I feel very honored to have been his friend. I remember him wearing his Hang Ten tee shirts, Nuevo Levis and Vans tennis shoes, with that ever present mischievous smile.

His sense of humor was wonderful and he loved to play practical jokes on anyone he thought he could get a rise out of. He was above all very competitive in everything he did. If a group of us decided to go to dinner, it was a race to see who could get there the fastest, and of course he usually won!

Photo courtesy of Gary Kelly

When I saw the above photograph of Swede's damaged car from St. Jovite, it made me recall this humorus tale of Swede. Earlier in that same week, Swede's wife Sheryl had crashed her street car (Ranchero?). Her car was stored at the AAR lot. When his AAR 'Cuda was hauled back to AAR, Swede's crew at the shop placed a "HIS and "HERS" sign on both wrecked cars, took a photo, and said it was so Swede didn't feel out-done by his wife! (below)

Photo courtesy of Janice & Ron

Photo courtesy of Janice & Ron

Another funny Swede story takes place in Allentown, PA. just prior to the 1972 Pocono 500. Swede was being somewhat arrogant, I say that lovingly, as he really wasn't. He would go into that mode for fun with friends and family just to see their reactions.
Swede's wife, Sheryl and I flew into Wilkes Barre Airport. Swede and Jim (Wright) were there to pick us up. When we came off of the plane, Swede had several people around him (a couple of cute little numbers) signing autographs and talking. He was thrilled because people were starting to recognize him away from the track and out of his drivers suit. His buttons were just popping! We got our luggage and headed to the rental car, all the while Swede is going on about how great of a race driver he is and so on. This continued on even after we were on the road headed to the racetrack. He remembered that he needed to get something out of his brief case in the trunk, so he pulled over on the side of the road and got out to get what it was he needed, then got back into the car and like any red blooded race driver, put it in low gear and peeled out when all of a sudden there was this big thud! He immediately jumped out to see what he had hit. After careful examination he headed back to the car with this very sheepish look on his face and in almost a whisper said "it was nothing, I just hit a mile marker" No one said a word for a couple of minutes and then Sheryl said very non chalant, "Tell us again about being a great race driver" Needless to say we all burst out laughing and teased him relentlessly the rest of the day. He never would tell us how he explained the big dent in the bumper to the car rental company.

Here is yet another Swede story....
It is my understanding that the two cycle engines can run backwards.

Swede and his dear friend Ken Burbeck (part-time pit board man and United Airlines pilot) entered one of the off road desert bike races just for fun. Ken had been dying to ride Swede's new bike (Montessa or Bultaco?) not sure about that. Anyway they were all lined up waiting for the race to begin, when Swede, being the savvy racer, realized the engine on his bike had reversed. He decided to pull a good one on Ken and asked him if he would like to trade bikes. Of course Ken jumped at the chance. Well needless to say when they were finally given the green flag, Ken let the throttle out and immediately went backwards, threw him over the handle bars and landed on the ground. (He had on leathers and a helmet) Swede was laughing so hard he had to lay his bike down. They never did go on to race. Swede couldn't wait to get home and relay the story! Poor Ken, it took months to live that one down.

Another short one, back in those days we all smoked. When we would all get together for cards you didn't dare lay your pack of cigarettes down and leave the room, because when you came back to retrieve them, they would be full of tiny pin holes. Of course you wouldn't know it until you went to light one up! We all learned very quickly not to leave our cigs laying around.

Playing cards was his favorite pastime (pinochle). He was never content until he won 2 out of 3, 4 out of 6, etc. The day of his accident, the four of us, Swede, his wife Sheryl, Jim (Wright) and myself sat on some tires in the garage waiting for the rain to stop and played cards. He was ecstatic because he & I (we were always partners) won that day.

He loved being a race driver, riding motorcycles, golf, the number "42", used it when ever he could and he was in heaven when Sheryl baked Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies for him.

Most of all he loved life with a passion, he was always eager to try new things.

None of us will ever know for sure what happened that dreadful day in May, does it really matter anymore? Swede died doing what he loved most.

I lost a very dear friend and the world lost a unique, one of a kind human being that day.

- Patricia (Wright) Littrell

My husband Monty Roberts (deceased 1999) was the PR director for Ford Motor Company's racing program in the 1960's. I met Swede when we were attending the Daytona 500 in 1966 or 67 (can't remember for sure). Ford was winning everything in those days and they were looking for a fresh young face that they could groom to be a first class racer.

Monty told the Ford brass about Swede whom he had met through Dan Gurney. Monty called Swede while we were at the Daytona 500 and told him to get on a plane that Ford wanted to meet him. I will never forget picking him up at the airport, he was wearing blue jeans and a tee shirt, carrying a small gym bag with his helmet under his arm. He immediately captured the hearts of all of us. After the race, Monty and I took him to a private airport and watched him leave for Charlotte NC in a helicopter with the Holman-Moody group. I remember a great sadness and feeling very weepy. At that time many of the great drivers had died and I remember thinking 'what are we doing to him.' I remember Monty telling me that Swede would be safe in stock cars and that Holman-Moody would teach him racing from the ground up, he would drive the local circuits and graduate into the big races, driving the esteemed Ford stock cars. When Swede would come to Michigan to visit Ford he would stay at our home and later when we moved to St. Louis Swede visited us there.

When Swede left Holman Moody to join Dan Gurney, I remember Monty was very concerned because driving Indy cars was highly dangerous.

A few years later in 1971 Monty was asked to be one of the management team at Ontario Motor Speedway and we moved to California. While there, Swede and Sheryl visited us with their daughter Shelly, who was about 3 or 4 years old. I remember when Swede hit the wall in a formula car at Ontario and his head was injured, but he recuperated and wanted to race again.

In 1973, after the first bankrupcy of Ontario, we moved back to St. Louis. Swede's death: I was carrying laundry up from the basement when I glanced at the TV in the breakfast room and saw a huge crash at the Indianapolis raceway and I thought to myself, whoever is in that car isn't going to make it. A few seconds later they said it was Swede, I was devastated. I called Monty and both of us felt a great loss.

Swede was one of those people that lives on in your mind and heart.

- Lora Roberts