Semi official cool old Indy car pics thread

[indyrjc]

Did they just leave the car there and continue the race??

I imagine that's exactly what happened. You basically had what amounted to local yellows in those days and they didn't like leaving on the yellow light any more than they had to. If a wrecked car wasn't really in the way and it would take too long to get it out of the way the car was often just left on the track. The last car that I remember hearing about being left on the track after a crash was the Duke Nalon Novi in the 1949 500. The car was up against the wall and out of the racing line so it was basically just left where it stopped. There was a attempt to lift it over the wall with a couple of wreckers just outside the wall but the car was just too heavy for the wrecker technology of the day. Wreckers as we know them today didn't really exist and in those days were basically just tow vehicles without much lifting capacity. BTW, the yellow light for the Nalon crash was on for a total of 1 minute and 45 seconds. Once Nalon was out of the car and it was determined that the car wasn't in the way the green light was turned back on and the rest of the cars simply raced through the burning fuel that was running down the track until it was gone.

[Ovalmeister]

WOW!

In the words of Dickie Roberts....that's nuckin futs!

[carl s]

Theres my newly learned thing for today Didnt know Mac was on the team.
Thought Andy K was.

Ok It's coming back - it was 82-83 with the Wysard team and their March not the Machinists Union.
and Desire got high marks for being one of the guys

[cbreez99]

One extreme to the other with that wrecked car...now they throw a debris caution for hotdog wrappers. For 3 laps on top of it!

[JThur1]

When doing pre-race publicity for the January 26, 1936 race at Ascot Speedway, a reporter asked Al Gordon about this accident. It was on lap 17 of the 1935 race and Gordon was running 5th at the time.

The reporter asked him what his reactions were when he was headed for the wall. Gordon replied: "There wasn't much time to think...but I remember I said to myself, 'dammit, I gotta wait until next year now." He also said: "Anyway, I didn't have to worry about that forty five gallon gasoline limit rule."

The more research I do, and the more I read about Al Gordon...the more I like him. Sadly, he died in the very race he was doing publicity for. The article, which appeared in the Los Angeles Times three days before - was titled: "Al Gordon Thumbs His Nose at Grim Reaper"

[indyrjc]

When doing pre-race publicity for the January 26, 1936 race at Ascot Speedway, a reporter asked Al Gordon about this accident. It was on lap 17 of the 1935 race and Gordon was running 5th at the time.

The reporter asked him what his reactions were when he was headed for the wall. Gordon replied: "There wasn't much time to think...but I remember I said to myself, 'dammit, I gotta wait until next year now." He also said: "Anyway, I didn't have to worry about that forty five gallon gasoline limit rule."

The more research I do, and the more I read about Al Gordon...the more I like him. Sadly, he died in the very race he was doing publicity for. The article, which appeared in the Los Angeles Times three days before - was titled: "Al Gordon Thumbs His Nose at Grim Reaper"

Jim, the race that Gordon (and his riding mechanic) was killed in was an Indianapolis car race but wasn't a points paying event. And the race a couple of weeks earlier at Oakland was won by Gordon but didn't pay points either. Exactly, how did this work? Was this simply a case of the race promotors not being willing to pay AAA enough money to have their race included in the National Championship? I believe this was the case at many smaller tracks in the Midwest during the Depression when AAA wouldn't lower their sanction fees for big car (sprints today) races.

[flatlander_48]

Did they just leave the car there and continue the race??

Notice the mismatch in the outer wall, just this side of the wreck? That could leave a mark...

[sneva33]

Yes, it is a Super Vee but being driven by none other than Tony George, 1987 Mid Ohio

Yes, it is that TG. I saw him and his mother when they signed in at the track

[sneva33]

IIRC John Andretti 1987 Mid Ohio

[sneva33]

Geoff Bodine and his then-wife talking with AJ at MIS 1987

[sneva33]

The Bodine's and AJ again, different view (MIS 1987)

[cbreez99]

Michael working the Indy sponsor suites...I believe he was 19 at this time.

[JThur1]

Jim, the race that Gordon (and his riding mechanic) was killed in was an Indianapolis car race but wasn't a points paying event. And the race a couple of weeks earlier at Oakland was won by Gordon but didn't pay points either. Exactly, how did this work? Was this simply a case of the race promotors not being willing to pay AAA enough money to have their race included in the National Championship? I believe this was the case at many smaller tracks in the Midwest during the Depression when AAA wouldn't lower their sanction fees for big car (sprints today) races.

indyrjc, I'll defer to Michael here. He's much more knowledgable about the AAA procedures. I believe that played a role. Both two man races at Ascot were promoted by Champion Drivers, Inc. - a driver's association. It was obvious they were trying to drum up some extra interest. Perhaps Bill White, Ascot's promoter, was gauging interest in getting a points paying championship race - which he talked about doing.

[cbreez99]

Not the best picture but notice the beach course!

[cbreez99]

This was turn 2 at the Speedway...the grass must not have grown this year.

[Ovalmeister]

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[stpwildcat]

Not the best picture but notice the beach course!

always scary looking at the gas mans rear wing at indy

[Cri Cri]

Was the "Gilmore" on Wilbur Shaw's car any way related to the Jim Gilmore that backed Foyt for years?

[Ovalmeister]

Tim Richmond

[Ovalmeister]

Johnny Parsons and AJ Foyt

[mwphoto]

Yes, it is a Super Vee but being driven by none other than Tony George, 1987 Mid Ohio

Yes, it is that TG. I saw him and his mother when they signed in at the track

The same Tony George from 1986 at Mid-Ohio....

[KevMcNJ]

Geoff Bodine and his then-wife talking with AJ at MIS 1987

I think she passed away a few years ago. Can anyone verify? Kathy I think her name is/was?

[cbreez99]

Yes, unfortunately Kathy passed away, maybe 2002 after they had been divorced for awhile. I recall Kathy being very dedicated to him and always by his side. Poor Geoff had a LT relationship after that and his then fiance died also. Geoff survives that Daytona crash but his women died young...

BTW, that is not a wing on the rear of Sneva's car. That is a shelf to hold cold drinks in the pit area. Look at Mears wing from the same perspective and day.

[Roadster Fan]

Was the "Gilmore" on Wilbur Shaw's car any way related to the Jim Gilmore that backed Foyt for years?

No.
Gilmore was an oil company with gas stations all along the west coast. In the early 1940's Gilmore was sold to what is now known as Mobil Oil. No relationship with Jim Gilmore