During an era when sportswriters identified athletes with colorful nicknames, racer William Lawrence Schindler collected several: “Bronco Bill,” “Wild Bill,” and perhaps a bit of a harsh one after a tragic 1936 accident, “One-Legged” Bill Schindler. When he learned of a large-purse sprint car race in Mineola, N.Y., he entered it. When racing resumed after the war, Schindler ripped through ARDC competition, capturing the 1945 and ’46 titles. By 1949, midget racing revenues were drying up, so Schindler looked to the big purse at Indianapolis. In 1951, the Eastern title chase went down to the last race, with Schindler finishing second to Tommy Hinnershitz. With the season winding down on Sept. 20, Schindler asked Mike Caruso to help him prepare the car at Allentown. In a heat race, Schindler struck a rear axle torn from a car that crashed in front of him.

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