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. 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. 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. Savage did, but died 33 days later in Methodist Hospital Medical Center. Savage also had a son, John, who lives in Highland, California. [1][2][3], The true cause of his death remains a point of dispute. 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. Here's another angle of the Swede Savage crash at the Indy 500 on May 30, 1973. He had been the fastest driver for much of practice. Read more about this topic: Swede Savage, Racing Career, O shipwhite-sailed of Crete,you brought my mistressfrom her quiet palacethrough breaker and crash of surfto love-rite of unhappiness!Hilda Doolittle (18861961). In 1970, Savage and Gurney drove identical factory-sponsored Plymouth Barracudas in the Trans-Am Series. 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). Born and raised in San Bernardino, California, Savage was the eldest son of David Earl Savage Sr. and Joetta Taylor Savage. The years haven't been kind to a knee that was surgically repaired three times. Television footage seems to show the right half of his rear wing had come loose, which would instantly change the downforce on the wheels and could explain the sudden back and forth twitching of the car. The 57th running of the greatest spectacle in racing took three days to complete, mostly because of an unrelenting rain. On May 5, Swede Savage upped the speed chart to 197.802 mph (318.331 km/h), inching closer to the elusive 200 mph (320 km/h) mark. [12] Olvey claimed that Savage contracted hepatitis B from a transfusion, causing his liver to fail. Savage's wreck was the third explosive crash in Indy's deadliest year that claimed the lives of three men and permanently scarred another. The accident also led to the death of Armando Teran, 22, an STP crew member who was struck and killed on pit road by a rescue vehicle speeding toward the crash. 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. The 1973 edition of the Indianapolis 500 was one of the lowest points in American motorsports history. In the 1973 Indianapolis 500, Savage was entered in an STP-sponsored Eagle-Offenhauser (number 40) prepared by master mechanic George Bignotti. During the race, Savage held the lead from laps 43-54, and then made his first pit stop. 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. RARE ALTERNATIVE ANGLE of Savage's crash and aftermath happened during Indy 500 1973***DESCRIPTION***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 refuelling and new tyres on the 55th lap. His widow Sheryl, who is six months pregnant, is seated at far right. Among pallbearers are Dan Gurney, second from left, and Jim Wright, dark glasses. 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. Swede Savage's car explodes after a spectacular crash in Turn 4 in the 1973 Indianapolis 500. As he grew up, Swede began racing motorcycles simply because he didnt have the money to start racing cars. Access the best of Getty Images and iStock with our simple subscription plan. I remember the wind blowing real bad. 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 Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. These days, at age 78, it's a difficult task for Foyt to navigate his way from Gasoline Alley to the perfectly aligned rows of bricks near the start-finish line at IMS. His widow Sheryl, who is six months pregnant, is seated at far right. 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. 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. . But on lap 59, his car inexplicably veered sharply toward the infield wall as it exited the fourth turn. of additional fuel and a new (cold) right rear tire. According to eyewitness reports, the right half of the car's rear wing had come loose before the crash, this has not yet been confirmed. Early in the season, Chrysler cut back support for the AAR effort and Gurney stepped out of the car to let Savage drive the entire season. Walther's 75-gallon fuel tank, which was nearly full of methanol, shattered as his car slammed back onto the racetrack. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. 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. United States; Canada; . 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. View Cemetery in his hometown of San Bernardino, California. On Sunday May 6, three drivers left the grounds to race in the NASCAR Winston 500 at Talladega. The right half of his rear wing had come loose, causing his car to twitch back and forth, then slid across to the inside of the track at nearly top speed, hitting the angled inside wall nearly head-on. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Swede Savage Trans Am style #autoracing #auto #racing #trans #am. 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. 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. Indianapolis, IN 5/30/1973 His skill behind the wheel was obvious from the beginning. Teran was killed instantly. All survived, but nearly a dozen people suffered burns and lacerations caused by debris that was launched into the grandstand. Sadly, though, Savage succumbed to a kidney infection whilst still in hospital thirty-three days later, on Monday, 02 July 1973. The owner of Johncock's, Savage's and McRae's cars, Pat Patrick refused to talk about this race for years, because he had lost a driver and a crewman. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. 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 60mph (100km/h) (opposite the normal direction of travel) to the crash; Teran was killed instantly. Swede Savage 1973 Indy 500 Fatal Crash Original ABC Broadcast Footage. 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. 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. 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. [citation needed] Lung failure was repeated as the cause of death by Savage's daughter Angela in a May 2015 interview.[13]. 5/30/1973 7307220355. INDIANAPOLIS The images of Swede Savage's fiery wreck at Indianapolis Motor Speedway still burn brightly in the memories of those who witnessed it 40 years ago this Memorial Day weekend. He came to rest adjacent to the outer retaining wall, fully conscious and completely exposed while he lay in a pool of flaming methanol fuel. A few laps after this pitstop, on 58th lap, just as he was about to retake the lead from Al Unser in his Vel's Parnelli - Offy #4, who was in the process of coming into the pits for his second stop, Swede Savage's car suddenly veered off course on the left side at the exit of Turn 4. If you're going to be a race driver, you have to bite your tongue and go on with it. 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. Driving an Eagle-Ford IndyCar, Savage won the Bobby Ball Memorial, a 150-mile race at Phoenix International Raceway on November 21, 1970. (AP Photo). 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. 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. All Indy 500 Legends. When I watch my son and grandson, I appreciate all my wife went through all those years, said Andretti, 73. (AP Photo/File), Special Instructions: WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1973; 5314. [4] This would be his sole professional auto racing victory. 7/6/1973 779743884872. It had been widely reported that Savage's death was caused by lung and kidney complications,[1] but 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. 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. He was just 26 years old when he died. He competed in the Indianapolis 500 twice; in his debut in 1972, he finished 32nd after dropping out on lap six with mechanical problems.[6]. Gordon Johncock took the checkered flag under caution with 67 laps remaining on a dark, gloomy Wednesday afternoon. Swede raced car #42 and Dan raced an identical car #48. You have to be on the offensive but not stupid about it.. Contact your. When that green flag goes down, you gotta worry about yourself. 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 1973 ~ died in the hospital 33 days after the accident. The elder of Savage's two daughters passed away from leukemia several years ago; the younger of the two still resides in Southern California. Possibly it happened due to a malfunctioning right rear joint, or by running on an incorrect driving line with cold tires. 1973 Indianapolis 500 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. He had been the fastest driver for much of practice. 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 He finished fifth at Riverside in his one appearance in the car. Ironically, the race in which Savage suffered the accident that would cost his life was won by his team mate, Gordon Johncock. A few laps after this pit stop, on 58th lap, just as he was about to retake the lead from Al Unser in his Vel's Parnelli - Offy #4, who was in the process of coming into the pits for his second stop, Swede Savage's car suddenly veered off course on the left side at the exit of Turn 4. 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 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. A second theory is provided by numerous drivers complaining over their radios about oil on the track, as pole sitter Rutherford had been given the black flag for dropping fluid, most likely oil. It's about the racing at the Brickyard, too. 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. (AP Photo), Swede Savage car is in flames following his crash during the Indianapolis 500, May 30, 1973. Check out the vast collections of swede savage pictures from AP Images. One thing is for sure, if you dwell on the negative, you better get out of it. (AP FILE PHOTO) INDIANAPOLIS High speed,. 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.. 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. 5/30/1973 7307220348 . 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. Rain delayed, interrupted and shortened the race which. United States. 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. Drivers Art Pollard and Savage and crew member Armando Teran were. 2023 Getty Images. He rejoined in second place, closely behind Al Unser and just ahead of Bobby Unser. He crashed violently early in the race that year and died a month later. That in itself is part of the attraction. He died later that day at a local hospital. It was Swede's choice. CREDIT: John Iacono (Photo by John Iacono /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) David Earl "Swede" Savage Jr. (August 26, 1946 - July 2, 1973) was an American race car driver. With AAR's racing program cut back due to budget troubles, Savage resumed semi-pro motorcycle racing in the Southern California area. 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. Savage was married with a six-year-old daughter; his widow Sheryl was expecting their second child at the time of his death. (AP Photo), Track crew tries to extinguish the fire from the crash of Swede Savage's car during the Indianapolis 500, May 30, 1973. Thats the short story. [7] Later in the day, as the winds abated, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser, and Mark Donohue each bettered Savage's time. Savage died more than a month after the race. Savage, still strapped in his seat in a large piece of the car, was thrown back across the circuit. I don't have a death wish, but I had a goal and felt I had to proceed. Rick Mears, a four-time Indy 500 winner, warned the race could lose its appeal if the element of danger is lost. However, it was harder to accept when his son Michael Andretti and grandson Marco Andretti began racing at the Brickyard. 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. 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. (Set Number: X17734 TK1 R17 F19 ). 65 Swede Savage Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Editorial Video Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 65 Swede Savage Premium High Res Photos Browse 65 swede savage stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Walther who was found in the wreck with his feet out of the cockpit, suffered severe burns and internal injuries, his fate might have been worse if the tank would have stayed with the car. 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. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Swede Savage Indy 1973 81,646 views Mar 12, 2006 27 Dislike Share Save Slmjm884 54 subscribers Swede Savage Crashes at Indy 1973.unfortunately he dies 33 days later. That reality is reinforced by this year's theme for Sunday's 97th Indianapolis 500: Indy 500 or Bust. Swede Savage (1946-1973) - Find a Grave Memorial. 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. The 1973 race was a terrible race, Foyt recalled. 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). 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. Possibly it happened due to a malfunctioning right rear joint, or by running on an incorrect driving line with cold tires. David Earl "Swede" Savage Jr. (August 26, 1946 July 2, 1973) was an American race car driver. Debris were thrown into the grandstand and the number of injured spectators ranged from 11 to 13. 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). 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. In the 1973 Indianapolis 500, Savage was entered in an STP-sponsored Eagle-Offenhauser prepared by master mechanic George Bignotti. I would tell people for years that Johncock won the race that no one wanted to remember, IMS historian Donald Davidson recalled. 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. 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. 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. The exact cause of Savage's sudden turn across the race track and into the infield wall has not been settled. He had been the fastest driver for much of practice. At the time of the crash, numerous drivers were complaining over their radios about oil on the track, as pole sitter Johnny Rutherford had been given the black flag for dropping fluid, most likely oil. We arranged a cast of builders, owner/clients and builder/owners to talk about where the hobby is at, where it's going, and what the stakes are with regard to quality and chasing perfection. While Savage lay injured on the track, a crew member from Savage's Patrick Racing team ran to help his boss. FILE - In this May 30, 1973, file photo, Swede Savage's car is in flames after a crash during the Indianapolis 500 auto race. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. By his mid-teens he was racing motorcycles competitively. You never forget it, A.J. 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. Anchoring the event live for tape delay broadcast later in the day, ABC Sports broadcaster Jim McKay expressed disbelief upon seeing that Savage was actually moving in the post crash wreckage while he was engulfed in flames. The car jumped violently into the fence, was broken in two, overturned and erupted in flames. Savage would survive the crash but die a little more than four months later. [10] The force of the impact, with the car carrying a full load of fuel, caused the car to explode in a massive 60-foot (18m)-high plume of flame.[8][9][11]. 65 Swede Savage Premium High Res Photos Browse 65 swede savage stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 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