Bill Vukovich | |||||||
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![]() Vukovich, circa 1951 | |||||||
Born | William John Vukovich December 13, 1918 Oakland, California, U.S. | ||||||
Died | May 30, 1955 Speedway, Indiana, U.S. | (aged 36)||||||
Championship titles | |||||||
AAA National Midget Car (1950) Major victories Indianapolis 500 (1953, 1954) | |||||||
Champ Car career | |||||||
22 races run over 6 years | |||||||
Best finish | 3rd (1953) | ||||||
First race | 1951 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
Last race | 1955 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
First win | 1952 Detroit 100 (Detroit) | ||||||
Last win | 1954 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
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Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
Active years | 1950 – 1955 | ||||||
Teams | Maserati, Trevis, Kurtis Kraft | ||||||
Entries | 6 (5 starts) | ||||||
Championships | 0 | ||||||
Wins | 2 | ||||||
Podiums | 2 | ||||||
Career points | 19 | ||||||
Pole positions | 1 | ||||||
Fastest laps | 3 | ||||||
First entry | 1950 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
First win | 1953 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
Last win | 1954 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
Last entry | 1955 Indianapolis 500 |
William John "Bill" Vukovich (/ˈvjuːkəvɪtʃ/; December 13, 1918 – May 30, 1955) was an American racing driver. He won the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500, plus two more American Automobile Association National Championship races, and died while leading the 1955 Indianapolis 500.
Several drivers of his generation have referred to Vukovich as the greatest ever in American motorsport.[1] He is generally considered one of the best racing drivers of his generation, and is the only driver to lead the most laps in three consecutive Indy 500s.