There wouldn't be another on-track fatality at IMS until Gordon Smiley in 1982. I had a lot of skin grafts on it. Foyt approached and put a hand on Johncock's arm. And I looked in it. Approximately one hour after the accident, Art Pollard was pronounced dead. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. He explored themes including surrealist navigation of the unconscious and Jungian symbolism. A little after 2 p.m., for the second time in three days, gentlemen started their engines. . He turned the car over to its owner, Foyt, who had gone out on Lap 37 with a failed bolt. Pollard dominated racing on the super modified circuit on the West Coast in the late '50s and early '60s. The car slammed into the outside wall coming out of turn one, burst into flames, and spun as it headed to the grass on the inside of the short chute. Make a life-giving gesture for Championship Auto Racing Teams. Its a shame she had to hear about Art over the radio, but thats the way things happen when a sporting event is being broadcast., As Harvel Pollard (Arts cousin) remembers, One of the fellows I coached with for a number of years wasnt feeling well that day. I do not immediately recall the year, but one of our local motorcycle shops hosted him and his Indy car for a promotion. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Green, who lives in Eugene, was once Pollards body and paint man. The chassis dug into the grass and flipped upside-down, slid a short distance and then flipped back over as it reached the pavement again in turn two, finally coming to a stop in the middle of the track. Savage, 26, suffered critical burns but survived 33 days. Note: Prior to 1965 Artwon 83 championship events in the Western Statesand Canada and became one ofSouthern Oregons biggest stars. All three major accidents resulted in fireballs. improved even more. He had just turned 46-years-old one week earlier. It gets to your stomach, to your head.". The rain came while workers were still cleaning the track. Unfortunately Art slipped in Johnny Rutherford's oil and crashed in turn 1. Pollard raced a wide variety of both cars and other machinery; this included hydroplanes, micro midgets and super modified stock cars. Pollard, a 1945 graduate of Roseburg High School, began his racing career in Roseburg. Foyt had already went up that way and had walked back and grabbed a hold of me and said, In 1945 Pollock married the painter Lee Krasner and moved to East Hampton, on the southern shore of Long Island, New York. We just took to each other, Green said. It was a May to forget. He was always racing. builder who was credited with discovering Savage. Pollard moved in next door to Caskey in 1944. Characteristic paintings from this period include Bird (c. 1941), Male and Female (c. 1942), and Guardians of the Secret (1943). More than 70 gallons of burning fuel sprayed into the grandstand and puddled on the track as cars scattered down the front stretch. Pieces tumbled down the track and Savage slid to a stop, still strapped in the cockpit amidst a pool of burning fuel, but fully conscious, somehow speaking to safety workers and medical officials. We just dont!, It was hard, and I still miss having him in my life, adds Judy. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. because the 200 mph barrier was within the sights of drivers and on the minds of trackside Pollard, an internationally known portrait painter, who painted four presidents and a pope, movie stars and basketball players, died at home last night. Salt miraculously made it back the next year, qualifying in 14th position for the 1974 Indy 500. The fingertips on his charred left hand were amputated. | Art Pollard's story deserves to be told, from his humble beginnings in Dragon, Utah to his untimely death on Pole Day at Indianapolis in 1973. "When I first got out, I remember I put on my nice-looking crepe slacks and my good-looking shirts. [4] Pollard had turned 46 one week before he died. A fire truck traveling at an estimate 60 mph in the wrong direction hit Teran, who suffered crushed ribs and a fractured skull. But the luck and success ran out preparing for the 1973 Indy 500, a race remembered for deadly accidents. People came to see the storied track's first 200-mph laps. Dallenbach said. "It was amazing to come back the next year and it was as if people had not forgotten about it, but cleansed it from their minds and were ready for another 500-mile race.". I'd splash on the alcohol and take a handful of sand and squeeze and squeese it. google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; Additionally, he has written for other publications including Speedvision Online, DRIVE! Place of Birth - Dragon, Utah which became a ghost town shortly after his birth.. Siblings - A sister, Christine, 3 years older and a brother Robert, 3 years younger (shown in a 1930 photo).. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Driver Art Pollard was killed in a horrific pole-day qualifying crash. Instead, he survived with multiple burns, particularly to his catching its nose and twirling like a propeller a half-dozen times while also overturning. Art Pollard. Then they had two big fellas, two great big fellas, come in and lift me up and hold me up in the air and let me try and move my legs. Updates? Later Mike would often recall, You never saw him when he wasnt smiling., Bob Pollard (Arts brother) and his wife, Diane, were also living in California at the time. Pollard was born in Dragon, Utah, but spent much of his youth in and around Los Angeles. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. ToDo driving through a river of flaming methanol," recalled David Hobbs, now a This browser does not support getting your location. He did everything so well. limits were instituted and the rear wings were clipped from 64 inches in width to 55. I got up early and went to visit him. another driver," Johncock said. Make sure that the file is a photo. Food This isn't going to do any good either. Pop-off valves cut boost and the horsepower generated by turbochargers. If you wait too long, you bog down.. "He came off the wall and almost landed on the front of my car," said Lee Kunzman, whose first Indy start carried him only a few hundred yards. A 10 car pile up on the opening lap eliminated Art and the #40 car. "It was my job," he said. He was killed during practice on Pole Day for the 1973 Indianapolis 500 when his car hit the wall and caught fire. Johnny Rutherford won the pole position. For a moment it was up in the air and then it spun sideways and came down on fire. Schwankovsky gave Pollock some rudimentary training in drawing and painting, introduced him to advanced currents of European modern art, and encouraged his interest in theosophical literature. Reality set in quickly when, in a windy practice before pole qualifying, Pollard crashed in the first turn. He was 46. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. I think I cried for about two minutes. And I looked like a skeleton walking in them because they didn't come close to fitting. If there is anything good that came about from the 1973 Indianapolis, it was a new A TV news report, that included interviews with friends and daughter, Judy Dippell. Auto Racer. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. He waved his checkered cap from the riding mechanic's seat of his winning Delage. safety truck, speeding up pit road in the opposite direction of normal traffic, hit Teran "He told me, 'Don't go up there,'" Johncock recalled. The organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500, which Pollard raced in five times. He sliced and diced his way up through the field and took the lead from STP teammate and Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti. The front of Walther's car was torn off. He grew up in California and Arizona, where his father worked on a string of unprofitable truck farms. Last Updated: Jan 24, 2023 Article History Table of Contents Jackson Pollock See all media Born: January 28, 1912 Cody Wyoming Died: August 11, 1956 (aged 44) East Hampton New York Notable Works: "Mural" Movement / Style: Abstract Expressionism Action painting automatism modern art Notable Family Members: spouse Lee Krasner Johncock, who led 64 laps, was declared the winner while sitting in the pits. Plain and simple. That's 500 pounds of high explosive. Learn more about merges. He never looked back. what should have been the sixth row. He unstrapped and pronounced the day "the happiest of my life.". Nov 13, 1957 - Oct 2, 2019 The two went to high school together, played football together and even ended up at the same Navy base in San Diego. Armando Moreno Teran - STP pit crewman A. Art Pollard: The Gentleman Racer Paperback - September 13, 2019 by Bob Kehoe (Author) 9 ratings See all formats and editions Paperback $25.00 1 New from $25.00 First published in 2016, this is an expanded version of Art Pollard's biography that includes more content and photos. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Arts friend Johnny Rutherford remembers, I was the first one by the scene of the accident where he crashed. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Burial. google_color_border = "DDAAAA"; google_ad_client = "pub-8002195670072149"; friends . For these pieces, many made during his poured period, Pollock dripped paint onto canvas to convey the emotion of movement. They said it was my fault. The total distance covered was 1,450 feet (440m). On Friday Art qualified fastest with a new track record. The chassis dug into the grass and flipped upside-down, slid a short distance and then flipped back over as it reached the pavement again in turn two, finally coming to a stop in the middle of the track. Judy is an author, speaker and publishing consultant. Here, we celebrate Arts remarkable life. I told 'em I was at the Indy 500. Jackson Pollock was an American painter who was a leading exponent of Abstract Expressionism, an art movement characterized by the free-associative gestures in paint sometimes referred to as action painting.. He went to the hospital with Patrick to visit Savage. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. His tires were warmed, his four-speed gear box in high. Photo courtesy of Mike Pollard. respectfully declines requests to talk about the race. gravity. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Walther touched wheels with Jerry Grant's car in the sixth row and was launched into the catch fence near the starting line. Art Pollard, American race car driver (b. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Safety was the watchword for the 1974 Indianapolis 500. | The race started four hours late under threatening skies. None of the men ever forgot about May 12, nor did they let their glowing recollections of the man they called friendly, loving and one of a kind fade. When it snapped, Art lost a wheel, spun around and slammed into the third turn concrete." Article, "Hospital Room Looks Like a Greenhouse," Robin Miller, The Indianapolis Star, 1972 But racing colleagues and fans agree, it was a huge loss. Survivors were his widow, Patricia; a son Michael; a daughter, Judy Dipple of Speedway; and his mother, Mrs. Artie Pollard of McMinnville. Born in Dragon, Utah, and raised in the Portland, Oregon area, Pollard drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 19651973 seasons, with 84 career starts, including the 19671971 Indianapolis 500 races. For a while though, it was touch and go. A month later, after Savage's kidneys had failed, he died of pneumonia. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. And it was like talking to your next door neighbor. We just got on the plane and came home.". It was a quick input on the wheel to the right, and it came right backit only happened that one time. Milwaukee-area auto dealer. crash, ended up on the pole at 198.413 mph, including one lap in the 199s. He also won the A Dash, the Fast Heat Race, and all three of his 25 lap main events. have been incinerated. "We flipped it over and I didn't want to see him because I knew I had to race. In years since, there has been no final determination on the cause of Arts accident. Resend Activation Email. "By then, I could laugh about it. Art L. Pollard. Then Johncock recorded an unofficial lap of 199.4 mph during tire testing in March 1973. overturned, flaming car came to rest right in front of Dallenbach, who helped firefighters And that was the most impressive thing, Bobby Plump said. Again on Wednesday, after another rain delay, the teams tried again. "That's all you can say.". Robin Miller, the long-time Indianapolis Star racing writer who now works as an IndyCar reporter for NBC Sports Network and the Speed network, recalled sitting with Pollard on the pit wall early pole day morning. The total distance covered was 1,450 feet (440 m). There was a mirror over the sink in the bathroom. Art shook down a pushrod Plymouth V8 in one of last year's wedge-shaped Loutus cars that wears new aero features. The car careened off the wall, burst into flames and spun into the infield, where it rolled several times. //-->,