Sprint Car home / The cars / Fallen heroes

Part of the excitement of sprint car racing is the danger. Clipanother car's wheels, or enter a corner too hard, and you may findyourself upside down in short order. More often than not, the driverclimbs out of the wreck unaided, and returns the next week or later thatsame night.

It wasn't always this way. Sprint cars used to routinely maim andkill their drivers. Modern safety devices such as full face helmets,roll bars, multi-point harnesses, fire suits, and fuel cells have mademost routine accidents survivable. Major advances in medicine andrescue techniques have saved many who would not have survived similarinjuries in the past.

But sometimes the worst happens, and no amount of safety equipment ormedical technology can spare the driver. Or even more tragically, thedriver survives, but is no longer able to drive, or even to care forhimself.

This page is a tribute to the men and women whose lives were claimedor changed by the sport they loved. I regret that I don't have moretime and space to post the many tributes that have been sent to me, but write me if you wish to contribute. I hope to have more on display soon.

Police say alcohol and speed may have contributed to the tragic auto accident that killed three men and injured two others on the Oswego Speedway. According to a news report in The Wall Street Journal, a 25-year-old man was driving a mid-sized sedan on the Oswego Speedway when he crashed into a utility pole. The Oswego Speedway is a 5/8 mile race track in Oswego, New York.It was built in 1951 and was paved with asphalt since the 1952. The track has held dates on several national tours - the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, ASA National Tour, and USAC Silver Crown Series.It was temporarily covered with dirt in 2016 when it held a one-off Super DIRTcar Series race.

Helping the survivors

Some of the survivors require constant medical care, notably Brad Dotyand Page Jones. Donations to their aid funds will be appreciated, notjust by the families, but by all of the racing community. Please givegenerously if you can.

Gone but not forgotten

Jud Larson was a hard-drinking, hard-driving racer, acolorful character from the days when few drivers survived to retire,and roll cages were for sissies. Larson and Don Branson, a moresober sort, put on a legendary battle for the USAC sprint carchampionship in 1964, which Branson ultimately won. Both were killed,in separate accidents, soon thereafter: Branson at Ascot Park (Gardena,CA) in a November, 1966 crash which also claimed Dick Atkins; Jud Larsonat Reading, PA in a 1966 crash that claimed Red Riegel as well.
Jan Opperman was one of the original 'outlaws', a 'hippie'with a heavy right foot, whose duels with Kenny Weld were the stuff oflegend. Severe head injuries suffered in a 1981 crash changed his lifeforever. He passed on in September 1997.
Gary Patterson was one of the original Outlaws, travellingfrom track to track before it was fashionable. As a true independent, heanswered only to himself. He raced what he wanted and where he wanted,seeking the biggest challenges or the biggest purse. But, no matterwhere he was found, he lived and raced only by his choices. No promoter,no race car owner, and no sanctioning group had a leash on 'GP'.
He was among the most well known sprint car drivers in the world,revered in some quarters, considered in more controversial terms inothers. Nonetheless, he was universally recognized and respected for hisdriving talent at every track from Knoxville to Adelaide. Regardless ofhis politics, he stood for hard, wheel-to-wheel, give-no-quarter,competitive racing.
'GP', 'The Preacher', was one of Northern California's favorite sons.And even though he ran on everything from mile ovals to bullrings, thescenic 1/2 mile Calistoga Speedway was one of his favorites (he stillholds the one lap track record for non-winged sprint cars there). Heraced Calistoga by choice. Even the 1983 accident that ended his lifewas the result of his own choice - to take his chances with the wallrather than take out another driver along the way. He lived by his owndecisions, he raced by his own decisions, and was never afraid to facethe consequences. He respected other people's choices. He expected noless than the same respect for his own.
(Contributed by SteveLafond)
The death of Dave Bradway, Jr. shocked the sprint carcommumity in California and beyond. Bradway died from injuries sufferedin a tragic sprint car crash during the Super Dirt Cup at SkagitSpeedway in Washington State on June 21, 1987. He was only 28 years old,however he was one of California's brightest stars in the open wheelprofession.
David, a second generation driver, began his racing careerin 1976 at Ernie Pursell Speedway in Grass Valley. In his initialseason, he won a pair of main events and finished second in the streetstock division, earning the track's 'rookie of the year' honors. Twoyears later, he ventured into the open wheel ranks by way of themodifieds. By 1980, he had already established himself as a premier openwheel driver. In 1982, David won his first NARC main event at PetalumaSpeedway. He finished the year with three wins and a third place finishin the final points standings. In 1984, Bradway's steady performancesearned him the track championship at Baylands Raceway Park inFremont. His list of credentials continued to grow the following season,winning five NARC feature events and an eventual third place finish inthe championship point standings, despite running a limited schedule. Inaddition, he finished an impressive eighth in the prestigious KnoxvilleNationals. 1986 produced four more NARC feature event wins for Bradway,including three at the high speed 1/2 mile Calistoga Speedway. 'Junior'established himself as a top finisher on the World of Outlaws circuit,winning the Jayhawk Nationals in Kansas City. Bradway's 1987 campaign inthe Clyde Lamar owned machine promised more of the same. He kicked offthe year winning the preliminary World of Outlaws Mini Gold Cup featureat Chico's Silver Dollar Speedway in April. He also won his 13th careerNARC feature at the season opener at Calistoga and became only thesecond member of the exclusive '100 Mile Per Hour Club' at the fast 1/2mile.
In his 11 year career, Bradway laid a solid foundation to become asprint car legend, a legend in the same category as two of his childhoodopen wheel heroes, Jimmy Gordon and Gary Patterson. Unfortunately, allthree died doing what they loved to do best, racing and winning. DaveBradway, Jr. was definitely a winner.
(Contributed by SteveLafond)
The legendary hills of Winchester (Indiana) Speedway have claimedmany a sprint car driver. Among the more recent victims was RobbieStanley, then-reigning USAC sprint car champ with a brilliant careerahead of him, whose fatal crash in May 1994 stunned the sprint carcommunity.
The high banks of Salem (Indiana) Speedway have a similarly deadlyreputation. Rich Vogler, many-time USAC sprint and midget champ,met an untimely end there in July of 1990.
Kara Hendrick, while not a sprint car driver, was a risingstar of the USAC Western States midget series, and as quick andtenacious as any of her rivals. In 1991 (?) she hit the wall at CajonSpeedway in El Cajon, CA, while racing for the lead, and did not surviveher injuries. I believe she was 19 years old at the time. I still missyou, Kara!
Danny Young died as the result of a flip at Knoxville (IA)Raceway on July 19, 1995. Young was only the second fatality in the17-year history of the World of Outlaws tour. Geoff Cook has contributed this eulogy to Danny.

Retired due to injuries

These drivers are fortunate to have survived, and for one reason oranother have given up the sport. We

Drivers Killed At Oswego Speedway