History The Grim Death of Rex Mays

USAC ran again several years ago, but the horsey crowd got so upset at the track prep needed to convert from the rock hard surface they liked to acceptable surface for Champ dirt cars to race on that, sadly, they will not be invited back at this point. Few things are as beautiful as a champ car (politically correct name silver crown) on a well prepared mile dirt track.

 

Yes, it is.

 

In the 50's and early 60's Gran Prix driver Stirling Moss drove without a seat belt. He said he would rather die on impact than burn to death. Fuel cells made a huge difference. He is still alive and 87 years old.
Joe

 

Rich Vogler also met a gruesome end. I had met him at a USAC Silver Crown race at Flemington, maybe in 1983 or 1984 and was surprised at how young he was. He was killed at Salem in 1990. That was a treacherous track, if you went over the rail it was almost a given that you'd be dead.
http://www.joescalzowriter.com/PDF'S/Hills of Death.pdf

 

I had read an interview with Sammy Sessions years back. Ironically he died in a snowmobile accident in 1977. Anyway, he stated that he was the only driver to go over the wall at Winchester at the time and live.