Art Lee Pollard, Jr. (May 5, 1927 – May 12, 1973), was an American racecar driver. Born in Dragon, Utah, Pollard died in Indianapolis, Indiana, as a result of injuries sustained in practice for the 1973 Indianapolis 500.
The car clipped the wall coming out of turn one and did a half-spin as it headed to the grass on the inside of the short chute. The chassis dug into the grass and flipped upside-down, slid a short distance and then flipped back over as it reached the pavement again in turn two, finally coming to a stop in the middle of the track. The total distance covered was 1,450 feet (440 m). The car was demolished. The impact tore off two wheels immediately, and the wings were also torn off during the slide. Pollard's lap prior to the crash was timed at a speed of 192+ mph. Pollard was rushed to Methodist Hospital in the new Cardiac ambulance. His injuries were reported to include pulmonary damage due to flame inhalation, burns on both hands, face and neck, and a broken arm.
He drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1965–1973 seasons, with 84 career starts, including the 1967–1971 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 30 times, with 2 victories, both in 1969, at Milwaukee and Dover. He had just turned 46 one week before he died.
Indianapolis 1973 tragedy - A crowd estimated at 250,000 swarmed Indianapolis Motor Speedway's grandstands, suites and infield on May 12, 1973. It was pole day for the Indianapolis 500, a sunny Saturday bright with the promise of speed. People came to see the storied track's first 200-mph laps. They saw, instead, the fatal first day of the old track's deadliest May since 1937. Driver Art Pollard was killed in an accident during pole day practice. Robin Miller, writer, recalled sitting with Pollard on the pit wall early pole day morning. Miller was surprised when Pollard said he would take the car out during pre-qualifying practice.
"You're good," Miller told Pollard, who responded with "I think we can trim it out and get a little more out of it."
Minutes later, Pollard's car smacked the outside wall in Turn 1, spun, flipped and slid to a stop in Turn 2, engulfed in flames. Pollard, 46, was pronounced dead an hour later from pulmonary damage due to flame inhalation. Rutherford was among the first on the scene of the crash. He and Pollard were close friends. They had recently returned from a New Orleans vacation with their wives and two other couples. No matter. Time trials began on time, at 11 a.m. Rutherford qualified at 198.413 to set a track record and take the pole.
"It was my job," he said. "That's all you can say."
