Duane Sweeney, who waved the checkered flag as the chief starter when Al Unser and Rick Mears each won the Indianapolis 500 for a fourth time, died Jan. 15 at his home in New Berlin, Wis. He was 81. Sweeney was starter of the Indianapolis 500 from 1980-96, taking over for Pat Vidan. Sweeney’s first checkered flag unfurled over Johnny Rutherford’s third victory. Over 16 years, Sweeney’s flags waved over some record-breaking, precedent-setting and bizarre races. Included among those finishes were the fourth Indy victories of Unser, in 1987, and Mears, in 1991, Danny Sullivan’s famous “spin and win” triumph in 1985, Arie Luyendyk’s 185-mph average-speed victory in 1990 and Al Unser Jr.’s half-car edging of Scott Goodyear in 1992. Sweeney also waved the checkered over the controversial finishes between Bobby Unser and Mario Andretti in 1981 and between Jacques Villeneuve and Scott Goodyear in 1995. Sweeney concluded his career as chief starter in 1996, waving the checkered flag over Buddy Lazier. Due to failing health, he turned the duties over to Bryan Howard for the 1997 race. He stood in as assistant starter that year, his last time on the starter’s platform. Sweeney retained all of the checkered flags from his Indianapolis 500 tenure and donated a number of them to a children’s cancer fund benefit in Milwaukee. Sweeney died one week after his daughter, Joan B. Ramirez, passed away following a vehicle accident. She was 51. Survivors include his wife, Mary; a son, Mark; two daughters, Cathy Gudlin and Jean Niedercorn. Services will be at 7 p.m. (CST) Jan. 20 at Krause Funeral Home, New Berlin, with calling from 3 p.m. The family will distribute memorial contributions among Mr. Sweeney’s favorite charities.(ThatsRacin.com and more at the Indianapolis Star)(1-17-2004)
