William John "Bill" Vukovich (; December 13, 1918 – May 30, 1955) was an American racing driver. He won the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500, plus two more American Automobile Association National Championship races, and died while leading the 1955 Indianapolis 500.
Several drivers of his generation have referred to Vukovich as the greatest ever in American motorsport. He is generally considered one of the best racing drivers of his generation, and is the only driver to lead the most laps in three consecutive Indy 500s.
Driving career
Midget car career
Before he began Indy racing, Vukovich drove midget cars for the Edelbrock dirt track racing team. He raced on the West Coast of the United States in the URA, and won the series' 1945 and 1946 midget car championships. Vukovich won the 1948 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Gilmore Stadium, and six of the last eight races at the stadium track before it was closed for good. He won the 1950 AAA National Midget championship. Vukovich was known for racing midgets powered by Drake engines. The Drake was a Harley V-twin with specially built Drake water cooled heads. His last Drake powered midget was a Kurtis-Kraft that was built by Ed and Zeke Justice, the Justice Brothers, in their shop in Glendale from a Kurtis kit. Previous to this car Vukovich drove a "Frame Rail" midget that was also powered by a Drake engine.
Indianapolis 500
In 1952, his second year in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 500-Mile Race, he quickly moved up from his starting position in the middle of the third row to take the lead, and led 150 laps in dominant fashion before suffering steering failure on the 192nd of the 200 laps. He returned to win the race in consecutive years, 1953 and 1954. He led an astounding 71.7% of laps that he drove in competition at the track, and remains the only driver ever to lead the most laps in the race three consecutive years.
World Drivers' Championship career
The AAA/USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship points and participation in addition to those which they received towards the AAA/USAC National Championship.
Vukovich participated in five World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. He started on the pole once, won twice, recorded three fastest laps, and accumulated 19 World Drivers' Championship points.
Death at Indianapolis
Vukovich was killed in a chain-reaction crash while holding a 17-second lead on the 57th lap of the 1955 Indianapolis 500. He was exiting the second turn, trailing three slower cars—driven by Rodger Ward, Al Keller, and Johnny Boyd—when Ward's car hit the backstretch outer wall and flipped, resting in the middle of the track as a result of a broken axle. Keller, swerving into the infield to avoid Ward, lost control and slid back onto the track, striking Boyd's car and pushing it into Vukovich's path. After his car went over the outside wall and become airborne, it cartwheeled through the air multiple times landing on top of a group of parked cars before coming to rest upside down and bursting into flames. Boyd's car also flipped over and landed upside down as well. As the car burned, Ed Elisian stopped his undamaged car and raced towards Vukovich in an attempt to save him. It did not matter; Vukovich had perished instantly. Two spectators were also injured when Vukovich's car landed on their Jeep.
Vukovich was the second defending Indy 500 champion to die during the race, following Floyd Roberts in 1939, and the only former winner to have been killed while leading. Roberts' car was also thrown over the backstretch fence after exiting the second turn in his fatal accident. Since the 1955 race was counted as part of the Formula One World Championship, Vukovich is also the first driver to be killed during a World Championship race.
Family
His son, Bill Vukovich II, and his grandson, Bill Vukovich III, also competed in the Indianapolis 500, with Vukovich II taking second in 1973, and Vukovich III being named Rookie of the Year in 1988. Vukovich III died on November 25, 1990, in a crash during practice for a CRA race at Mesa Marin Raceway, in Bakersfield, California.
Awards and honors
Vukovich has been inducted into the following halls of fame:
Motorsports career results
AAA Championship Car results
DNQ
DNQ
29
DNQ
14
26
15
21
7
DNQ
3
7
11
18
DNQ
17
DNQ
24
DNQ
1
3
14
1
14
8
1
DNQ
1
22
25
Indianapolis 500 results
| Year | Car | Start | Qual | Rank | Finish | Laps | Led | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | Did not qualify |
| 1951 | 81 | 20 | 133.725 | 16 | 29 | 29 | Oil tank | |
| 1952 | 26 | 8 | 138.212 | 2 | 17 | 191 | 150 | Steering |
| 1953 | 14 | 1 | 138.392 | 1 | 1st | 200 | 195 | Running |
| 1954 | 14 | 19 | 138.478 | 15 | 1st | 200 | 90 | Running |
| 1955 | 4 | 5 | 141.071 | 3 | 25 | 56 | 50 | Fatal accident |
| Totals | 676 | 485 | ||||||
| Starts | 5 |
|---|---|
| Poles | 1 |
| Front Row | 1 |
| Wins | 2 |
| Top 5 | 2 |
| Top 10 | 2 |
| Retired | 3 |
FIA World Drivers' Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
DNQ
29
17
1
1
25
Original Wikipedia article last retrieved on 10 November 2023.