FILE - Stan Fox, his legs exposed, sits in his airborne car after the front end was torn off while slamming into the first-turn wall on the opening lap of the Indianapolis 500, May 28, 1995. Fox's car had collided with Eddie Cheever's, right, both hitting the wall. Fox's legs were uninjured, but he was hospitalized with serious head injuries. Following a deadly crash in 1973, Indianapolis Motor Speedway put a number of safeguards in place and eventually Indy car cockpits were repositioned to protect the legs and feet of drivers and tubs were made of stronger, safer materials to increase safety during the accidents that still occur.
Johnny Rutherford and Gordon Johncock will always be linked to the 1973 Indianapolis 500. Rutherford made the first of his three pole-winning runs that year. Johncock captured the first of his two Indy wins. What they remember most from that tragic month is how it was a catalyst for safety improvements across all forms of racing. Two drivers and a pit crew member died that month. Since then, steps to boost safety have been seen from the car to the track itself.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.