RARE ALTERNATIVE ANGLE of Savage's crash and aftermath happened during Indy 500 1973***DESCRIPTION***Swede Savage was comfortably leading the field by 42nd lap, in the STP-sponsored Eagle - Offenhauser #40 prepared by George Bignotti, when he pitted for refuelling and new tyres on the 55th lap. The following year, he competed once again for Patrick Racing, one of the top teams in USAC Championship (IndyCar) racing. Foyt admits he barely escaped the 1973 crashes. Savage also had a son, John, who lives in Highland, California. Usage Notes: However, he died in the hospital 33 days after the accident. Born David Earl Savage, Jr. on August 26, 1946, in a hospital founded by his grandfather, "Swede" Savage was an American race car driver whose career was just reaching the stratosphere when he was fatally injured in a devastating crash in the 1973 Indianapolis 500. Only a couple of hundred yards past the start-line, the blue McLaren - Offy of rookie Salt Walther skidded to the right and hit Jerry Grant's Eagle - Offy, crashing against the wall. Drivers Art Pollard and Savage and crew member Armando Teran were killed in May 1973 and another driver, Salt Walther, somehow survived a frightening, pin-wheeling crash. Olvey claimed that Savage contracted hepatitis B from a transfusion, causing his liver to fail. I really think Swede was unconscious way before he hit the wall. Savage's car twitched back and forth, then slid across to the inside of the track at nearly top speed, hitting the angled inside wall nearly head-on. Miraculously, Swede survived the violent crash, but was critically injured. On the first day of qualifying, gusting winds slowed Savage from matching his best practice speeds, but he still shattered the track record with a four-lap qualifying average of 196.582mph (316.368km/h). You have to be on the offensive but not stupid about it.. Teran was killed instantly. One thing is for sure, if you dwell on the negative, you better get out of it. [citation needed] Lung failure was repeated as the cause of death by Savage's daughter Angela in a May 2015 interview.[13]. He was flown by helicopter to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis where he would soldier on bravely for thirty-three days, fighting for his life. He came to rest adjacent to the outer retaining wall, fully conscious and completely exposed while he lay in a pool of flaming methanol fuel. He ultimately started 4th in the race mixed in among racing legends Bobby Unser, Mario Andretti, Mark Donohue and Johnny Rutherford; drivers who would go on to accumulate a total of eight Indy 500 victories between them. As a young boy, Swedes dream was always to compete in and win the Indianapolis 500. I think there has to be a little drama. One of his motorcycle riding buddies, the internationally famous race car driver, Dan Gurney, became quite impressed with Swedes riding and racing skills. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Driving an Eagle-Ford IndyCar, Savage won the Bobby Ball Memorial, a 150-mile race at Phoenix International Raceway on November 21, 1970. He was just 26 years old when he died. Collect, curate and comment on your files. It is widely reported that Savage died of kidney failure from infection, but Dr. Steve Olvey, Savage's attending physician at Indy (and later CART's Director of Medical Affairs), claimed in his book Rapid Response that the real cause of death was complications related to contaminated plasma. But reducing the size of the fuel tank (now 18 gallons) and switching to less combustible fuels are among the primary reasons open-wheel racing is safer, Andretti and Foyt said. A young crew member for Savage's Patrick Racing teammate Graham McRae, Armando Teran, ran out across the pit lane in an effort to come to Savage's aid and was struck by a fire truck rushing up pit road at 60mph (100km/h) (opposite the normal direction of travel) to the crash; Teran was killed instantly. Age now has the upper hand on the square-jaw, tough-as-nails Texan whose countless injuries over four decades of racing have emboldened him to become the consummate survivor. Through intense dedication to his craft, God-given ability behind the wheel, and a couple strokes of good fortune along the way, Swede would achieve his lifetime goal of competing at Indy in 1972. Diles was later filmed wiping oil off the front of Joe Leonard's car to prove the point, though Bobby Unser (who did not get along well with Savage and often ridiculed the driving ability of the younger driver) disputed that the drivers were running on an unsafe racetrack. It was a May to forget. On lap 58, just behind Al Unser (who was about to make a pit stop of his own), Savage, pushing hard in anticipation of a coming rainstorm, lost control as he exited turn four. (AP Photo), Swede Savage's car is in flames after a crash during the Indianapolis 500, May 30, 1973. (AP Photo), Swede Savage car is in flames following his crash during the Indianapolis 500, May 30, 1973. He came off (turn) four and never tried to correct (the car). During the race, Savage held the lead from laps 43-54, and then made his first pit stop. I would tell people for years that Johncock won the race that no one wanted to remember, IMS historian Donald Davidson recalled. He rejoined in second place, closely behind Al Unser and just ahead of Bobby Unser. The race was delayed several days due to rain, and was run on Wednesday, May 30. In his autobiography, Bobby Unser wrote that when Savage exited the pits, he became alarmed at how hard Savage was pushing, and dropped back slightly in anticipation of an incident. Swede Savage, circa 1973. That day you become tentative is when you become very dangerous. It doesn't have to stay dangerous, but it's an element of this sport that makes it what it is.. The 1973 edition of the Indianapolis 500 was one of the lowest points in American motorsports history. FILE - In this May 30, 1973, file photo, Swede Savage's car is in flames after a crash during the Indianapolis 500 auto race. Possibly it happened due to a malfunctioning right rear joint, or by running on an incorrect driving line with cold tyres. Contact your local office to see if we can clear this image for you. It's what keeps us motivated. United States. Auto Racing: Indianapolis 500: Aerial view of Swede Savage with medical staff after sustaining injury during crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Browse and buy images now. The early part of my career I figured my chances of survival would be rather slim after losing so many of my friends including Swede. Swede Savage in his Olsonite Eagle leading the USAC INDY 150 Champ Car Race held on the road course at Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 26, 1970 in. MAY 30, 1973, FILE PHOTO, This Wednesday, May 30, 1973, file photo, shows Swede Savage amid the wreckage of his race car after a crash during the Indianapolis 500 auto race in Indianapolis, Ind. His widow Sheryl, who is six months pregnant, is seated at far right. CREDIT: John Iacono (Photo by John Iacono /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) It was also reported that Savage could have lost control of his car due to the oil that Johnny Rutherford's McLaren - Offy was putting down, having been black flagged for dropping oil just a couple of laps earlier.Despite the sheer violence of the crash, and the fact that he was completely exposed by the impact, Savage never lost consciousness at any time, and later he talked with doctors throughout his journey to the Methodist Hospital Medical Center in Indianapolis. Indianapolis 550 Savage Crash . High-quality motorsport photography galleries featuring Swede Savage. Teran was killed almost instantly.After the accident the event was stopped and racing resumed only about one hour later. Swede was a native of San Bernardino, California. View Cemetery in his hometown of San Bernardino, California. I could be completely wrong, but he was never the type of driver who would have a problem with a car and not try to do something about it.. The years haven't been kind to a knee that was surgically repaired three times. Drivers Art Pollard and Savage and crew member Armando Teran were killed in May 1973 and another driver, Salt Walther, somehow survived a frightening, pin-wheeling crash. [1][2][3] . We arranged a cast of builders, owner/clients and builder/owners to talk about where the hobby is at, where it's going, and what the stakes are with regard to quality and chasing perfection. On lap 58 Savage, just behind Al Unser, who was about to make a pit stop of his own, and pushing hard in anticipation of a coming rainstorm, lost control as he exited turn four. I had to accept that or do something else with my life. Prior approval is required for ALL uses of images depicting SPORTS ILLUSTRATED or GOLF magazine covers, and for ANY use in RETAIL PRODUCTS. While still being trapped into the wreckage, rescuers saw him moving, a fact that astonished Jim McKay and Chris Economaki, covering the race for ABC Sports broadcasts. Savage died more than a month after the race. No commercial uses without permission. Sadly, though, Savage succumbed to a kidney infection while still in the hospital thirty-three days later, on Monday, 02 July 1973. Access the best of Getty Images and iStock with our simple subscription plan. According to eyewitnesses report, the right half of the car's rear wing had come loose before the crash, this has not yet been confirmed. [8][9] Savage held the lead from laps 4354, and then made his first pit stop. Were it not for the lessons taught by tragedy, the race would be better forgotten. Swede Savage fatal crash Indy 500 1973 - YouTube AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new features 2023 Google LLC [5] The throttle stuck wide open,[citation needed] and Savage suffered near-fatal head injuries in the ensuing crash. Today, Angela is a mother of two children of her own. (AP Photo), Swede Savage's car, which was in a wreck in the Indianapolis 500, is pictured spinning out, May 30, 1973. Possibly it happened due to a malfunctioning right rear joint, or by running on an incorrect driving line with cold tires. David Earl "Swede" Savage Jr. was an American race car driver. Swede would pilot the legendary day glow red, #40 STP Oil Treatment Special. Swede Savage 1973 Indy 500 Fatal Crash Original ABC Broadcast Footage. However, due to Savage's reputation in the racing world as a highly skilled driver who did not take unnecessary chances, Unser's comments have been attributed to his resentment of Savage's rapid rise in the racing world as opposed to the "hard knocks" experiences of Unser's career. Television footage seems to show the right half of his rear wing had come loose, which would instantly change the downforce on the wheels and could explain the sudden back and forth twitching of the car. Olvey claimed that Savage contracted hepatitis B from a transfusion, causing his liver to fail. In a split second during that Indy 500 in 1973, with heavy winds sweeping across the monstrous 2.5-mile oval track and gray scattered clouds overhead, the roars of 300,000 fans were silenced when Savage's car slammed into the inside wall coming out of the fourth turn, broke into pieces and exploded into a fireball. Among those complaining about oil on the track was Jerry Grant, in an interview with Dave Diles of ABC Sports while the wreckage from Savage's crash was cleaned off the track. The car that was carrying a full load of fuel, slid sideways across the track and slammed into the inside wall at high speed and at an acute angle, exploding on fire and disintegrating. In 1970, Savage and Gurney drove identical factory-sponsored Plymouth Barracudas in the Trans-Am Series. (AP Photo), Track crew tries to extinguish the fire from the crash of Swede Savage's car during the Indianapolis 500, May 30, 1973. It's the life of a race car driver, especially at the Indianapolis 500.. But Tuesday was wet and the drivers saw the red flag while on their parade lap. If you're going to be a race driver, you have to bite your tongue and go on with it. Savage, still strapped in his seat in a large piece of the car, was thrown back across the circuit. The 1973 fatalities, coupled with the earlier deaths of Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald during the 1964 race at the Brickyard, were numbing truths for a sport in which death had become an acceptable reality. The enhanced safety measures have enabled drivers to walk away from other devastating crashes the past two decades. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. In the 1973 Indianapolis 500, Savage was entered in an STP-sponsored Eagle-Offenhauser prepared by master mechanic George Bignotti. Contact your. He returned to driving in August at the Trans-Am event at Watkins Glen. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. The choice is something we all made. David Earl "Swede" Savage Jr. (August 26, 1946 July 2, 1973) was an American race car driver. Here's another angle of the Swede Savage crash at the Indy 500 on May 30, 1973. According to eyewitness reports, the right half of the car's rear wing had come loose before the crash, this has not yet been confirmed. He was as unassuming as he was good looking. Finally at 14h00 on Wednesday, 30 May 1973 the green flag started the race.Swede Savage was comfortably leading the field by 42nd lap, in the STP-sponsored Eagle - Offenhauser #40 prepared by George Bignotti, when he pitted for refueling and new tires on 55th lap. With AAR's racing program cut back due to budget troubles, Savage resumed semi-pro motorcycle racing in the Southern California area. Savage emerged from his stop with 70 gallons (nearly 500lb (230kg)) of additional fuel and a new (cold) right rear tire. During the replays of Savage's crash on the tape-delayed broadcast on ABC Sports, Jim McKay and Chris Economaki also mentioned that Savage's rear wing may have come loose, possibly contributing to the crash, as well. But the complete Swede Savage story is so much more. Tragically, one of his. 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