There aren’t very many race fans who followed short-track racing in the 1980s that do not have fond memories of Rich Vogler.
Rapid Rich, as he was known by many, was a frequent winner in both sprint cars and midgets.
Born in Chicago, Vogler lived and raced primarily in Indiana. Vogler was a five-time USAC National Midget Series champion and won the USAC National Sprint Car Series title twice.
Vogler’s 134 USAC national victories ranks second all-time behind A.J. Foyt, who won 169 USAC events during his career.
Vogler won the inaugural Chili Bowl Midget Nationals and competed in five Indianapolis 500s during his career.
He was killed in a crash during a USAC sprint-car race at Indiana’s Salem Speedway on July 21, 1990.
Featured here (clockwise from top left): Showing off his rookie stripe for his lone Busch Series start in 1988 at North Carolina Speedway; Pondering his midget chassis prior to the 1986 Hut 100; With Mike Johnson (second from left), Sheldon Kinser and Gary Bettenhausen in 1982; In the No. 60 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Hard at work at Eldora in 1986; Giving an interview in 1979; Smiling in 1986. — NSSN Archives