Bob lazier, the racer with the perpetual smile who always seemed optimistic no matter the odds, has died at the age of 81. Michael, competed in formula one before turning team owner and winning the indy 500 five times. Scott was a crew member on 1974 team before taking the seat. John andretti, the first driver to compete in the indianapolis 500 and nascars cocacola 600 on the same day, has died at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer. Andretti made history by becoming the first driver to compete in the indianapolis.
Bob lazier, indy 500 starter and 1981 rookie of the year. The following is a list of 73 individuals killed at the indianapolis motor speedway. All fatalities are related to championship car races at the speedway unless otherwise noted fatalities have occurred in conjunction with the indianapolis 500 and its precursors, the. John was the nephew of racing legend mario andretti, cousin to current indycar team owner michael. He made 52 career indycar starts between 1968 and 1977. North tonawanda native jim hurtubise, undoubtedly the most distinguished race car driver in western.
The most recent driver to be killed in an indycar series event was justin wilson at the 2015 abc supply 500. Andretti raced 12 times at the indy 500 through 2011, and in 1994 he raced there and in a nascar event that night. The hottest 500 shows the 1953 indy 500 won by bill vukovich in 120plus degree heat. Columnist fired over tweet about japanese drivers indy. Cnn bob lazier, indianapolis 500 starter and 1981 carts rookie of the year, died saturday due to complications from the coronavirus, his. Bobby unser won the 1981 indy 500 winner in his final start at the indianapolis motor speedway.
Former driver bob lazier, father of 1996 indy 500 winner buddy lazier, died at age 81 after being hospitalized and placed on a ventilator. Bob burman usa grand boulevard corona corona grand prize. Most recently, driver scott brayton, who had won the pole position, died due to a skull fracture sustained during a practice run while testing a backup car in 1996. In addition to stock cars and openwheel cars, andretti also did some endurance racing winning the 1989 24 hours of daytona and he even strapped in behind the wheel of an nhra top. John raced in the indianapolis 500 a dozen times starting in 1988, with a best finish of fifth in 1991. Petersburg professional drivers watching ryan newmans horrific crash in mondays daytona 500 had the same reaction as fans who saw it. In 1994, andretti became the first driver to run both the indy 500 and the cocacola 600 on the same day, a feat that has been attempted. He won the indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011, and a was cowinner of the. David salt walther, the former auto and hydroplane racer who was severely burned in a spectacular crash in the 1973 indianapolis 500, has died. Daniel clive wheldon 22 june 1978 16 october 2011 was a british motor racing driver who won the 2005 indycar series drivers championship for andretti green racing agr. A total of 23 drivers have been killed during practice or qualifying runs at the indy 500. He was owner, driver, chief mechanic, engine builder and sponsor finder all at the same time.
As abc news josh elliott noted, even the tiniest mistake can touch off wrecks like we see today. Nascar driver ryan newman was rushed to a hospital monday after his race car flipped and was launched into the air in a fiery car crash near the finish line of the daytona 500. Andretti carried on the family racing tradition with a long career in both nascar, indycar, sports cars and even nhra drag racing. Indianapolis john andretti, a member of one of auto racings most famous families and the first driver to attempt the indianapolis 500 and. Bob lazier, indy 500 driver and father of indy winner buddy lazier, died saturday of covid19 in denver, colorado at the age of 81. His nephew, marco, michaels son, finished second at indy as a rookie in 2006 and. John andretti, a member of one of auto racings most famous families and the first driver to attempt the indianapolis 500 and nascars 600mile.
The next year, lazier chose not to attempt to qualify for the indy 500 after his family expressed concerns following driver gordon smileys fatal crash during the opening day of. Six people died at the speedway in accidents during races contested before the first indianapolis 500. List of fatalities at the indianapolis motor speedway wikipedia. Sullivan won the 1988 cart championship, and placed third in points in 1986. Andretti is a 12time indy 500 driver where his best finish was fifth place. Hiss drove in the indy 500 four times, with his highest finish being the seventh he scored in his rookie year in 1972. Harkey drove in the indy 500 six times between 1964 and 1976, finishing in the top 10 on three occasions.
There have been 14 drivers that have died while racing in the indy 500 dating back to 1919. In recent years, lazier stayed involved in racing as a team owner and by driving vintage race cars. Indy 500 lineup driver miniprofiles sfgate subscribe. He was the son of melvin tony bettenhausen, a 14time indy 500 starter in the 1940s and 1950s best finish of second in 55, the brother of merle bettenhausen and the late tony bettenhausen jr. Columnist fired over tweet about japanese drivers indy 500 win says it wasnt based in racism takuma sato was on top of the world and the empire state building after winning sunday. Simpson competed as a driver in drag racing, sports car racing and openwheel formula racing, including in scca and usac indycar competition. Indianapolis wthr indycar driver john andretti has died at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer.
He earned 17 wins in the cart indy car world series, including the 1985 indianapolis 500. List of race car drivers who did not make it out of indy in may. Celebrating an indy 500 win with milk dates back to 1933 when louis meyer enjoyed a glass of buttermilk after winning his second indy 500. Fatalities have occurred in conjunction with the indianapolis 500 and its precursors, the brickyard 400, the moto gp event, the speedways golf. John martin was the last of a breed at the indianapolis motor speedway in the 1970s and used his talent, guile and work ethic to make five indianapolis 500s. Indy 500 driver john andretti signs autographs at macys and izods celebration of the indianapolis motor speedway and the indy 500 at macys herald square on may 25, 2010 in. John andretti, the nephew of indycar legend mario andretti, had been battling cancer and advocating for others. Hiss top finish at the indianapolis 500 was seventh in 1972. Indianapolis, wednesday, june 3, 2009 eighttime indianapolis 500 starter bob caveman christie, whose rather fearsome nickname belied one of the. Daniel john sullivan iii born march 9, 1950, better known as danny sullivan, is an american former racing driver.
He only ran once in the indy 500, but bob lazier became a staple around. The 1981 indianapolis 500 rookie of the year and father of 1996 indy. Indianapolis gary bettenhausen could have been rick mears, but he was gary bettenhausen, driver of anything. Indycar series rookie of the year in 2007 and indy 500 rookie of the year in 2008 after finishing sixth. Stan fox, whose racing career ended five years ago in a horrific crash at the indianapolis 500, was killed in an auto accident in new zealand.
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