Bob Sweikert carved out one of the most extraordinary single seasons American racing has ever seen. In 1955, he pulled off a feat no driver has matched before or since: winning the Indianapolis 500, the AAA National Championship, and the Midwest Sprint Car Championship — all in the same year.
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Charles Schweikart 20 May 1926 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | 17 June 1956 (aged 30) Salem, Indiana, U.S. |
Born on 20 May 1926, in Los Angeles, his family later simplified the surname from Schweikart to Sweikert amid pre–World War II anti-German sentiment. He was raised by his mother Grace and stepfather, a California state electrician. The family moved from Los Angeles to San Francisco and eventually to Hayward, California, after tragedy struck — his older stepbrother Ed enlisted in the U.S. Navy and died in 1942 at the start of World War II.
In Hayward, Sweikert met Dorie, the girl who would one day become his wife. But before that, he was a teenager with grease under his fingernails and speed on his mind.
At 16, he was already working as a mechanic at a local Ford dealership. Gifted with both mechanical intuition and fearless reflexes, he built a reputation winning street races throughout the East Bay. One of his frequent teenage rivals? A young Oakland racer named Ed Elisian — a name that would reappear years later in far darker circumstances.
In late 1944, Sweikert enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force. A severe knee injury during training at Lowry Field in Colorado cut that chapter short, and with the war ending, he received an honorable discharge in September 1945.
Back in Hayward, Sweikert opened Sweikert Automotive, operating out of his parents’ garage. But wrenching was never the end goal — it was the runway. On 26 May 1947, he entered his first race for prize money at Oakland Speedway. He finished second and never looked back.
Climbing the Racing Ladder
By mid-1947, Sweikert had secured sponsorship from Hubbard Auto Parts of Oakland and committed to racing full-time. In 1948, he married Marion Edwards and stepped up into midget racing with the Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA). In his rookie BCRA season, he ran an astonishing 72 races and finished 14th in points among 130 active drivers — a workload and consistency that signaled serious ambition.
On 12 February 1949, he won the first BCRA Indoor Midget championship in Oakland on a tight 1/12-mile oval.
That same year, he transitioned to sprint cars, racing throughout Northern California and Los Angeles. During this period, he formed a close friendship with fellow Californian Johnny Boyd. Their bond extended beyond competition — in 1955, Sweikert personally helped Boyd solve mechanical issues that allowed him to qualify for the 1955 Indianapolis 500.
Sweikert’s racing résumé grew bolder by the year:
- 1952: First start in the Indianapolis 500, qualifying 32nd and running 77 laps in the McNamara Special.
- September 12, 1953: Became the first driver to exceed 100 mph on a one-mile oval at the Eastern Speed Dome in Syracuse.
- September 26, 1953: Won the Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds — a race many still call one of the greatest ever run.
- September 11, 1954: First driver to average 90 mph in a 100-mile race, again at Syracuse.
1955: The Perfect Season
On 30 May, starting 14th in the Zink Kurtis roadster #6, Sweikert drove to the chequred flag, standing on Victory Lane as the winner of the 1955 Indianapolis 500.
The car now resides in the museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — a polished reminder of one of racing’s most complete performances. In Victory Lane, Sweikert and his wife Dorie celebrated alongside singer-actress Dinah Shore — a glamorous snapshot of mid-century American motorsport. But the Indy win was only part of the story.
By September, Sweikert had secured the Indianapolis 500, the AAA Big Car National Championship and the Midwest Sprint Car Championship. No one before or since as claimed the triple. A clean sweep across America’s most demanding open-wheel disciplines — dirt, pavement, short track, and superspeedway. It remains one of the most extraordinary seasons in racing history.
In 1956, he returned to Indianapolis, starting 10th and finishing sixth in the D-A Lubricant roadster. It would be his final Indy start.
F1 World Drivers’ Championship
From 1950 through 1960, the Indianapolis 500 counted toward the FIA World Drivers’ Championship. Sweikert competed in five championship events at Indy, winning once and earning eight World Championship points — making him part of Formula One’s official historical record, even though he never raced overseas.
A Rivalry Revisited And a Life Cut Short
On 17 June 1956, at Salem Speedway in Indiana, fate closed the circle. Running fourth in a sprint car event, Sweikert was racing side-by-side with Ed Elisian — the same rival from their teenage street-racing days. As they exited Turn 4, Sweikert’s right rear wheel struck a steel beam protruding from the outside wall. His car launched over the embankment, flipped down a 100-foot drop, and briefly caught fire. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at Washington County Hospital. He was 30 years old.
Sweikert is buried at Lone Tree Cemetery in Fairview, California.
Before his death and away from the track, Sweikert’s life carried its own complexities. His first marriage to Marion Edwards ended in divorce in 1952 amid custody proceedings involving their daughter. His mother Grace remained a steady presence until her passing.
In January 1953, he married his high school sweetheart Dorie, a divorcee with two children. They settled in Indiana, close to the Speedway.
Honors and Legacy
Sweikert’s achievements have earned him posthumous induction into:
- Hoosier Auto Racing Fan Club Hall of Fame (1956)
- Motoring Press Association Hall of Fame (1993)
- Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1994)
- National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (1995)
- Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2016)
- West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame (2019)
The Measure of a Champion
Robert Sweikert’s career lasted barely a decade. His life, just 30 years. Yet in that compressed span, he conquered midgets, sprint cars, championship dirt tracks, and the Brickyard itself. And in 1955, he delivered one of the most complete seasons American motorsport has ever seen — a record still standing.
Bob Sweikert Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1950 – 1960, 1963 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Wetteroth, Kurtis Kraft, Ewing, Kuzma |
| Entries | 7 (5 Starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 1 |
| Career points | 8 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1950 Indianapolis 500 |
| First win | 1955 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last win | 1955 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last entry | 1956 Indianapolis 500 |
Bob Sweikert Wins
| Win No. | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1955 Indianapolis 500 |
Bob Sweikert Teammates
| 4 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Cantrell | 1 | 1952 |
Bob Sweikert Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Team | WDC Points | WDC Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Carter | Wetteroth-Offenhauser | 0 | NC |
| 1951 | Marion Engineering | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 0 | NC |
| 1952 | McNamara | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 0 | NC |
| 1953 | Dean Van Lines | Kuzma-Offenhauser | 0 | NC |
| 1954 | Lutes Truck Parts | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 0 | NC |
| 1955 | John Zink | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 8 | 7th |
| 1956 | D-A Lubricants | Kuzma-Offenhauser | 0 | NC |
