Believe It or Not, Safety Up at Indy

INDIANAPOLIS — Fatalities at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were once almost annual happenings, but safety rules involving chassis construction and racing gear have reduced them dramatically in the last 20 years.

Pole-sitter Scott Brayton’s death Friday while practicing for this year’s race was only the third in that span. Gordon Smiley died in 1982 when his car smashed head-on into the wall while he was trying to qualify for the race, and Jovy Marcelo died in 1992.

In the 1930s, multiple fatalities were not uncommon.

Driver Bill Denver and riding mechanic Bob Hurst were killed in 1933 when their car went through the northwest wall during a qualifying run, and in the race, Lester Spangler and Mark Billman died.

Two years later, four more died while practicing or qualifying.

The most terrifying crash occurred on the first lap in 1964 when Dave MacDonald skidded into the northwest inside retaining wall and his car exploded in a ball of fire. Eddie Sachs hit MacDonald and his car also exploded.

Sachs was killed instantly and MacDonald died shortly afterward of burns.

That was the last time gasoline was used as fuel for the race cars. Methanol, a less volatile fuel, has been used ever since.

The last time anyone was killed during a race was in 1973, one of the worst years in Indy 500 history. Art Pollard was killed in an accident during practice, and Salt Walther suffered near-fatal burns when he crashed on the front straightaway at the start.

Minutes after Walther’s accident, rain fell and the race was postponed three days. When it was resumed, Swede Savage, who had led for 12 laps, came out of the pits with a full fuel load on Lap 58 and crashed in the fourth turn. One of Savage’s crewmen, Armando Teran, was hit by a fire truck racing to Savage’s accident. Teran was killed and Savage died July 2.

A fire delayed the race for an hour and 15 minutes, and it was finally halted by rain with Gordon Johncock declared the winner. There was neither a victory ceremony or party that year.

Curiously, there have been two nondriver fatalities in the last 10 years.

Lyle Kurtenbach, a spectator sitting in the north chute stands, was killed in 1987 when he was struck by a wheel off Tony Bettenhausen’s car that had been propelled by a collision with Roberto Guerrero’s car.

Stephen White was killed three days after the 1991 race when he struck a truck parked on the main straightaway while driving on the track illegally.

Brayton was the 39th driver killed, but there have been 66 deaths in all. Included are 14 riding mechanics, four racing personnel, eight spectators and White.