He was interred in the Mt. He remains, to this day, the last driver to have suffered fatal injuries in the Indianapolis 500. But today, Swedes legacy lives on, perpetuated in recent years by the public emergence of the daughter he never knew. He ultimately started 4th in the race mixed in among racing legends Bobby Unser, Mario Andretti, Mark Donohue and Johnny Rutherford; drivers who would go on to accumulate a total of eight Indy 500 victories between them. Possibly it happened due to a malfunctioning right rear joint, or by running on an incorrect driving line with cold tyres. Among those that were complaining about oil on the track were Jerry Grant, who mentioned so in an interview with Dave Diles of ABC Sports after Savage's crash. I would tell people for years that Johncock won the race that no one wanted to remember, IMS historian Donald Davidson recalled. There remains a vivid picture in Foyt's mind of Savage's car colliding into the outside wall and exploding as if it had been pierced by a torpedo. Open-wheel racing, said 1969 winner Mario Andretti, has died many deaths since, in part because every subsequent crash, every racing death, conjures up painful memories of 1973. On 133rd lap it was raining harder and Gordon Johncock took the chequered flag, ending one of the grimmest Indy 500s after 332.5 miles, with only ten cars running at the end. Swede Savage's car explodes after a spectacular crash in Turn 4 in the 1973 Indianapolis 500. The explosion and disintegration of Savage's car still is difficult to watch on video and even more painful to talk about for drivers who need no video to remind them of what happened that day. Teran was killed instantly. (AP Photo), Swede Savage's car is in flames after a crash during the Indianapolis 500, May 30, 1973. As he did so often during his open-wheel career, he came out clean on the other side of the fireball that engulfed the cars of Savage and Walther. The force of the impact, with the car carrying a full load of fuel, caused the car to explode in a 60-foot-high plume of flame. MAY 30, 1973, FILE PHOTO, This Wednesday, May 30, 1973, file photo, shows Swede Savage amid the wreckage of his race car after a crash during the Indianapolis 500 auto race in Indianapolis, Ind. Family and friends of race car driver Swede Savage, who died Monday, July 2, of injuries sustained in the May 30 crash at the Indianapolis 500, gather at the grave site at Mountain View Cemetery following funeral services in San Bernardino, Calif., July 6, 1973. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. He proved to be a winner on two wheels too. [citation needed] However, according to Savage's father, the percentage of oxygen they were giving Swede just prior to his death, due to the damage to his lungs from the fumes inhaled from the accident, was such that there was no way he could have survived, even if he had not contracted hepatitis B. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Sadly, though, Savage succumbed to a kidney infection whilst still in hospital thirty-three days later, on Monday, 02 July 1973. But reducing the size of the fuel tank (now 18 gallons) and switching to less combustible fuels are among the primary reasons open-wheel racing is safer, Andretti and Foyt said. The big ones like that you can't accept. Finally at 14h00 on Wednesday, 30 May 1973 the green flag started the race.Swede Savage was comfortably leading the field by 42nd lap, in the STP-sponsored Eagle - Offenhauser #40 prepared by George Bignotti, when he pitted for refueling and new tires on 55th lap. Savage debuted in the old SCCA United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC) series in April 1968, driving a Lola T70 Mk III (the car campaigned by Gurney in the 1967 Can-Am racing series; a condition of employment Gurney imposed on the young driver was that he rebuild and prepare the car for competition with very little assistance from other AAR staff). While still being trapped into the wreckage, rescuers saw him moving, a fact that astonished Jim McKay and Chris Economaki, covering the race for ABC Sports broadcasts. On the second lap of the race itself, 25-year-old David Salt Walther was injured critically as he suffered severe burns over most of his body when his car catapulted into the outside wall and fence a gory scene similar to the 2011 accident that killed two-time Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon in the IndyCar Series finale at Las Vegas Speedway. You have to be on the offensive but not stupid about it.. Swede Savage (1946-1973) - Find a Grave Memorial. Swede Savage fatal crash at Indy 500 (30 May 1973) ALL ANGLES & PICTURES All Indy 500 Legends 1:18 Rick Mears hard crash at Indy 500 (May 7, 1992) THE MOST COMPLETE FOOTAGE All Indy 500 Legends 1:48 Billy Boat brutal crash at Indy 500 (May 10, 2003) ALL ANGLES & PICS All Indy 500 Legends 1:13 The scattered remains spewed near the exit in Turn 4. This content is intended for editorial use only. Savage died more than a month after the race. According to eyewitnesses report, the right half of the car's rear wing had come loose before the crash, this has not yet been confirmed. He rejoined in second place, closely behind Al Unser and just ahead of Bobby Unser. 1973 Indy 500. He was married with a seven-year-old daughter, Shelly; his widow Sheryl was expecting their second child, daughter Angela, at the time of his death. On the first day of qualifying, gusting winds slowed Savage from matching his best practice speeds, but he still shattered the track record with a four-lap qualifying average of 196.582mph (316.368km/h). He came off (turn) four and never tried to correct (the car). In the 1973 Indianapolis 500, Savage was entered in an STP-sponsored Eagle-Offenhauser (number 40) prepared by master mechanic George Bignotti. The years haven't been kind to a knee that was surgically repaired three times. Swede Savage fatal crash at Indy 500 (30 May 1973) ALL ANGLES & PICTURES. Walther, whose once-promising career was derailed that rainy day, died in December at age 65. Swede Savage, 1973 Indy 500 Auto Racing: Indianapolis 500: Aerial view of Swede Savage with medical staff after sustaining injury during crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Longtime Indy 500 spectators who witnessed the crash called it the most spectacular single-car accident in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis, IN 5/30/1973 Swede Savage Trans Am style #autoracing #auto #racing #trans #am. Then again, he won the race that no one could ever forget.. One thing is for sure, if you dwell on the negative, you better get out of it. It was also reported that Savage could have lost control of his car due to the oil that Johnny Rutherford's McLaren - Offy was putting down, having been black flagged for dropping oil just a couple of laps earlier.Despite the sheer violence of the crash, and the fact that he was completely exposed by the impact, Savage never lost consciousness at any time, and later he talked with doctors throughout his journey to the Methodist Hospital Medical Center in Indianapolis. < back . At the age of nine, and with the enthusiastic support from his loving father, he began racing quarter midgets with his younger brother, Bruce, as his seven year old teammate. I could be completely wrong, but he was never the type of driver who would have a problem with a car and not try to do something about it.. Savage's car twitched back and forth, then slid across to the inside of the track at nearly top speed, hitting the angled inside wall nearly head-on. In March 1971, Savage entered the Questor Grand Prix at Ontario Motor Speedway, driving an Eagle-Plymouth Formula 5000 car. [4] This would be his sole professional auto racing victory. Savage died more than a month after the race. Possibly it happened due to a malfunctioning right rear joint, or by running on an incorrect driving line with cold tires. Follow. They were teammates together in the 1970 Trans Am series in what have become two of the most iconic road racing cars of all time: the twin 1970 All American Racers Plymouth Barracudas. The. He rejoined in second place, closely behind Al Unser and just ahead of Bobby Unser. It's about the racing at the Brickyard, too. His athletic career reached a crossroads, however, when his high school football coach told him that he had to chose between motorcycle racing (in which he was considered a professional due to the meager prize money he was winning) or continue participating in high school athletics as an amateur. I felt I wouldn't make a mistake that would kill me, but I knew I could pay for someone else's mistake. All Indy 500 Legends. One of his motorcycle riding buddies, the internationally famous race car driver, Dan Gurney, became quite impressed with Swedes riding and racing skills. But at a race that has too often ended in tragedy for drivers, crew members and fans, the most spectacular crashes are often the most unforgettable. In 1968 and 1969, he also raced in NASCAR events. Five-time Indy 500 winning chief mechanic, George Bignotti, was in charge of technical preparation, and Swedes close friend from his days at All American Racers, Jim Wright, was Bignottis talented assistant. Sadly, though, Savage succumbed to a kidney infection whilst still in hospital thirty-three days later, on Monday, 02 July 1973. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. Contact your local office to see if we can clear this image for you. Swede Laid To Rest . Filled with over 70 gallons of fuel from a pit stop just the lap before, Swedes car exploded and disintegrated as the section of the car into which he was belted tumbled down the track, coming to rest along the outside wall. The car that was carrying a full load of fuel, slid sideways across the track and slammed into the inside wall at high speed and in an acute angle, exploding on fire and disintegrating. Possibly it happened due to a malfunctioning right rear joint, or by running on an incorrect driving line with cold tires. When I watch my son and grandson, I appreciate all my wife went through all those years, said Andretti, 73. Ralph N. Paulk is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. [9], Savage joked with medical personnel after the wreck, and was expected to live when taken to Methodist Hospital and for some time thereafter. Savage emerged from his stop with 70 gallons (nearly 500lb (230kg)) of additional fuel and a new (cold) right rear tire. Even though Savage suffered extensive and complex fractures on his legs, his return to the tracks was considered sure, and Wally Dallenbach was recruited by George Bignotti for Team Patrick-STP as a temporary replacement during his absence. He finished fifth at Riverside in his one appearance in the car. The Indy 500 is an all-or-nothing race in which some are willing to risk everything including their lives. Savage was married with a six-year-old daughter; his widow Sheryl was expecting their second child at the time of his death. However, he died in the hospital 33 days after the accident. I really think Swede was unconscious way before he hit the wall. I remember in 1964, it looked like the whole front straightaway was on fire. Swede Savage 1973 Indy 500 Fatal Crash Original ABC Broadcast Footage. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. With AAR's racing program cut back due to budget troubles, Savage resumed semi-pro motorcycle racing in the Southern California area. Gurney, who owned his own auto racing team and race car construction business in Santa Ana, California, All American Racers, quickly took Swede under his wing and provided him the environment, equipment, and nurturing to develop into a top flight race car driver. Savage, still strapped in his seat, was thrown back across the circuit. (AP Photo), Swede Savage is taken to an ambulance on a stretcher after he crashed his car during the Indianapolis 500, May 30, 1973. Savage would survive the crash but die a little more than four months later. Special Hot Stove Edition Angela Savage Pit Lane Radio 1/4 LIVE 12N EST JANUARY 3, 2014 BY JOHN G LEAVE A COMMENT (EDIT) Not long after Swede Savages death from an accident at the Indianapolis 500, in 1973, his wife gave birth to their second daughter, Angela Savage. David Earl "Swede" Savage Jr. (August 26, 1946 - July 2, 1973) was an American race car driver. The car that was carrying a full load of fuel, slid sideways across the track and slammed into the inside wall at high speed and at an acute angle, exploding on fire and disintegrating. 2023 Getty Images. Swede was a naturally gifted athlete who helped his high school football team win its first conference championship. 5/30/1973 7307220355. Born David Earl Savage, Jr. on August 26, 1946, in a hospital founded by his grandfather, "Swede" Savage was an American race car driver whose career was just reaching the stratosphere when he was fatally injured in a devastating crash in the 1973 Indianapolis 500. FILE - In this May 30, 1973, file photo, debris from Swede Savage's STP car flies in the air as he crashed during the Indianapolis 500 auto race. Whenever we would lose a racer, it was as if you would lose a piece of yourself, said Jones, 79, the 1963 Indy 500 winner who, along with Bobby Unser, sorted through the causes of the crash during last weekend's time trials. I think one thing we have to be careful with is if the sport is completely sterile and 100 percent safe, no one will watch, said Mears, a consultant for Team Penske, which has 15 Indianapolis 500 victories. Only a couple of hundred yards past the start-line, the blue McLaren - Offy of rookie Salt Walther skidded to the right and hit Jerry Grant's Eagle - Offy, crashing against the wall. Indianapolis 550 Savage Crash . The choice is something we all made. I'm sure it was the same way for those drivers in 1973, but you have to pick up your boots and move on.. Diles later was filmed wiping oil off the front of Joe Leonard's car to prove the point, though Bobby Unser (who had a strained personal relationship with Savage and often ridiculed the driving ability of the younger driver) disputed that the drivers were running on an unsafe racetrack. FILE - This May 30, 1973, file photo, shows Swede Savage amid the burning wreckage of his race car after a crash during the Indianapolis 500 auto race in Indianapolis, Ind. Access the best of Getty Images and iStock with our simple subscription plan. Savage did, but died 33 days later in Methodist Hospital Medical Center. In this May 30, 1973, file photo, Swede Savage's car is in flames after a crash during the Indianapolis 500 auto race. The message was stressed in the costliest of terms with crashes that killed drivers Art Pollard and Swede Savage and crewman Armando Teran while injuring a dozen spectators.
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