Rich Vogler

Richard Frank Vogler (July 26, 1950 – July 21, 1990) was an American champion sprint car and midget car driver. He was nicknamed "Rapid Rich". He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, and his best finish was eighth in 1989.

Racing career Vogler was the National Alliance of Midget Auto Racing (NAMAR) midget champion in 1973. He won the midget car track championships at the Indianapolis Speedrome in 1984 and 1985. He won the Fireman Nationals midget car race at Angell Park Speedway in 1985. Vogler became the first driver to win the USAC Sprint Car and Midget championships in the same year (1980). He won USAC National Sprint Car Series championships in 1980 and 1989, USAC National Midget Series championships in 1978, 1980, 1983, 1986, and 1988.

Vogler won numerous major national events: the Hut Hundred eight times, the 4-Crown Nationals midget car event four times, the Copper Classic twice, the Hoosierdome Invitational twice, the WWRA Florida Winter Nationals in 1983, and the Night Before the 500 once.

Vogler finished seventeenth in his only NASCAR Busch Series start at the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham in 1988.

Career summary Vogler's 134 wins (95 Midget, 35 Sprint, and four Silver Crown wins) in national events is second only to A. J. Foyt's 169.

Because of USAC rules on a red flag reverting to the previous completed lap, he was declared the winner of the event following his death, which was his 170th win. He was scheduled to make his NASCAR Winston Cup (now NASCAR Cup Series) series debut at Pocono Raceway the day after his fatal crash.

The Pocono race was not his first attempted NASCAR Winston Cup start: two weeks before, he entered the Michigan race but failed to qualify. At the time, Vogler was scheduled to run the full Winston Cup Series in the near-future for U.S. Racing but was replaced posthumously by Ted Musgrave.

Memorials

Vogler's mother Eleanor started a college scholarship fund for aspiring Indiana students as part of Rich's concern over his sons, and the fund was started by USAC officials and sponsor Valvoline.

The first major fund-raiser for the fund was a Daytona 500 viewing party in Indianapolis which was well-attended with a silent auction and notable names in auto racing in the state as guests. Usually, his mother and his sons appear at the annual fund-raiser. In 2008, the viewing party was moved to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where 1996 scholarship recipient Ryan Newman won the aforementioned race.

In April 1991, Winchester Speedway began the annual season-opening Rich Vogler Classic sprint car race, usually the first race at the track each year.

There is also a Team Vogler Classic at the Indianapolis Speedrome. His father Donald Vogler died in a midget car accident at the Indianapolis Speedrome on May 1, 1981.

Career awards He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1992 (first eligible year). He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1986. in 2010.

Motorsports career results

Complete USAC Mini-Indy (Formula Super Vee) Results Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pos Points 1978 PIR1 TRE1 MOS MIL1 TEX MIL2 OMS1 OMS2 TRE2 PIR2 39th 33 1979 TEX1 IRP MIL1 POC TEX2 MIL2 MIN1 MIN2 13th 242

Complete USAC Championship Car results Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pos Points 1980 ONT INDYDNQ MIL POCDNQ MOH-0 1981-82 INDYDNQ POC ILL11 DUQ1 ISF2 INDYDNQ 8th 760 1982–83 ISF DSF NAZ INDY 13th 296 1983-84 DUQ11 INDYDNP 16th 40

Complete PPG Indy Car Series results

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pts Ref 1980 BFM Enterprises ONT INDYDNQ MIL POC MOH MCH WGL MIL ONT MCH MEX PHX-0 1982 PHX ATL MIL CLE MCH MIL POC RIV ROA MCH PHX-0 1983 ATL INDYDNQ MIL CLE MCH ROA POC RIV MOH MCH CPL LAG PHX-0 1984 Morales Racing LBH PHX INDYDNQ MIL POR MEA CLE MCH ROA POC MOH SAN MCH PHX LAG CPL-0 1985 Patrick Racing LBH INDY23 MIL POR MEA CLE MCH ROA POC MOH SAN MCH LAG PHX MIA 54th 0 1986 Alex Morales Racing PHX LBH INDY26 MIL POR MEA CLE TOR MCH POC MOH SAN MCH ROA LAG PHX MIA 47th 0 1987 Hemelgarn Racing LBH PHX INDY20 MIL POR MEA CLE TOR MCH POC ROA MOH NAZ LAG MIA 43rd 0 1988 Machinists Union Racing PHX LBH INDY MIL POR CLE TOR MEA MCH POC MOH ROA NAZ LAG MIA 32nd 2 1989 A. J. Foyt Enterprises PHX LBH INDY MIL DET POR CLE MEA TOR 25th 5 Arciero Racing MCH POC MOH ROA NAZ LAG 1990 Arciero Racing PHX LBH INDY MIL DET POR CLE MEA TOR MCH DEN VAN MOH ROA NAZ LAG - 0

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 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 29 Pts Ref 1990 Ray DeWitt 50 Chevy DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL NA -

Busch Series NASCAR Busch Series results Year Team No. Make 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 29 30 Pts Ref 1988 Bruce Lawmaster 31 Ford DAY HCY CAR MAR DAR BRI LNG NZH SBO NSV CLT DOV ROU LAN LVL MYB OXF SBO HCY LNG IRP ROU BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT CAR MAR 76th 112