Swede Savage

Find a Grave

Birth: Aug. 26, 1946

Death: Jul. 2, 1973

Race Car Driver. Born in San Bernardino, California, he was one of the most promising race drivers of his era. He began racing in Soap Box Derby at the age of five, moved up to racing midget cars at age twelve and by his mid-teens was racing motorcycles competitively. In January 1967, at a Ford Motor Company test session at Riverside International Raceway, he did a wheelie on his motorcycle for the better part of a mile and caught the attention of Ford executives. After a partial season driving NASCAR stock cars in the South for the Ford factory-backed racing team, he debuted at the USRRC series in April 1968, driving a Lola T70 Mk III car. From 1968 to 1972, he completed in NASCAR events, Daytona 500, Trans-Aim Series, Phoenix International, Questor Grand Prix and finished 32nd in the Indy 500 in 1972. In 1973, at the Indianapollis 500 he held the lead from laps 43-54, and then made his first pit stop. He rejoined in second place and on the 58th lap, the right half of his rear wing had come loose, causing his car to slide across to the inside of the track at nearly top speed, hitting the angled inside wall nearly head-on. Savage was taken by medical personnel after the wreck to the Methodist Hospital Medical Center and died in the hospital 33 days after the accident. (bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith)

Family links:

Children:

• Shelly Savage Larson (1965 - 1995)*

Burial: Mountain View Cemetery San Bernardino San Bernardino County California, USA Plot: Lawn S, Space 469