Carl Bergkvist

Gregg · 12/31/10, 8:41 AM

For those of us the only was able to see Carl race in the midwest a few times in 1973 before that terrible day in October I found an article on the 'net about him originally written in 1972. Looked like he had a lot of promise.

http://www.jakessite.com/07/notforgo...bergkvist.html

Seadog · 12/31/10, 9:38 AM

Yeah, I don't remember too much about him other than his name.

We arrived at the track a little later than normal that day and thankfully did not see the tragedy unfold.

RIP

TommyTipover · 12/31/10, 11:31 AM

I was there that day. Happened during hot laps. As bad as it gets

Pat O'Connor Fan · 12/31/10, 3:32 PM

As I recall, he was driving one of those King sprinters with the tall cage which seemed to rip apart/off too easily.

smith19 · 12/31/10, 9:54 PM

that was the first fatality i'd ever seen. never forgot it. i ran down to the fence before someone could grab my arm...

RichH · 1/1/11, 11:34 PM

Yes, it happened during hot laps, right in front of me in turn 1. As I recall, he got sideways down the front stretch, maybe touching the wall, and rolled over backwards peeling the bolt on cage. He continued without protection for several rolls and stopped entering turn1. The officials came out and put a sheet over the cockpit. Many, myself included, left and went home. End of discussion about the need for built in cages.

nonwing · 1/2/11, 12:04 AM

I was there as well. Bolt on cages were in vogue back then because certain race tracks and race series did not allow cages. My Dad had a Charlie Alfater car that had a bolt on cage and back then, IMCA required that the cage had to be chromed. I recall him telling me how hard it was to find someone who had a big enough vat to put the cage in and be chromed. It was bolted on at the top of the roll bar behind the driver and down on the frame rails in front of the driver. My dad had the car from about 1969 - 1976. Hal Minyard, who was inducted into the sprint car hall of fame, drove the car for most of that time and never got the car upside down. I know that Mike Johnson, Bobby Black, Allen Barr, and Bobby Kinser also drove it for dad.

rdzsprint · 1/5/11, 5:55 PM

I was there and it was the first racing fatality I had witnessed. The car did NOT have a bolt on rollcage, it collapsed and folded forward pinning the driver against the dashboard and steering wheel. The cage was still with the car when it landed upright. I still have the clipping and photo from the Indianaplois Star plus 2 more of the car after it came to rest. The car clipped a post in the catch fence busting out a huge piece of concrete that I have a photo of as well. The car was a red # 2 painted like Sheldon Kinser's #20 that I thought at first might be Sheldon flipping. King's sprint cars did have tall rollcages that looked vulnerable. George Snider bent one up pretty bad going out of the park at Winchester. Then again both Eldora and Winchester are high speed tracks and with enough impact at the right angle nothing is bulletproof. Shane Hmiel's recent crash being an example.

It was a tragic accident and I think Carl was only 22 years old.

12/31/10, 9:54 PM	#5 Re: Carl Bergkvist
smith19 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,940	that was the first fatality i'd ever seen. never forgot it. i ran down to the fence before someone could grab my arm... __________________ CHRIS SMITH

12/31/10, 9:38 AM	#2 Re: Carl Bergkvist
Seadog Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,136	Yeah, I don't remember too much about him other than his name. We arrived at the track a little later than normal that day and thankfully did not see the tragedy unfold. RIP

12/31/10, 11:31 AM	#3 Re: Carl Bergkvist
TommyTipover Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 273	I was there that day. Happened during hot laps. As bad as it gets

12/31/10, 3:32 PM	#4 Re: Carl Bergkvist
Pat O'Connor Fan Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 8,029	As I recall, he was driving one of those King sprinters with the tall cage which seemed to rip apart/off too easily.

1/1/11, 11:34 PM	#6 Re: Carl Bergkvist
RichH Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 348	Yes, it happened during hot laps, right in front of me in turn 1. As I recall, he got sideways down the front stretch, maybe touching the wall, and rolled over backwards peeling the bolt on cage. He continued without protection for several rolls and stopped entering turn1. The officials came out and put a sheet over the cockpit. Many, myself included, left and went home. End of discussion about the need for built in cages.

1/2/11, 12:04 AM	#7 Re: Carl Bergkvist
nonwing Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 208	I was there as well. Bolt on cages were in vogue back then because certain race tracks and race series did not allow cages. My Dad had a Charlie Alfater car that had a bolt on cage and back then, IMCA required that the cage had to be chromed. I recall him telling me how hard it was to find someone who had a big enough vat to put the cage in and be chromed. It was bolted on at the top of the roll bar behind the driver and down on the frame rails in front of the driver. My dad had the car from about 1969 - 1976. Hal Minyard, who was inducted into the sprint car hall of fame, drove the car for most of that time and never got the car upside down. I know that Mike Johnson, Bobby Black, Allen Barr, and Bobby Kinser also drove it for dad.

1/5/11, 5:55 PM	#8 Re: Carl Bergkvist
rdzsprint Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 559	I was there and it was the first racing fatality I had witnessed. The car did NOT have a bolt on rollcage, it collapsed and folded forward pinning the driver against the dashboard and steering wheel. The cage was still with the car when it landed upright. I still have the clipping and photo from the Indianaplois Star plus 2 more of the car after it came to rest. The car clipped a post in the catch fence busting out a huge piece of concrete that I have a photo of as well. The car was a red # 2 painted like Sheldon Kinser's #20 that I thought at first might be Sheldon flipping. King's sprint cars did have tall rollcages that looked vulnerable. George Snider bent one up pretty bad going out of the park at Winchester. Then again both Eldora and Winchester are high speed tracks and with enough impact at the right angle nothing is bulletproof. Shane Hmiel's recent crash being an example. It was a tragic accident and I think Carl was only 22 years old.