The Curse of the Indy 500 : 1958's Tragic Legacy / Stan Sutton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sutton, Stan, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Automobile racing--Indiana--Speedway--History.

Automobile racing.

Indianapolis Speedway Race--History.

Indianapolis Speedway Race.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Ind.)--History.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Ind.).

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (1 PDF (x, 183 pages) :) illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Bloomington, Indiana : Red Lightning Books, [2017]

Summary:

On May 30, 1958, thousands of racing fans poured into the infield at dawn to claim the best seats of the Indianapolis 500, unaware that they were going to witness one of the most notorious wrecks in racing history. Seconds after the green flag, a game of chicken spiraled out of control into a fiery 16-car pile-up that claimed the life of 29-year-old Indiana native and rising star Pat O'Connor. The other drivers escaped death, but the tragic 1958 Indy 500 seemed to leave its mark on them: the surviving drivers were hounded by accidents and terrible crashes, and most would die at tracks around the country. But the tragedy also prompted new regulations and safety precautions like roll bars that would ultimately save hundreds of lives. In The Curse of Indy 500: 1958's Tragic Legacy, veteran sportswriter Stan Sutton profiles the ill-fated race and the careers of the drivers involved, highlighting their lives in the dangerous world of auto racing.

Contents:

Intro

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Acknowledgments

1. A Convoluted Account of the Crash

2. A Race-Day Shootout

3. May Was Busting Out All Over

4. O'Connor's Eternal Home

5. The City of Railroads

6. Deadly Summer of '58

7. Safety Wasn't First

8. Daytona Enters the Picture

9. No Average Day at the Beach

10. Champion of the Dirt

11. How Fast Is Too Fast?

12. O'Connor Victim of Jinx?

13. Jerry Unser, Unlucky Trendsetter

14. The Good and Bad of Ed Elisian

15. Journeymen Drivers Also Victimized

16. Death Common at Langhorne

17. The Short Career of Bobby Ball

18. Speedway Claims Bettenhausen

19. Tony's Legacy Continues

20. Check Out Those Helmets

21. Keller in Vukovich Crash

22. Thomson Known for Bravery

23. Among All Else, Foyt Is Survivor

24. Sachs Almost Won in '61

25. The Little Car That Could

26. Everyone Loved the Novi

27. Innocent Victims

28. Sport Loses Two Good Men

29. He Was a Wonderful Gentleman

30. Fire and Fear Are Synonymous

31. Just Get It Over

32. Danger Highest on Short Tracks

33. '58 Drivers Can't Escape Fate

34. Dodge Loses in Photo Finish

35. Phrase Almost Prophetic

36. Later That Night He Was Gone

37. Jud Larson, A Breed Apart

38. A New Rival for Indy

39. Ward's Time Finally Arrives

40. Dick Is Jim and Jim Is Dick

41. Ward Walks Away

42. Major Celebrities Missed Race

43. Dick, the Other Rathmann

44. Hollywood Comes to Indy

45. Fans Fall to Their Death

46. Goldsmith Was Multi-dimensional

47. The Lady Lost Her Life

48. Indy among Top-10 Dangerous Tracks

49. The Former Winner's Last Race

50. Death Wasn't Only Bad Result

51. Most Great Indy Drivers Survived

52. Mario Survives Spectacular Flip

53. The Most Deadly Sport?.

54. The Trials of Cal Niday

55. Weyant, the Oldest Survivor

56. Stewart Pushes for Safety

57. He Was Still Alive

58. Lower Leg Injuries Were Prevalent

59. Flying Starts Can Be Frightening

60. Getting Out While Getting's Good

61. Major Survivable Crashes

62. No Chance of Survival

63. Bill Cheesbourg, One of a Kind

64. Sutton Retired after Seeing Kenyon Wreck

65. Boyd Saw a Lot of Action

66. Speed and Safety May Not Mix

Notes.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781684350186

1684350182

9781684350025

1684350026

OCLC:

1029487954