Bill Vukovich II

Bill Vukovich II
Bill Vukovich II
Born	William John Vukovich Jr.; March 29, 1944; Riverside, California, U.S.
Died	August 20, 2023 (aged 79); Fresno, California, U.S.
Champ Car career
	161 races run over 18 years
Years active	1965, 1967–1983
Best finish	2nd – 1972, 1979
First race	1965 Bobby Ball Memorial (Phoenix)
Last race	1983 Ted Horn 100 (DuQuoin)
First win	1973 Michigan Twin 125s #1 (Michigan)

William John Vukovich Jr.^[1] (March 29, 1944 – August 20, 2023) was an American driver in the championship car division of USAC and the CART series.

Career

Vukovich was named the 1968 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, a result of his seventh-place finish.^[2] Vukovich raced in the 1965–1982 seasons, with 158 combined career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1968–1977, 1979–1980. He finished in the top ten 85 times, with one victory in 1973 at Michigan. His best finish at the Indianapolis 500 came in 1973, where he finished second in a rain-shortened, tragedy-marred event.

Vukovich also had 23 National midget car victories in his career, and drove for part of his career in J. C. Agajanian's midget car.^[3]

Personal life and death

Bill Vukovich II was the son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bill Vukovich and the father of Billy Vukovich III, both of whom were killed in racing accidents. Vukovich and his wife, Joyce, were married for 60 years. Vukovich died on August 20, 2023, at the age of 79.^[4]

Award

Vukovich was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998.

Complete USAC Championship Car results

Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	Pos	Points
1965	PHX	TRE	INDY	MIL	LAN	PPR	TRE	IRP	ATL	LAN	MIL	ISF	MIL	DSF	INF	TRE	SAC	PHX 9											37th	80
1967	PHX	TRE	INDY	MIL	LAN	PIP	MOS	MOS	IRP	LAN 23	MTR 23	MTR 11	SPR 6	MIL 16	DUQ 5	ISF 4	TRE 13	SAC 17	HAN 26	PHX DNQ	RIV 7								15th	470
1968	HAN 26	LVG 6	PHX 19	TRE 5	INDY 7	MIL 13	MOS 9	MOS 7	LAN 14	PIP	CDR 9	NAZ 3	IRP 13	IRP 6	LAN 6	LAN 4	MTR	MTR	SPR 4	MIL 7	DUQ 3	ISF 5	TRE 6	SAC 16	MCH 19	HAN 6	PHX 4	RIV 7	5th	2,410
1969	PHX 4	HAN 8	INDY 32	MIL 17	LAN 4	PIP	CDR 19	NAZ 13	TRE 6	IRP 22	IRP	MIL 5	SPR 3	DOV	DUQ 4	ISF 14	BRN DNQ	BRN	TRE 24	SAC 13	KEN 9	KEN 17	PHX 6	RIV 27					8th	1,280
1970	PHX DNS	SON 20	TRE DNP	INDY 23	MIL 13	LAN 12	CDR	MCH	IRP	SPR DNP	MIL	ONT DNQ	DUQ	ISF	SED	TRE	SAC 3	PHX 10											32nd	200
1971	RAF	RAF	PHX	TRE 25	INDY 5	MIL 3	POC 5	MCH 2	MIL 14	ONT 10	TRE 4	PHX 3																	3rd	2.250
1972	PHX 20	TRE 18	INDY 28	MIL 4	MCH 11	POC 4	MIL 2	ONT 3	TRE 4	PHX 15																			2nd	2.200
1973	TWS 15	TRE 3	TRE 2	INDY 2	MIL 22	POC 24	MCH 3	MIL 3	ONT 12	ONT	ONT 24	MCH 1	MCH 15	TRE 6	TWS 20	PHX 3													4th	2.440
1974	ONT 10	ONT	ONT 21	PHX 8	TRE 3	INDY 3	MIL 3	POC 8	MCH 5	MIL 10	MCH 19	TRE 18	TRE	PHX 6															6th	1,925
1975	ONT	ONT 4	ONT 23	PHX 4	TRE	INDY 6	MIL 7	POC 3	MCH 3	MIL 8	MCH 11	TRE	PHX 4																5th	2.080
1976	PHX DNQ	TRE 22	INDY 31	MIL 6	POC 26	MCH	TWS 6	TRE 8	MIL 15	ONT 24	MCH	TWS 5	PHX 6																14th	660
1977	ONT 20	PHX 19	TWS	TRE 13	INDY 17	MIL	POC 9	MOS 12	MCH 14	TWS	MIL	ONT 31	MCH	PHX															27th	220
1978	PHX	ONT	TWS	TRE	INDY DNQ	MOS	MIL	POC 28	MCH	ATL	TWS	MIL	ONT 26	MCH	TRE	SIL	BRH	PHX											40th	20
1979	ONT 3	TWS 6	INDY 8	MIL 2	POC 6	TWS 6	MIL 3																						2nd	1,770
1980	ONT	INDY 12	MIL 21	POC 28	MDO																								29th	65
1981-82	INDY DNQ	POC 6	ILL 17	DUQ	ISF 6	INDY DNQ																							13th	568
1982-83	SPR	DUQ	NAZ	INDY DNQ																									-	0
1983-84	DUQ 12	INDY DNP																											19th	20

Complete PPG Indy Car Series results

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pos.	Pts	Ref
1979	Leader Card Racing	PHX	ATL	ATL	INDY 8	TRE	TRE	MCH	MCH	WGL	TRE	ONT	MCH	ATL	PHX			-	0	^[5]
1980	Leader Card Racing	ONT	INDY 12	MIL 21	POC 28	MDO	MCH	WGL	MIL 19	ONT 34	MCH 25	MEX	PHX 12					37th	96	^[6]
1981	Rattlesnake Racing	PHX	MIL	ATL	ATL	MCH 15	RIV DNQ	MIL	MCH 14	WGL	MEX 27	PHX						33rd	6	^[7]
1982		PHX	ATL	MIL 11	CLE	MCH	MIL	POC 29	RIV	ROA	MCH	PHX						41st	2	^[8]
1983		ATL	INDY DNQ	MIL	CLE	MCH	ROA	POC	RIV	MDO	MCH	CPL	LAG	PHX				-	0	^[9]
1984		LBH	PHX	INDY DNQ	MIL	POR	MEA	CLE	MCH	ROA	POC	MDO	SAN	MCH	PHX	LAG	CPL	-	0	^[10]

Indianapolis 500 results

Year	Chassis	Engine	Start	Finish
1968	Shrike	Offy	23rd	7th
1969	Laycock	Offy	26th	32nd
1970	Brabham	Offy	30th	23rd
1971	Brabham	Offy	11th	5th
1972	Eagle	Offy	18th	28th
1973	Eagle	Offy	16th	2nd
1974	Eagle	Offy	16th	3rd
1975	Eagle	Offy	8th	6th
1976	Eagle	Offy	9th	31st
1977	Coyote	Foyt	23rd	17th
1978	Eagle	Offy	Failed to Qualify
1979	Watson	Offy	34th	8th
1980	Watson	Offy	30th	12th
1981	Watson	Offy	Failed to Qualify
1982	Lightning	Cosworth	Failed to Qualify
1983	Eagle	Chevrolet	Failed to Qualify

References

^ "Billy Vukovich, Jr". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
^ "Vukovich Is Tabbed 500 Rookie Of Year". The Indianapolis Star. June 1, 1968. p. 18. Retrieved December 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
^ Biography Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame, Retrieved January 11, 2007
^ "Obituaries in Indianapolis, IN | The Indianapolis Star". indystar.com. August 24, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
^ "Bill Vukovich Jr. – 1979 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
^ "Bill Vukovich Jr. – 1980 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
^ "Bill Vukovich Jr. – 1981 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
^ "Bill Vukovich Jr. – 1982 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
^ "Bill Vukovich Jr. – 1983 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
^ "Bill Vukovich Jr. – 1984 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.

Sporting positions
Preceded by Denis Hulme	Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year 1968	Succeeded by Mark Donohue

[1] "Billy Vukovich, Jr". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved May 19, 2023.

[2] "Vukovich Is Tabbed 500 Rookie Of Year". The Indianapolis Star. June 1, 1968. p. 18. Retrieved December 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .

[3] Biography Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame, Retrieved January 11, 2007

[4] "Obituaries in Indianapolis, IN | The Indianapolis Star". indystar.com. August 24, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.

[5] "Bill Vukovich Jr. – 1979 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.

[6] "Bill Vukovich Jr. – 1980 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.

[7] "Bill Vukovich Jr. – 1981 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.

[8] "Bill Vukovich Jr. – 1982 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.

[9] "Bill Vukovich Jr. – 1983 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.

[10] "Bill Vukovich Jr. – 1984 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.

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