Browse and buy images now. (AP Photo/File), Special Instructions: WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1973; 5314. The 57th running of the greatest spectacle in racing took three days to complete, mostly because of an unrelenting rain. Check out the vast collections of swede savage pictures from AP Images. 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. A few laps after this pit stop, on 58th lap, just as he was about to retake the lead from Al Unser in his Vel's Parnelli - Offy #4, who was in the process of coming into the pits for his second stop, Swede Savage's car suddenly veered off course on the left side at the exit of Turn 4. It's you, the car and the racetrack.. Gordon Johncock took the checkered flag under caution with 67 laps remaining on a dark, gloomy Wednesday afternoon. Indianapolis, IN 5/30/1973 CREDIT: John Iacono (Photo by John Iacono /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X17734 TK1 R17 F19 ) PURCHASE A LICENSE Savage also had a son, John, who lives in Highland, California. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Savage died more than a month after the race. [citation needed] However, according to Savage's father, the percentage of oxygen they were giving Swede just prior to his death, due to the damage to his lungs from the fumes inhaled from the accident, was such that there was no way he could have survived, even if he had not contracted hepatitis B. Olvey claimed that Savage contracted hepatitis B from a transfusion, causing his liver to fail. (AP Photo/File), Special Instructions: MAY 30 1973, FILE PHOTO, FILE - In this May 30, 1973, file photo, Swede Savage's car is in flames after a crash during the Indianapolis 500 auto race. In his book \"Rapid Response: My Inside Story as a Motor Racing Life-Saver\" published in 2010, Dr. Stephen Olvey who was Swede Savage's attending physician at Indianapolis hospital, and later CART's Director of Medical Affairs, indicated that the real cause of death was complications related to a blood transfusion, contaminated with Hepatitis B, which caused his liver to fail. On May 12, 1973, Swede broke the track record in Indianapolis 500 qualifying in front of a Pole Day crowd estimated at 250,000 people. He had been the fastest driver for much of practice. Savage, still strapped in his seat in a large piece of the car, was thrown back across the circuit. 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. Swede Savage's car explodes after a spectacular crash in Turn 4 in the 1973 Indianapolis 500. Debris were thrown into the grandstand and the number of injured spectators ranged from 11 to 13. While other sports have inherited dangers, auto racing by definition is dangerous, considering the blend of fuel, speed and bravado in the one-eighth mile short chutes that seldom accommodate all three. Among those that were complaining about oil on the track were Jerry Grant, who mentioned so in an interview with Dave Diles of ABC Sports after Savage's crash. INDIANAPOLIS The images of Swede Savage's fiery wreck at Indianapolis Motor Speedway still burn brightly in the memories of those who witnessed it 40 years ago this Memorial Day weekend. The exact cause of Savage's sudden turn across the race track and into the infield wall has not been settled. Your input will affect cover photo selection, along with input from other users. Longtime Indy 500 spectators who witnessed the crash called it the most spectacular single-car accident in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. One of his motorcycle riding buddies, the internationally famous race car driver, Dan Gurney, became quite impressed with Swedes riding and racing skills. However, he died in the hospital 33 days after the accident. 65 Swede Savage Premium High Res Photos Browse 65 swede savage stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. In January 1967, Savage made a point of showing up at a Ford Motor Company test session at Riverside International Raceway attended by, among others, racing legend Dan Gurney. 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. [12] Olvey claimed that Savage contracted hepatitis B from a transfusion, causing his liver to fail. 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. In 1970, Savage and Gurney drove identical factory-sponsored Plymouth Barracudas in the Trans-Am Series. 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. Ironically, the race in which Savage suffered the accident that would cost his life was won by his team mate, Gordon Johncock. 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. Indianapolis, IN 5/30/1973 Early in the season, Chrysler cut back support for the AAR effort and Gurney stepped out of the car to let Savage drive the entire season. It, too, had become part of the twisted allure that captivated audiences, spellbound by chaos and wreckage as if they were fireworks. 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 and rolled several times. He died at age 26 from complications while recovering from injuries suffered in a crash during the 1973 Indianapolis 500, nearly five weeks earlier.[1][2][3]. He rejoined in second place, closely behind Al Unser and just ahead of Bobby Unser. (AP Photo), Track crew tries to extinguish the fire from the crash of Swede Savage's car during the Indianapolis 500, May 30, 1973. Like Savage and Pollard, Andretti accepted the dangers. It had been widely reported that Savage's death was caused by lung and kidney complications,[1] but 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. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. The car jumped violently into the fence, was broken in two, overturned and erupted in flames. In this May 30, 1973, file photo, Swede Savage's car is in flames after a crash during the Indianapolis 500 auto race. On Sunday May 6, three drivers left the grounds to race in the NASCAR Winston 500 at Talladega. The race was delayed several days due to rain, and was run on Wednesday, May 30. (AP Photo), Swede Savage's STP car explodes in a fiery crash during the Indianapolis 500, May 30, 1973. 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. [9], Savage joked with medical personnel after the wreck, and was expected to live when taken to Methodist Hospital and for some time thereafter. In his book \"Rapid Response: My Inside Story as a Motor Racing Life-Saver\" published in 2010, Dr. Stephen Olvey who was Swede Savage's attending physician at Indianapolis hospital, and later CART's Director of Medical Affairs, indicated that the real cause of death was complications related to a blood transfusion, contaminated with Hepatitis B, which caused his liver to fail.While safety crews and fire fighters were rushing to the scene of Swede Savage's crash, a firetruck tried to shortcut its way and drove up the pitlane against the normal flow of race traffic at about 60 mi/h, striking in his back the unaware Armando Teran, a crewman for Graham McRae's car, causing him fatal injuries. 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. These days, at age 78, it's a difficult task for Foyt to navigate his way from Gasoline Alley to the perfectly aligned rows of bricks near the start-finish line at IMS. He rejoined in second place, closely behind Al Unser and just ahead of Bobby Unser. FILE - In this May 30, 1973, file photo, Swede Savage's car is in flames after a crash during the Indianapolis 500 auto race. 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. I would tell people for years that Johncock won the race that no one wanted to remember, IMS historian Donald Davidson recalled. He was just 26 years old when he died. But on lap 59, his car inexplicably veered sharply toward the infield wall as it exited the fourth turn. But the pain of an inescapable memory is still there in his voice and on his face. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. (AP Photo). He had been the fastest driver for much of practice. Indianapolis 550 Savage Crash . His widow Sheryl, who is six months pregnant, is seated at far right. Were it not for the lessons taught by tragedy, the race would be better forgotten. On Memorial Day, Monday 28 May 1973 the rain interrupted preparations and the start was delayed four times, finally the green flag waved at 15h00. He was just 26 years old when he died. 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. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. 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. Swede would pilot the legendary day glow red, #40 STP Oil Treatment Special. The explosion and disintegration of Savage's car still is difficult to watch on video and even more painful to talk about for drivers who need no video to remind them of what happened that day. He crashed violently early in the race that year and died a month later. Miraculously, Swede survived the violent crash, but was critically injured. He won well over a hundred quarter midget races. Teran was killed almost instantly.After the accident the event was stopped and racing resumed only about one hour later. Rick Mears, a four-time Indy 500 winner, warned the race could lose its appeal if the element of danger is lost. As he did so often during his open-wheel career, he came out clean on the other side of the fireball that engulfed the cars of Savage and Walther. 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 196.582 mph (316.368 km/h). 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. United States; Canada; . Usage Notes: The accident also led to the death of Armando Teran, 22, an STP crew member who was struck and killed on pit road by a rescue vehicle speeding toward the crash. He was flown by helicopter to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis where he would soldier on bravely for thirty-three days, fighting for his life. Access the best of Getty Images and iStock with our simple subscription plan. With AAR's racing program cut back due to budget troubles, Savage resumed semi-pro motorcycle racing in the Southern California area. Savage did, but died 33 days later in Methodist Hospital Medical Center. 1970, Savage resumed semi-pro motorcycle racing in the Southern California area tell people for years that Johncock won race. 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