Bill Vukovich (1953, 1954)

One of the greatest drivers, one of the saddest stories, and one of the scariest "what ifs" in Indy 500 history. And all in one package.

That's what Bill Vukovich, who many considered the greatest ever in American motorsports, was to the world.  Yet an untimely and early death keeps him from being a household name and instead leave "Vuky" as a famous unknown.


The greatness and sheer dominance of Bill Vukovich begins with his second start in the 500 in 1952. After starting in 8th place, Vukovich quickly gets his way to the front of the field, which he would not willingly give up. He leads 150 laps, but on lap 192 a steering pin breaks. Instead of driving his car to victory lane, he skids to a halt along the turn three wall. He finished 17th.

The dominance continued the following year in 1953. He takes the same car he drove in 1952 and puts it on pole in dramatic fashion: driving through the rain! That wasn't the end of the great month for Vuky. He would lead 195 laps, only relinquishing the lead during pit stops, and wins by nearly three laps.

1954 - Just another great Month of May for Vukovich, though it did not start quite as well this time around. He struggles to get his machine up to speed and starts 19th. He carefully works his way through the field and inherits the lead around the half way point. Using a great strategy, Vukovich only makes two pit stops on a hot day that requires 15 cars using backup drivers at some point during the race. He slows down the stretch with worn tires, lapping second place Jimmy Bryan as he receives the checkered flag. He is the third driver (Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose) to win back-to-back races. He leads 90 laps, and becomes the first and only driver to lead the most laps in three consecutive races.

Vukovich qualifies fifth in the 1955 race as he goes for an unprecedented three-peat as Indy 500 champion. He quickly charges to the front, taking the lead by the fourth lap. He is in control, leading by 17 seconds over second-place and by multiple laps over pretty much the rest of the field. It does not last, sadly.

Rodger Ward's front axle breaks coming out of turn 2, causing a chain reaction as cars swerve to avoid his car. Al Keller comes across the track, collecting Johnny Boyd, who hits Vukovich and sends him over the outside wall on the backstretch. Vuky's car flips four and a half times before coming to a rest engulfed in flames. Ed Elisian, who was unscathed in the accident, stops his car and runs across the track as cars whiz by so he can try to help his friend, but it's too late. Vukovich dies of a massive skull fracture. He becomes the second defending champion to die while defending his title (Floyd Roberts in 1939) and the first to be in the lead when it happened. Also, at this time, the Indianapolis 500 was part of the Formula One World Championship, and Vukovich's death became the first ever in a World Championship event.




Having already lapped some of the field five times, it is likely that Vukovich would have cruised to his third straight victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway if he had not been collected by the crash. Instead of becoming the only three-peat victor at Indy, he tragically loses his life. He was one of the greatest to race at Indy, and arguably the greatest to ever step into a race car.