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Updated 10/9/19

For The pics of Billy Jr Click here to view

For The pics pf Billy III Click here to view

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(RIP) Billy Vukovich


Billy


Billy


Billy


Billy


Billy


Billy


Billy after the 1953 Indy win where it was really hot!


Billy


Billy


Billy


Billy and his wife Ester


Billy recovering from the heat of 1953 Indy race with Ester


Billy and jack Beckley


Billy with wife and trophy girl


Billy getting a kiss


Billy, right, with two pit people after winning two Indy races in a row


Billy, right with Gary bettenhaus and Wags


Bill


Bill


Billy with the crew


Billy celebrating 2nd win


Billy relaxing with Borg Warner trophy


Billy still celebrating


Billy still there8


Billy


Billy with a stock car


Bill with the # 71 Peat Brothers modified


Billy with his stock car


Bill


Bill


Bill


# 17 Bill


# 81 rookie year


# 1


# 4 1955


# 14


# 14


# 14


# 14


# 14


Billy in the car


Billy in the seat


Billy ready to go


Billy in # 4


Billy in # 26 ready to go back out


Billy in # 45


Billy in # 14


Billy in # 8


Billy


Billy relaxing


Billy listening


The Vukovich family


Billy and his crew


Billy in the Gearhart Special he made famous


# 17


Billy in a pit stop at Indy


Billy taking in advice


Billy getting info in 1955


Billy with Ester and Billy Jr and daughter Marlene


Billy in # 4


Billy in # 14


Billy in # 14 in 1954 with the crew


Billy in # 14, a Kurtis Offy in 1953 at Indy


Billy in # 4 with the crew


Billy in # 26 with the crew in 1952


# 14


Nice drawing


Nice artwork


Billy on the pole


More art work


Billy


Billy


Billy's likeness on the Borg Warner trophy


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The sad news


Alas.............

Billy's rides


# 4


# 4


# 45


# 71 Peat Brothers car


# 108


Billy in a midget


Midget

Indy cars


# 14


# 14


# 4


# 14 in 1953


# 14 crossing the finishing line a winner


# 4


# 4


# 4


# 14


# 6 with mechanics Jack Beckley, Frank Coons and Jim Travers


# 26


# 4


# 26 into the wall 1951


# 14 running in 1953


# 4 behind # 3 in 1951


Billy holding off Allen Heath


Billy chasing


Billy racing

William John Vukovich Sr. ( December 13, 1918 – May 30, 1955) was a Serbian American automobile racing driver. He won the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500 plus two more American Automobile Association National Championship races. Several drivers of his generation have referred to Vukovich as the greatest ever encountered in racing He was known variously as "Vuky" and "The Mad Russian" (though he detested that name, having been born in Fresno, California, of Yugoslavian ancestry) for his intense driving style, as well as the "Silent Serb" for his cool demeanor.[2] He was also referred to as the "Fresno Flash" in Floyd Clymer's Indy yearbooks, and in an interview (available at the Vukovich Accident link below) his former mechanic Jim Travers calls him "Vuke".

Before he began Indy racing, Vukovich drove midget cars for the Edelbrock dirt track racing team. He raced on the West Coast of the United States in the URA, and won the series' 1945 and 1946 midget car championships. Vukovich won the 1948 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Gilmore Stadium, and six of the last eight races at the stadium track before it was closed for good. He won the 1950 AAA National Midget championship. Vukovich was known for racing midgets powered by Drake engines. The Drake was a Harley V-twin with specially built Drake water cooled heads. His last Drake powered midget was a Kurtis-Kraft that was built by Ed and Zeke Justice, the Justice Brothers, in their shop in Glendale from a Kurtis kit. Previous to this car Vukovich drove a "Frame Rail" midget that was also powered by a Drake engine.

In 1952, his sophomore year in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 500-Mile Race, he quickly moved up from his starting position in the middle of the third row to take the lead, and led 150 laps in dominant fashion before suffering steering failure on the 192nd of the 200 laps. He returned to win the race in consecutive years, 1953 and 1954. He led an astounding 71.7% of laps that he drove in competition at the track, and remains the only driver ever to lead the most laps in the race three consecutive years.

Vukovich was killed in a chain-reaction crash while holding a 17-second lead on the 57th lap of the 1955 Indianapolis 500. He was exiting the second turn, trailing three slower cars—driven by Rodger Ward, Al Keller, and Johnny Boyd—when Ward's car swerved as the result of a gust of wind. Keller, swerving into the infield to avoid Ward, lost control and slid back onto the track, striking Boyd's car and pushing it into Vukovich's path. Vukovich's car struck Boyd's, became airborne, and landed upside down after going over the outside backstretch retaining wall and somersaulting four-and-a-half times, bursting into flames. As the car burned, Ed Elisian stopped his undamaged car and raced towards Vukovich in an attempt to save him. It did not matter; Vukovich had perished instantly.

Vukovich was the second defending Indy 500 champion to die during the race, following Floyd Roberts in 1939, and the only former winner to have been killed while leading. Roberts' car was also thrown over the backstretch fence after exiting the second turn in his fatal accident. Since the 1955 race was counted as part of the Formula One World Championship, Vukovich is also the first driver to be killed during a World Championship race.

he Indianapolis 500 was part of the World Drivers' Championship (which later became the FIA Formula 1 World championship) from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Bill Vukovich participated in 5 F1 World Championship races. He started on the pole once, won 2 races, set 3 fastest lead laps, and finished on the podium twice. He accumulated a total of 19 championship points.

Vukovich was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991. He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1992. He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1990.

His son, Bill Vukovich II, and his grandson, Bill Vukovich III, also competed in the Indianapolis 500, with Vukovich II taking second in 1973, and Vukovich III being named Rookie of the Year in 1988.

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