mourning. Anyway, people are dying everywhere, all the time. Should we spend our lives unhappy that we're mortal?

@@commentatron Also there was different time. People came from ww2 only 10 years before that. People were tough as a diamond. Today we're not.

@@Kubickz "Today we're not." I'd say we still are. Look at Ryan Newman for example, his car got hit on the drivers side at 200 MPH and walked away from the hospital on his own less than 2 days later. Or Alex Zanardi, who became an inspiration to the people with his successful paralympic career and being able to race in various types of motorsport despite losing both of his legs. Or MotoGP's Valentino Rossi, who in his career returned to the race earlier than expected after being sidelined from a broken leg, twice. Every men and women who took upon a racing car/bike today are still very much tough persons, and we should thank the safety advancements and measurements in place that made motorsport much, much safer compared to the deathtrap eras. This is why deaths like Bianchi, Hubert, Simoncelli, and Wheldon are mourned so much today, it's not the norm anymore in motorsport that we see a competitor getting killed in action.

wow that spelling correction was perfect!!! fully eqiupped w all caps... might be the best ive ever seen... i myself wish there was someone correcting every misspelled word throughout the WHOLE INTERNET. that would be swell i mean spell or swell

They knew that racing is dangerous, but they chose to race anyway. stirling moss even says he is glad to have raced back when fatalities were more common. he said the approach to the whole thing was different. with a different mentality

Joe : Not everyone was happy and I am confident of that. They accepted the situations and knew of the chances they were taking and sure some were happy of their success' but grieved along with the Vukovich family . The Passion, that those of involved, is hard for some one to understand and unless you have the disease of Racing in your blood .

I used to watch Billy Vukovich in Balboa stadium San Diego in the 1940`s in his little Red Drake number # 1 He was my idol I can still see him going around the turns with his left wheel off the track and on the infield , I had a Picture of him in his car in those days but Much to my regret I traded it away he started at Indy at Indy in 1952 was leading the race and lapped the field and a broken part took him out of the race with only 8 laps to go came back in 53 lapped the field again and won did the same in 1954 and again lapped the field 1955 he lapped all but 5 cars had a 17 second lead and was killed the only driver that should have had 3 straight wins but was killed with luck should have really been 4 straight . A statement taken out of his book by Aglaess Littleton Before there were TV racing idols like Foyt , Petty, Earnhardt and Mears , Andretti , there was an American racing genius, artist , wizard, god, named Vukovich . He Bill Vukovich Sr. is considered by many racing analysts to be the best Indianapolis 500 driver of all time. he inspired me to be the best because he was . and yes Joe I felt the same feeling very sad Bill K .

no roll cage,only a lap belt,engine in front of driver...

The racers of today are real men also, and the women also!

I thought the same thing. Best damn rings made

Жаль Вуковича, один из лучших гонщиков начала 50х, если бы его машину не вытолкнули он остался бы жив, я к тому, что авария была не по его вине...

At the time, the Indianapolis 500 was part of the Formula One World Championship, so I imagine the race had more of an international following..

Rodger went on to be a two time winner had a streak of 1st 2nd. 3rd and 1st. One of the best.

This Race Bill vulkovich is death yes

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Saw my first race as a three year old at the Milwaukee Mile in 1962. My dad was a press photographer and left me hanging onto the infield fence while he went to the track guardrail to take pictures. Don't recall being too happy about that (mom was left at home). It grew on me though. In the years that followed I'd write automotive companies and request stickers like the ones I'd see on the cars of my heros. STP, Wynns, Perfect Circle, Mooney etc.

Some did!

Nos anos 50 as 500 milhas faziam parte do Mundial de F1

No.

Once big money comes into the picture (for the driver's anyway), you can't afford to kill off your cash cows quite so readily.

A A No, he died June 17, 1956 at Salem

david stout He died in a crash I’d know he was my great grandfather

A A Yes, he died in a sprint car accident on June 17, 1956 at Salem, Indiana, race track. He was driving the DA Lubricant sprinter, yellowy-orange, black number 6. He had finished 6th in the Indy 500 18 days earlier. You can see the accident on RU-vid if you want. Bob was a great driver. I still think he’d have won the ‘56 500 had his tire not blown, dropping him 1 lap behind. I believe he would have won Indy several times.

The next year...very sad, my Dad was on his team.

@@AA-xk7gy Bob Sweikert was your Great Grandfather? My Dad was on his pit crew. The tall on with the pit board and Binoculars, Bob DeBisschop. He passed away 93 last year. I now he and Dori kept in touch, is she still alive? Such a tragic loss, I'm so sorry you never knew him.

My Dad was in the corny bs, he passed away last yr at 92 so I cherish this...and they won the race!!