The Winning Cars of the Indianapolis 500

J. Craig Reinhardt

Description

At speeds of over 230 miles per hour, the Indy open-wheel race cars set the bar for American Championship car racing. For over 100 years, the Indy cars and their drivers have drawn hundreds of thousands of spectators to Speedway, Indiana, with another 6 million people watching the race on television or by live stream. In The Winning Cars of the Indianapolis 500, James Craig Reinhardt, author and official tour guide for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, details the history of the famous race and how the open-wheel race cars have evolved over the last century. Starting in 1911 with the first running of the Indy 500, Reinhardt profiles each race and car, including the starting position, engine, tires, race speed, margin of victory, and much more. Featuring nearly 200 images of the automobiles and individuals who make the race renowned, this book showcases the top drivers and how racing has changed through two world wars, the Great Depression, and unforgettable accidents.

This beautifully illustrated book is a must-have for veteran and rookie race fans alike.

Preface

Part 1 The Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Part 2 The Winning Cars of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race

1911 Ray and the Wasp "Sting" the Competition

1912 The Push Falls Short

1913 The Good Wine

1914 "Deux" for France

1915 DePalma Gets His Win

1916 A 300 Mile 500

1919 The Race Resumes

1920 Lighter is Better

1921 Chevrolet Again

1922 Murphy Dominates

1923 Milton is the First with Two

1924 It's a Dusie!

1925 A Glimpse into the Future

1926 A Great Day for Lockhart, Miller, and Firestone

1927 Duesenberg's Last Hurrah

1928 Only the Beginning

1929 The Millers Rule

1930 Arnold Nearly Perfect

1931 Not to Be

1932 Arnold's Final Effort

1933 Too Fast?

1934 Slow Down!

1935 My Name is Offenhauser, but You May Call Me "Offy"

1936 A Third for Louis

1937 The Silver Anniversary: One for the Books!

1938 Innovation, Innovation, and Innovation!

1939 Wilbur's Second

1940 Back to Back!

1941 Back to Back!

1946 The Dawn of a New Era

1947 Too "EZY"

1948 A Rose is a Rose is a Rose

1949 Holland Finally Has His Day

1950 The California Invasion

1951 Broken Records, Broken Cars, and Broken Dreams

1952 Beginnings and Endings

1953 A Promise Fulfilled

1954 "Vuky" Prevails

1955 Triumph and Tragedy

1956 Luck of the Irish

1957 Hanks and Salih Wind Their Way to Victory

1958 Victory Overshadowed by Sorrow

1959 Watson, Ward, and Wilke Win

1960 An Instant Classic

1961 The British Invasion

1962 Records Are Made to be Broken

1963 Old Calhoun Triumphs

1964 The Last Hurrah

1965 Here to Stay

1966 Where are all the Cars?

1967 What's That Sound?

1968 "Maybe somebody up there doesn't want me to win."

1969 "I can still smell the garlic."

1970 Another Unser

1971 Two in a Row for Al

1972 Speed, Speed, and More Speed

1973 "Low-level Aviation"

1974 Supertex versus Lone Star J.R.

1975 Mother Nature Has Her Say

1976 A Soggy Conclusion

1977 Four for Foyt

1978 Cosworth Makes a Statement

1979 Ground What?

1980 The Yellow Submarine

1981 "and the winner is ..."

1982 0.16 of a Second!

1983 The "Gas Man" Triumphs

1984 A Mears' Masterpiece

1985 ".. and around he goes!"

1986 The Greatest Gift

1987 The Reading Connection

1988 Mears and the Baby Borg

1989 Two Thumbs Up!

1990 The "Flying Dutchman"

1991 The Pass

1992 "You just don't know what Indy means."

1993 Farewell to a Legend

1994 "The Beast"

1995 "Get back to Indianapolis!"

1996 "It's a new track record!"

1997 The Flying Dutchman Flies Again

1998 No "Under A-Cheever"

1999 A.J.'s "Fifth"

2000 A "Juan-derful" Performance

2001 "The Best Day of My life!"

2002 "Two for Two"

2003 A Penske "Hat Trick"

2004 Vindication

2005 Dan and Danica

2006 "As Good As It Gets!"

2007 One for Dario

2008 "The Ice Man"

2009 Three for Helio

2010 A Great Day for Britain

2011 "The Most Important Race in History"

2012 A Third for Dario

2013 "Finally!"

2014 USA! USA!

2015 Sixteen and Counting

2016 The 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race

2017

2018

Appendix

Winning Entrants (Owners)

Winning Engines

Winning Engines' Specifications

Winning Chassis

Winning Tires

Winning Drivers

Winning Chief Mechanics

Rookie Winners

Winners from the Pole Position

Starting Positions of Winning Cars

Winning Car Numbers

Race Summaries

Race Records

Race Milestones

Qualifying Records

Qualifying Milestones

Broken Speed Barriers

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Sujets

• Sport
• Autour du sport
• Histoire du sport
• Autres sports
• Sports mécaniques
• Photographie Créative
• Race
• Peugeot
• Speedway
• Michael Andretti
• History
• Formula One
• General
• Autosport
• Recreation
• General officer
• Automotive industry
• Motorsport
• History of sport
• All American Racers
• Motorcycle racing
• Sports
• Motor Sports
• Pictorial
• Automotive
• Sport mécanique

Informations

• Publié par: Red Lightning Books
• Date de parution: 01 avril 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 7
• EAN13: 9781684350711
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 19 Mo

Extrait

THE WINNING CARS OF THE
INDIANAPOLIS
500

This book is a publication of
Red Lightning Books
1320 East 10th Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405 USA
redlightningbooks.com
2019 by Indiana University Press
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
ISBN: 978-1-68435-070-4 (cloth)
ISBN: 978-1-68435-072-8 (ebook)
1 2 3 4 5 24 23 22 21 20 19
In memory of my father, James F. Reinhardt
CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
THE WINNING CARS
1911
Ray and the Wasp Sting the Competition
1912
The Push Falls Short
1913
The Good Wine
1914
Deux for France
1915
DePalma Gets His Win
1916
A 300-Mile 500
1919
The Race Resumes
1920
Lighter Is Better
1921
Chevrolet Again
1922
Murphy Dominates
1923
Milton Is the First with Two
1924
It s a Dusie!
1925
A Glimpse into the Future
1926
A Great Day for Lockhart, Miller, and Firestone
1927
Duesenberg s Last Hurrah
1928
Only the Beginning
1929
The Millers Rule
1930
Arnold Nearly Perfect
1931
Not to Be
1932
Arnold s Final Effort
1933
Too Fast?
1934
Slow Down!
1935
My Name Is Offenhauser, but You May Call Me Offy
1936
A Third for Louis
1937
The Silver Anniversary: One for the Books!
1938
Innovation, Innovation, and Innovation!
1939
Wilbur s Second
1940
Back to Back!
1941
Two Heads Are Better Than One!
1946
The Dawn of a New Era
1947
Too EZY
1948
A Rose Is a Rose Is a Rose
1949
Holland Finally Has His Day
1950
The California Invasion
1951
Broken Records, Broken Cars, and Broken Dreams
1952
Beginnings and Endings
1953
A Promise Fulfilled
1954
Vuky Prevails
1955
Triumph and Tragedy
1956
Luck of the Irish
1957
Hanks and Salih Wind Their Way to Victory
1958
Victory Overshadowed by Sorrow
1959
Watson, Ward, and Wilke Win
1960
An Instant Classic
1961
The British Invasion
1962
Records Are Made to Be Broken
1963
Old Calhoun Triumphs
1964
The Last Hurrah
1965
Here to Stay
1966
Where Are All the Cars?
1967
What s That Sound?
1968
Turbines versus Pistons
1969
Mario s Moment
1970
Another Unser
1971
Two in a Row for Al
1972
Speed, Speed, and More Speed
1973
Low-Level Aviation
1974
Supertex versus Lone Star J. R.
1975
Mother Nature Has Her Say
1976
A Soggy Conclusion
1977
Four for Foyt
1978
Cosworth Makes a Statement
1979
Ground What?
1980
The Yellow Submarine
1981
And the Winner Is
1982
Sixteen-Hundredths of a Second!
1983
The Gas Man Triumphs
1984
A Mears Masterpiece
1985
And Around He Goes!
1986
The Greatest Gift
1987
The Reading Connection
1988
Mears and the Baby Borg
1989
Two Thumbs Up!
1990
The Flying Dutchman
1991
The Pass
1992
Hey Dad, Look at Me!
1993
Farewell to a Legend
1994
The Beast
1995
Get Back to Indianapolis!
1996
It s a New Track Record!
1997
The Flying Dutchman Flies Again
1998
No Under A-Cheever
1999
A. J. s Fifth
2000
A Juan-derful Performance
2001
The Best Day of My Life!
2002
Two for Two
2003
A Penske Hat Trick
2004
Vindication
2005
Dan and Danica
2006
As Good as It Gets!
2007
One for Dario
2008
The Ice Man
2009
Three for Helio
2010
A Great Day for Britain
2011
The Most Important Race in History
2012
A Third for Dario
2013
Finally!
2014
USA! USA!
2015
Sixteen and Counting
2016
The 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500
2017
Well Done, Sato-San!
2018
A Power-ful Performance
APPENDIX
Notes
Bibliography
Index
PREFACE
THE INDIANAPOLIS 500- MILE RACE: THE mere mention of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing stirs deep passions in the hearts and minds of millions of race fans around the globe. Conducted over Memorial Day weekend since 1911-with the exceptions of 1917-1918 and 1942-1945 because of World War I and II, respectively-the world s largest single-day sporting event draws more than three hundred thousand fans to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway annually.
For more than one hundred years, the great drivers in the sport have made their way to the World s Greatest Race Course in search of fame and glory, seeking auto racing s grandest prize. The likeness of each winner is preserved in sterling silver and affixed to the Borg-Warner Trophy and will be remembered as a star among stars for all time.
There are, however, other stars, and they are the cars the drivers pilot for five hundred miles in pursuit of the checkered flag. These cars are marvels of engineering, innovation, and technology. Capable of achieving speeds over 240 miles per hour (mph), they are the costars of the Indianapolis 500. Speed and endurance are required, and those shown on the following pages have met that challenge. Today, many reside in private collections or public museums with the fate of only a few unknown.
What follows is a tribute to these amazing machines and the visionaries who designed them, the men and women who created them, the mechanics who perfected them, the owners who bought them, and the drivers who guided them to victory. In large part due to their efforts, the vehicles we drive today are safer, more efficient, and more reliable. They are indeed worthy of our admiration.
James Craig Reinhardt
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS PUBLICATION have been sourced through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Photo Shop and used with permission of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF this book benefit the activities of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Foundation and its mission to celebrate more than a century of the innovation, thrill, and adventure of motor racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Thank you for your support .
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
DONALD DAVIDSON IS THE HISTORIAN at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. No one knows more about the facility or the 500 than he. He has researched and compiled much of the material in this book over the past several decades. I simply tried to present the information in a concise format attractive to fans and non-fans as well.
Betsy Smith is executive director of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Foundation. She believed in my efforts from the very beginning of this project, and she was a constant source of encouragement.
The staff at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum includes tour bus drivers, museum hosts and hostesses, office personnel, and tour guides. These individuals are my coworkers, and I have the utmost respect for each and every one. Their collective knowledge has been a constant source of information. Many offered advice and suggestions, and several took their own time to review sections of the manuscript. To all, I say thank you.
I had the opportunity to speak with Pat Kennedy on the phone and meet him in person. Pat has authored The Official Indy 500 Trivia Book and Indy 500 Recaps the Short Chute Edition . His advice gained through personal experience proved to be invaluable.
Mike Roth oversees the Photo Shop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Maintaining more than five million images of the speedway and the 500 is a meticulous and time-consuming job. However, every time I visited the shop to select pictures for this publication, he and his staff were always ready to assist and offer advice. Thank you, Mike.
Many thanks to Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman Company; Doug Boles, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; and C. J. O Donnell, chief marketing officer for Hulman Motorsports, for granting permission to use the pictures in this publication.
I would like to express my deep appreciation to Jim Fuhr of Fleur de Lys Indexing and Editing. Jim is a member of the American Society for Indexing and the Chicago/Great Lakes Chapter of ASI. His meticulous and painstaking efforts have produced an index that is accurate and easy to use. Thank you, Jim.
Last, but not least, I would like to thank Ashley Runyon, Trade and Regional Acquisitions Editor, Indiana University Press; Rachel Rosolina, Project Manager/Editor, Indiana University Press; David Hulsey, Associate Director and Director of Marketing and Sales, Indiana University Press; David Miller, Lead Project Manager/Editor, Indiana University Press; and Jennifer Crane, Editorial Project Manager, Amnet Systems. These are the people who brought this book to life. I simply supplied words, numbers, and pictures. I could not be more grateful.
THE WINNING CARS OF THE
INDIANAPOLIS
500
THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
THE EARLY 1900 S SAW INDIANA emerge as one of the leaders in the brand-new automobile industry. More than fifty manufacturers called Indiana home, and many early-day classics such as Marmon, Cole, National, Stutz, and Duesenberg had their operations based in Indianapolis at one time or another.
There was, however, a problem. Indiana roads were little more than dirt or gravel paths at that time and were still several years away from being paved with either blacktop or concrete. As a result, manufacturers had nowhere to test their products. As technology improved, the vehicles became capable of greater speeds than any public road could provide.
What we need, said one visionary, is a huge, sprawling speedway at which an automobile could be extended to its fullest in order to find its weakest point then go back and make it better. Additionally, occasional racing events could be conducted to give the manufacturers an opportunity to prove their worth against one another in competition, thereby providing the general public with an opportunity to observe and form opinions on what they might consider purchasing for p