History 2020 the First Time since WW II without an Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day (Weekend)

Dario Franchitti Drives Jim Clarks Lotus

 

The Pace Car in 1965.


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i too loved what the 500 used to be, i don't even watch this boring corporate version that it turned into, i'll miss it about as much as i miss all the ball sport's on every channel

 

"My mother says she remembers my Grandfather listening on the radio in 1964, the year Dave McDonald and Eddie Sachs were killed"

I remember that day too. I was mowing the lawn, a bottle of Tab (remember that?) and listening with an earphone to my Zenith Royal 400 strapped to the mower's handle. Funny how you remember things like that, I was twelve at the time.

I worked for a Penske business in the 70's and during that time had a lot of contact with Penske Racing. In '79 I was offered a job with them but I had already agreed to take a parts manager job out west so that's how that went.

I've lost interest in Indy car and NASCAR racing over the years.

 

Eddie Sachs in the Dean Van Lines car he drove at INDY 1960-1962 he put it on the pole 1960 & 1961. Restored by Vic Yerardi it was a fixture at Hershey in the 1980's, Vic was a really nice guy, he passed on and the car is in a collection in Maine. Bob

 

Mechanician?

 

Honestly, I haven't watched much racing in years. I'd rather watch the footage of races run years ago. But it is a shame to lose the EVENT, the atmosphere. That's been happening across the country, across all spectrums. I guess we'll have to hang in there and make the best of it.

 

Regrettably this year has been a first for many annual events & races and this is not the first time the Indianapolis 500 has been cancelled, the race was not held in 1942 -1945 due to The United States involvement in World War II.

I understand they will re-televise the 2019 Indy race today on NBC, the 2020 Coca-Cola 600 race in Charlotte,North Carolina race will be televised

The NASCAR race will be televised Sunday at 6 PM on Fox. HRP

 

One of my favorite INDY 500 programs, 1919 first race after World War One. Bob

 

Yes an unfortunate refection of our times and current
dilemma. I wonder if things will ever be as they were on
this years New Years day? I hope todays "normal" is
a passing state. I do not expect things will ever be
quite like they were. There are 33 sets of large steel balls tarnishing at home instead of being polished at Indianapolis!

 

I think the vintage Indy Roasters were and are the finest looking race machines ever built. Guys like the late Bill Fournier built aluminum bodies by hand. I
mention Founier because of the two metal working books he produced. How guys like him must have
cringed when a body panel got damaged. No carbon
fiber replacements handy to just pop on and proceed!

 

Although it was always a big deal to me and my family in the fifties and sixties, I don't miss it at all. Toyota engines and "international" drivers?

I think it would be a better venue if they ran it as a vintage race; Offy's only.

 

The other side of the Gilmore car built by Myron Stevens for the 1934 INDY 500 and raced in everyone up to 1948

 

I am not a big fan of the new super hi-tech , however pushing the limits of technology is nothing new at Indy.

From the Miller Fords, Cummings Diesel, the Fire Boid the first turbine, Smokey's capsule car, or Mikey Thompson's Roller Skates.

Don't forget Juan Manuel Fangio attempted to qualify in 1958, Graham Hill won in1966, Jim Clark was second and Jackie Stewart ran sixth in that race.

 

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Mike Joy just summed up motorsports this weekend.

"No breakfast in Monaco, No lunch in Indy, only dinner in Charlotte"

 

Thanks for the reminder, I'll check the TV. Bob

 

"Roasters" – maybe Roadsters would be more accepted – but many a driver succumbed to lax safety requirements in the early years. Would rather be "thrown clear". (To Iowa?)

It was surprising that a 2-liter-foreign-engined car did so well against the 4+-liter Offys in one of the videos featured here.

My first Indy-involved remembrance came about in 1949 when we got some tickets to a Midget race (the cars, not the drivers) at Pinole from Freddie Agabashian who had a service station/garage in Northern California. In later years he was the color commentator on the radio broadcast. It's my understanding that he finished 2nd 3 times – I could be easily wrong on this.

 

I haven’t watched an Indy race in 30 years... so it doesn’t matter to me. I’ve even cut back most NASCAR. Thank goodness there is MAV TV so I can watch some dirt fly..

 

Sorry to fact check that, Freddie had a 4th in 1953, a 6th in 1954, and a 9th in 1947

 

The biggest thing I miss about the Indy 500 is Jim singing

 

The riding mechanic!

 

How about a "new" Indy rule book. Like Gp7 / CanAM. Set up two vertical sticks about 6 or 7 ft apart and top them with a horizontal bar say 36" high. If you can drive your car under the limbo stick, you're legal!!!!

 

I agree.

 

I have a love hate relationship with the Roadsters and the rear engine Lotus. Both are works of art and craftsmanship, but both marked the end of an era.

The roadsters kill dirt cars at Indy and on the paved miles and the star of specialized cars.

The Lotus ended drivers come off the short track open wheel racing.

 

This will get people talking, just why were the INDY Roadsters so large? Mid to late 1930's cars look just right to me, front and rear axles and an OFFY in both, what drove the designers to build the Roadsters so large? Bob