Okay, so today I wanna share something about a guy named Swede Savage. This dude was a race car driver, pretty good, but his story is kinda wild and sad. I got interested in him after I stumbled upon some old racing stuff, and I just had to dig deeper.
First off, I started with the basics. I found out his full name was David Earl “Swede” Savage Jr. Born in 1946, died in 1973. Yeah, he was only 26 when he passed away. This already made me feel pretty sad.
Next, I wanted to know why he was called “Swede.” Turns out, it wasn’t because of where he’s from, but because of his bright blond hair and strong build. Apparently, he was a big deal in high school football too. So, I learned he was a natural athlete, which made sense since he was into racing.
Then, I dug into his racing career. The guy started young, like, really young. He was into Soap Box Derby at five, then moved to quarter midget cars, and by twelve, he was racing go-karts. This showed me he was super into racing from a very early age. It wasn’t just a hobby; it was his life.
I found some cool pictures too. There’s one with him and another racer, Dan Gurney, posing with a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda. It’s a great shot, shows you what the racing scene was like back then. He was driving an Eagle-Ford IndyCar around that time, which is pretty cool.
Now, here’s where it gets really intense. Swede was a favorite to win the 1973 Indy 500. The race got delayed twice because of rain. Imagine the tension and anticipation. Then, during the race, he had a major crash. It was bad.
I read that he used to say, “My accidents have made a better driver of me,” which is a crazy thing to say in hindsight. He was taken to the hospital, and everyone was hoping he’d pull through. But sadly, he died almost five weeks later from complications from the crash.
- Started with Soap Box Derby at age 5.
- Moved to quarter midget cars.
- At 12, he was racing go-karts.
- 1973 Indy 500 favorite.
It’s a really tragic story. This guy was young, talented, and had his whole life ahead of him. I even found a quote from his daughter, Angela, talking about how he was a favorite to win that race. It’s just heartbreaking.
Why I Shared This
I shared this because Swede Savage’s story is more than just about racing. It’s about passion, risk, and the fragility of life. It made me think about how quickly things can change and how important it is to appreciate what we have. Plus, it’s a piece of racing history that I think more people should know about.
So yeah, that’s my deep dive into Swede Savage’s life and career. I hope you found it as interesting as I did. It’s a bit of a downer, but it’s a story that stuck with me, and I felt like I had to share it.
