All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Another Southern Oregon racer began his career at Indianapolis just a few years after Bob Christie retired. Failed to delete memorial. Art Pollard, American race car driver (b. Art drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1965 through 1973 seasons, with 84 career starts, including the 1967 through 1971 Indianapolis 500 races. Unfortunately Art slipped in Johnny Rutherford's oil and crashed in turn 1. Johnny Rutherford won the pole position. Tuesday was wet, as well, and the drivers saw the red flag while on their parade lap. Even though it was so hard to lose him, I find tremendous solace in my faith and the fact that I had such a loving dad. Armando Moreno Teran - STP pit crewman You can always change this later in your Account settings. If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site, please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send". "I thought I was blind until I flipped up my visor. Then Johncock recorded an unofficial lap of 199.4 mph during tire testing in March 1973. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Jackson Pollock, in full Paul Jackson Pollock, (born January 28, 1912, Cody, Wyoming, U.S.died August 11, 1956, East Hampton, New York), American painter who was a leading exponent of Abstract Expressionism, an art movement characterized by the free-associative gestures in paint sometimes referred to as action painting. During his lifetime he received widespread publicity and serious recognition for the radical poured, or drip, technique he used to create his major works. "This is what everybody feared," ABC's Jim McKay told the worldwide television audience. Map recalled pole-sitter Johnny Rutherford. Survivors were his widow, Patricia; a son Michael; a daughter, Judy Dipple of Speedway; and his mother, Mrs. Artie Pollard of McMinnville. It was a needed and welcome improvement. Forty years later, children cavort on the hospital's "Art Pollard Playground" and the picnic survives in his honor, financed by his fund, the original $25,000 still untouched. During one period in 1961, he won 22 of 28 main events. Your access to this service has been limited. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Going through turn one on one of the four laps, the car snapped on me. A lot of fans - and drivers too - said that Walther blew it. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Art was a good human being; a drivers driver. It gets to your stomach, to your head.". Thirty-two cars returned to their original positions. "I still feel bad about it. Jackson Pollock was born in Cody, Wyoming, on January 28, 1912. Photo courtesy of Mike Pollard. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. A 10 car pile up on the opening lap eliminated Art and the #40 car. If there is anything good that came about from the 1973 Indianapolis, it was a new And you dont always get that from, not just race drivers, but also other stars so-to-speak. "It was amazing to come back the next year and it was as if people had not forgotten about it, but cleansed it from their minds and were ready for another 500-mile race.". He went on to become a popular super-modified champion in the Western States in the 1960sand finally, the Indy Racing circuitachieving the pinnacle of racing, the famed BrickyardIndianapolis Motor Speedway in 1967. The back end jumped out and I caught it. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. (HTTP response code 503). Approximately one hour after the accident, Art Pollard was pronounced dead. Born in Dragon, Utah, and raised in the Portland, Oregon area, Pollard drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 19651973 seasons, with 84 career starts, including the 19671971 Indianapolis 500 races. I am sorry that you lost him at such an early age, but I thought you might appreciate knowing that a while ago, he made a young boys day. Invalid memorial. They had recently returned from a New Orleans vacation with their wives and two other couples. Savage was moving toward the front again on Lap 59 Pollard's was an uncommon touch. He had to relearn to walk but he was back at Indy, back in the field for the 1974 Indianapolis 500. There wouldn't be another on-track fatality at IMS until Gordon Smiley in 1982. 1927) Artle Lee Pollard, Jr. (May 5, 1927 - May 12, 1973), was an American racecar driver. Steve Krisiloff, who started the 1973 race seventh and finished sixth, recalled coming around to take the green flag on his pole day qualifying attempt. google_color_bg = "ECF8FF"; Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Arts friend Johnny Rutherford remembers, I was the first one by the scene of the accident where he crashed. It was just a week after the local heros 46th birthday. Please select which sections you would like to print: Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Arts wife, Pat Pollard, was unable to get to a phone before the general media reported Arts accident and subsequent death. Unfortunately, Indianapolis Motor Speedway was where Pollard lost his life in an accident on May 12, 1973, during a practice run for the Indy 500. "He told me, 'Don't go up there,'" Johncock recalled. "I couldn't see where I was going or what I was doing. "When I finally did come back to racing, the other drivers didn't coddle me about what I'd been through. Rutherford He was very popular, very quiet, but on the race track, very successful, Carnegie said. Bobby Unser, in Dan Gurneys Eagle chassis with turbo-Offy power, set the second fastest average speed of 169.507 mph. Smiley died instantly from massive trauma inflicted by the severe impact. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. And I saw myself and , honest to God, didn't believe it was me. "That's all you can say.". You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools, or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence. Art Pollard: The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer. His best finish was tenth in 1960, and he finished 13th in three other races. Once I got the news I called the hospital, and by then he had passed away.. He hit it head-on with enough force to rip the machine in two Racing families never think it will be their loved-one. He also won the A Dash, the Fast Heat Race, and all three of his 25 lap main events. Drivers who survived an earlier era now openly wonder how they did. The red flag flew as the rain intensified on Lap 133. Pollard moved in next door to Caskey in 1944. Photo courtesy of Bob Pollard. The men invested countless evenings in the garage, burning the midnight oil to help transform an old 1933 Chevy Coupe into a bonafide competitor. Art's dad was born in Anderson, Texas. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. It was a lot of fun.. He went to the hospital with Patrick to visit Savage. He really put his foot into it and topped teammate Hills speed with an incredible 171.559 mph average. And it was like talking to your next door neighbor. March 18, 1972 - At Phoenix Art qualified 21st in the #11 Quality Racing Scorpion now with a turbocharged Foyt powerplant. preparations four times. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Finally the green flag waved at 3 p.m. Antsy drivers made for a haphazard field, with four cars across the narrow track in His fathers Studebaker dealership sponsored his midget race car. He won two Indy car events in 1969, and finished second in the first two California 500s at Ontario Motor Speedway. Pollard died in Indianapolis, Indiana, as a result of injuries sustained in a crash during practice on the first day of time trials for the 1973 Indianapolis 500. Make sure that the file is a photo. for Championship Auto Racing Teams. He was a natural race car driver, Caskey said. Pop-off valves cut boost and the horsepower generated by turbochargers. Mike, then 25 and a steel fabricator in Fresno, Calif., didnt want to believe what he was hearing. Teran and Vince Granatelli were the same height and build. Pollard raced a wide variety of both cars and other machinery; this included hydroplanes, micro midgets and super modified stock cars. "I would do my racing, get in an airplane and go At Milwaukee, on August 22, 1965 - Art Pollard made his USAC Champ Car debut, driving a rear-engine Rolla Vollstedt designed car owned by Jim Robbins. "When I finally got out, I was still weak. momentarily blinded by the fuel spray and ended up in the infield grass. "It was just a race that everybody wanted to get over with and go home and forget "He said, 'You don't want to see it.". Mud and sodden trash was everywhere. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Can You Match These Lesser-Known Paintings to Their Artists? This brought back many memories for Fletcher, who owned the car that Art Pollard died in during the 1973 race. I suppose there is truth in the 7 degrees of separation theory. It was horrendous and I could tell it was not good. "Everyone's friend," Unser called him. Legendary Track Announcer Tom Carnegie says Pollard carried a high level of sportsmanship and driving that attracted fans. Foyt had already went up that way and had walked back and grabbed a hold of me and said, The email does not appear to be a valid email address. and trigger another explosion of fuel and car parts. Place of Birth - Dragon, Utah which became a ghost town shortly after his birth.. Siblings - A sister, Christine, 3 years older and a brother Robert, 3 years younger (shown in a 1930 photo).. google_color_text = "000000"; Only a couple of hundred yards past the flag stand, Pieces tumbled down the track and Savage slid to a stop, still strapped in the cockpit amidst a pool of burning fuel, but fully conscious, somehow speaking to safety workers and medical officials. | In 1973, that figure was in excess of 1,000. He was unconscious until his death an hour later at Methodist Hospital of flame inhalation. "It was my job," he said. google_color_url = "0033FF"; Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. None of the men ever forgot about May 12, nor did they let their glowing recollections of the man they called friendly, loving and one of a kind fade. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? For a while though, it was touch and go. He served time in jail. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. "I jumped on the throttle coming out of 2," Krisiloff said, "and spun my wheels halfway down the back straight in high gear.". Meanwhile, the infield continued its metamorphosis into a bog of mud and stinking Pollard's wreck (when he broke his leg in 1972) was a direct result of a broken right rear hub on his STP-Lola. Try again later. This was after I'd begun to walk on my own. I told 'em I was at the Indy 500. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. He unstrapped and pronounced the day "the happiest of my life.". 1961 Art Pollard won the 1961 Western States Race of Champions with the 34 Willys racer with a longer chassis and some added body work and a new fuel tank which increased the weight to 2050 pounds. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. He pulled into his pit and climbed out of his car. google_ad_channel ="0983136519"; A month later, after Savage's kidneys had failed, he died of pneumonia. "It was January 1, 2016, and I was just like, 'Eh,. Johncock's celebration wasn't much of a party. Robin Millers 2016 Christmas Gifts Suggestions including Art Pollard: The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer by Bob Kehoe. Pollard frequently visited Larue Carter Memorial Hospital, a facility for mentally ill youth, and each May arranged for a busload or two of its children to come to the track for a picnic. the blue McLaren-Offy of rookie David "Salt" Walther drifted to the right, Just didn't go that way.". Driver Art Pollard was killed in a horrific pole-day qualifying crash. I went out in qualifying later and set a new track record. It was one of the most miserable weekends of his life. The start was Characteristic paintings from this period include Bird (c. 1941), Male and Female (c. 1942), and Guardians of the Secret (1943). Savage hit was moved. Try again later. He did everything so well. Born in Dragon, Utah, Pollard died in Indianapolis, Indiana, as a result of injuries sustained in practice for the 1973 Indianapolis 500. Art shook down a pushrod Plymouth V8 in one of last year's wedge-shaped Loutus cars that wears new aero features. And you know, hell, I was a damn good athlete. They carried a full fuel load of 75 gallons. google_ad_width = 728; After his time in Roseburg, Pollard left for Medford and later became a national figure. "In that crash forty percent of my body was burned. Find the obituary of Art Pollard (1957 - 2019) from Commerce City, CO. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. He had burns, broken bones, and a severe spinal cord injury. There was a problem getting your location. The traditional victory banquet was canceled. There was an error deleting this problem. Art went on to win his first Champ Car race after a wild start (shown above). Kunzman took over Pollard's car for the remainder of the 1973 season. The car slammed into the outside wall coming out of turn one, burst into flames, and spun as it headed to the grass on the inside of the short chute. "They could have just as well red-flagged the thing and we would have been happy to have gone on to Milwaukee.". Using hardened brushes, sticks, and turkey basters, and household enamel paints, Pollock squirted, splashed, and dripped his paint onto canvas rolled out over his studio floor. "It's a sad thing to say, but it is.". The total distance covered was 1,450 feet (440 m). At this time Pollock, who had been raised an agnostic, also attended the camp meetings of the former messiah of the theosophists, Jiddu Krishnamurti, a personal friend of Schwankovsky. He started twenty-fifth and finished twenty-second after a spin. 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