Bill Vukovich (born December 13, 1918 in Fresno, California, died May 30, 1955), was an American racing driver, of Serbian descent. Known as "Vuky", he was also called "The Mad Russian" for his intense driving style. December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Auto racing (also known as automobile racing or autosport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ... Serbs (in the Serbian language Срби, Srbi) are a south Slavic people living chiefly in Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. ...

Before he began Indy racing, Vukovich drove midget cars for the Edelbrock dirt track racing team. 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, but was killed in a chain-reaction crash while holding a 17-second lead on the 57th lap of the 1955 event. Vukovich was entering 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 broken axle. Keller, swerving to avoid Ward, struck Boyd's car and pushed 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, killing him. Vukovich was the second of two not only former winners but also defending champions of the race to have died in competition, following Floyd Roberts in 1939, and the only former winner to have been killed while leading. Midget cars are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio. ... Edelbrock designs and manufactures performance products for automobiles and motorcycles. ... This article concerns auto racing; motorcycles, horses, and dogs also race on dirt tracks. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a [[leap year starting on Tueday] (link will take you to calendar). ... Indianapolis Motor Speedway Wing and Wheel Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana (a separate city completely surrounded by Indianapolis) in the United States, is the second-oldest surviving automobile racing track in the world (after the Milwaukee Mile), having existed since 1909. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rodger Ward (January 10, 1921, in Beloit, Kansas - July 5, 2004 in Anaheim, California) won the 1959 and 1962 Indianapolis 500. ... Al Keller was a Formula One driver (Indy 500 only) from the United States. ... Johnny Boyd was a Formula One driver (Indy 500 only) from the United States. ... Floyd Roberts won the Indianapolis 500 in 1938 with a record speed of 117. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

As the Indianapolis 500 counted as a round of the Formula One World championship from 1950 to 1960, his career is credited with participation in 5 grands prix, with 2 wins, 19 championship points and 1 pole position scored. However, it should be noted that Indianapolis' inclusion in the championship was largely symbolic and the Indy drivers rarely entered any other Formula One races. Because of this Indy winners are often not listed in totals of Grand Prix winners and especially in statistics tables. As an example, Vukovich has an F1 winning percentage of 40%, which puts him just behind the 5-time champion Juan Manuel Fangio (47%). In percentage of lap-leader statistics in the history of Indianapolis, Vukovich holds for multiple-500-mile-race competitors a decisive record 485 laps led out of a possible 656 (74%). Indianapolis 500, 1994 The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, frequently shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, is an American race for open-wheel automobiles held annually over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. ... The inaugural Formula One World Championship was won by Italian Giuseppe Farina in his Alfa Romeo in 1950, barely defeating his Argentine teammate Juan Manuel Fangio. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Juan Manuel Fangio (June 24, 1911 - July 17, 1995) was a legendary Argentinian racing car driver. ... Indianapolis 500, 1994 The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, frequently shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, is an American race for open-wheel automobiles held annually over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. ...

Vukovich was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991. His son, Billy Vukovich and his grandson Bill Vukovich III also competed in the Indy 500. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to auto racing either as a driver, owner, developer or engineer. ...

Formula One Indy 500 results