Bill Vukovich II
American racing driver (1944–2023)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William John Vukovich Jr.[1] (March 29, 1944 – August 20, 2023) was an American driver in the championship car division of USAC and the CART series.
March 29, 1944
| Bill Vukovich II | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | William John Vukovich Jr. March 29, 1944 Riverside, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | August 20, 2023 (aged 79) Fresno, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 161 races run over 18 years | |||||||
| Years active | 1965, 1967–1983 | ||||||
| Best finish | 2nd – 1972, 1979 | ||||||
| First race | 1965 Bobby Ball Memorial (Phoenix) | ||||||
| Last race | 1983 Ted Horn 100 (DuQuoin) | ||||||
| First win | 1973 Michigan Twin 125s #1 (Michigan) | ||||||
| |||||||
Career
Vukovich was named the 1968 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, a result of his seventh-place finish.[2] Vukovich raced in the 1965–1982 seasons, with 158 combined career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1968–1977, 1979–1980. He finished in the top-ten 85 times, with one victory in 1973 at Michigan. His best finish at the Indianapolis 500 came in 1973, where he finished second in a rain-shortened, tragedy-marred event.
Vukovich also had 23 National midget car victories in his career, and drove for part of his career in J. C. Agajanian's midget car.[3]
Personal life and death
Vukovich was the son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bill Vukovich and the father of Billy Vukovich III, both of whom were killed in racing accidents. Vukovich and his wife, Joyce, were married for 60 years. Vukovich died on August 20, 2023, at the age of 79.[4]
Award
- Vukovich was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998.
Complete USAC Championship Car results
Complete PPG Indy Car Series results
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pos. | Pts | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Leader Card Racing | PHX | ATL | ATL | INDY 8 |
TRE | TRE | MCH | MCH | WGL | TRE | ONT | MCH | ATL | PHX | - | 0 | [5] | ||
| 1980 | Leader Card Racing | ONT |
INDY 12 |
MIL 21 |
POC 28 |
MOH |
MCH |
WGL |
MIL 19 |
ONT 34 |
MCH 25 |
MEX |
PHX 12 |
37th | 96 | [6] | ||||
| 1981 | Rattlesnake Racing | PHX | MIL | ATL | ATL | MCH 15 |
RIV DNQ |
MIL | MCH 14 |
WGL | MEX 27 |
PHX | 33rd | 6 | [7] | |||||
| 1982 | PHX | ATL | MIL 11 |
CLE | MCH | MIL | POC 29 |
RIV | ROA | MCH | PHX | 41st | 2 | [8] | ||||||
| 1983 | ATL | INDY DNQ |
MIL | CLE | MCH | ROA | POC | RIV | MOH | MCH | CPL | LAG | PHX | - | 0 | [9] | ||||
| 1984 | LBH | PHX | INDY DNQ |
MIL | POR | MEA | CLE | MCH | ROA | POC | MOH | SAN | MCH | PHX | LAG | CPL | - | 0 | [10] | |
Indianapolis 500 results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Shrike | Offy | 23rd | 7th |
| 1969 | Laycock | Offy | 26th | 32nd |
| 1970 | Brabham | Offy | 30th | 23rd |
| 1971 | Brabham | Offy | 11th | 5th |
| 1972 | Eagle | Offy | 18th | 28th |
| 1973 | Eagle | Offy | 16th | 2nd |
| 1974 | Eagle | Offy | 16th | 3rd |
| 1975 | Eagle | Offy | 8th | 6th |
| 1976 | Eagle | Offy | 9th | 31st |
| 1977 | Coyote | Foyt | 23rd | 17th |
| 1978 | Eagle | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
| 1979 | Watson | Offy | 34th | 8th |
| 1980 | Watson | Offy | 30th | 12th |
| 1981 | Watson | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |
| 1982 | Lightning | Cosworth | Failed to Qualify | |
| 1983 | Eagle | Chevrolet | Failed to Qualify |
