The original comment we heard on the radio was Veteran driver Art Pollard was killed at the Speedway this morning. Our mom, Bobbie Pollard, called after the announcement, asking if what she heard was true. Schwankovsky gave Pollock some rudimentary training in drawing and painting, introduced him to advanced currents of European modern art, and encouraged his interest in theosophical literature. Pollard, away from racing, worked as a car dealer and mechanic and worked with mental health charities. google_page_url = document.location; based on information from your browser. Drivers who survived an earlier era now openly wonder how they did. You never saw him when he wasnt smiling, Mike said. The start was The red flag flew as the rain intensified on Lap 133. 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. 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. Invalid memorial. Qualifying speeds were down nearly 10 mph, with Foyt winning the pole and Rutherford collecting the first of his three victories. rescue Walther. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. He unstrapped and pronounced the day "the happiest of my life.". If there is anything good that came about from the 1973 Indianapolis, it was a new The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site. During a subsequent practice lap, a wheel came off in the NE corner and he crashed, breaking his leg. interrupted again by rain, which, mercifully, caused it to be stopped at Lap 133 of the There was a problem getting your location. He had to relearn to walk but he was back at Indy, back in the field for the 1974 Indianapolis 500. Commerce City, Colorado. ), "If you really stop and think about it and you follow racing, it seems like before There wouldn't be another on-track fatality at IMS until Gordon Smiley in 1982. I couldn't walk at all. Christie started at Indianapolis every year from 1956 to 63. But more often than not, car trouble kept him from winning the big prize at Indy. 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. "It was January 1, 2016, and I was just like, 'Eh,. Patrick owned Patrick Racing, which fielded the winning car, driven by Gordon Johncock. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Recent studies by art historians and scientists . Unser led early, then Savage went to the front. Pollard was pronounced dead an hour later. Over the course of time, speeds have continued to increase but safety measures have This painting represents Pollocks breakthrough into a totally personal style in which Bentons compositional methods and energetic linear invention are fused with the Surrealist free association of motifs and unconscious imagery. 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. Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, USA. We have set your language to Robin Millers 2016 Christmas Gifts Suggestions including Art Pollard: The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer by Bob Kehoe. At Indy, the closest grandstand seats were moved back from the fence, and the wall Jackson Pollock was an 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.. He is believed to be the first driver from Southern Oregon to race at Indy. It was as if a message were being sent with the relentless rain that delayed, I didn't cry 'til I got back to the bed. Paul Jackson Pollock was the fifth and youngest son of Stella May McClure and LeRoy Pollock, who were both of Scotch-Irish extraction (LeRoys original surname was McCoy before his adoption about 1890 by a family named Pollock) and born and raised in Iowa. admitted that seeing an old friend's accident kept him on the safe side of 200. If you think you have been blocked in error, contact the owner of this site for assistance. IndySpeedway.com "That's what people saw. I was in the Michigan Burn Center for two and a half months. 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. 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. . Colin Chapman had returned to Indianapolis and Parnelli Jones was lending his expertise to the Granatelli team. Art Pollard's story deserves to be told, from his birth to his untimely death. 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. that much more safe.". My left hand was burned so bad that the tips of all the fingers were amputated. Art L. Pollard. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Updates? We were kind of a joke. In 1968, he teamed up to drive one of Andy Granatelli's famous STP Lotus Turbines. Mike lives in Reno, Nev., and works at a jewelry shop. Art Pollard was a top-notch racecar driver, but there was more to him than that. Who Painted the Most Expensive Paintings in the World? He went on to qualify for six races, but broke his leg in a qualifying accident in 1972 and had to sit out that race. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. "We flipped it over and I didn't want to see him because I knew I had to race. 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. 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. If you wait too long, you bog down.. "I had the gloves on, so I grabbed the hottest thing, the turbocharger, which was "Terrible. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Art L. Pollard, 61, of Commerce City, passed away October 2, 2019 in Brighton CO surrounded by his family. I was surprised to find the site honoring your brother, his career, and untimely death. Died after a huge crash in a practice session for the 1973 Indy 500. 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. Before the next race, significant changes were made to the cars to keep speeds in check We just got on the plane and came home.". observers. Rain hampered practice the first two weeks, delayed the race for 2 days and graciously ended it, on Wednesday, May 30, after 133 laps and 332 miles. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. By Lap 42, Savage, the 26-year-old charger from California, had taken the lead, a Search above to list available cemeteries. As they were being Only a couple of hundred yards past the flag stand, Thanks for your help! May, 1972 - On May 7th Art Pollard became the 13th member of the 180 . 0 cemeteries found in McMinnville, Yamhill County, Oregon, USA. Driver Art Pollard was killed in a horrific pole-day qualifying crash. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Auto Racer. announcer, 'We're supposed to have 33 of the best drivers in the world and they can't even It gets to your stomach, to your head.". (Jackson dropped his first name, Paul, about the time he went to New York in 1930.) 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. Rutherford safety truck, speeding up pit road in the opposite direction of normal traffic, hit Teran Pollard, an internationally known portrait painter, who painted four presidents and a pope, movie stars and basketball players, died at home last night. He won two Indy car events in 1969, and finished second in the first two California 500s at Ontario Motor Speedway. And so that helped. In time trials, with a car with the new air wing design, and running in high winds, the car went out of control and flipped several times at speeds over 190 miles an hour. Arts wife, Pat Pollard, was unable to get to a phone before the general media reported Arts accident and subsequent death. Granatelli had always watched the race from the pits but that year for the first time was in a penthouse suite overlooking pit lane from across the track. about it," winner Gordon Johncock said. 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. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Art Lee Pollard, Jr. (May 5, 1927 - May 12, 1973), was an American racecar driver. But, hell, that 150 was a hell of a lot harder than that 250, you know what I mean? Savage was moving toward the front again on Lap 59 The car was demolished. He was a truck driver who was elated when asked to become an STP crewman.]. "In that crash forty percent of my body was burned. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Can You Match These Lesser-Known Paintings to Their Artists? | Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. "Well, you were running 150 mph, you're not running 250. Support Small Business by ordering the book from Coastal181: Or order from Amazon.com Print or Kindle: Art Pollards story deserves to be told, from his humble beginnings in Dragon, Utah to his untimely death on Pole Day at Indianapolis in 1973. Nov 13, 1957 - Oct 2, 2019 I was lucky to have him for a dad, even if I had him less time than I wanted. Driver Art Pollard was killed in an accident during pole day practice. By Wednesday, tension and exhaustion infected the track. Johncock, who would win again when he beat Rick Mears by .16 seconds in 1982, didn't look or sound happy. Verify and try again. He liked to have fun. | The following year, while driving one of the celebrated STP-Turbo cars, he qualified 11th and was running fourth with just a few laps to go when a fuel pump drive shaft broke and forced him from the competition. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. He first qualified for the Indianapolis 500 in 1967. Emily Kasriel explores the art of plague from the Black Death to current times. google_ad_client = "pub-8002195670072149"; The total distance covered was 1,450 feet (440 m). In 1956, Time magazine gave Pollock the name "Jack the Dripper," referencing his unique style of action painting. From a small hydroplane on Oregon's Umpqua River to micro-midgets and modified stock cars on a half-mile oval in Roseburg, Oregon. google_color_url = "0033FF"; After four years in the Navy, he went to work at Hansen Chevrolet, where Art was a mechanic. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Pollard, 46, was pronounced dead an hour later from pulmonary damage due to flame inhalation. He had just turned 46-years-old one week earlier. One driver, when he saw me, made a claw of his hand and with that warped fist, waved and said, "Hi, how are you?" "After the second day, you started thinking: 'Who's next?'" "They looked exactly alike," Andy said, speaking in the hushed tones of grief 40 years later. I told 'em I was at the Indy 500. for Championship Auto Racing Teams. The car careened off the wall, burst into flames and spun into the infield, where it rolled several times. get down the bloody straightaway.' On lap 57, Savage pitted and took on a full fuel load. It was a quick input on the wheel to the right, and it came right backit only happened that one time. Year should not be greater than current year. He didn't get to race in 1972 although he qualfied his STP Lola in 10th spot. Art Pollard: The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer by Bob Kehoe. I actually had an opportunity to meet him once in Lexington. I went out in qualifying later and set a new track record. His racing career started in Roseburg racing hydroplanes on the Umpqua River, and micro-midgets at the fairgrounds. another driver," Johncock said. "I've seen the movies of that start hundreds of times since. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. overturned, flaming car came to rest right in front of Dallenbach, who helped firefighters Wally Dallenbach, who started behind Walther in the middle of the seventh row, was This browser does not support getting your location. His best finish was tenth in 1960, and he finished 13th in three other races. Born in Dragon, Utah, Pollard died in Indianapolis, Indiana, as a result of injuries sustained in practice for the 1973 Indianapolis 500. Savage lost control. All during practice he was saying that this might be his best year. ". He was a natural race car driver, Caskey said. Like Christie, Art Pollard of Medford began his racing career in midgets and stock cars. Safety was the watchword for the 1974 Indianapolis 500. "I couldn't see where I was going or what I was doing. clean this time, with Bobby Unser getting a jump on Rutherford, who missed a gear change. improved even more. Early attrition knocked out Mario Andretti, stock-car regular Bobby Allison and A.J. Walther touched wheels with Jerry Grant's car in the sixth row and was launched into the catch fence near the starting line. Arts friend Johnny Rutherford remembers, I was the first one by the scene of the accident where he crashed. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Smiley died instantly from massive trauma inflicted by the severe impact. But for a while I was very depressed. | 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. Car trouble ends his day early on lap 28. He died of liver failure, attending physician Steve Olvey wrote in his book, "Rapid Response," due to a transfusion of contaminated plasma. The grandstand was showered in debris and burning fuel. and reduce the possibility of fire. I think I cried for about two minutes. Learn more about merges. Johncock, who led 64 laps, was declared the winner while sitting in the pits. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Racing families never think it will be their loved-one. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Its a shame she had to hear about Art over the radio, but thats the way things happen when a sporting event is being broadcast., As Harvel Pollard (Arts cousin) remembers, One of the fellows I coached with for a number of years wasnt feeling well that day. Seats People came to see the storied track's first 200-mph laps. Art was born May 5, 1927 in Dragon, Utah. Art was buried in McMinnville Oregon. Smiley's funeral was held on May 20, 1982 and he was buried in his birth location in Nebraska. After his time in Roseburg, Pollard left for Medford and later became a national figure. He was just an everyday, common person that shared stories. Pollard dominated racing on the super modified circuit on the West Coast in the late '50s and early '60s. as good of friends as you can be when you race against each other," google_ad_width = 728; Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. google_color_url = "0033FF"; crash, ended up on the pole at 198.413 mph, including one lap in the 199s. Over the next 16 years his family lived in California and Arizona, eventually moving nine times. Food Fuel capacity was reduced from 75 to 40 gallons. Jim Malloy had crashed in this same turn 2 days before and would die 2 days later. Upon his death, Pollard's family established the Art Pollard Fund with a $25,000 bequest. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. It came automatic to him.. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Note: Prior to 1965 Artwon 83 championship events in the Western Statesand Canada and became one ofSouthern Oregons biggest stars. canceled and he and many others on the team went instead to Methodist Hospital to check on The impact tore off two wheels immediately, and the wings were also torn off during the slide. I just walked away.". It came out in the papers that i said that maybe I didn't get bumped. They shared hamburgers at the Burger Chef restaurant on West 16th Street, just east of the track. 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. google_page_url = document.location; There is a problem with your email/password. he also had the rookie of the year, Graham McRae, who finished 16th. Still, his professionalism and upbeat demeanor had impressed his peers. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? His racing was not professional in the Northwest and the Western states. As their communities grappled with an invisible enemy, artists have often tried to make sense of the random . He was killed during practice on Pole Day for the 1973 Indianapolis 500 when his car hit the wall and caught fire. . Survivors were his widow, Patricia; a son Michael; a daughter, Judy Dipple of Speedway; and his mother, Mrs. Artie Pollard of McMinnville. Then I progressed to hand grips. Krasner, whom Pollock respected as an artist, had already proven her ability to handle his affairs with Guggenheim. I'd lost fifty pounds or so. A No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. keeping it warm.' A popular super-modified champion in the Western States in the 1960s - to . Main 'You don't want to go up there.' Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? He served time in jail. His tires were warmed, his four-speed gear box in high. "He was kind of cheering me on and was happy I was in a car, because we were The Art Pollard Day in May continued for decades after dads death. "When I first got out, I remember I put on my nice-looking crepe slacks and my good-looking shirts. Caskey is 81 and Green is 85. | google_color_bg = "ECF8FF"; These spiritual explorations prepared him to embrace the theories of the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and the exploration of unconscious imagery in his paintings in subsequent years. gravity. Mud and sodden trash was everywhere. Bobby Unser took the pole at 195.940 mph, 17 mph faster than the year before. the blue McLaren-Offy of rookie David "Salt" Walther drifted to the right, He liked and understood people, and he gave of himself to his fans and friends - some of whom called him "Roberto" because of his dark heavy-bearded complexion. All Rights Reserved. There was a mirror over the sink in the bathroom. For the 1973 race Art Pollard had a new Eagle, two good mechanics, and a new sponsor. We got treated terrible until we qualified. Fast forward 36 years. Henry Martin always admired Bob Christie. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7232111/art-lee-pollard. "I thought, my goodness, we're never going to recover from this," said the speedway's Carnegie. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Please try again later. Map A month later, after Savage's kidneys had failed, he died of pneumonia. Back then, the Wide World of Sports televised the qualifier, but they did radio updates every thirty minutes, Mike said. His death was the first at Indy since 1973 when Art Pollard and Swede Savage were killed and, to date, the last driver to die during qualifying. He was an engaging speaker and frequent spokesman. Failed to remove flower. Then Johncock recorded an unofficial lap of 199.4 mph during tire testing in March 1973. 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. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Photo courtesy of Bob Pollard. A. He hit the inside wall almost head-on at full speed. Arts son, Mike, turned away from the flatbed truck he was working on when the radio newsman uttered his fathers name. 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 are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Salt miraculously made it back the next year, qualifying in 14th position for the 1974 Indy 500. Pole Day - Saturday May 12 - Death of Art Pollard. All three major accidents resulted in fireballs. Other cars were losing parts. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Approximately one hour after the accident, Art Pollard was pronounced dead. He was rushed to Methodist Hospital, but died shortly afterward. Reports on the number of spectators injured ranged from 11 to 13. Then I thought: Well, shit. Artle Lee Pollard, Jr. (May 5, 1927 May 12, 1973), was an American racecar driver. Methanol, at 70 degrees, weighs about 6.6 pounds a gallon. . Miller was surprised when Pollard said he would take the car out during pre-qualifying practice. Email to Arts brother, Robert Bob Pollard. Somebody from the hospital released the news, but I was not able to get in touch with anybody before the news became public.. "This is what everybody feared," ABC's Jim McKay told the worldwide television audience. But I didn't have enough muscles to do anything. Savage, 26, suffered critical burns but survived 33 days. It was a needed and welcome improvement. Memorial ID. Art shook down a pushrod Plymouth V8 in one of last year's wedge-shaped Loutus cars that wears new aero features. After these experiences, his work became semiabstract and showed the assimilation of motifs from the modern Spanish artists Pablo Picasso and Joan Mir, as well as the Mexican muralist Jos Clemente Orozco. During one period in 1961, he won 22 of 28 main events. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. "This is why there has been such a terrible atmosphere of fear here, all weekend long.". //-->,