Gordon Smiley raced in the Indianapolis 500 twice: in 1980 and 1981. Unfortunately, he was never able to compete in a third. Smiley was killed while trying to qualify for the race in 1982.

His son Matt Ruddick had no idea his father had taken those Smiley photos -- or many other photos in that album -- during his 44-year side job as a freelance photographer at IMS for the ...

For most of the 20th century Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the epicenter of death in auto racing, claiming 66 lives from 1909 to 1996. Now the track is a paragon of the sport’s safety revol… ...

RACE: 66th Indianapolis 500DATE: May 30, 1982WINNER: Gordon JohncockAVERAGE SPEED: 162.029 mphWHAT HAPPENED: Johncock beat Rick Mears by 0.16 seconds, the closest finish in Indy 500 history to that… ...

"There will be a void," said Jimmy Dawson, who spent more than 50 years as a track photographer and was a good friend of Ruddick's. "He had 44 years in.

NOTABLE: Gordon Smiley was killed when he crashed during qualifying and his body tumbled for hundreds of feet between turns 3 and 4, the helmet ripped from his head.