I posted a photo of a Ford Indy engine in the Induction thread, a 255 incher, pre-DOHC and there is what appears to be a factory engineer in the photo and that leads me to this question. Was this particular era with Lotus and Ford involvement the beginning of the end for Indy as we knew it? For sure there were factory efforts before this, with Studebaker and Ford both fielding teams during the "stock block" era in the early '30's but for the most part it was privateers that entered cars that were sometimes home built, or bought from a car builder and powered by who knows what or maybe a Miller or Offy.. In one era that interests me there were guys like Smokey with Offys and his sometimes odd engineering, Ray Nichels running Basement Bessie, or Mickey Thompson with the varied engines and concepts he tried over the years. Ford brought a lot of advancement to Indy but with it came hoards of engineers and soon, gone were the days when a handful of guys (usually with a rich benefactor) could take a run at winning the 500. I admit, for a long time the 500 didn't interest me, except for the occasional SBC like Little John Buttera's car or Roger Rager's with his so called school bus motor, or even the V6 Buicks. Yeah the Buicks ran contrary to my argument about factory engineers but I wanted them to stick it to the teams running the Ilmors, Cosworths, Mercedes, Hondas or whatever it was they paid huge dollars for. Maybe I'm just an old crank but the 500 hasn't held my interest in years.
Haven't been interested since the 60's, same for NASCAR. Has zip to do with factory involvement, just the commercialization or all racing, the corporate bullshit where selling products, be it cars or sodas became the most important thing, a big commercial. People and all the human emotion involved and personalities became secondary. That made racing boring to me. Same for the NHRA "Big Show". Ridiculously fast, ridiculously boring. That's just me. I do enjoy "nostalgia racing" though I HATE that term. Racing peaked for me in the 60's, be it almost any type. Racing machines are interesting, but without people....not so much,
Yes Fordors, you have only to read Smokey's book ("Best Damn Garage in Town") to see that this indeed was the case - the beginning of the end of Indy being an all North American show when the English Indy invasion started. Then Penske and Patrick showed up and Indy's fate was sealed. Like Gary, I haven't followed Indy or NASCAR for many years. If you haven't read Smokey's memoirs, don't leave this planet till you have! Best damn Indy, NASCAR and American car manufacturer history book (written by someone who was there) that I have ever read! Regards, Dave.
Times change, progress is good and bad, racing is one of the bad advancements IMO, because it took away the backyard engineering, engine building, etc. Racing was always exspensive related to the to time frame to be sucessful, but progress has pushed it past the limits of any working man, you definitely have to aquire some good sponsor $$$ today to even race at a local level. It's still attainable IMO if you want it and work hard toward it, to race local, but any of the premium divisions have skyrocketed out of sight.
I've watched the Indy 500 over the years....and I've watched the past few years of Nascar off-&-on since I've retired, but I have to admit, that I'm losing interest in both genre's. I'm a car nut through and through, but the advancements in 'modern' racing has reached so far beyond the average guy, that it's not representative to me anymore from any standpoint. I don't even understand the cars anymore, and since I'm not technology savvy to much of anything, I'm feeling left behind on the televised car races, and all the hype about computer oriented race cars....I miss the actual shifting gears with hands and coordination at Indy, not to mention the 'basic' aspects that were so much fun to watch in Nascar (holding signs, no radios, no spacesuits on pit road, air-gun was just another tool, etc....)....heck even the flag wavers are wearing full gear. I just can't relate to it anymore.... What's next, self-driving race cars??? I would absolutely love if they had a 'retro' race now and then....or maybe a race in the sand like they used to....bringin' it back to the basics for us car guys who can still understand what it was and should be about...having fun with a car, and taking some risks....and throwing all the political correctness out the window. I am finding I like the small dirt races, with low budgets and small race tracks more fun to watch....just seems more realistic....out to have fun, and see who can maneuver their cars in simple fashion....and the best driver wins....until next weekend...yup, I'm gonna spend my time watching the 'little guy' on the racetrack from here on out I believe....at least I can still relate to the overall outcome.
The Jalopy Journal
