BARBARA POLLARD OBITUARY. The car was demolished. It was like a blanket of fire on the track. Photo courtesy of Bob Pollard. By Lap 42, Savage, the 26-year-old charger from California, had taken the lead, a one of the corners that was grabable," said Dallenbach, who is now the chief steward She is the daughter of Art Pollard. Additionally, he has written for other publications including Speedvision Online, DRIVE! observers. Pollock was employed by the WPA Federal Art Project in the fall of 1935 as an easel painter. I went out in qualifying later and set a new track record. His tires were warmed, his four-speed gear box in high. Nov 13, 1957 - Oct 2, 2019 And I think it was a tribute to him and the fact that he cared. Support Small Business by ordering the book from Coastal181: Or order from Amazon.com Print or Kindle: Art Pollards story deserves to be told, from his humble beginnings in Dragon, Utah to his untimely death on Pole Day at Indianapolis in 1973. The. google_color_text = "000000"; I just walked away.". "I couldn't see where I was going or what I was doing. In the fifties he soon built a reputation as a tough competitor. The chassis dug into the grass and flipped upside-down, slid a short distance and then flipped back over as it reached the pavement again in turn two, finally coming to a stop in the middle of the track. "I was down by the pit wall, steering left, and . And I was wasted. Learn more about merges. Later Mike would often recall, You never saw him when he wasnt smiling., Bob Pollard (Arts brother) and his wife, Diane, were also living in California at the time. Art Pollard: The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer by Bob Kehoe. The men invested countless evenings in the garage, burning the midnight oil to help transform an old 1933 Chevy Coupe into a bonafide competitor. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? This painting represents Pollocks breakthrough into a totally personal style in which Bentons compositional methods and energetic linear invention are fused with the Surrealist free association of motifs and unconscious imagery. Miller was surprised when Pollard said he would take the car out during pre-qualifying practice. He was a mechanic and car dealer at the time of his death. Green, who lives in Eugene, was once Pollards body and paint man. Back then, the Wide World of Sports televised the qualifier, but they did radio updates every 30 minutes, Mike said. He had burns, broken bones, and a severe spinal cord injury. For my hands I got a box of sand. The original comment we heard on the radio was Veteran driver Art Pollard was killed at the Speedway this morning. Our mom, Bobbie Pollard, called after the announcement, asking if what she heard was true. and reduce the possibility of fire. And you dont always get that from, not just race drivers, but also other stars so-to-speak. He never looked back. He died in Indianapolis, Indiana in a practice run during the first day of time trials for the 1973 Indianapolis 500. He turned the car over to its owner, Foyt, who had gone out on Lap 37 with a failed bolt. Not just for publicity, but sincerely cared for people, Dippell said. When they got me up to walk, I'd get dizzy and go sit back down. Survivors were his widow, Patricia; a son Michael; a daughter, Judy Dipple of Speedway; and his mother, Mrs. Artie Pollard of McMinnville. The pride of Roseburg and Medford, Oregon had driven his last lap. POLLARD--Barbara, who retired in 2002 as the English Department Chairperson at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City . Art Pollard (Dad) began racing a small hydroplane on Oregons Umpqua River, next micro-midgets, then modified stockcars in a half-mile oval in Roseburg, Oregon. His racing was not professional in the Northwest and the Western states. From a small hydroplane on Oregon's Umpqua River to micro-midgets and modified stock cars on a half-mile oval in Roseburg, Oregon. He was 46. On the west coast, daughter Judy (then 23-years-old) and son Mike (25-years-old) heard this shocking and unwelcome news on radio and television in the early morning hours. This isn't going to do any good either. Pollard raced at Indy seven times, finishing eighth in the 1967 race. Tales Parts of my kneecap were smashed. "What happened - what people saw - was my car hit a tire on Jerry Grant's Eagle and flip high into the air. | have been incinerated. Photo courtesy of Mike Pollard. My car hit another and then spun down the track with the wheels off it. "By then, I could laugh about it. None of the men ever forgot about May 12, nor did they let their glowing recollections of the man they called friendly, loving and one of a kind fade. I couldn't walk at all. It was then Joe Leonards turn in his #60 STP turbine. Art Lee Pollard, Jr. (May 5, 1927 - May 12, 1973), was an American racecar driver. Swede Savage - driver (died later), May 1973 arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with even more hype than usual, Approximately one hour after the accident, Art Pollard was pronounced dead. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Art Pollard (7232111)? Pollard died Wednesday of cardiac arrest at a Los Angeles hospital, his longtime. He died Dec. 27, 2012. Kind, generous, friendly, outgoing, persistent, honest, gentlemanly, optismistic, competitive, even-tempered, vibrant - these words describe a few of the qualities of this exceptional person who was also a great race driver. It was pole day for the Indianapolis 500, a sunny Saturday bright with the promise of speed. "Back then, about the only way to get a better ride, move up the ladder, was when somebody got hurt or killed," Kunzman said. After a while, I told my friend that I had to get back home to watch the time trials. You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools, or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence. March 18, 1972 - At Phoenix Art qualified 21st in the #11 Quality Racing Scorpion now with a turbocharged Foyt powerplant. | Robin Millers 2016 Christmas Gifts Suggestions including Art Pollard: The Life and Legacy of a Gentleman Racer by Bob Kehoe. You have to anticipate the throttletheres a lag there. google_ad_width = 728; He also won the A Dash, the Fast Heat Race, and all three of his 25 lap main events. May of 1973 was a deadly month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, earning it the nickname Bloody May. He hit it head-on with enough force to rip the machine in two Art died inIndianapolis,Indianaas a result of injuries sustained in practice for the 1973Indianapolis500. A 10 car pile up on the opening lap eliminated Art and the #40 car. He is our most famous son, and whether you were privileged to know him or not you can take pride in the fact that Art was one of us., Our promise to Mike and Judy, and all who all knew him best, is as long as there is a Pacific Racing Association, Art Pollard will never be forgotten, both for the kind of guy he was and for his contributions to the sport we all love so much., (In early 1960s) I felt more comfortable running wheel-to-wheel with Art than anyone in history. He moved up the ranks, eventually testing himself against the best in the United States Auto Club Championship Car Series. I had to learn to walk again. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. (Pollard Family Collection), Innovative Turbines of 1968: Art drove #20, Art commented on what it was like to drive the turbine car for the first time. Mike, then 25 and a steel fabricator in Fresno, Calif., didnt want to believe what he was hearing. Eventually I began to work with the weights. Art Pollard was crowned Champion (shown above) and awarded a 9 2 trophy after compiling 1,150 out of a possible 1,200 points over the two days. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jackson-Pollock, National Gallery of Art, Washington - Biography of Jackson Pollock, Guggenheim - Biography of Jackson Pollock, The Art Story - Biography of Jackson Pollock, Jackson Pollock - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Jackson Pollock - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). 1961 Art Pollard won the 1961 Western States Race of Champions with the 34 Willys racer with a longer chassis and some added body work and a new fuel tank which increased the weight to 2050 pounds. It consisted mostly of small landscapes and figurative scenes such as Going West (193435), in which Pollock utilized motifs derived from photographs of his birthplace at Cody. You never saw him when he wasnt smiling, Mike said. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Once I got the news I called the hospital, and by then he had passed away.. Fuel capacity was reduced from 75 to 40 gallons. He hit the inside wall almost head-on at full speed. | "They had everybody stopped there in Turn 4," Johncock said. I've been lifting weights since I was sixteen years old. Dallenbach also talked to Savage in the hospital, because he was hired to replace him. Pollard was known as a giving man who did things like visit troops in Vietnam and give speeches at churches and high schools all over the nation. Ken Glass, a long-time Roseburg resident, sponsored Arts car until Indianapolis came calling and the rates simply got too expensive. They saw, instead, the fatal first day of the old track's deadliest May since 1937. Colin Chapman had returned to Indianapolis and Parnelli Jones was lending his expertise to the Granatelli team. It was a lot of fun.. Pollard raced a wide variety of both cars and other machinery; this included hydroplanes, micro midgets and super modified stock cars. The two day event was held at the Kearney Bowl in Fresno California. Try again later. Pollard was pronounced dead an hour later. Car trouble ends his day early on lap 28. Artle Lee Pollard, Jr. (May 5, 1927 May 12, 1973), was an American racecar driver. On race day, Monday, May 28, the massive crowd included 23 U.S. prisoners of war recently released by Hanoi. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7232111/art-lee-pollard. Arts wife, Pat Pollard, was unable to get to a phone before the general media reported Arts accident and subsequent death. And I told 'em: "Goddammit, somebody hit me from behind.". Pollard, 46, was pronounced dead an hour later from pulmonary damage due to flame inhalation. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Ive often wondered if maybe that was what Art may have experienced., Donald Davidson, Historian at Indianapolis Motor Speedway said, Art Pollard was a great ambassador for the sport of racing. People in the pits recall the searing intensity of the heat. You will then receive an email that helps you regain access. respectfully declines requests to talk about the race. Failed to remove flower. During one period in 1961, he won 22 of 28 main events. He lived with his brother Charles and later in an apartment in Greenwich Village with his brother Sanford and Sanfords wife. We were listening to the radio broadcast of the activity at Indy when they announced that Art had crashed and later passed away in the hospital. He died of liver failure, attending physician Steve Olvey wrote in his book, "Rapid Response," due to a transfusion of contaminated plasma. hands. If you think you have been blocked in error, contact the owner of this site for assistance. interrupted and shortened the race. On Friday Art qualified fastest with a new track record. In 1945 Pollock married the painter Lee Krasner and moved to East Hampton, on the southern shore of Long Island, New York. He went on to qualify for six races, but broke his leg in a qualifying accident in 1972 and had to sit out that race. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Forty years later, children cavort on the hospital's "Art Pollard Playground" and the picnic survives in his honor, financed by his fund, the original $25,000 still untouched. He was so funny, kind, and always put other people first. Wally Dallenbach, who started behind Walther in the middle of the seventh row, was Make a life-giving gesture The two went to high school together, played football together and even ended up at the same Navy base in San Diego. Last Updated: Jan 24, 2023 Article History Table of Contents Jackson Pollock See all media Born: January 28, 1912 Cody Wyoming Died: August 11, 1956 (aged 44) East Hampton New York Notable Works: "Mural" Movement / Style: Abstract Expressionism Action painting automatism modern art Notable Family Members: spouse Lee Krasner Don Caskey was on his tractor when his wife Shirley called him inside on May 12, 1973. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Pole Day - Saturday May 12 - Death of Art Pollard. When it snapped, Art lost a wheel, spun around and slammed into the third turn concrete." Article, "Hospital Room Looks Like a Greenhouse," Robin Miller, The Indianapolis Star, 1972 Instead, he survived with multiple burns, particularly to his It was just a week after the local heros 46th birthday. "He was like a family member. Art shook down a pushrod Plymouth V8 in one of last year's wedge-shaped Loutus cars that wears new aero features. 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This account has been disabled. 1965: 3 races;0 wins; 0 Podiums; 0 Pole Positions, 1966: 7 races;0 wins; 0 Podiums; 0 Pole Positions, 1967: 10 races; 0 wins; 0 Podiums; 1 Pole Position, 1968: 20 races; 0 wins; 0 Podiums; 1 Pole Position, 1969: 18 races; 2 wins; 3 Podiums; 0 Pole Positions, 1970: 10 races; 0 wins; 1 Podium;0 Pole Positions, 1971: 10 races; 0 wins; 1 Podium;0 Pole Positions, 1972: 4 races;0 wins; 0 Podiums; 0 Pole Positions, 1967: Car #16; Thermo-King; Laps completed: 195; Start 13; Finished 8, 1968: Car #20; STP; Laps completed: 188; fuel shaft failure; Start 11; Finished 13, 1969: Car #40; STP; Laps completed: 7; driveline failure; Start 12; Finished 31, 1970: Car #10; Car Wash Systems; Laps completed: 28; Piston failure; Start 6; Finished 30, 1971: Car #64; Gilmore; Laps completed: 45; Valve failure; Start 31; Finished 26. they take serious or drastic measures, somebody always has to get hurt or killed," I am sorry that you lost him at such an early age, but I thought you might appreciate knowing that a while ago, he made a young boys day. It was one of the most miserable weekends of his life. momentarily blinded by the fuel spray and ended up in the infield grass. Legendary Track Announcer Tom Carnegie says Pollard carried a high level of sportsmanship and driving that attracted fans. Art and his crew started 28 main events and won an astonishing 22 of them., Perhaps his most admirable quality (off the track) was his ability to take a moment of his time and make everybody he talked with feel important. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. [Armando Moreno Teran was a 22 y/o from Culver City Ca. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? One driver, when he saw me, made a claw of his hand and with that warped fist, waved and said, "Hi, how are you?" The rain came while workers were still cleaning the track. And that soon became a tradition, and he was the first one to do that. By Wednesday, tension and exhaustion infected the track.
