Swede Savage in his Patrick Petroleum Eagle-Offy during practice for the 1972 Indianapolis 500. [Photo courtesy of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway]
by Paul Powell
Angela Savage has been to Indianapolis just once. Well, sort of. She was in her mother’s womb in the Tower Terrace grandstand when her father, Swede Savage, took the lead of the 1973 Indianapolis 500. At that time, Swede’s career was on a vertical trajectory.
In just his second Indy 500, he was already driving for one of the top teams, Patrick Racing, which was sponsored by the iconic STP brand. Swede had broken the track record in qualifying and in the early stages of the race was competing wheel-to-wheel with such Indy legends as Bobby Unser, Al Unser, Sr. and Johnny Rutherford. These three drivers alone would ultimately rack up a total of ten Indianapolis 500 victories. Heady company indeed.
Those who witnessed Swede’s rapid rise to the top of the racing world felt he was similarly destined for greatness. But fate had other plans. On the 58th lap of the race his day-glow red racecar inexplicably veered off the fourth turn racing surface and into the inside retaining wall. While Swede would initially survive the ferocious impact and the resulting fire, he would succumb to complications from his injuries thirty-three days later in an Indianapolis hospital.
Please join us the evening of Carb Day, Friday May 23 at 7:00 pm at the Indianapolis Museum of Art for one of the most memorable events likely to appear on this year’s Indy race weekend calendar, “An Evening with Angela Savage”.
Many special guests and surprises are scheduled. Spread the word and register here:
http://www.angelatoindy.com/event/2014/4/15/an-evening-with-angela-savage