Indianapolis 500 veteran Phil Krueger dies at 74
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio
Phil Krueger, a versatile mechanic and fabricator who made two Indianapolis 500 starts, died on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 after sustaining injuries from a fall at his home in Freetown, Ind. Mr. Krueger was 74.
A native of Milwaukee, Phillip E. Krueger was born on June 22, 1951.
Krueger competed in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 1986 and 1988, completing a combined 263 laps around Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval. Krueger qualified the No. 42 Squirt/Moran Electric March/Cosworth 24th in the traditional 33-car field in ‘86 en route to a 31st-place result. An engine failure ended his rookie start after 67 laps _ironically, in front of 1969 race champion Mario Andretti (32nd) and 1983 winner Tom Sneva (33rd).
Krueger was a member of a rookie class that included Randy Lanier, Roberto Moreno of Brazil and future 500-champion Jacques Villeneuve of Canada.
The 70th edition of the Indy 500 was scheduled to run on May 25, 1986. But persistent rain forced postponement of the entire Race Day program until May 31, when Bobby Rahal drove his No. 3 Budweiser March/Cosworth to victory over Kevin Cogan.
Krueger finished eighth at IMS in 1988, completing 196 of 200 laps in the No. 97 CNC Systems Sales March/Cosworth fielded by R. Kent Baker Racing. Krueger also qualified a 500 career-best 15th that Month of May.
His performance in ‘88 earned Krueger _ a talented, self-taught mechanic and fabricator _ the Clint Brawner Mechanical Excellence Award for his work tuning a two-year-old car into a solid qualifier and top-10 finisher while guiding an all-new crew.
The 72nd Indy 500 on May 29, 1988 was won by Rick Mears of Team Penske in the No. 5 Pennzoil Z-7 Penske/Chevrolet Indy. It was the third of Mears’ eventual four Indy 500 victories.
Krueger was a regular competitor during May at IMS throughout the 1980s, turning laps every year from 1981-89 with small, low-budget teams fielding older equipment. He failed to qualify from 1983-85 and in 1989. Krueger did not attempt to qualify in 1981 or 1982 and 1987 due to crashes during practice.
Krueger’s Month of May in 1987 defined his hard luck and perseverance at the Speedway. Krueger started the month as chief mechanic for the Raynor Motorsports entry entered for Dennis Firestone. Krueger climbed into the team’s backup car as driver after Firestone crashed and suffered a broken foot in the team’s primary car.
Krueger clipped the wall between Turns 1 and 2 in practice, damaging the rear suspension. He oversaw repairs to the car and attempted to qualify on Bump Day. His opening lap of 203.920 mph was on-pace to make the field _ but he crashed in Turn 1 on his second lap and did not qualify. Still, Krueger earned the Jigger Award that year for his determination amid hard luck.
A model of perseverance and courage, Krueger suffered multiple fractures in the No. 89 Joe Hunt Magneto Eagle/Chevrolet _ a seven-year-old car he rebuilt during the previous offseason _ in the 1981 crash at Indy. He also was seriously injured in crashes during Championship Auto Racing Teams races in 1984 and 1989 at the 2-mile Michigan Speedway. However, he returned to race each time.
That determination was initially displayed by Krueger as he climbed to the elite level of North American open-wheel competition. The Krueger family moved to Southern California when Phil was 15, igniting his passion for motorsports. Phil’s racing career began in Endurance Karts when he was 17. In 1977, with a $200 budget in his pocket, Krueger began competing in the U.S. Auto Club’s Mini-Indy Series.
Krueger then competed in Super Vee and Formula Ford while also learning how to build and fabricate Indy-cars when not racing. His driving and mechanical skill helped him advance to CART in 1981; Phil made 23 career INDYCAR starts between 1981-91. His best finish was fifth in the 1988 Michigan 500 among his seven career top-12 results.
After his driving career, Krueger worked as an engine-builder, mechanic and crew chief. He also was a licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic whose passion for aviation included maintaining his cherished 1941 Luscombe and building a World War I-S.E.5a biplane from Royal Aircraft blueprints.
Krueger volunteered for many military causes, including working with the USO at Camp Atterbury and Clarity of Central Indiana for over a decade. He was presented the Volunteer of the Year award from Clarity in 2023. Krueger was an Indiana Organ Donor.
Krueger is survived by his wife of 41 years, Cynthia (Cindy) Carmichael Krueger, sons Ilya and Eric, brother Jeffrey, sister Kacie, daughter-in-law Jamie, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and the extended Carmichael family.
