History Classic Indy roadsters: Most beautiful oval racers ever?

The classic Indy roadster circa 1952-64 has a lot of fans. Here's a brief history and a big photo gallery featuring Kurtis, Watson, Epperly, et al. If you are of a certain generation, these might be the most beautiful race cars ever. LINK:


Another look at the Indy roadster era | Mac's Motor City Garage.com

 

OMG!!! I've wanted this thread for awhile! Subscribed!

 

I used to share a shop with Ralph Wilke and his families midget team back in the early 2000's. Yeah, pretty neat to be sharing the same space every day with guys WHO WON THE FREAKING INDY 500 THREE TIMES....yeah.

Also, a friend of mine, Bill Wendt, and a couple of his buddys got together last summer and built a Bonneville replica of The Leader Card Special (which was the Wilke family business). One of his buddys just happen to be this guy...can't quite remember his name......uh,,, A.J. Watson!

They raced it at Bonneville a couple months ago and set a record.
Bunch of old guys.
Pretty cool.

 

Slight offset, huh?

 

Gorgeous stuff.

 

Every time you go out to your shop and make a bracket, or mount or anything that you think is really cool, think about what these guys built 50 years or more ago, without TIG, or MIG, or CNC mills. Makes most of our hot rods look pretty lame by comparison.

 

If you like this thread, you might want to take a look at this page on facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/VintageMidgetSprintCarRacecarDriverPhotos

 

The very first Watson, as it were. Thanks.

 

You may be interested in my Indy roadster website and some of the cars that I build.
mac miller in INDY

 

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If you would like to read the whole story about building this car, check it out at the following quick link.
http://indyroadsters.webs.com/buildingabadass.htm

 

Yeah, that's it!
I see Bill Wendt once or twice a week. He always has the pictures with him.

 

Here is a great photo of A.J.Watson and a group of notable Indy roadster owners and restorers checking out the car during the build in my shop.

 

From the 2007 Monterey Historic:
http://www.bakerracingpix.com/2007-monterey-historic-1.html

 

Booyah. Unsuccessful and brief. But completely badass.

 

Mac, how many Watson cars have you built?

 

I absolutely love the old Indy roadsters. I remember listening to the races on my transistor radio as a kid. I lost interest in Indy as they moved away from the roadsters. Today I could care less about Indy, not unlike NASCAR.

 

I remember it didn't work out for them but I don't know details. Not just what broke but why did they "give up"? I'll have to research this and/or wait for further comments from those who know more about it.

 

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I have built three.... Started on the fourth one last week.
I have been involved with the restoration of 5 or 6 real Watsons and have built around 40 sets of Watson bodywork over the past 20 years, including probably six bodies for A.J.Watson, himself.......

mac miller in INDY

 

Qualified 19th, broke a hub on lap 40 and spun out.

 

I remember as a kid one of my favorite books was " Indy 500 mechanic" by Clint Brawner. I read it several times.
Looking forward to following this one, Thanks to all who have posted so far.

 

More roadsters here from the 2013 Miller at Milwaukee feature coverage...including one of my favorites, the Chenowth Chevrolet aka San Diego Steel Products Special. LINK:


More Milwaukee stuff here at Motor City Garage

 

Love it. I'll be watching this one.

 

These are the cars that fired up my imagination as a youngster. Indy cars since these are just missing the point. It's not all about how fast you can go. It's at least partly about how you go fast. These are the some of the last really cool Indy cars.

 

Exactly. As I said in the piece, there's a generation of gearheads for whom, when you say "race car," they picture an Indy roadster.

 

I'm all for driver safety, but you have to just admire the nads it took to get in one of these things with the fuel tank right by you and tire inches from your head.

 

I saw this car run at Loudon, NH . Other than a top fuel car, this roadster is the loudest car i have ever heard. really cool

 

My all time favorite race cars. Many good memories of my Dad and I listening to Sid Collins call the race on the 500 radio network. Blessed that I grew up in the Glendale, CA area at that time.

Mac Miller,

Are AJ and the others laughing at the SCTA mandated cage?

DW

 

I was born in December of '64, so I missed out on seeing them run, but they're by far my favorite cars. Love the Roadsters.

Guffey, is the Bob Estes car the one Lew Morgan used to own? If so, I sat in that car once. Wild to imagine being so close to the outside wall while in the driver's seat you could reach out and touch it. I think it had an Alfa or Toyota engine in it then. Sounded awesome though.

 

1965 AJ Foyt leads a field of rear engined cars with his Roadster!

 

Heres the link to the Milwaukee story.

http://www.racingnation.com/story.asp?aid=2014