7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

Please take a minute to remember that we lost Rich Vogler 21 years ago tomorrow on July 21, 1990.

I am still affected by his death as he was someone I looked to as a hero. I could relate to his accomplishments as we were about the same age.

R.I.P. Rapid Rich.

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

R.I.P. Rich Vogler.:9: To this day, his intensity and desire to win are still unparalleled. Nobody was driven to win, like Rich was.

Jerry

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

I remember that fateful night well despite being 11 years old when it happened. I was staying with my grandparents that weekend and they let me stay up late just so I could watch the race on ESPN. When I saw the wreck and the coverage which pretty much let you know what the outcome was going to be, my heart sunk. When I heard he had died I broke out in tears immediately. Rich was, and still is, one of the drivers who I always looked up to. I was racing quarter midgets still when it happened and I had lost one of my hero's that night. To this day when I list off the names of the 3 or 4 drivers who inspire me to continue to strive to race a full size sprint some day (minis are awesome but within 5 years I will have a 360 or 410) Rich is still on the list. In fact, one of my prized pieces of racing memorabilia still is the program Rich signed for me at Eldora when my Dad took me into the pits and I met Rich for the first time when I was 8. I was so nervous and awestruck to me meeting one of my racing hero's I could barely lift my arm to shake his hand and almost couldn't get my mouth to work to ask for an autograph (my Dad wasn't going to do it for me. If I wanted it I had to ask!). After I finally mustered the courage to speak he even asked me all about my racing after my Dad mentioned to him that I was an aspiring open wheel driver. At 8 years old to be treated like "one of the guys" by a pro was sheer bliss! I still vividly remember every detail of those 10 minutes in heaven! Maybe I am odd for still having hero's at the age of 32, but if so, so be it. I am not ashamed to admit that 21 years after his death Rich still continues to inspire me now.

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

Sad day for racing for all. Rich was a friend and racer that I got a chance to work with many times while producing the ESPN Thunder features back then. I spent much time with him doing interviews or just talking about racing and TV. Plus I was married to his ex wife as well so I had a lot of connections with all the Voglers.
That hot summer night is still burned into my head as it went from working TV to having to become a man and deal with it all. I also had been at the Speedrome doing ESPN Thunder when Don died as well but Rich was different, he was an extended part of the family. I still remember everything from that night like it was yesterday. The crash, after the crash, dealing with my wife and my kids at the track, the drive home and the offical annoucment as it came over the radio driving home.
Despite all that happen on that day Rich still lives through the Vogler Scholarship fund help many racers kids with some scholarship finding for college.
Use your thoughts and keep Rich Vogler alive with a donation to the scholarship fund. http://www.richvoglerscholarship.org/ follow this link to help the fund.

R.I.P.
Rich Vogler

:35:

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

RIP Rich. I too was watching that night and will never forget. You truly were one of the greats.

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

Rich Vogler

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

R.I.P. Rich Vogler My wife and I were returning from the races at Eldora. It was Sunday morning and we were in the vicinity of Indianapolis. I had the radio on WIBC, 1070. The news came on and the death of Rich was the lead story. It made me sick. Rich
was whithout a doubt one of the most exciting openwheel racers I ever had the pleasure of watching. Always 100% flat out...no
holding back.:22::22:

Rich was one of my heros growing up and I have seen him Win alot of races in Sprint, Midgets, and even a Champ Car Win at the Indy Mile. I watched him do well in the Indy 500 and he was about to break into NASCAR when he was killed that hot July night. I was crossing the track under the flagstand at Eldora after the Kings Royal to go get some autographs and hang out in the pits. I was 11 at the time and my heart sunk to the ground as the flagman told us Rich had lost his life at Salem that night.
The Voglers are great people! I have known Eleanor for several years and was even presented with one of the Rich Vogler Memorial Scholarships at Winchester during the Vogler Classic in 2007. I also had the pleasure of getting to know his late son D.J. and he was on my Go-Kart Team at Fastimes one year as well.
God Speed Rich! R.I.P. D.J.!
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

I loved to watch Rich at any venue at work driving and working on his car. I always thought it was pretty cool he would fly to his races at times. It was great fun watching him at Indy. I do not get many autographs, but I was at Salem very early in 1989 and had a chance to get his at a session on the front stretch.

I was in Iowa working on promoting group rate tickets for Cincinnati's farm team the Cedar Rapids Reds the night of the tragic accident. I was in a sports bar...the only one watching the race on ESPN...when the accident happened..what a terrible sinking feeling..I felt very lonely.

I wish Rich was still with us..as he was also an incredible indoor midget racer...I am sure our paths would have crossed.

Thanks for the memories Rich...Godspeed..I am sure you are with your dad and son.

TonY Barhorst

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

D.J. died When How?

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

DJ died 3 or 4 years. Not sure of the cause of death.

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

Every since i was hired as the flagman at Salem, I pause at the entrance to the pits and say a quick thanks to Rapid Rich every event for the great memories.

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

I'll never forget that night. My mother and I were sitting on the aisle that led up to the announcers booth and I vividly remember Gary Lee and Larry Rice coming by us on their way up to the booth.
When the feature began, Rich was in a class of his own. I remember that someone contacted the guardrail on the backstretch and they had to stop the race for repairs; then there was a power outage.
After the restart, Rich continued to dominate. He was so far ahead that I had momentarily shifted my focus to second place Jeff Gordon, whom Rich was not far from lapping.
I was really not aware of the crash until a lady sitting behind us made a comment that his helmet had come off. I then observed that the front axle assembly had traveled more than halfway from the fourth turn to the start-finish line. The right side of the car did not appear to have much damage, though. Rollie Beale walked over to the car and I could tell by his reaction that Rich was probably beyond help.
I recorded the race on my VCR and had it set to turn off at 10:06PM. The accident occurred at 9:59PM and the broadcast showed Rich being transported out of the track just as the VCR shut off.
Also, USAC car owner, Glen Neibel, was thought to have suffered a heart attack that evening, and he was transported from the track. It turned out to be a gastrointestinal upset.
I had trouble remembering Glen's name at first, but I believe that he was the person transported. Correct me if I am wrong.
I have the book "NO TIME FOR YESTERDAY RICH VOGLER: HIS LIFE 1950-1990" By John Sawyer. Very interesting read. Don't know as it is still available as publisher Carl Hungness is out of business.
While USAC sprint car racing is still immensely exciting and entertaining, it lost an element that is irreplaceable with the passing of Richard Frank Vogler.

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

I was at my parents house watching ESPN that night in the
basement. Very sad night for me for sure. Rich was in a class
of his own and a hero of mine. I'll never forget when he crashed
out in the Indy 500 and flew his plane to run a midget race in
Sun Prairie at Angell Park Speedway. Believe it was 1987.
Hard to believe it's been 21 year's.
Best Regards,
John

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

I Think of Rich every day. 2 weeks ago my son Rich, wore one of Rich's uniforms he had used while racing for my Dad and Mom, at the Battle of the Brickyard in Indy for the .25 midget races. The site of seeing him in his namesakes uniform was kind of overwhelming, I was very proud. Then to see him win the heavy aa race just a few hours before my Dad passed away finished off a week of mixed emotions. RIP Rich and Big Jim!

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

Rich was my favorite driver. I was at the Kings Royal and my Dad pulled me to the side and told me of the awful news. It was probably one of the hardest things he ever had to do. I will never forget the races I saw him compete in, winning many of those. RIP Rapid Rich. You and Big Jim have a lot of catching up to do.

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

I almost always think "what would Vogler do" in every race I try to run! Wish I could have some of his results.

Any1 know the details about that Indy to Sun Prairie trip? What midget did he run? Did they already plan on having it there b4 the early 500 retirement???

Jason Dull
815 494 6002
jdull99@hotmail.com
jasondull.com (For all the Racing News)

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

When ever Vogler showed up at the track, it didn't take a PHI BETA CAPPA to figure out that the price of admission was worth watching him.
I drove from Lansing to Glen Ellen on a weeknight to buy some fuel injectors from Don when I first met Rich. He was just getting started, probably had one race under him. Little did one know how much of an accomplished driver he was going to be. R.I.P.

DO's post on this thread was on the money.

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

You aren't the only one...

For years after one could see certain people take a breath walking in right there. Over the years it has become like MacElreath's tree at Winchester-something we walk past as life goes on.

To me there is a difference between remembering and never forgetting. I remember Rich that night at Salem, but I never forget the exciting racing and amazing life he lived.

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

Jason- Rich had planned on running the KFC midget at Sun
Prairie unless he won the 500 that year. The car was in the
pits before he got there. Believe the owner at that time
was Jonathan Byrd. He owned many KFC's and eventually
sold out to open the Byrd Cafeteria's. That's a day I'll
never forget!
Best Regards,
John:)

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

Treecitytornado touched on the fact that Rich was about to make his NASCAR debut that weekend. 2nd hardest thing I have ever had to do at a racetrack was helping to reload our hauler for the trip home from Pocono to Lansing. This was back in the day of 2 rounds of qualifying in Cup and we had missed the show on Friday. Rich and Joey discussed several things that night and during morning practice on Saturday, they hit on a combination that really suited Rich. We were the 2nd fastest qualifier in 2nd Round and were scheduled to start 28th. Rich told us just before he left to hop on the plane and go to Salem that his plan was to win the race and announce his retirement from USAC in Victory Lane. Little did any of us know that it would turn out the way it did. That whole Sunday is still a blur as someone came up with "In Memory Of" decals for all the starters, NASCAR allowed us to withdraw the car and left Rich's spot open on the grid and pace laps, and the Stavola Brothers team had a deck lid size decal made and placed on their car for the race. I know several teams helped us pack and load our equipment and car that morning. It was an extremely hard thing to do for all of us as we were all kind of numb knowing our driver was not going to be back.

Brent Seelman
D-R Racing Enterprises

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

Was'nt a personal friend, but had met him when he was driving the Johnathon Byrd owned midget, that was wrenched and maintained by Bob Lowe. USAC midgets were at Lawrenceburg running and Rich won the feature and I won late model feature. After getting home and looking at the trophy , they had given Rich mine and I had his. The next time I seen him asked him how he liked his trophy from Lawreceburg. We had a quick laugh about it and said we'll exchange them sometime. That time never did come though. It is one of my favorite's in my trophy case! My favorite memory of Rich was at Winchester when he was driving a number 65 sprinter with a bolt on cage. He led for several laps until he had a mechaincal issue. Sure was making the younger guys look bad in a car that was probably older than most of them! R.I.P. Rich

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

A sad day for sure when he died. One of the great guys who dying doing what he loved and was one of the best at it. He died being great at his finest, which means he'll be great as long as theres one last sprintcar is still rolling around a track somewhere. RIP and for him thats probly means he's still behind the wheel, cause that was when he was at true peace, like all the great ones.

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

My favorite memory of Rich was when the Silver Crown cars ran at Salem in 1988. Rich was driving the Wilke car which had been backed into the wall at the fairgrounds the week before. During practice, it was obvious that they hadn't straightened out the rear axle. His left rear was bouncing down the track like a basketball. I was standing behind his pit when he pulled it in. A.J. Watson said they would load up early. Rich said we didn't pull down here to load it up. He set quick time and led the first thirty laps or so until he couln't drive it anymore. No one could manhandle an ill handling race car like Rich.

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

Didn't Bob Frey win that race? I think it was shortened from 100 laps to 50 laps?

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

remember watching rich running many cars. one that sticks out is the east bay winter nationals in florida in the late 80's driving the streiker's #4 winged sprint car. never new rich ever run a wing before that. he was very fast the entire time he was down there running with the best of them. i think he came from the same mold as hewitt and mcspadden.

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

Yes

Re: 7/21/11 - In Remembrance of Rich
 

You're right. I believe followed by Cicconi and maybe Hewitt. Was shortenened to 50 laps. I remember Hewitt saying how hard it was to get the big cars to brake on that track. Doubt we'll ever see Silver Crown at Salem again.