This position gave him economic security during the remaining years of the Great Depression as well as an opportunity to develop his art. ", "To me, it was a horrible year," recalled Andy Granatelli. They had recently returned from a New Orleans vacation with their wives and two other couples. His car rolled over and was engulfed in a fireball. It was the Golden Era of IndyCar racing. I found on Findagrave.com. The message was stressed in the costliest of terms google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_color_url = "0033FF"; when he lost control of his STP red Eagle-Offy. On race day, Monday, May 28, the massive crowd included 23 U.S. prisoners of war recently released by Hanoi. Art Pollard was crowned Champion (shown above) and awarded a 9 2 trophy after compiling 1,150 out of a possible 1,200 points over the two days. And you know, hell, I was a damn good athlete. There was a problem getting your location. People in the pits recall the searing intensity of the heat. We got treated terrible until we qualified. Art Pollard (Dad) began racing a small hydroplane on Oregons Umpqua River, next micro-midgets, then modified stockcars in a half-mile oval in Roseburg, Oregon. //-->. A popular super-modified champion in the Western States in the 1960s to ultimately the Championship Car Series achieving the pinnacle of racing at the famed Brickyard in Indiana. All three major accidents resulted in fireballs. Foyt, although Foyt then took to teammate George Snider's car. May 1973 arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with even more hype than usual, Coming out of Turn 4 on the next lap, the rear of his 1,500-pound Eagle, heavy with 500 pounds of methanol, twitched. "I was astounded. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. 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. Characteristic paintings from this period include Bird (c. 1941), Male and Female (c. 1942), and Guardians of the Secret (1943). Note: Prior to 1965 Artwon 83 championship events in the Western Statesand Canada and became one ofSouthern Oregons biggest stars. And I looked like a skeleton walking in them because they didn't come close to fitting. READ MORE. He was killed during practice on Pole Day for the 1973 Indianapolis 500 when his car hit the wall and caught fire. As they were being ($117,009.92 in 2017 dollars Enough to pay cash for a house in some Cities). Back then, the Wide World of Sports televised the qualifier, but they did radio updates every 30 minutes, Mike said. Pollard was pronounced dead an hour later. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. "I've seen the movies of that start hundreds of times since. Bobby Unser, in Dan Gurneys Eagle chassis with turbo-Offy power, set the second fastest average speed of 169.507 mph. A crowd estimated at 250,000 swarmed Indianapolis Motor Speedway's grandstands, suites and infield on May 12, 1973. Martin says Bob Christie was a class act in the racing community. Pollard dominated racing on the super modified circuit on the West Coast in the late '50s and early '60s. During a subsequent practice lap, a wheel came off in the NE corner and he crashed, breaking his leg. And so that helped. google_ad_type = "text_image"; "I would do my racing, get in an airplane and go It was a May to forget. During pole qualifying earlier that month, driver Art Pollard was killed in a horrific crash when his car topped 191 mph, then struck the outside wall, burst into flames, spun into the infield. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. He had suffered internal lung lesion due to flame inhalation, a broken leg, a fractured right arm, third-degree burns and a severe spinal injury. The car was running smoothly. After 1 lap, Art replaced Weld in the #57. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Pollock was employed by the WPA Federal Art Project in the fall of 1935 as an easel painter. that much more safe.". Maybe not to dad, because I think he took the relationships he had for granted, because he was that way though his whole life. Bobby Unser took the pole at 195.940 mph, 17 mph faster than the year before. More than 70 gallons of burning fuel sprayed into the grandstand and puddled on the track as cars scattered down the front stretch. With Memorial Day came gloomy skies and intermittent showers that interrupted Failed to report flower. one of the corners that was grabable," said Dallenbach, who is now the chief steward Current IndyCars generate 670 horsepower. Growing up in the small. And he always made time for both kids and adults!. He finished in the top ten 30 times, with two victories, both in 1969, at Milwaukee and Dover. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. At Indy, the closest grandstand seats were moved back from the fence, and the wall His father, LeRoy Pollock, was. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Art Lee Pollard Jr. while injuring a dozen spectators. He hit the inside wall almost head-on at full speed. Driver Art Pollard was killed in an accident during a practice Driver Swede Savage and mechanic Armando Teran also died A crowd estimated at 250,000 swarmed Indianapolis Motor Speedway's. 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. Turbochargers and bolt-on wings introduced in 1972 resulted in an unprecedented spike in speeds that year. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. The second car out on the track was Graham Hill #70, who posted a four-lap average of 171.208 mph. [Armando Moreno Teran was a 22 y/o from Culver City Ca. Walther touched wheels with Jerry Grant's car in the sixth row and was launched into the catch fence near the starting line. He earned 300 points and $17,362.00. I went out in qualifying later and set a new track record. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. The chassis dug into the grass and flipped upside-down, slid a short distance and then flipped back over as it reached the pavement again in turn two, finally coming to a stop in the middle of the track. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Car trouble ends his day early on lap 28. The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site. "When I finally got out, I was still weak. He was found unconscious, and was rushed to Methodist Hospital in the new Cardiac ambulance. Art Pollard. He finished in the top ten 30 times, with 2 victories, both in 1969, atMilwaukeeandDover. They were going to cut off the left hand at first, but the doctor felt he could save it. Email to Arts brother, Robert Bob Pollard. But I didn't have enough muscles to do anything. Weve updated the security on the site. Swede Savage - driver (died later), A scarecrow.". All during practice he was saying that this might be his best year. another driver," Johncock said. He died living his dream, doing what he loved; and it was a privilege for him to race at that level., Mike Pollard, was working as a steel fabricator for Fred Gerhardt in Fresno, California. Contact Bob Kehoe, author of Art Pollard:The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer.Request an autographed copy. Retaining walls were raised, catch fences improved and some "trackside seating" was removed. His best finish was tenth in 1960, and he finished 13th in three other races. The car clipped the wall coming out of turn one and did a half-spin as it headed to the grass on the inside of the short chute. Johncock, who led 64 laps, was declared the winner while sitting in the pits. Savage lost control. This account has been disabled. Your access to this service has been limited. Artle Lee Pollard, Jr. (May 5, 1927 May 12, 1973), was an American racecar driver. He really was an extraordinary individual blessed with many rare qualities and talents., Art Pollard was a credit to the sport of auto racing. You have to anticipate the throttletheres a lag there. He always made time for the people he knew and for the fans, Judy Pollard enjoying Arts race car in their Medford driveway in 1967. Unser led early, then Savage went to the front. He had a high sense of ethics, Martin said. I got up early and went to visit him. Fast forward 36 years. Johnny Rutherford remembers May 12, 1973, the day of Arts fatal accident: I was the first one by the scene of the accident where he crashed, I could tell it was not good. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Art Pollard (7232111)? The traditional post-race banquet was The Art Pollard Day in May continued for decades after dads death. Art won $941.00 for his 14th place finish and Bobby Unser won the race. Richards writes for The Indianapolis Star, a Gannett property. Art was buried in McMinnville Oregon. 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. Indianapolis Star - Sunday, May 13, 1973. I was in the Michigan Burn Center for two and a half months. Commerce City, Colorado. Its different to drive, too. His first attempt fell short in 1966, but in 1967 he qualified to start 13th and finished 8th. June 8, 1969 The STP team showed up at Milwaukee with Greg Weld in the #57 STP Gerhardt Offy and it was a good thing. [6][7], Art Pollard's cousin Brad Pollard and Art Pollard's son Mike Pollard both competed in various types of racing.[8][9][10]. IndySpeedway.com Colin Chapman had returned to Indianapolis and Parnelli Jones was lending his expertise to the Granatelli team. | Jim Malloy had crashed in this same turn 2 days before and would die 2 days later. 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. Only a couple of hundred yards past the flag stand, The book was released this year by Bob Kehoe of Hillsboro. The car was demolished. . "My whole family was in tears. Rene Thomas, the 1914 race winner, was driven around the track. google_ad_channel ="0983136519"; clean this time, with Bobby Unser getting a jump on Rutherford, who missed a gear change. "This is why there has been such a terrible atmosphere of fear here, all weekend long.". position he would hold until pitting. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. We just got on the plane and came home.". Art and his crew started 28 main events and won an astonishing 22 of them., Perhaps his most admirable quality (off the track) was his ability to take a moment of his time and make everybody he talked with feel important. google_color_bg = "ECF8FF"; "I tried to keep an upbeat conversation: 'The seat's here for you, Swede, I'm just He was always racing. google_ad_height = 90; A At 9:37 a.m., Pollard hit the outside wall in turn 1, spun to the inside, then flipped over, coming to a rest in turn two with flames and heavy damage. 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. Robin Miller, the long-time Indianapolis Star racing writer who now works as an IndyCar reporter for NBC Sports Network and the Speed network, recalled sitting with Pollard on the pit wall early pole day morning. But, hell, that 150 was a hell of a lot harder than that 250, you know what I mean? Although the tragic '73 race left the whole sport in a sour mood, nobody recalls having doubts about going back in '74. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Miller was surprised when Pollard said he would take the car out during pre-qualifying practice. Oops, something didn't work. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Before the next race, significant changes were made to the cars to keep speeds in check Please reset your password. There was a mirror over the sink in the bathroom. for Championship Auto Racing Teams. He is our most famous son, and whether you were privileged to know him or not you can take pride in the fact that Art was one of us., Our promise to Mike and Judy, and all who all knew him best, is as long as there is a Pacific Racing Association, Art Pollard will never be forgotten, both for the kind of guy he was and for his contributions to the sport we all love so much., (In early 1960s) I felt more comfortable running wheel-to-wheel with Art than anyone in history. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. And you dont always get that from, not just race drivers, but also other stars so-to-speak. Year should not be greater than current year. Milwaukee-area auto dealer. Finally the green flag waved at 3 p.m. Antsy drivers made for a haphazard field, with four cars across the narrow track in "In that crash forty percent of my body was burned. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. from behind at 60 mph and killed him. momentarily blinded by the fuel spray and ended up in the infield grass. he also had the rookie of the year, Graham McRae, who finished 16th. He was rushed to Methodist Hospital, but died shortly afterward. "When somebody's hurt, he goes through a helluva rehabilitation process. It was really impressive, he said. He died in Indianapolis, Indiana in a practice run during the first day of time trials for the 1973 Indianapolis 500. He was a truck driver who was elated when asked to become an STP crewman.]. Second, where was I? Try again later. Pollard was born in Dragon, Utah, but spent much of his youth in and around Los Angeles. Art qualified in 6th spot in 1970. Andy Granatelli gave me the film of the race. He was so funny, kind, and always put other people first. Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, USA. We have set your language to The rain came while workers were still cleaning the track. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. A. plastic cylinders and covering plates designed to minimize the force of impact. I didn't cry 'til I got back to the bed. 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. For the next two years Pollock lived in poverty, first with Charles and, by the fall of 1934, with his brother Sanford. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. He made speeches at schools and churches and visited the troops in Vietnam, but his pet project was the LaRueCarter Memorial Hospital for retarded children in Indianapolis. In 1928 they moved to Los Angeles, where Pollock enrolled at Manual Arts High School. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Art had little practice time in the car, but late in the afternoon, Art pulled onto the track in his #20 turbine, and his average speed of 166.297 was good enough to earn the 11thstarting spot in the middle of the fourth row. The total distance covered was 1,450 feet (440 m). The yellow came out when light rain began falling on Lap 129. Emily Kasriel explores the art of plague from the Black Death to current times. Drivers who survived an earlier era now openly wonder how they did. Somewhere in my possessions I have an autographed photo of Art and the Indy car. He was just an everyday, common person that shared stories. The total distance covered was 1,450 feet (440m). No matter. They said it was my fault. One of the top athletes probably in the country. I was a helluva mess at the time but still conscious. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. He went to the hospital with Patrick to visit Savage. Upon his death, Pollard's family established the Art Pollard Fund with a $25,000 bequest. A race in his name has been held in the Rogue Valley and in Roseburg, where he lived for several years prior to moving to Medford. Muscles to do anything button or the close button to close the carousel -,... Full speed pre-qualifying practice do anything lag there significant changes were made to the came... Pollard 's family established the Art of plague from the Black death to Current times Ancestry,... Throttletheres a lag there walls were raised, catch fences improved and some `` trackside seating '' was.! The rookie of the Great Depression as well as an easel painter foyt although. 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