Semi official cool old Indy car pics thread

**Calhoun** · 08-19-2009 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by indyrjc

The story goes that when Ontario Speedway was still in operation Parnelli would take out this car every so often just to shake off the cobwebs.

Yes he did!

**GoodStone1969** · 08-19-2009 09:48 PM

^^^^^^What is up with the nose fins?
They aren't on it now, and they weren't on in the Indy qualifying shot with Pelican Joe sitting in it.
Anybody know the story?

**indyguy2** · 08-19-2009 11:29 PM

**ZOOOM** · 08-20-2009 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by GoodStone1969

^^^^^^What is up with the nose fins?
They aren't on it now, and they weren't on in the Indy qualifying shot with Pelican Joe sitting in it.
Anybody know the story?

The original picture and the last shot would prolly be the way the car was shipped from Hethel. Race cars are always evolving. The picture with Parnelli exercising the beast was obviously taken after the car had been raced. They prolly figured somewhere along the line that the car needed a little more downforce than the wedge shaped body could give them. This was right around the time that we all discovered wings....
ZOOOM

**ZOOOM** · 08-20-2009 08:46 AM

The first picture from Indy2 shows Mario in what I recall as the McNamara chassis indy car. In his book, Mario was not very happy with it. In fact he hated it...
ZOOOM

**ZOOOM** · 08-20-2009 02:57 PM

Here is Gordo in his Stearman/cosworth at Milwaukee:

**sneva33** · 08-20-2009 03:20 PM

One of the Buick engines, from Sneva's car, 1989

**sneva33** · 08-20-2009 03:21 PM

Kenny Brack, Indy 1997

**sneva33** · 08-20-2009 03:23 PM

Scott Harrington, Indy 1997

**indyrjc** · 08-20-2009 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by GoodStone1969

^^^^^^What is up with the nose fins?
They aren't on it now, and they weren't on in the Indy qualifying shot with Pelican Joe sitting in it.
Anybody know the story?

Firestone (the real owner of the turbines) decided that the cars should run the entire circuit and as the year went on Parnelli (their main guy at the time) ended up running the turbines with STP remaining as sponsor. As the importance of downforce started to be understood the Parnelli group started adding their own touches to the cars including new intake scoops, a ducktail kickup tail and the two wings/spoilers on the front. These worked pretty well on the shorter ovals and the road courses but the cars always had trouble with braking. At the end of the season Firestone was done and Parnelli became the owner of the cars and still owns the #60 turbine to this day.

**flatlander_48** · 08-20-2009 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by ZOOOM

What a vehicle to own!

Contrary to the rebuilds needed for the offy's and cosworths.... the tear down for the turbine would be about twice a lifetime...., if you ran it weekly!

ZOOOM

Yeah, but you would a basket full of $6 ball bearings...

**flatlander_48** · 08-20-2009 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by GoodStone1969

^^^^^^What is up with the nose fins?
They aren't on it now, and they weren't on in the Indy qualifying shot with Pelican Joe sitting in it.
Anybody know the story?

And the colors on the numbers are flipped and there is a spoiler on the tail.

**indyguy2** · 08-20-2009 11:06 PM

Horrific accident. Poor Swede.

**indyguy2** · 08-20-2009 11:09 PM

The miracle of turn 3.

**ZOOOM** · 08-21-2009 08:29 AM

Ugly scene....

**Kevracer** · 08-21-2009 06:22 PM

what I recall as the McNamara chassis indy car. In his book, Mario was not very happy with it. In fact he hated it...

Quite true, Mario hated the 1970 car, and had an incident where he drove through the grass in turn two (IIRC) mid-race, and said it was much better afterwards.

As much as Mario hated the 1970 car, Big Andy stuck with Francis McNamara as his car builder for 1971, and the 1971 car was even more bizzare, and Mario hated it even wose.

**sneva33** · 08-21-2009 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by Kevracer

Quite true, Mario hated the 1970 car, and had an incident where he drove through the grass in turn two (IIRC) mid-race, and said it was much better afterwards.

As much as Mario hated the 1970 car, Big Andy stuck with Francis McNamara as his car builder for 1971, and the 1971 car was even more bizzare, and Mario hated it even wose.

In one of those Goodyear films about the race, the narrator said that running through the infield had caused the McNamara's suspension to "unlock". No other details or explanation. Never heard any other explanation, agreement or disagreement. FWIW

**indyguy2** · 08-22-2009 11:54 AM

Anybody know what track these pics are from? Milwaukee?

**ZOOOM** · 08-22-2009 01:24 PM

In "Driving Passion" with Gordon Kirby, Mario said of the '70 Indy race, "The car was OK for the first few laps. Then I was an accident waiting to happen. I thought about comming in about ten times because I was dangerous out there.

(avoiding an accident, he had to drive through the infield in turn two) I heard something snap and I thought I had broken something.Then the race went green and it was a whole new racecar"
Apparently a spring had loosened up when the car was up on the jacks for a pitstop. The spring didn't reseat itself on the spring perch and the car reacted like Mario had jacked about 250 pounds of crossweight into the car. "So actually I had been running most of the race, to that point, on three wheels!"

No wonder he didn't like it...
ZOOOM

**sneva33** · 08-22-2009 02:44 PM

Kevin Cogan 1986 Mid Ohio

**sneva33** · 08-22-2009 02:46 PM

Jacques Villeneuve Indy 1994

**sneva33** · 08-22-2009 02:47 PM

Scott Goodyear during 1997 Indy 500

**indyguy2** · 08-23-2009 02:17 PM

**indyguy2** · 08-23-2009 02:20 PM

**ZOOOM** · 08-23-2009 09:34 PM

Great pictures!

Gurney, at the time, said he couldn't believe thirty three of the best drivers in the world, couldn't drive down a country road without crashing into each other....

The methinol that Salt sprayed into the crowd caused the track to remove the folding chairs just outside the front straight wall...

Keep the pictures comming!

ZOOOM

**Buildy** · 08-23-2009 09:55 PM

"Anybody know what track these pics are from? Milwaukee?"
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/u...guy2/002-2.jpg

No,it was Langhorne PA

http://www.champcarstats.com/races/197006.htm

It was a lot more serious than the glib blurb that Sam escaped with minor burns. He was trapped in the car for quite awhile with the windscreen,etc melting all over him. He was extremely lucky not to have burned to death in there.

BTW I`m loving the photos in this thread.

Esp those of Sneva33.

Did you ever get any photos of my uncle Jerry Karl????