Vukovich
By Bob Gates
With wins at Indianapolis in 1953 and 1954, it looked as if Bill Vukovich was destined to be the first man to win a third consecutive event in 1955. However, it was not to be as Vuky was involved in someone else’s accident that took his life. Now, 50 years after his death, Bill Vukovich is still thought of as being “the greatest driver who ever turned a wheel at Indianapolis.”
Vukovich is a serious book for anyone who is serious about motor racing and its history. It tells the story of how a young man born of immigrant Yugoslavian parents rose to the top of U.S. West Coast midget racing before setting his sights on the big one, the Indianapolis 500.
I found that it took me a little time to get into the story but, after some perseverance, I was looking forward to page after page and, while I knew what was coming, I was also wishing it wasn’t to be. After Vuky’s death, the book then moves on to the racing careers of Bill Vukovich Junior and Bill(y) Vukovich III who was also destined to lose his life in the sport he loved.
It is a very interesting and enjoyable read plus contains a number of substories as well, including Bill Vukovich’s involvement in the Pan-American Road Race driving a Lincoln. The rise of the American Automobile Association is also of interest as well as its withdrawal from the sport forever after Vuky’s accident in 1955. Clearly, a work of passion by the author and highly recommended.
Available for U.S. $35.00 hc or $27.50 sc from Motolit Motor Literature at www.motolit.com or Pitstop Books at www.pitstopbooks.com.
