Indy 500: Crashes & Incidents at or Before the Start of the Race
Through 2008
1930: On the first lap of the race, Chet Gardener spun in turn one, becoming the first driver ever to drop out of the race before completing a single lap.
1957: During the offseason, a new pit lane was constructed on the mainstrech, which included a separating wall between the track and pits. Rather than lining the cars up in their traditional rows of three on the racing surface, the cars were lined up single file in the new pit area. In preparation for the start, the cars were to pull out of the pits and assemble into the rows of three once they got onto the track. While the cars were trying to get into the proper order, the somewhat confusing situation saw rookie Elmer George run into the back of Eddie Russo, eliminating both cars before the start.
1958: At the onset, the start of the race began under confusion. For the second year in a row, the cars were lined up single-file in the new pit area. As the pace car, driven by Sam Hanks, pulled down the mainstrech, the field was to pull out of the pits and begin assembling behind him. All three drivers in the front row, Dick Rathmann, Ed Elisian, and Jimmy Reece, inadvertantly slipped by the pace car, and were unable to let it catch up. The front row at that point was circling the track at quite a distance ahead of the pace car and the rest of the field. Hanks pulled the pace car off the track after the pace lap and stopped in the pits. The field organized, and an extra pace lap was run before the green flag dropped. On the first lap in turn three, two cars of the front row triggered a fifteen-car pileup which eliminated eight cars, and took the life of driver Pat O'Connor. Rookie Jerry Unser rode over the wheel of another car, and flew over the outside wall. Bob Veith, Dick Rathmann, Ed Elisian, Pat O'Connor, Paul Goldsmith, Jerry Unser, Len Sutton, and Art Bisch were all out of the race. Only Reece survived from the front row. In subsequent years, the field was lined up on the mainstrech in their traditonal rows of three, as had been done previously.
1960: Although action on the track was unaffected, during the pace lap, a homemade scaffolding inside turn three collapsed and killed two people. About 125 spectators paid $5-$10 extra to sit on a rather high and unstable temporary stand. As the field passed by the first time around, the combined force of all the people waving and acknowledging the race cars caused a sudden shift. The scaffolding tipped over, crushing the people sitting upon it, as well as people who were standing below it. Since that day, the Speedway has banned all homemade viewing platforms and scaffolds.
1966: In the largest crash ever at the start, a multi-car pilup eliminated eleven cars. As the green flag came out, Billy Foster, starting in the 12th position, hit the outside wall on the mainstrech, causing a chain reaction involving fifteen other drivers. The cars of Foster, Don Branson, George Cogdon, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Cale Yarborough, Arnie Knepper, Al Miller, Bobby Grim, Larry Dickson, and Ronnie Duman were unable to continue. The cars of Gordon Johncock, Joe Leonard, Carl Williams, Bud Tigelstad, and Mel Kenyon were damaged, but able to be repaired in the pits. Remarkably, the only injury that occured was a broken hand suffered by A.J. Foyt when he tried to scale the catch fence and escape the crash. After a one hour and 24 minute red flag delay, the field lined up for a single restart. The first lap already completed counted, and a few warm-up laps that also counted were run. On the start of the sixth lap, after only 15 seconds of green flag racing, Johnny Boyd hit the turn 1 wall, and brought out the caution flag again. After experiencing errant tires and debris from the first lap accident, in future years, crew memebers were no longer allowed to sit in the inside strip singaling area during the start. They would be allowed to enter the area as soon as the field passed.
1970: On the pace lap, after a half hour rain delay, the rear suspension failed on the car of Jim Malloy, causing him to crash in turn four. He was unable to continue, and no other cars were involved.
1971: Although all cars start cleanly, an incident occured in the pit area. The Dodge Challenger pace car, driven by local auto dealer Eldon Palmer, crashed into a photographers' stand at the end of the pits. The stand collapsed, and injured 29 people. Dr. Vincente Alvarez, a freelance photographer from Argentina, was one of two on the stand who were seriously injured. Alvarez survived, and died around 1998. Speedway President Tony Hulman, who was riding in the pace car was among the injured, suffering a sprained ankle. Also riding in the pace car were ABC-TV's Chris Schenkle, and astronaut John Glenn. During the practice runs days before the race, Palmer used an orange flag (some reports say it was an orange cone) to mark his braking point. It is not unusual for the pace car to be traveling up to 125 mph at that point. Unfortunately, the flag had been removed by mistake, and Palmer was well beyond the brake point before he realized it was missing. Instead of perilously driving back onto the racing surface, he stood on the brakes and plowed right into the stand. In the years immediately following the accident, the celebrity pace car driver typically chosen was someone with previous racing experience. Although those rules have been since relaxed, the celebrity driver is still required to undergo lengthly training and testing trials. In years following, the area south of the pits was reconfigured for safety purposes.
1973: After a nearly four-hour rain delay, Salt Walther's car triggered the worst-ever crash at the start of the race. At the green flag, his car tangled with another, or was possibly hit from behind, and flipped up into the catch fence along the mainstraight, ripping the fence and bursting into flames. As the car spun down the straight, debris, fire, and fuel splashed into the grandstands, injuring eleven spectators, hospitalizing nine. In the end, eleven cars were caught up in the accident. All cars were eventually repaired, except for Walther, who himself was seriously injured. Walther would, however, return to Indy the following year. That accident, along with Swede Savage's fatal accident on the 67th lap, prompted the Speedway, and USAC to address several safety issues. For the following year's race, the Speedway removed several of the bottom rows along the mainstrech, moved the sidewalk back, and no longer builds new seats that close to the track. The starter's podium inside the mainstrech was removed, and replaced by a new stand, with a control booth above, outside of the track. The entire infield area from turn four to the pit entrance was paved for the first time, and the entrance to pit road was effectively widened. USAC responded by slowing the cars down with the imfamous pop-off valves in 1974, and new rules for bolt-on wings. The on-board fuel capacity was changed from 75 to 40 gallons, and the fuel allotted for the entire race was reduced from 400 to 280 gallons.
1978: Although no crash occured, a somewhat alarming incident happened to rookie Rick Mears. While preparing for the race, Mears apparently forgot to fasten his helmet properly, and at the start, he nearly lost his helmet on the backstrech. Mears immediately slowed and headed to the pits so his crew could buckle the helmet on properly.
1982: As the field approached the green flag, Kevin Cogan, starting in the middle of the front row, suddenly veered to his right into the car of A.J. Foyt. Cogan bounced off of Foyt and was hit head-on by Mario Andretti. As the field shuffled to avoid the mishap, Dale Whittington ran into the back of Roger Mears. Only Foyt is able to continue, as the remaining four are too damaged to continue. Foyt's crew made repairs to the rear suspension, while officials replaced a few gallons of fuel to each of the teams' tanks.
1986: On the final pace lap, Tom Sneva, starting in the inside of the third row, veered into the inside wall in turn two after a suspension failure. Some unconfirmed reports suggest Sneva's steering wheel was not properly attached. Sneva did not initially pull away from the grid with the field, as the crew was attending to some undisclosed complication. Sneva, however, did successfully pull away from the grid and joined the field in his proper position. A few second after Sneva crashed, an immense smoke bomb was thrown to the track by spectators on the backstrech. A lap later, the race was red flagged, and the cars were stopped on the frontstrech. A decision was made to replace a few gallons of fuel into each team's pit fuel tank. About a half-hour later, the cars were restarted. Two pace laps were made, and the race began without further incident.
1987: On the start, Josele Garza spun in turn one, crashed into his teamate Pancho Carter, and narrowly missed eventual winner Al Unser, Sr. Both cars were repaired and returned to the race, however, many laps behind.
1988: On the start, Scott Brayton spun in turn two, and collected Roberto Guerrero. Both cars crashed into the outside wall with heavy damage. Tony Bettenhausen slowed to avoid the accident, and ended up crashing into the outside wall as well.
1991: On the start, Gary Bettenhausen spun in turn one, but was able to recover. Rookie Buddy Lazier attempted to avoid the accident, but crashed into the outside wall. Lazier made it back to the pits, completing one lap, but was unable to continue.
1992: On the second parade lap, polesitter Roberto Guerrero lost control of his car and crashed into the inside wall at the exit of turn two. Shortly thereafter in turn four, rookie Phillippe Gache spun in turn four, but was able to continue. Cold conditions contributed to both incidents, hindering the ability to heat up tires properly.
1995: On the start, Stan Fox, starting 11th, lost control on the inside of the track, and veered across into the car of Eddie Cheever. Fox's car disenigrates airborne into the catch fence, and he suffered severe closed head injuries. Carlos Guerrero, Eric Bachelart, Gil de Ferran, and Lyn St. James were also involved in the crash. Only de Ferran makes it back to the pits, but was unable to make repairs.
1997: On the final pace lap, all three cars of the fifth row, Stephan Gregorie, Affonso Giaffone, and Kenny Brack, came together and crashed in turn four. Two other cars pulled into the pits with mechanical trouble, Sam Schmidt and Alessandro Zampedri, and five cars were out before the drop of the green flag.
1998: On the start, eventual winner Eddie Cheever, Jr. got sideways in turn one, causing rookie J.J. Yeley to spin, narrowly missing three other cars. Neither car made contact with anything, and all cars were able to continue.
2001: Pole sitter Scott Sharp lost control of his car in turn one, and slammed into the wall in the south shortchute. The car continued down the track and stopped along the outside wall in turn two. No other cars were involved, and cold morning temperatures were a contributing factor. Sharp became the second polesitter in a row, and the fifth overall, to finish in last place.