Artle Lee Pollard, Jr. (May 5, 1927 – May 12, 1973), was an American racecar driver. Born in

Dragon, Utah Dragon is a ghost town in Uintah County, at the extreme eastern edge of Utah, United States. Founded in about 1888 as a Gilsonite mining camp, Dragon boomed in the first decade of the 20th century as the end-of-line town for the Uintah Railway. Al ...

, and raised in the

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

area, Pollard drove in the USAC

Championship Car American open-wheel car racing, also known as Indy car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2022, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar. Competitive event ...

series, racing in the 1965–1973 seasons, with 84 career starts, including the 1967–1971

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

races. He finished in the top ten 30 times, with two victories, both in 1969, at Milwaukee and Dover. Pollard died in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

, as a result of injuries sustained in a crash during practice on the first day of time trials for the

1973 Indianapolis 500 The 57th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Wednesday, May 30, 1973. The race was held over three days due to rain and suffered two major accidents. Three competitors - two driv ...

. The car slammed into the outside wall coming out of turn one, burst into flames, and spun as it headed to the grass on the inside of the short chute. 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. The total distance covered was . The car was demolished. The impact tore off two wheels immediately, and the wings were also torn off during the slide. Pollard's lap prior to the crash was timed at a speed above . He was found unconscious, and was rushed to Methodist Hospital in the new Cardiac ambulance. Pollard never regained consciousness, and his injuries were reported to include pulmonary damage due to flame inhalation, third degree burns on both hands, face and neck, a fractured right arm, a fractured leg, and a severe spinal cord injury. He was pronounced dead approximately one hour and three minutes after the accident. Pollard had turned 46 one week before he died. Pollard, away from racing, worked as a car dealer and mechanic and worked with mental health charities. Pollard also served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

for a time.

Racing family

Art Pollard's cousin Brad Pollard and Art Pollard's son Mike Pollard both competed in various types of racing.

Complete USAC Championship Car results

Indianapolis 500 results

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20071205052904/http://artpollard.tripod.com/1972-73.html * https://web.archive.org/web/20110810203442/http://www.judydippel.com/cmsj/ (Pollard's daughter) *https://artpollardracedriver.info/art-pollard-by-years/art-pollard-racing-in-1973-the-tragedy-and-reactions/ * https://oilpressure.com/2012/02/27/art-pollard-somehow-always-overshadowed/ * https://www.historicracing.com/driverDetail.cfm?driverID=5062 * http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20160430/SPORTS/160439978 1927 births 1973 deaths Indianapolis 500 drivers People from Uintah County, Utah Racing drivers from Utah Racing drivers who died while racing Sports deaths in Indiana Filmed deaths in motorsport USAC Silver Crown Series drivers {{US-autoracing-bio-stub