Rich Vogler

Rich Vogler (born July 26 1950, Chicago, Illinois – died July 21 1990, Salem, Indiana) was a champion sprint car and midget car driver. He was nicknamed "Rapid Rich". [http://www.worthyofhonor.com/Inductees/Rich_Vogler.htm Biography] at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame, Retrieved January 3 2007] He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, his best finish was eighth in 1989.

Racing career

Vogler was the National Alliance of Midget Auto Racing (NAMAR) midget champion in 1973. He won the midget car track championships at the Indianapolis Speedrome in 1984 and 1985. He won the Fireman Nationals midget car race at Angell Park Speedway in 1985. Vogler became the first driver to win the USAC Sprint Car and Midget championships in the same year (1980). [http://www.richvoglerscholarship.org/vogler_history.html Biography at the Rich Vogler Memorial Scholarship Fund] , Retrieved January 3 2007] He won USAC National Sprint Car Series championships in 1980 and 1989, USAC National Midget Series championships in 1978, 1980, 1983, 1986, and 1988.

He numerous major national events: the Hut Hundred eight times, the 4-Crown Nationals midget car event four times, the Copper Classic twice, the Hoosierdome Invitational twice, the WWRA Florida Winter Nationals in 1983, and the Night Before the 500 once. In 1987 he won the inaugural Chili Bowl Midget Nationals race. [http://www.chilibowl.com/driverprofile.asp?ID=13 Driver profile Chili Bowl Midget Nationals] , Retrieved January 3 2007] .

Vogler finished seventeenth in his only NASCAR Busch Series start at the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham in 1988. [ [http://racing-reference.info/driver?id=vogleri01 NASCAR Statistics at racing-reference.info] , Retrieved January 3 2007]

Career summary

His 134 wins (95 Midget, 35 Sprint, and four Silver Crown wins) in national events is second only to A. J. Foyt's 169. Vogler had 170 total USAC wins, and won over 200 "outlaw" (non-USAC) midget races.

Death

Days before his 40th birthday, Vogler died while competing in a nationally broadcast ESPN Thunder "Joe James / Pat O'Connor Memorial" sprint car event at his home track at Salem Speedway. He was leading the race at the time, with Jeff Gordon stalking him, when his car crashed with just over a lap to go. Because of USAC rules on a red flag reverting back to the previous completed lap, he was declared the winner of the event following his death, which was his 170th win. He was scheduled to make his NASCAR Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) series debut at Pocono Raceway the day after his fatal crash. He was awarded a 40th place finish (as a "Did Not Start"). [ [http://racing-reference.info/race?id=1990-16&series=W NASCAR Winston Cup results from July Pocono race] , Retrieved January 3 2007]

The Pocono race was not his first attempted NASCAR Winston Cup start: two weeks before, he entered the Michigan race but failed to qualify.

Memorials

His mother Eleanor started a college scholarship fund for aspiring Indiana students as part of Rich's concern over his sons, and the fund was started by USAC officials and sponsor Valvoline.

The first major fund-raiser for the fund has been a Daytona 500 viewing party in Indianapolis, today well-attended with a silent auction and notable names in auto racing in the state as guests. Usually, his mother and his sons appear at the annual fund-raiser. In 2008, the viewing party was moved to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where 1996 scholarship recipient Ryan Newman won the aforementioned race.

In April 1991, Winchester Speedway began the annual season-opening Rich Vogler Classic sprint car race, usually the first race at the track each year.

There is also a Team Vogler classic at the Indianapolis Speedrome.

Career awards

*He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1992.
*He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1986.

References

External links

* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1996 Rich on Find A Grave]
* [http://www.richvoglerscholarship.org/index.html Rich Vogler Memorial Scholarship Fund]