History Classic Indy roadsters: Most beautiful oval racers ever?

I think this is it:

 

Anyone know the story of this one?
Appears to be around 1954-55, but does not appear in the Indy results at all.

Thanks

 

Yes that is the car in the same paint scheme as it sat in Boudeman's chicken shed it was complete with engine and all , believe he was asking 65k .

 

Pretty obscure Caddy powered car that Bill Homeier unsuccessfully attempted to qual. at Indy 53. As near as I can tell that was one and only race entered. Cal Connelly was a Detroit Caddy dealer and was well known for building Caddy powered boats. It's been said that it was built with parts from the 1950 upright Cummins diesel car. Of course that car lives at the Indy museum nowdays so I don't know. I guess the parts could have been returned to the Diesel car afterwards, I really don't know. Here is the only other pic I've ever come across.

 

This car has a clouded past. G. E. White's info indicates the car started life as a KK3000 new for 1950 Chassis number 331 purchased by Cummins Diesel Co. It qualified 32nd. and finished 29th. It was traded beck to Kurtis in 1952 and Cal Connell either turned it into a roadster or just used some parts of the car for his. The Connell roadster appeared as in your photo in 1953 with a Cadillac V-8 but Did Not Qualify.

Rootie beat me to it.

 

In 1953 it was entered as the Cop-Sil-Loy Brake Spl. driven by Andy Linden. Very early in the race he hammered the wall suffering relatively minor injuries.

 

Thanks guys. In many cases, I guess, the people involved were too busy to bother with keeping and preserving records of what they did: just got on with their job.

 

Another stock block: SBC Grizzly Brake Spl, 1962 I believe.
Interesting thing is the brakes, which are drums at a time when most if not all Indy cars already used discs. Maybe these were the sponsor’s product? Were they different in some way from regular drum brakes?
The other unusual feature is the “right-side drive”. Who was the chassis builder? And the engine builder? No carbs visible, looks like fuel-injection.
The car does not figure in the Indy results, so presumably DNQ.

 

Owned by a fellow out of Chicago by the name of Peterson and former Indy winner Pat Flaherty was involved in the project also. Based on a old 1950s Kurtis 500 chassis and was driven by west coast stock car driver Herb Hill. Only entered at Indy and Milwaukee in 62 but failed to qual. at either though it did run a consi at Milwaukee.

 

Thanks Rootie.
So this is the same car then?:

 

Same car with changes. In that shot the valve springs are conventional, but initially they were expiermenting with prototype springs that resembled a spring on a clothes pin.

 

Obviously changed the engine position for weight bias and installed disc brakes. Still the most beautiful and innovative period of American open wheel racing. It's sad that any innovation now takes place on a computer program and probably never sees the light of day.

 

Thanks!
Any idea who the crew chief was, or the engine builder?
"Hairpin" valve springs were used on a number of European racing motorcycle engines too, from the 30s right through the 60s.

 

I don't know how I managed to overlook this thread....thanks to everybody who's posted these great pics!

 

Not a roadster, but I was reminded of it because it has a Chevy engine too: a so-called 12-port six-cylinder. Presumably an aftermarket head on a post-WW2 engine block. Anyone know anything about it? Number not fully visible, no sponsor's name either.

 

Might be the one with the 270 GMC and Horning 12 port head, injectors, etc. after it was done qualifying back then the engines were torn down and the crank was found to have a crack. Another on was not available for some reason and it did not run.

 

I don't know for sure but I think the Peterson fellow was the engine builder. In this shot you can see the extra wide valve covers that were needed to accommodate the special springs.

 

This car was owned by Bill Johnson from the west coast and was powered by a Wayne 12-port. Your picture shows Gordon Reid at Indy 51 where he failed to qual. The car was raced on the west coast also and here's a couple of pics taken there. You can find more info on the Inliners web site.

 

Yes, that makes sense. In motorcycle engines with similar springs, they were out in the open, as it was not easy to accommodate them within the covers. Also kept them cooler.

 

Thanks guys. Amazing response.

 

Something I've been meaning to ask you guys about.
During the 50s and maybe into the 60s, HRM featured a whole lot (100s?) of superb cutaway drawings of roadsters/lakesters/streamliners etc., many of them by Rex Burnett.
But such drawings of Indy cars seem to be few and far between, at least until the "rear-engine invasion" of the mid-60s. In fact, I have found only two:

No signature, but the style appears to be that of Rex Burnett.

Again no signature, could be by Bob Thatcher.
During the same period, many road racing cars such as the Scarabs were also drawn by Thatcher and by CO La Tourette, but I can't find any more Indy cars.
Anyone know of any more? Look forward to seeing some, if there are any.
Thanks.

 

Another long shot. The Jack Adams gas turbine car of 1966, which appears to be based on a Salih/Epperly laydown of 1957/58, possibly done in a hurry as not all the work is so beautifully executed as was usual with Indy cars. Turbine exhaust on both sides aimed slightly outside the rear tyres, still couldn’t have done them much good at racing speeds. And probably very unpopular with the drivers of the other cars. Unusual hand lever on the right side may have something to do with the brakes:



Anyone have more detailed pics of this car? Description? Spec sheet? Thanks

 

1) Many thanks Rootie for those great never-before-seen pics of the Jack Adams special with the bodywork off.
Interesting to compare the tyres on the car in 66 with what they were in 57-58. At least twice the width, and no tread pattern at all.
That gas turbine I understand was a General Electric LM100, but so far have seen no figures for it’s power output.
Who is the dude, in the cockpit, with shades and hat?

 

Wasn't the Jack Adams car formerly Norm Demler's?

 

Looks a lot like Sam Sessions. Bill Cheesbourg was the listed driver but Sessions may have had a go at it.

 

Possibly Al Smith.

 

Any idea who did the rebuild of the car, with the gas turbine?
What sort of lap speed did it manage in practice? Thanks

 

The Adams car was the Demler car. One distinguishing feature is the unique tailfin with the Cadillac shape cut in it.

 

I have always thought that Adams himself installed the turbine in that car, and that he was heavily involved with aircraft, whose construction techniques are pretty much parallel with space framed race cars, less wings and suspension