1968 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Bill Vukovich II has died at the age of 79.
Vukovich debuted in the race in 1968, qualifying 23rd but finishing seventh in the #98 Wagner-Lockheed Shrike/Offy fielded by fellow Californian JC Agajanian.
His best result in 12 Indy 500 starts was a second place in the rain-shortened 1973 encounter, driving the #2 Sugaripe Prune Eagle/Offy entered by Jerry O’Connell, that being one of six top 10 finishes.
Vukovich made a total of 158 IndyCar starts from 1965 to 1982 for a total of 85 top 10 finishes.
His sole race win came on September 16, 1973 at Michigan International Speedway, while he finished as high as second in the USAC Champ Car standings in 1972, behind Joe Leonard.
Vukovich was also prevalent on short tracks, claiming 23 USAC National Midget victories during his career and being inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998, joining his father.
In fact, theirs is one of only five families to have seen three generations of drivers compete in the Indy 500, the others being the Unsers, Andrettis, Foyts, and Brabhams.
Tragically, both his father and son died while competing.
Bill Vukovich, the senior, succumbed to injuries from a crash while leading the 1955 Indianapolis 500, in which he was aiming for a third straight win in ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’.
Billy Vukovich III, the 1988 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, suffered fatal injuries during practice for a sprint car race in November 1990 at Bakersfield, California.
Bill Vukovich II died on August 20, 2023.
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