Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 25, 1990 TAG: 9007250208
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BROWNSBURG, IND. LENGTH: Medium
Vogler was killed Saturday in winning a sprint car race at Salem Speedway in southern Indiana. It was the 134th USAC victory of his career.
John Capels of Championship Auto Racing Teams said in his eulogy that Vogler "died the way he drove all the time, with his right foot down."
Capels, the head of CART, said, "The only way for Rich Vogler to be himself was to be the best and the fastest."
Vogler's father, Don, was killed in 1981 during practice for a USAC midget car race at the Indianapolis Speedrome.
A standing room only crowd of about 500 people filled the Calvary United Methodist Church in Brownsburg for Tuesday night's service. They included drivers John Andretti, Steve Chassey, George Snider and Bill Vukovich Jr., along with Tony George, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and his mother, Mari Hulman George, the Speedway board chairman.
Additional seats were set up in the choir loft, the aisles and the lobby, and still some people had to stand outside to hear the service via loudspeaker.
Vogler, second only to A.J. Foyt's 138 career USAC victories, was leading Saturday's race at Salem with less than two laps to go when his racer went out of control as he passed another driver. The race was red-flagged, and Vogler was awarded his final victory.
Vogler, who would have been 40 on Thursday, died of head injuries. Under USAC rules, the leader of the last lap prior to a race-ending red flag is credited with the victory.
The most successful sprint and midget driver in USAC history, Vogler was never able to get a full-time ride on the Indy-car circuit. He tried to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 twice before making it in 1985 and finished 23rd after starting last in the 33-car field.
Five of his eight starts in Indy cars were at Indianapolis, and his best finish was in 1989 when he again started last but improved steadily to eighth. In both 1988 and 1989, he earned a spot in the 500 by bumping a former winner - Gordon Johncock and Johnny Rutherford - in the closing minutes of qualifications.
Vogler won five USAC national championships in midget cars and two sprint titles. In 1980, he became the only driver to win both sprint and midget crowns the same season.
by CNB