Bill Vukovich facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Vukovich
Vukovich, circa 1951
Born	William John Vukovich (1918-12-13)December 13, 1918 Oakland, California, U.S.
Died	May 30, 1955(1955-05-30) (aged 36) Speedway, Indiana, U.S.
Championship titles
AAA National Midget Car (1950) Major victories Indianapolis 500 (1953, 1954)
Champ Car career
22 races run over 6 years
Best finish	3rd (1953)
First race	1951 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last race	1955 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
First win	1952 Detroit 100 (Detroit)
Last win	1954 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles 4 6 3
Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1950 – 1955
Teams	Maserati, Trevis, Kurtis Kraft
Entries	6 (5 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	2
Podiums	2
Career points	19
Pole positions	1
Fastest laps	3
First entry	1950 Indianapolis 500
First win	1953 Indianapolis 500
Last win	1954 Indianapolis 500
Last entry	1955 Indianapolis 500

William John "Bill" Vukovich (born December 13, 1918 – died May 30, 1955) was a famous American racing driver. He is best known for winning the Indianapolis 500 race two times in a row, in 1953 and 1954. He also won two other major races in the American Automobile Association (AAA) National Championship. Sadly, he passed away while leading the 1955 Indianapolis 500 race.

Many drivers from his time thought Vukovich was one of the best American racers ever. He is still seen as one of the top drivers of his generation. He is the only driver to lead the most laps in the Indianapolis 500 for three years in a row.

Driving Career

Midget Car Racing

Before he started racing in the Indy 500, Bill Vukovich was a star in midget car racing. Midget cars are small, powerful race cars that race on short tracks. He drove for the Edelbrock team on dirt tracks on the West Coast of the United States.

Vukovich won the midget car championships in 1945 and 1946. He also won the 1948 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Gilmore Stadium. He was very successful there, winning six of the last eight races before the stadium closed. In 1950, he won the AAA National Midget championship.

Indianapolis 500 Success

Vukovich's winning car from the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500s

In 1952, which was his second time racing in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 500-Mile Race, Vukovich showed how talented he was. He started in the middle of the third row but quickly moved to the front. He led for 150 laps, showing how dominant he was. However, he had to stop just eight laps before the end because of a steering problem.

He came back even stronger and won the race in the next two years: 1953 and 1954. He led an amazing 71.7% of all the laps he drove at the track. He is still the only driver to lead the most laps in the race for three years in a row.

Formula One Connection

From 1950 to 1960, the Indianapolis 500 race was also part of the FIA World Drivers' Championship. This meant that drivers who raced at Indianapolis during those years also earned points for the Formula One championship.

Bill Vukovich raced in five World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. He started from the pole position (the very front) once. He won two of these races and also set the fastest lap three times. In total, he earned 19 points for the World Drivers' Championship.

Death at Indianapolis

Bill Vukovich passed away during the 1955 Indianapolis 500 race. He was leading the race by a large margin when a crash happened on the 57th lap. Three slower cars in front of him were involved in an accident.

As Vukovich tried to avoid the crash, his car went over the outside wall. It then flipped through the air several times before landing upside down and catching fire. Other drivers, like Ed Elisian, stopped their cars to try and help, but it was too late.

Vukovich was the second defending Indy 500 champion to pass away during the race. The first was Floyd Roberts in 1939. He is also the only former winner to have passed away while leading the race.

Family

Bill Vukovich's racing legacy continued through his family. His son, Bill Vukovich II, also competed in the Indianapolis 500. Bill Vukovich II finished second in the race in 1973.

His grandson, Bill Vukovich III, also raced in the Indianapolis 500. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1988. Sadly, Bill Vukovich III passed away in a crash during a practice session in 1990.

Awards and Honors

Bill Vukovich has been recognized for his amazing racing career by being inducted into several halls of fame:

• Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame (1959)
• Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1972)
• National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1990)
• International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1991)
• Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1992)
• West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame (2019)

Indianapolis 500 Results

See also

In Spanish: Bill Vukovich para niños