" BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE 1955 INDIANAPOLIS 500 " BOB SWEIKERT BILL VUKOVIC 69794
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- Опубликовано: 5 мар 2021
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This color promo movie from Monroe Shock Absorbers is about the unforgettable 1955 Indianapolis 500 and features driver Bob Sweikert, who was tragically killed in a crash roughly a year after the film was made. The movie opens in the pits alongside the racetrack in Indianapolis. Purdue University band entertains. Monroe Auto Equipment Co. presents, "Behind the Scenes at Indianapolis 1955". Produced by Dynamic Films, inc. mechanics work on the engine at the track 1:10. Chassis and suspension are balanced 1:30. Wheels are attached to the vehicle 1:45. The famous brickyard, 1:57. The cars move to the starting line 2:15. Flying Jack McGrath is his own chief mechanic 2:45. McGrath rockets around the track 3:22. A new record of 143.79 miles an hour 3:30. Bill Vukovich watches his records crumble from the pits 3:35. Jimmy Bryan, National Big Car Champion, 4:04. Bryan battles Vukovich in the 1954 Indy 500 driving a car with broken shock absorbers 4:31. 1954; In 1954, Vukovich and his new car roll to the starting line 4:55. Steering failure puts Vukovich against the wall, 9 laps from victory 5:00. But Vuky races one thousand miles, without relief to win his second 500 in a row 5:11. Newspaper headlines. Only two others have done this; Wilbur Shaw and Mauri Rose 5:16. Vukovich tries to win his third 500 in a row in 1955 5:30. Former champion "Tony" Bettenhausen knows what it means to take the wheel here on the bricks 5:43. Bettenhausen wipes out. Rookie Johnny Boyd is a freshman 6:36. Johnny Boyd wipes out 6:45. Pat Flaherty wipes out on the wall 7:09. Number 33, a new streamliner with Jim Rathmann. Jim was driving relief for Sam Hanks last year. The stress is high. The drivers prepare: Shorty Templeman gets behind the wheel 8:00. Seasoned veterans like Johnny Parsons get ready for the race 8:03. Cal Niday, with only one leg, gets behind the wheel 8:10. Art Cross, Walt Faulkner, rookie - Al Herman, Jimmy Davies, Bob Sweikert who lives near the speedway, all get in their cars 8:20. Balloons are released 8:30. Gentlemen, start your engines… The cars prepare and go once around the track 9:09. Jerry Hoyt at the pole position 9:24. The green flag is waved and the race begins 10:28. The cars race around the track 10:50. McGrath streaks away 11:07. Vukovich makes his move 11:30. McGrath leads the field 11:55. Vukovich keeps up the pressure 12:30. Vukovich takes the lead 12:40. McGrath is in trouble 13:10. McGrath back out in front 14:00. Vukovich back in the lead 14:27. Lap 50 15:15. McGrath in for a pit stop at 135 miles 15:30. McGrath grabs a wrench and lifts the hood 16:00. McGrath is done for the day and headed to the garage 16:12. Al Keller spins into the field from the inside. Vukovich is thrown over the rail spinning helplessly 16:30. Ed Elisian, a close friend of Vukovich risks his life and goes to his friend who is trapped 17:00. Bettenhausen heads for the pits 17:40. Jim Bryan pits 17:55. Paul Russo subs for Bettenhausen. Vukovich has died from his injuries 18:22. Jimmy Bryan, now in first place, Bryan is trailing smoke 18:35. Sweikert takes the lead 19:22. Brian is out of the race 19:54. Niday moves through the fourth turn, his front axel snaps and Niday is injured 20:30. Sweikert keeps the lead but is slowing down 21:22. Dinah Shore leads the trophy into the stadium 21:28. Two laps to go 22:05. The white flag is waved. One lap to go 22:19. The checkered flag for Bob Sweikert 22:28. The chief mechanic gets congratulations 22:50. Sweikert comes to the winner’s circle 23:18. A victory kiss from his wife Dolores and Dinah Shore 23:45. Equipped with Monroe Shock Absorbers. McGrath's storied 26-lap duel with Bill Vukovich in the ill-fated 1955 Indianapolis 500 ended when the magneto on his Hinckle Special Kurtis 500C's Offenhauser (Meyer-Drake) engine failed on lap 54. Fellow Californian and two-time Indy winner Vukovich died three laps later in a chain-reaction crash while in the lead. "The Splendid Splinter" himself was killed in the final AAA dirt track race of the 1955 season at the one-mile dirt oval at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, Arizona.
Robert Charles Sweikert (May 20, 1926 - June 17, 1956) was best known as the winner of the 1955 Indy 500, the 1955 National Championship, as well as the 1955 Midwest Sprint car championship - the only driver in history to sweep all three in a single season. Sweikert finished sixth at Indy in 1956 but then died weeks later after crashing a Sprint car at Salem Speedway.
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com
Everyone needs to go see the Indianapolis 500 once in their life. It's a national treasure.
Ted Horn, Rex Mays, Jack McGrath, Lloyd Ruby and Michael Andretti are some of, if not the best drivers that faced heart break after heart break by dominating but never winning the Indianapolis 500. One of my very favorite quotes from "The 500" came from Lloyd Ruby in 1969 after a disastrous mistake in his pit stop on lap 106 took him out of the race. At the time he was "The Man in Charge" leading most of the race to that point, over a lap ahead of 2nd place and eventual winner Mario Andretti. In an interview after "Rube" was out he said, "I guess lady luck just doesn't ride with me at this place." He had come so close so many times that the fan favorite always seemed to have defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.
It’s amazing to see the changes made in safety, equipment and uniformity of the vehicles today as opposed to the way it was a 1955. They didn’t seem too upset that there was a fatality either. You can hear that in the announcers voice.
My grandfather new Vukovic as they were both Slavic and from Fresno Ca. My dad went to school with is son. I heard about this unfortunate accident many times growing up.
I love the dubbed skidding sounds on grass!
Now they’re turning 230+ qualifying speeds. Leaving the throttle to the floor as they head into turn 1 and turn 3...
The driver Bill Vukovich died in a crash during this particular Indianapolis 500...........RIP
It was a pretty brutal sport back then. Safety wasn’t much of a concern. Truly a case of more balls than brains.
Rip...30 Mai 1955 ( 36 years old )
@@Bill_N_ATX That was state of the art for 55', they just started using seat belts a few years earlier, they were flying out of the cars constantly.
'Vukie' was very popular at the speedway and Keller took a lot of grief, IMO deservedly so, for causing the accident.
@@bender7565 To some, that was the "safer" option, the others being pinned or dealing with fire.
Just think, of all those people there, may be 5% of them are still alive? If you were 20 in 1955 you would be 86 right now.
Did they keep some of the cobblestone pavement til today?
Yes - a three feet row of bricks at the start finish line.
@@asd36f Thank you 👍 I always regret it when the labor-intensive artwork of cobblestones is "buried" completely.
What's with those tires? half treaded and half bald. Tread design not withstanding, I bet todays tires have 10 times the grip.