SWEDE'S
STATS
PRE-1970
CAR LIFE
Magazine Article
February 1970
1970
BOBBY BALL
150
AUTO RACING
Magazine
March 1971
David Earl
'SWEDE'
Savage Jr
Stats & Facts 1970
Photo courtesy of the Savage Family Collection
April 19, 1970 - Swede finishes 4th in his #42 AAR Cuda in the Trans-Am race at Laguna Seca in California.
Photo courtesy of the Savage Family Collection
Swede placed 2nd behind Mario Andretti in the Rocky Mountain 150 at Castle Rock Raceway behind the wheel of Dan Gurney's famous #48 AAR Eagle Indy Car.
May 19, 1970 - Swede started 6th at the Lime Rock Trans-Am race and ran as high as 4th before the engine let go. He was credited with a 19th place finish that day.
Photo courtesy of Stan Coy
Swede placed 8th in the Indy 150 on the IRP road course (above) behind the wheel of Dan Gurney's famous #48 AAR Eagle. Swede led a good portion of the race. It started raining and Al Unser started putting pressure on Swede. The young driver finally spun and Unser ended up winning the race.
May 31, 1970 - Swede starts from his 1st pole in the Trans-Am Series at Bryar, behind the wheel of Dan Gurney's #48 AAR 'Cuda. Unfortunately (for Swede & the AAR team) the engine blew after a missed shift while Swede was leading and pulling away. Swede finished 18th.
Photo courtesy of Gary Kelly
June 7, 1970 - Another missed shift and another blown engine. This time at Mid-Ohio while leading with 14 laps remaining. Swede finished 21st after starting 5th in his #42 AAR 'Cuda.
June 21, 1970 - Swede starts the #48 Cuda from the pole position in the Trans-Am race at Bridgehampton .3 seconds faster than 2nd place starter Mark Donohue. After leading many laps the rear-end gave out while running second. The race was the late great Donohue's first win for AMC Javelin while Swede was credited with a 22nd place finish.
July 6, 1970 - Swede again starts from the pole in the Trans-Am race at Donnybrooke, Brainerd, Minn. Swede had a 1 minute lead when the transmission locked in 2nd gear and finished 5th overall after .
Photo courtesy of Gary Kelly
July 19, 1970 - In the Trans-Am race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI. Swede started 4th and finished 2nd to Mark Donohue in the Penske Javelin.
Photo courtesy of Gary Kelly
Photo courtesy of the Speed Merchants Collection
Photo courtesy of the Speed Merchants Collection
Photo courtesy of Gary Kelly
August 16, 1970 - Watkins Glen saw Swede qualify 5th and finish in the 6th place.
Photo courtesy of Gary Kelly
September 6, 1970 - Swede's 1st 500 Mile Indy car start came in the Olsonite Eagle #42 (above: Preparing for the race and below: Loading up after the CAL 500) at the inaugural California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway in California where he finished 27th when ignition problems forced him out after only 13 laps. Swede qualified 23rd for this race with a stock-block non-turbocharged Ford power plant.
Photo courtesy of Gary Kelly
September 20, 1970 - Swede started in 5th place and was in 4th place on lap 78 when the engine let go. Swede was credited with an 18th place finish.
News clipping courtesy of Mike Capalite
October 4, 1970 - Swede starts 5th and finished 4th in the final Trans-Am race of the 1970 season at Riverside International Raceway in California. Swede Finished 5th in Trans-Am points for the year with a season high finish of 2nd, 3 poles, and he never started a Trans-Am race further back than 8th.
November 21, 1970 (my 10th birthday) - Swede's 1st and only Indy Car Victory came while driving the stock-block #42 AAR Olsonite Eagle (above) in the Bobby Ball 150 at Phoenix. Swede led only one lap, the "Money Lap" as the late Roger McCluskey ran out of fuel.
Photo courtesy of the Savage Family Collection
Swede finished 19th in Indy Car points in 1970 after only entering 4 of the possible 18 races in 1970.
