Art Pollard

Art Pollard ( born May 5, 1927 in Dragon, † May 12, 1973 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis ) was an American race car driver.

Art Pollard was during his career as a USAC racing one of the most popular drivers in this series. The driver colleagues, who called him because of his thick black hair " Roberto ", described him as outgoing, friendly, honest and always helpful. Even with the journalists and spectators of Americans was very popular. Pollard was active socially; his most important project was the employment of disabled children in LeRue Carter Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis. He also attended the American troops in Vietnam.

He spent his athletic career almost exclusively in the USAC racing series. From 1965 to 1973 he played 84 races in this championship, which he won two races. Five times he was also the 500-mile race at Indianapolis at the start. In 1967, he went there the gas turbine Lotus 56 and reached the 13 final ranking in the race. His best finish in the 500 - mile race was the seventh place overall in 1970.

In 1973, he should be driven by an eagle of Dan Gurney in Indianapolis. However, Pollard crashed in training fatal. He lost before Turn One control of his vehicle and crashed into the outer distance limit. The car immediately went up in flames and spun into the infield of the track, where he lay almost completely destroyed. Pollard died an hour later at Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis.