KEEPING THE SPIRIT ALIVE SINCE 1999
Dick Atkins
23/4/1936 - 13/11/1966
One of the best sprint car drivers of his era and was just begining to shine in the USAC Championships when he was killed at Ascot Park when Don Branson's car bounced off the wall back into his path. Branson died instantly and Atkins passed away the next day from what at first were believed to be burns. However an autosy revealed that the cause of death was a fractured skull.
Dick Atkins died 55 years ago, he was 30 , He would have been 85.
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Good looking and popular with the crowds of California race fans, Richard Charles (Dick) Atkins was one of the best sprint car drivers of his era and was just begining to shine in the USAC Championships. Atkins won the Sacramento Mile, champ-dirt car race in the heydey of many super talents.In 1966 he qualified for the 1966 Indy 500, but was later 'bumped' and didn't race and just three weeks before his fatal accident he won his first USAC Championship race. Then on 12 November 1966, Don Branson lost it in a corner at Ascot Park (Gardena). Branson's car bounced off the wall back into the path of Atkins. Branson was killed instantly and Atkins died the next day from what at first were believed to be burns. However an autosy revealed that the cause of death was a fracture to the rear of his skull.
Soon after this accident, his close friend J. C. Agajanian, called on USAC to make rubber bladders in fuel tanks madatory.
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Renaud de Montaignac 1851 - 1898 -
Wilhelm Werner 1874 - 1947 -
Bob Burman 1884 - 1916 -
Tony Sugden 1932 -
Larry Rice 1946 - 2009
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Derek Bell 1941
A former Formula One driver from England who raced for the Ferrari, McLaren, Surtees and Tecno. Bell is best know for his sportscar racing, winning Le Mans five times and the Daytona 24 hour race, three times. -
Herbert Mackay-Fraser 1927 - 1957
Fraser was a promising American driver who came to Europe to ply his trade but was killed in the Coupe Internationale de Vitesse F2 race at Reims in 1957. -
Bob Said 1932 - 2002
Bob Said started racing in 1952 in the USA but turned his attention to Europe where he raced with Maston Gregory. He raced in the American Grand Prix in 1959 at Sebring, driving Paul Emery's ancient Connaught. He lost everything in 1962 but rebuilt his fortune and took up winter sports, participating in the Winter Olympics in 1968 and 1972 in the bobsleigh event. He then became an Emmy award winning producer. He died of a heart attack while watching the OSCARs on TV. -
Bob Bondurant 1933
Bob Bondurant was a Formula 1 driver who raced for the Ferrari, Lotus, BRM and Eagle teams. Now famous for his racing schools where he continues to teach, time permitting, and race in select vintage racing events. -
Ronnie Bucknum 1936 - 1992
Ronnie Bucknum was a Formula One driver who participated in 11 Grands Prix, debuting on August 2, 1964 driving for Honda. After Formula One, Bucknum drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing between 1967-1970 with 23 starts. He had one win, the 1968 Michigan 500. He also drove a Carroll Shelby GT40 to third place at Le Mans in 1966. He died from complications from diabetes.