16 Facts About Rich Vogler

Richard Frank Vogler was an American champion sprint car and midget car driver.

Rich Vogler competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, and his best finish was eighth in 1989.

Rich Vogler won the midget car track championships at the Indianapolis Speedrome in 1984 and 1985.

Rich Vogler won the Fireman Nationals midget car race at Angell Park Speedway in 1985.

Rich Vogler became the first driver to win the USAC Sprint Car and Midget championships in the same year.

Rich Vogler won USAC National Sprint Car Series championships in 1980 and 1989, USAC National Midget Series championships in 1978,1980,1983,1986, and 1988.

Rich 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.

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

Rich Vogler had 170 total USAC wins, and won over 200 "outlaw" midget races.

Rich Vogler would make consecutive starts at Indy from then on, up until 1990.

In 1988, Rich Vogler was running 20+ laps down in the race when he waived his position to former Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi.

USAC did not see Rich Vogler waive Fittipaldi by, and, as a result, they penalized Fittipaldi two laps.

Rich Vogler was leading the race at the time, when his car crashed with just over a lap to go.

Rich Vogler's helmet flew off his head and he suffered severe head injuries which killed him instantly.

Rich Vogler was scheduled to make his NASCAR Winston Cup series debut at Pocono Raceway the day after his fatal crash.

At the time, Rich Vogler was scheduled to run the full Winston Cup Series in the near-future for US Racing but was replaced posthumously by Ted Musgrave.