But it was his love of adventure that got him into racing stock cars and midgets in the 40s and 50s. 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. Art Pollard: The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer. Photo courtesy of Bob Pollard. "This is why there has been such a terrible atmosphere of fear here, all weekend long.". For a moment it was up in the air and then it spun sideways and came down on fire. It wasnt big money, but enough to do what we needed to, Judy Dippell said. But after the wreck, I looked like I was fifteen years old again. All I asked was if theyd give me time to call his family in Oregon, Pat recalls. [1][2][3] He was pronounced dead approximately one hour and three minutes after the accident. 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. A TV news report, that included interviews with friends and daughter, Judy Dippell. Art Lee Pollard, Jr. (May 5, 1927 - May 12, 1973), was an American racecar driver. His family lived there for 11 months after his birth, and Pollock never returned to the town. I found on Findagrave.com. The two day event was held at the Kearney Bowl in Fresno California. 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. And I set to work to build myself up. With Memorial Day came gloomy skies and intermittent showers that interrupted The organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500, which Pollard raced in five times. what should have been the sixth row. Bobby Unser, in Dan Gurneys Eagle chassis with turbo-Offy power, set the second fastest average speed of 169.507 mph. another driver," Johncock said. Pollard, away from racing, worked as a car dealer and mechanic and worked with mental health charities. Art Pollard. Food Instead, he survived with multiple burns, particularly to his recalled pole-sitter Johnny Rutherford. Verify and try again. with crashes that killed drivers Art Pollard and Swede Savage and crewman Armando Teran And I told 'em: "Goddammit, somebody hit me from behind.". He finished in the top ten 30 times, with 2 victories, both in 1969, atMilwaukeeandDover. Smiley died instantly from massive trauma inflicted by the severe impact. His racing was not professional in the Northwest and the Western states. POLLARD--Barbara, who retired in 2002 as the English Department Chairperson at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City . We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. "It was my job," he said. position he would hold until pitting. We got treated terrible until we qualified. while injuring a dozen spectators. I had a lot of skin grafts on it. Reality set in quickly when, in a windy practice before pole qualifying, Pollard crashed in the first turn. 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. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. "That's all you can say.". google_ad_width = 728; Art was buried in McMinnville Oregon. He was so funny, kind, and always put other people first. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Approximately one hour after the accident, Art Pollard was pronounced dead. You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools, or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence. 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. because the 200 mph barrier was within the sights of drivers and on the minds of trackside 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. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. The message was stressed in the costliest of terms overturned, flaming car came to rest right in front of Dallenbach, who helped firefighters Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The racing thing interested me also.. A She is the daughter of Art Pollard. google_color_border = "DDAAAA"; Seats He first qualified for the Indianapolis 500 in 1967. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? He was driving under the influence of alcohol and was killed after he was thrown from the vehicle. A crew. Like Christie, Art Pollard of Medford began his racing career in midgets and stock cars. Last Updated: Jan 24, 2023 Article History Table of Contents Jackson Pollock See all media Born: January 28, 1912 Cody Wyoming Died: August 11, 1956 (aged 44) East Hampton New York Notable Works: "Mural" Movement / Style: Abstract Expressionism Action painting automatism modern art Notable Family Members: spouse Lee Krasner Finally, mercifully, the "72 Hours of Indianapolis" were over. There is a problem with your email/password. The car was uncompetitive and Art switched to a new Lotus Offy. that much more safe.". He really was an extraordinary individual blessed with many rare qualities and talents., Art Pollard was a credit to the sport of auto racing. 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.. It was 5:30 p.m. Only 10 cars were still running. ToDo Walther's In 1973, that figure was in excess of 1,000. A system error has occurred. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). builder who was credited with discovering Savage. It was a needed and welcome improvement. I just walked away.". history. In the fifties he soon built a reputation as a tough competitor. In 1945 Pollock married the painter Lee Krasner and moved to East Hampton, on the southern shore of Long Island, New York. Over the course of time, speeds have continued to increase but safety measures have Current IndyCars generate 670 horsepower. 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. He was a real nice guy and we got along very well, Green said. [5] Pollard also served in the United States Navy for a time. No matter. The men invested countless evenings in the garage, burning the midnight oil to help transform an old 1933 Chevy Coupe into a bonafide competitor. google_color_border = "DDAAAA"; ", "To me, it was a horrible year," recalled Andy Granatelli. He finished in the top ten 30 times, with two victories, at Milwaukee and Dover, both in 1969. Jackson Pollock is best known for his action paintings and Abstract Expressionist works. An accident had not killed a driver here since 1973, when Art Pollard died on the first day of qualifications and Swede Savage died of injuries sustained in an accident during the race. And I was wasted. Kunzman took over Pollard's car for the remainder of the 1973 season. | Caskey is 81 and Green is 85. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? "They looked exactly alike," Andy said, speaking in the hushed tones of grief 40 years later. They carried a full fuel load of 75 gallons. Meanwhile, the infield continued its metamorphosis into a bog of mud and stinking His car rolled over and was engulfed in a fireball. the blue McLaren-Offy of rookie David "Salt" Walther drifted to the right, Its probably more psychological because of the instant response with a gas engine. Its just like driving a passenger car. The fingertips on his charred left hand were amputated. Walther, 25, suffered a crushed kneecap and severe burns over most of his body. when he lost control of his STP red Eagle-Offy. based on information from your browser. Savage hit was moved. //-->,