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. RARE ALTERNATIVE ANGLE of Savage's crash and aftermath happened during Indy 500 1973Description: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 the 55th lap. The early part of my career I figured my chances of survival would be rather slim after losing so many of my friends including Swede. 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. Angela has never been to Indy. 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. Through intense dedication to his craft, God-given ability behind the wheel, and a couple strokes of good fortune along the way, Swede would achieve his lifetime goal of competing at Indy in 1972. Thats the short story. In the 1973 Indianapolis 500, Savage was entered in an STP-sponsored Eagle-Offenhauser (number 40) prepared by master mechanic George Bignotti. (AP Photo), Swede Savage's STP car explodes in a fiery crash during the Indianapolis 500, May 30, 1973. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. In January 1967, Savage made a point of showing up at a Ford Motor Company test session at Riverside International Raceway attended by, among others, racing legend Dan Gurney. 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. Collect, curate and comment on your files. In his book \"Rapid Response: My Inside Story as a Motor Racing Life-Saver\" published in 2010, Dr. Stephen Olvey who was Swede Savage's attending physician at Indianapolis hospital, and later CART's Director of Medical Affairs, indicated that the real cause of death was complications related to a blood transfusion, contaminated with Hepatitis B, which caused his liver to fail.While safety crews and fire fighters were rushing to the scene of Swede Savage's crash, a firetruck tried to shortcut its way and drove up the pitlane against the normal flow of race traffic at about 60 mi/h, striking in his back the unaware Armando Teran, a crewman for Graham McRae's car, causing him fatal injuries. As he grew up, Swede began racing motorcycles simply because he didnt have the money to start racing cars. Debris were thrown into the grandstand and the number of injured spectators ranged from 11 to 13. Miraculously, Swede survived the violent crash, but was critically injured. His widow Sheryl, who is six months pregnant, is seated at far right. He died later that day at a local hospital. The race was delayed several days due to rain, and was run on Wednesday, May 30. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Much to the dismay of his football coach, Swede promptly quit the football team, cranked the throttle on his racing career, and never looked back. The enhanced safety measures have enabled drivers to walk away from other devastating crashes the past two decades. However, it was harder to accept when his son Michael Andretti and grandson Marco Andretti began racing at the Brickyard. Drivers Art Pollard and Savage and crew member Armando Teran were. 1973 Indianapolis 500 Crash. A young crew member for Savage's Patrick Racing teammate Graham McRae, Armando Teran, ran out across the pit lane in an effort to come to Savage's aid and was struck by a fire truck rushing up pit road at 60 mph (opposite the normal direction of travel) to the crash. [12] Olvey claimed that Savage contracted hepatitis B from a transfusion, causing his liver to fail. In his autobiography, Bobby Unser wrote that when Savage exited the pits, he became alarmed at how hard Savage was pushing, and dropped back slightly in anticipation of an incident. (AP Photo/File), Special Instructions: WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1973; 5314. 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. He oozed charm and charisma because he was unaware how charming and charismatic he really was. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. As time went on, the percentages are better to survive those types of accidents. 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. Today, Angela is a mother of two children of her own. 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. One of his motorcycle riding buddies, the internationally famous race car driver, Dan Gurney, became quite impressed with Swedes riding and racing skills. 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. Savage joked with medical personnel after the wreck, and was expected to live when taken to Methodist Hospital Medical Center and for some time thereafter. The scattered remains spewed near the exit in Turn 4. He was just 26 years old when he died. We won't have a race. Swede Savage Trans Am style #autoracing #auto #racing #trans #am. He returned to driving in August at the Trans-Am event at Watkins Glen. While other sports have inherited dangers, auto racing by definition is dangerous, considering the blend of fuel, speed and bravado in the one-eighth mile short chutes that seldom accommodate all three. The Gearheads hosted a roundtable of a different sort, discussing the state of the hobby at the 71st Grand National Roadster Show. Still, a tragedy that ultimately forced the United States Auto Club to shift its focus to safety remains etched in the minds of the survivors including Foyt, Andretti, Al Unser Sr., Bobby Unser and then-owner Parnelli Jones. 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 As a young boy, Swedes dream was always to compete in and win the Indianapolis 500. (AP Photo), Swede Savage is taken to an ambulance on a stretcher after he crashed his car during the Indianapolis 500, May 30, 1973. Contact your. In a split second during that Indy 500 in 1973, with heavy winds sweeping across the monstrous 2.5-mile oval track and gray scattered clouds overhead, the roars of 300,000 fans were silenced when Savage's car slammed into the inside wall coming out of the fourth turn, broke into pieces and exploded into a fireball. Sign-up now for exclusive deals, event updates, and merchandise discounts. Drivers Art Pollard and Savage and crew member Armando Teran were killed in May 1973 and another driver, Salt Walther, somehow survived a frightening, pin-wheeling crash. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. That reality is reinforced by this year's theme for Sunday's 97th Indianapolis 500: Indy 500 or Bust. It's what keeps us motivated. If you're going to be a race driver, you have to bite your tongue and go on with it. Indianapolis 500 Savage Wreck . It's the life of a race car driver, especially at the Indianapolis 500.. It's you, the car and the racetrack.. (AP Photo/File), Special Instructions: 5314. 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. 1973 Indy 500. But today, Swedes legacy lives on, perpetuated in recent years by the public emergence of the daughter he never knew. 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. [1][2][3] . Age now has the upper hand on the square-jaw, tough-as-nails Texan whose countless injuries over four decades of racing have emboldened him to become the consummate survivor. 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. Indianapolis, IN 5/30/1973 CREDIT: John Iacono (Photo by John Iacono /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X17734 TK1 R17 F19 ) PURCHASE A LICENSE On Memorial Day, Monday 28 May 1973 the rain interrupted preparations and the start was delayed four times, finally the green flag waved at 15h00. [9], Savage joked with medical personnel after the wreck, and was expected to live when taken to Methodist Hospital and for some time thereafter. 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. David Earl "Swede" Savage Jr. was an American race car driver. 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. 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 196.582 mph (316.368 km/h). 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. 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. Follow. Many believed that Swede would soon be joining the exclusive group of Indy 500 winners as he took the lead of the race. However, due to Savage's reputation in the racing world as a highly skilled driver who did not take unnecessary chances, Unser's comments have been attributed to his resentment of Savage's rapid rise in the racing world as opposed to the "hard knocks" experiences of Unser's career. In the 1973 Indianapolis 500, Savage was entered in an STP-sponsored Eagle-Offenhauser prepared by master mechanic George Bignotti. Savage, still strapped in his seat, was thrown back across the circuit. More than eleven cars were involved in the accident and the red flag halted the race on 1st lap.Rain returned again and the start was postponed until Tuesday morning. Also in attendance was a Ford public relations executive named Monte Roberts, who watched Savage calmly wheelie a motorcycle for the better part of a mile and, struck by Savage's "racy" name and obvious talent, encouraged Ford officials to take Savage under their wing. Swede Savage remains one of the sports most excruciating stories of unrealized potential; a superstar in the making who lost his life at a young age in one of auto racings deadliest eras. Swede Savage Horrifying Fatal Crash: Rare Footage Alternate Angels AlvinKarpis007 1.71K subscribers Subscribe 148 86K views 10 years ago This rare footage shows Swede Savages fatal crash from. Swede Savage in his Olsonite Eagle leading the USAC INDY 150 Champ Car Race held on the road course at Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 26, 1970 in. Swede was a native of San Bernardino, California. 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 196.582 mph (316. . I had to accept that or do something else with my life. As the car spiraled along the front stretch, spectators were doused with fuel. Browse and buy images now. When I watch my son and grandson, I appreciate all my wife went through all those years, said Andretti, 73. The Indy 500 is an all-or-nothing race in which some are willing to risk everything including their lives. Bill Vukovich, Jr. was second, the only other car on the lead lap when the race was called, Roger McCluskey who set the fastest lap of the race, finished 3rd, two laps down. (AP Photo). Walther, whose once-promising career was derailed that rainy day, died in December at age 65. Savage also had a son, John, who lives in Highland, California. The years haven't been kind to a knee that was surgically repaired three times. Like Savage and Pollard, Andretti accepted the dangers. In his autobiography, Bobby Unser wrote that when Savage exited the pits, he became alarmed at how hard Savage was pushing, and dropped back slightly in anticipation of an incident. During the replays of Savage's crash on the tape-delayed broadcast on ABC Sports, Jim McKay and Chris Economaki also mentioned that Savage's rear wing may have come loose, possibly contributing to the crash, as well. One thing is for sure, if you dwell on the negative, you better get out of it. 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. [1] [2] [3] Contents 1 Early life 2 Racing career 2.1 1973 Indianapolis 500 crash and subsequent death Prior approval is required for ALL uses of images depicting SPORTS ILLUSTRATED or GOLF magazine covers, and for ANY use in RETAIL PRODUCTS. I would tell people for years that Johncock won the race that no one wanted to remember, IMS historian Donald Davidson recalled. Only a cou. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Savage did, but died 33 days later in Methodist Hospital Medical Center. Winning the Brickyard's coveted Borg-Warner Trophy remains the aspiration of nearly every open-wheel driver. That in itself is part of the attraction. United States. He died at age 26 from complications while recovering from injuries suffered in a crash during the 1973 Indianapolis 500, nearly five weeks earlier. It is widely reported that Savage died of kidney failure from infection, but Dr. Steve Olvey, Savage's attending physician at Indy (and later CART's Director of Medical Affairs), claimed in his book Rapid Response that the real cause of death was complications related to contaminated plasma. 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