Mickey Thompson Does Indy

That's too cool, stock anything at Indy is amazing to me.

 

BloodyKnuckles showed me his all Aluminum 215 (I think) Buick engine last weekend. He started it up, and I was blown away by how fucking rad it sounded. Was this the same engine that Thompson used in '62? Anyways, yeah the idea that the same shit that could have been in your pop's car being used in the ultimate racing event is pretty cool. Kind of shows the Brashness of the American Auto industry at the time and that's exactly why I love it.

 

Nah, quit in '05, someone was telling me it died after a Ford bean counter found out it was a GM design (probly BS, but makes a good story).

 

yea, thats cool! Sammy has some good stories about working for M/T ,including building the frame for his first indy car.

 

Besides the Thompson stock block Buick at Indy in '62, there was Jack Zink's rear engined turbine car. Jack and his chief mechanic, Dennie Moore, bult the car in Jack's Tulsa shop with a sponsorship from Boeing Vertol. The driver? A rookie named...Dan Gurney.

Gurney passed his rookie test driving one of Jack's Watson roadsters, but the turbine wasn't fast enoung to qualify and Mickey Thompson then picked up Gurney for the Buick powered car.

I was at Indy in '04 with Jack for his induction to the Indy Hall of Fame, and he arrainged for my wife and I to visit the hallowed basement of the Indy museum to see the turbine car and his 1955 winning Kurtis-Kraft.

left to right: Jack Zink, Dan Gurney, Dennie Moore

 

You got it... in May it's Indy. I've lived a couple of block from the track my whole life and it still gives me chills to hear the cars run.

 

The raw American ingenuity (Engineuity?) of those days really impresses me. Build something fast, see if it works, improve where needed - is it still like that today?

That was a good read, Ryan. A really fun, kick-ass, learn-and-respect-the-guys straightahead view into the past. Thanks man, I enjoyed that!

 

Yeah that was what BloodyKnuckles was saying althought he said that they just stopped using it. Who would have thought that a bad ass Indy/Hot rod motor was powering the yuppie wagons. Not that I would not drive one if I had the chance. It's like the unsung hero of engines.

 

I wish Indy was still about innovation. Look at all the engineering that has filtered down from the 500. Now its just hohum Honda in every car.... Where's the thrill in that... I wish it was Hondas, Chevys,Toyotas, Fords, Mercedes, Ferrari...etc.

I have always loved Indy...I just wish it was REALLY a innovative exciting race again.

Keven

 

I dig almost all forms of Motorsports......but Indy never really interested me....except for the cars themselves.

Neat old pics.

 

It's not the fault of anyone that there aren't a whole lot of manufacturers and wild new ideas at Indy or motorsports as whole. Having Honda as the sole engine supplier kept the series alive when the other manufacturer(s) dropped out. Plus in todays racing world it's all about keeping things equal, and a spec engine helps with that. That same idea also prevents any great experimentation. As Ryan says, there is still plenty of innovation at Indy and everywhere else. It's mostly smaller things that you will never notice as a regular fan though. No turbines or plasma rockets or anything like that.

 

Don't forget Tony Canpana (Wilcap) ran a DeSoto in qualifing around '55 but it didn't live. Think he tried a Dodge also. A hemi on the front straight had to sound awesome

 

Innovation should include Smokey Yunick.He was a pain in the ass to some,but had some interesting Nascar and Indy racers.I believe as a builder he won the 1960 Indy 500.

 

Thompson put together some neat machines, I see Graham Hill in one of the pictures. Hill and Clark went on to drive the Ford Lotus cars - those cars made a really fine sound as well, for a push rod V8. Some great times.

 

That same basic GM aluminum 215 engine block from an F-85, went on to win 1966 F-1 championship in Jack Brabham's Repco- Brabham. The only man to win a world F-1 driving championship, with a car of his own. Ted Halibrand had a very innovative magnesium chassis car at Indy in the mid 60s.




Ago

 

"The early stages of R&D...Image 4 of 9"

The driver in this photo is English Formula 1 driver Graham Hill.

 

Indy 500, the Great Race. I don't dig the modern cars that much, but can't turn my back on the history. I'll be there glued to my TV all nite.
Thanks for the interesting tale on further exploits of M/T .

 

Well, I guess Indy has lost me as a spectator! I can no longer tell one car from another. There is essentially no difference in the drivetrains of any of the little missiles, and one looks exactly the same as the car sitting next to it on the grid. Phooey!!! I want so badly to feel the passion that I felt back inn the '50's and '60's, but it just isn't there. Man, for the good old days with the likes of Dave McDonald, Eddie Sachs, Johnnie Rutherford, Tony Bettenhausen, Jim Hurtibise (what a guy and what a character!), Warren Johncock; I could go on and on. And the colorfull owners such as J. C. Agajanian and Andy Granatelli. Four cylinder Offys, V-8 Novis, stock block Buicks, Fords and Chevs. Where are all the "characters" that made Indy the spectacle that it ws. Corporate America has taken over and sucked the life right out of the best race that ever was. Damn, it's depressing...

 

I suspect there was a cubic inch limit in the 60's. Does anyone know what it was?

 

I believe it was 209 for pushrod engines at the time of the MT Buick. In the early sixtys and late fiftys Offys ran at 255 inches. The first Fords were 255. I think it went to 169 for cammers and they dropped the pushrod break after Rodger Penski and Mercades-Benze built a push rod V8 just fpr the race and cleaned house. Thinking about that dosn't make sense. Must have been 255 in MTs time. When they went to turbocharged engines i THINK it was 169 for turbo race motors and 209 for pushrod motors. Lil John Buttra Cub Barrnet and friends took a SBC car to Indy one year. Qualified 34th. Said it cost $100,00, I heard. Had they made the show it would have shown a profit.

 

Great post Ryan!

One of my favorite race cars growing up as a kid. I have a Indy book from the 60's that features a different version of this car.

Anyone who would like a die cast model of this car check ebay for Solido's version. Very nicely made in 1/43 scale for about $90..

 

"I'm pretty good buddies with two crew chiefs that are currently working IRL. Trust me, the innovation is there... prolly more so than any other form of racing right now. It's just not leaked. At all."

Ryan, I am sure this is true but it is just not the same with all the cars being almost exactly the same. I started attending the 500 in the early 60's as a teenager and it was very interesting with all the different chassis and engines. I still watch and enjoy the race but the lack of variety has lowered the interest levels considerably. I also don't care for the high speeds. I say take the ground effects away from what is now 'class racing' and give the stock blocks some increase of displacement so that they can be competitive. I like variety.

 

Inovation would return BIG TIME it these were the rules.

#1 Has to use American Made steel tube chassis.
#2 Has to use American Made V8's ( NASCAR long blocks with Woo Style Fuel Inj.
#3 Engine has to be in front of driver.
#4 No wings - or very small wings.
#5 1800 lbs with driver & fuel.

Lets race.

 

Ryan,

I pray that 33 cars negotiate (not hit) Turn#1.....

It is a spectacle, I can't wait.

Mike

 

It is said that Ilmor Mercedes that Penske had in '94 developed easily over a 1,000hp at full boost. That same race still had some Buick V6s in the Menards cars as well. That was pretty much the last years of Indy being different from one car to the next. Tony George messed up everything a couple of years later. It will take a while but things are slowly getting better in American openwheel. Rumor has it that the regulations may get opened up a tad in the next couple of years. Let's hope so. I haven't been paying too much attention this month, but tradition will will take over my senses and I'll be tuned in for the race tomorrow. Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone. Thank you Veterans.

 

RIP Mickey, a real clever guy...