Answer the following question: Facts:   - years: 1950 -- 1955    - poles: 1    - races: 6 -lrb- 5 starts -rrb-    - death date: 30 may 1955    - podiums: 2    - points: 19      - birth date: 13 december 1918    - name: bill vukovich    - nationality: usa american    - image: bill vukovich 2.jpg    - wins: 2    - championships: 0   Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of bill vukovich .
Answer:
william john `` bill '' vukovich , sr. -lrb- ; serbian : bil vuković , Бил Вуковић ; december 13 , 1918 in fresno , california -- may 30 , 1955 in indianapolis , indiana -rrb- was a serbian american automobile racing driver .he won the 1953 and 1954 indianapolis 500 plus two more american automobile association national championship races .several drivers of his generation have referred to vukovich as the greatest ever encountered in american motorsport .he was known variously as `` vuky '' -lrb- -rrb- and `` the mad russian '' -lrb- though he detested that name , his ancestry being yugoslavian -rrb- for his intense driving style , as well as the `` silent serb '' for his cool demeanor .he was also referred to as the `` fresno flash '' in floyd clymer 's indy yearbooks , and in an interview -lrb- available at the vukovich accident link below -rrb- his former mechanic jim travers calls him `` vuke '' .