Bill Puterbaugh 1936-2017

Bill Puterbaugh, who once qualified in the dark trying to make his first Indianapolis 500 and then came back to be rookie-of-the-year in 1975, passed away Monday at the age of 81 in an Indianapolis hospice.

A burly sprint car driver that came from IMCA to USAC in the late '60s, Bill and was given his initial opportunity at IMS in 1968 when USAC refused to give Danny Ongais a license. It wasn't a vary good car, but it was Indy and it was a chance. As rain shoved Bump Day later and later, Bill Cheesburg and Puterbaugh were given the option of going out when the brightest things appeared to be the scoring tower light (below). They both opted to qualify, but their speeds were too slow to make the field – which was filled on Monday.

Puterbaugh tried unsuccessfully for five more Mays before finally landing a decent ride for 1975, when he qualified 15th and finished seventh to earn ROY. He also qualified the next two Mays, but there was some drama in 1977. He put Lee Elkins' Eagle in the show but the day after time trials he was told Salt Walther (who missed the show) had a backer to purchase Putt-Putt's car. A firestorm of bad publicity broke out for Walther, who wound up watching the popular Puterbaugh finish 12th.

Bill is survived by wife, Joyce, and son, Billy.