Tragedy at Indy

At 12:17pm today, 1996 Indy pole-winner Scott Brayton slammed into the wall in turn two at Indianapolis, suffering fatal injuries. Brayton had just finished a 228.6 mph lap in his backup Lola- Menard when it had an apparent mechanical failure going into turn two. The car did a half-spin, sliding 360 feet before contact was made on the left side, then slid along the wall and finally, across the track, coming to rest sideways on the safety apron half-way down the back straightaway. Brayton was unconscious when removed from his car and was taken immediately by ambulance to Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:50pm.

The popular 37-year old from Coldwater, Michigan was a veteran of 148 Championship races and 14 Indianapolis 500s. Only last Saturday, Brayton took one of the biggest gambles in Speedway history, boldly withdrawing the car he'd qualified in sixth position, with a four-lap average of 231.535 mph, to make a last-ditch attempt with a backup car for the pole. With just 18 minutes remaining in the session, Brayton electrified the crowd with a record four-lap average of 233.718 mph, enough to dislodge Arie Luyendyk from pole position. In the 80 year history of the Indianapolis 500, Brayton was only the ninth driver to win the pole two years in succession. He is survived by his wife, Becky, their 2 1/2 year old daughter, Carly, and parents Lee and Jean Brayton.

Copyright Tim Considine, 1996
Editor-at-Large, The Auto Channel