History INTERESTING VIDEO OF BILL VUKOVICH AND INDY HISTORY 1955

With the advent of YouTube, and its vast files of past times, and some very interesting bit's of information, its a great way to take a look back, at some great pictures of how things came to be at the brickyard and the evolution of the Indy 500.

The video shows how the general public and to a certain degree, the racers themselves, wanted something different, other than the traditional, time tested, 4 banger Offy engines.

I hope you all will take the time to watch this interesting video. I assure you all, you wont be disappointed.

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Hey @Ryan
This is a video I think you will enjoy, considering your own personal history with racing when you were younger.
Enjoy from Dennis.

 

Awesome

 

I just watched this video the other day and it was awesome. I grew up in the Central Valley watching Billy Vukovich III race Super Modifieds, so learning more about the Vukovich family is always interesting.

 

Hey @DontKillTheTodd
Howdy from Dennis in Seattle.
Ahh so you get it!
Magnificent!

I too was raised in the Central Valley, born at Castle A.F.B. in 53 lived a half a mile off of the main runway, B-52's and KC-135's in my sky daily.

Being from the Winton/Atwater/Merced area, we went to the Races every Saturday night at the Merced County Fairgrounds. And every now and then to other races at Stockton and at Clovis as well.

And indeed, Billy Vukovich III was a well known name up and down the Central Valley, same as with Al Pombo from Fresno who raced at Kearney Bowl.

Thank you so very much for commenting on this thread and this video. It means a lot to me, and the video is well produced, about not only the Indy 500 race, but a very interesting man as well.

Thanks from Dennis.

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Brian Lohnes has a TON of great videos regarding old motorsports stories and they are all well done. If you haven't, you should dig through them.

 

Very sad to say, I witnessed Bill III die at Mesa Marin Speedway in Bakersfield

 

1990
Sadly I was there that day as well . Hot laps. I was in the infield with a 35 mm camera and put it down and did not take pictures . I don't think he ever lifted I heard it happen but did not actually see it but I recall it didn't sound right as they had to brake going into the turns there in a non wing sprint car .

He had ran at the Indy 500 in a car partially owned by Bob Consani the year or two before . He was rookie of the year in 88 ) I talked to him the previous year (89) at Mesa Marin when we had a CRA non wing sprint car driven by Chuck Gurney owned by Bob Consani and a kid named Jeff Gordon was two pits down . Billy was one or two pits down . I have pictures of him there wearing his fire suit from Indy
Billy was a nice guy only 27 I think when he passed and to us was just another driver when he was around the sprint cars. ESPN speed vision like to follow him around however .

some were I have this card likely in a box of sprint car T shirts from the 80's all to small to fit any more .