View source for Bob Sweikert

{{short description|American racing driver (1926–1956)}}
{{Infobox racing driver
| name              = Bob Sweikert
| image             =
| caption           = 
| birth_name        = Robert Charles Schweikart
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1926|05|20}}
| birth_place       = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| death_date        = {{death date and age|1956|06|17|1926|05|20}}
| death_place       = [[Salem, Indiana]], U.S.
| titles            = [[AAA Contest Board|AAA Midwest]] [[Sprint car racing|Big Car]] (1955) <br/> [[AAA Contest Board|AAA]] [[Championship Car]] ([[1955 AAA Championship Car season|1955]]) <br/> '''Major victories''' <br/> [[Indianapolis 500]] ([[1955 Indianapolis 500|1955]])
| awards            = 
| module1 = 
  {{Infobox Champ Car driver|embed=yes
  | Total_Champ_Races = 36
  | Years_In_Champ    = 7
  | Best_Champ_Pos    = 1st ([[1955 AAA Championship Car season|1955]])
  | First_Champ_Race  = [[1952 AAA Championship Car season|1952]] [[1952 Indianapolis 500|Indianapolis 500]] ([[Indianapolis Motor Speedway|Indianapolis]])
  | Last_Champ_Race   = [[1956 USAC Championship Car season|1956]] [[Rex Mays Classic]] ([[Milwaukee Mile|Milwaukee]])
  | First_Champ_Win   = [[1953 AAA Championship Car season|1953]] [[Hoosier Hundred]] ([[Indiana State Fairgrounds|ISF]])
  | Last_Champ_Win    = [[1955 AAA Championship Car season|1955]] [[Syracuse Mile|Syracuse 100]] ([[Syracuse Mile|Syracuse]])
  | Champ_Wins        = 4
  | Champ_Podiums     = 14
  | Champ_Poles       = 6
| module2 = 
  {{Infobox F1 driver|embed=yes
  | Years             = {{F1|1950}} – {{F1|1956}}
  | Team(s)           = [[Wetteroth]], [[Kurtis Kraft]], [[Wayne Ewing|Ewing]], [[Eddie Kuzma|Kuzma]]
  | Races             = 7 (5 starts)
  | Championships     = 0
  | Wins              = 1
  | Podiums           = 1
  | Points            = 8
  | Poles             = 0
  | Fastest laps      = 0
  | First race        = [[1950 Indianapolis 500]]
  | First win         = [[1955 Indianapolis 500]]
  | Last race         = [[1956 Indianapolis 500]]
}}}}}}

'''Robert Charles "Bob" Sweikert''' (May 20, 1926 – June 17, 1956) was an American [[racing driver]], best known as the winner of the 1955 [[Indianapolis 500]] and the 1955 [[American Championship Car Racing|National Championship]], as well as the 1955 Midwest [[Sprint car racing|Sprint car championship]] – the only driver in history to sweep all three during a single racing season.

== Personal life ==

'''Robert Charles Schweikart''' grew up in pre-war [[Los Angeles]]. His surname was later changed to '''Sweikert''' to avoid [[anti-German sentiment]] before [[World War II|WWII]]. His mother had married his stepfather, an electrician for the state of California, when Bob was an infant. Bob was raised through his early teen years with his older stepbrother, Ed, who enlisted in the US Navy, and then soon died in 1942, at the onset of World War II. That year the family moved briefly to [[San Francisco]], then across the bay to the rural town of [[Hayward, California]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bob Sweikert |url=https://www.mshf.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/bob-sweikert.html |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=www.mshf.com}}</ref> There in high school Bob met his future wife, Dorie.<ref>Dorie Sweikert, ''Along For the Ride-A Love Story'',  (1998, Nicholas Ward Publishing, LLC.), no longer in print, reprinted under new publisher ca. 2005</ref>

From age 16 Sweikert worked after school as a mechanic at the local Ford dealership in Hayward. A naturally gifted mechanic, he frequently won street races throughout the East Bay. One of his frequent local competitors on the streets was [[Ed Elisian]], a teenage boy from nearby [[Oakland, California]]. A dozen years later, Elisian and Sweikert were engaged in the racing duel that led to Sweikert's fatal crash at Salem Speedway.

In late 1944, Sweikert enrolled in the [[US Army Air Force]], but suffered a severe knee injury while training at [[Lowry Field]] in Colorado. With months to heal and the war over, he was honorably discharged in September 1945.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RetroIndy: Indy 500 drivers who served in the military |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/indy-500/2019/05/23/retroindy-indy-500-drivers-served-military-war-indianapolis-500-history/3539022002/ |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=The Indianapolis Star |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1947, Sweikert met his first wife, Marion Edwards, at a party at UCLA.   During 1947 Sweikert began mailing monthly accounts of his life to Veda Orr, through April 1956. Karl & Veda Orr built & operated their own race cars. Veda wrote many racing articles.

Sweikert returned to Hayward and opened his own small business, Sweikert Automotive, an automotive repair shop based out of his parents' garage. There over the next couple years, he built his own track roadster. On [[Memorial Day]], May 26, 1947 Sweikert ran his first race for prize money at the [[Oakland Speedway]], and finished second.

Sweikert then quit automotive repair and became a full-time driver. He gained his first racing sponsorship in July 1947, when he became a track roadster race driver for Hubbard Auto Parts of Oakland.

In early 1948, he married  Marion Edwards. They had a large family wedding in West L.A.  The same year, Sweikert moved up to [[midget car]]s, and won his first training race with the [[Bay Cities Racing Association]]. He ran seventy-two races that first BCRA season, finishing 14th out of 130 active members in the annual point standings.

In late 1952 his first wife, Marion, started divorce proceedings.  Sweikert fought for custody of their young daughter. Sweikert's mother, Grace, often visited Bob's firstborn until Grace died.

In January 1953, Sweikert married his high school sweetheart, divorcee Dorie with her two children, with whom he had recently become reacquainted. They settled in Indiana, to be close to the Speedway where Sweikert hoped to race and win.

== Driving career ==

On February 12, 1949 Sweikert won the first BCRA [[Indoor Midget Race Track]] championship, in Oakland, on the new 1/12 mile oval track.

Sweikert's first chance at driving a [[Sprint car]] came next in 1949. He drove in northern California that year and later in Los Angeles.

After 1949 Sweikert became close friends with [[Johnny Boyd]] of [[Fresno, California]] when he met him on the California racing circuit. The two often raced together, and Boyd qualified for entry in the 1955 Indianapolis 500 when Sweikert helped him overcome mechanical handling problems in Boyd's car.

In May 1952, Sweikert ran his first Indianapolis 500. He entered at the 32nd starting position and ran for 77 laps in the McNamara Special car.

On September 12, 1953 Sweikert became the first driver ever to break {{convert|100|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} on a one-mile (1.6&nbsp;km) oval track, at the [[Eastern Speed Dome]], [[Syracuse, New York]].

On September 26, 1953 Sweikert won the [[Hoosier Hundred]], at the [[Indiana State Fairgrounds]], a race which is chronicled by many as "the greatest race ever" run.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

On September 11, 1954 Sweikert became the first driver ever to average {{convert|90|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} in a {{convert|100|mi|km|adj=on}} race, with his win in the Lutes Truck Parts Special #17 car at the Eastern Speed Dome in Syracuse.

[[File:Indy500winningcar1955.JPG|thumb|Sweikert's winning car from the 1955 Indianapolis 500]]

On May 30, 1955 Sweikert won the Indianapolis 500 from the 14th starting position in the Zink Kurtis roadster #6. That car now resides in the Museum at the Indianapolis racetrack. In the winner's circle, Sweikert and Dorie celebrated with singer-actress [[Dinah Shore]].

In September 1955 Sweikert became the only driver in history to win the Indianapolis 500, the [[American Automobile Association|AAA]] [[American Championship Car Racing|big car National Championship]], and the [[Sprint car racing|Midwest sprint car championship]] in the same season.

In May 1956, at his final return to the Indianapolis 500, Sweikert began in the 10th starting position and came in for a 6th-place finish, with the team's D-A Lubricant roadster.

=== World Drivers' Championship career ===

The [[AAA Contest Board|AAA]]/[[United States Auto Club|USAC]]-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA]] [[List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions|World Drivers' Championship]] from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship points and participation in addition to those which they received towards the [[AAA Contest Board|AAA]]/[[United States Auto Club|USAC]] [[List of American open-wheel racing national champions|National Championship]].

Sweikert participated in five World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. He won once, and accumulated eight World Drivers' Championship points.

== Death ==

Sweikert's fatal sprint car crash occurred on June 17, 1956, at [[Salem Speedway]]. While completing the third lap, Sweikert was running near the outside wall in 4th place, side by side with his past teenage East Bay streets rival, Ed Elisian, in 5th. Coming out of the 4th turn, the two cars started down the straightaway in front of the grandstand. Running close to the wall, Sweikert's right rear wheel clipped a steel beam sticking out onto the track from the wall at the end of the stands. The sprint car flew over the edge of the track, down the embankment, and landed a hundred feet below, where it briefly burst into flames. Sweikert was pronounced dead upon arrival at Washington County Hospital.

He is buried at [[Lone Tree Cemetery, Fairview, California|Lone Tree Cemetery]] in [[Fairview, California]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150905153800/https://www.tricityvoice.com/articlefiledisplay.php?issue=2008-01-30&file=Lone+Tree+article+History.txt ''Tri-City Voice'']</ref>

== Awards and honors ==

Sweikert has been inducted into the following halls of fame:
* [[Hoosier Auto Racing Fan Club]] Hall of Fame (1956)
* [[Motoring Press Association]] Hall of Fame (1993)
* [[Auto Racing Hall of Fame]] (1994)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bob Sweikert |url=https://imsmuseum.org/fame_inductee/bob-sweikert/ |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=IMS Museum |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[National Sprint Car Hall of Fame]] (1995)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bob Sweikert |url=https://www.sprintcarhof.com/helper_pages/FileGet.aspx?id=164 |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=www.sprintcarhof.com}}</ref>
* [[Motorsports Hall of Fame of America]] (2016)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bob Sweikert |url=https://www.mshf.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/bob-sweikert.html |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=www.mshf.com}}</ref>
* [[West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame]] (2019)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hall of Fame – West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame |url=http://westcoaststockcarhalloffame.com/hall-of-fame/ |access-date=2023-10-08 |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Motorsports career results ==

=== AAA Championship Car results ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! Year
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! 14
! 15
! Pos
! Points
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1950 AAA Championship Car season|1950]]
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[1950 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>DNQ</small>
| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]
| [[Langhorne Speedway|LAN]]
| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]
| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]
| [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb|PIK]]
| [[Great New York State Fair|SYR]]
| [[Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway|DET]]
| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]
| [[California State Fairgrounds Race Track|SAC]]
| [[Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix|PHX]]
| [[Bay Meadows Racetrack|BAY]]
| [[Darlington Raceway|DAR]]
|colspan=2|
!-
!0
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1951 AAA Championship Car season|1951]]
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[1951 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>DNQ</small>
| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]
| [[Langhorne Speedway|LAN]]
| [[Darlington Raceway|DAR]]
| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]
| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]
| [[DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack|DUQ]]
| [[DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack|DUQ]]
| [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb|PIK]]
| [[Great New York State Fair|SYR]]
| [[Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway|DET]]
| [[Littleton, Colorado|DNC]]
| [[San Jose, California|SJS]]
| [[Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix|PHX]]
| [[Bay Meadows Racetrack|BAY]]
!-
!0
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1952 AAA Championship Car season|1952]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1952 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>26</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>12</small>
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[Raleigh Speedway|RAL]]<br><small>DNQ</small>
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]<br><small>DNQ</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>21</small>
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway|DET]]<br><small>DNQ</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack|DUQ]]<br><small>12</small>
| [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb|PIK]]
| [[Great New York State Fair|SYR]]
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| [[Littleton, Colorado|DNC]]<br><small>DNS</small>
| [[San Jose, California|SJS]]
| [[XM Satellite Radio Indy 200|PHX]]
|colspan=3|
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 47th
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 20
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1953 AAA Championship Car season|1953]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1953 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>20</small>
|style="background:#000000; color:white;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>17</small>
| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]
| [[Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway|DET]]
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]<br><small>DNQ</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>13</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack|DUQ]]<br><small>17</small>
| [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb|PIK]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Great New York State Fair|SYR]]<br><small>8</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[Indiana State Fair|ISF]]<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[California State Fairgrounds Race Track|SAC]]<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[XM Satellite Radio Indy 200|PHX]]<br><small>12</small>
|colspan=3|
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 15th
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 420
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1954 AAA Championship Car season|1954]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[1954 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>14</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>11</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Langhorne Speedway|LAN]]<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Darlington Raceway|DAR]]<br><small>22</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#000000; color:white;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>22</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| [[DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack|DUQ]]<br><small>8</small>
| [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb|PIK]]
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[Great New York State Fair|SYR]]<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[Indiana State Fair|ISF]]<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [[California State Fairgrounds Race Track|SAC]]<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [[XM Satellite Radio Indy 200|PHX]]<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[IZOD IndyCar World Championships|LVG]]<br><small>14</small>
|colspan=2|
!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 6th
!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 950
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1955 AAA Championship Car season|1955]]
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[1955 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[Langhorne Speedway|LAN]]<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [[DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack|DUQ]]<br><small>4</small>
| [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb|PIK]]
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| [[Great New York State Fair|SYR]]<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[Indiana State Fair|ISF]]<br><small>17</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [[California State Fairgrounds Race Track|SAC]]<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[XM Satellite Radio Indy 200|PHX]]<br><small>18</small>
|colspan=4|
!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st
!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 2,290
|-
! rowspan=1| [[1956 USAC Championship Car season|1956]]
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| [[1956 Indianapolis 500|INDY]]<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]<br><small>3</small>
| [[Langhorne Speedway|LAN]]
| [[Darlington Raceway|DAR]]
| [[Lakewood Speedway|ATL]]
| [[Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack|SPR]]
| [[Milwaukee 225|MIL]]
| [[DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack|DUQ]]
| [[Great New York State Fair|SYR]]
| [[Indiana State Fair|ISF]]
| [[California State Fairgrounds Race Track|SAC]]
| [[XM Satellite Radio Indy 200|PHX]]
|colspan=3|
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 15th
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 540
|}

== Indianapolis 500 results ==

{|
|----- valign="top"
|
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Year
!Car
!Start
!Qual
!Rank
!Finish
!Laps
!Led
!Retired
|-
![[1952 Indianapolis 500|1952]]
|73 
|32 
|134.983 
|21 
|26 
|77 
|0 
|Differential
|-
![[1953 Indianapolis 500|1953]]
|51 
|29 
|136.872 
|11 
|20 
|151 
|0 
|Radius rod
|-
![[1954 Indianapolis 500|1954]]
|17 
|9 
|138.206 
|22 
|14 
|197 
|0 
|Flagged
|-
![[1955 Indianapolis 500|1955]]
|6 
|14 
|139.996 
|11
|style="background:#ffffbf;"| '''1st'''
|200 
|86 
|Running
|-
![[1956 Indianapolis 500|1956]]
|1 
|10 
|143.033 
|12 
|6 
|200 
|0 
|Running
|-
|colspan="6"|'''Totals''' 
|825 
|86 
|
|}
|
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Starts
|5
|-
!Poles
|0
|-
!Front Row
|0
|-
!Wins
|1
|-
!Top 5
|1
|-
!Top 10
|2
|-
!Retired
|2
|}
|}

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* [http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/SweikertBob.htm Bob Sweikert – ChampCarStats.com]
* {{Find a Grave|1475}}
* [http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=ct&n=723 Bob Sweikert – Motorsport Memorial]
* {{Racing-Reference driver|Bob_Sweikert}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box|before=[[Bill Vukovich]]|title=[[List of Indianapolis 500 winners|Indianapolis 500 Winner]]|years=[[1955 Indianapolis 500|1955]]|after=[[Pat Flaherty (racing driver)|Pat Flaherty]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Indy 500 winners}}
{{American open-wheel car racing champions}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweikert, Bob}}
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:1956 deaths]]
[[Category:Champ Car champions]]
[[Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers]]
[[Category:Indianapolis 500 winners]]
[[Category:Racing drivers who died while racing]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Sports deaths in Indiana]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Hayward, California]]
[[Category:Burials at Lone Tree Cemetery (Fairview, California)]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:AAA Championship Car drivers]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Formula One race winners]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from San Francisco]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from Alameda County, California]]