SWC75
Bored Historian
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The 1951 race was very exciting as Lee Wallard had to fight off several challengers and the troubles that took 25 drivers out before the end, (miraculously, none of them got seriously hurt), and overcame his own mechanical problems- he had no breaks or shocks at the end. He actually drove a couple of extra laps. The announcer said it was to “make sure the official scorer didn’t make a mistake” but I suspect he needed to do that to slow his car down safely. At the end he’s sitting on the back of it and reaching forward occasionally to steer it, while waving to the crowd. Quite a performance. As I mentioned in my post re: the 1950 race, Wallard was badly burned in a crash a week later and gave up the sport, so this was his great moment of short-lived glory. He had so much scar tissue he could not sweat and was unable to get rid of toxins in his body. He continued on as a businessman and racing official but died in 1963 at age 50, his burns being a factor in his demise.
Other drivers mentioned in this highlight film that I haven’t discussed previously:
Sam Hanks had trouble getting his car started at the beginning but managed 135 laps and a 12th place finish. He persevered in his career, too, finally winning Indy in 1957 in his 13th attempt and then announced his retirement.
Duke Nalon was a pal of Tony Bettenhausen’s from Chicago who ran midget cars with him but never had much success at Indy.
Mike Nazaruk was a marine who vowed to himself that if he survived Guadalcanal, he’d become a race car driver. There’s a lot of that in the literature about this period- a feeling that life was short and you may as well do what want, however dangerous. He did what he wanted and was killed in a crash at Langhorne in 1955.
Mack Heilings was another auto racer-airline pilot who died in a plane crash in Iowa on Veteran’s day, 1951.
Andy Linden was another ex-marine whose career ended in 1957 when a piece of flying metal pierced his helmet and damaged his brain, ending his career, although he lived another 30 years.
Jack McGrath, previously mentioned, had to withdraw from the race due to muscle spasms.
“Rose” is Mauri Rose, also previously mentioned, a three time winner who crashed but walked away from it and promptly retired.
Here is the U-Tube Highlight film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNXniq7cWPE
Note: you can get it full screen by clicking on the box with the four arrows in it.
Other drivers mentioned in this highlight film that I haven’t discussed previously:
Sam Hanks had trouble getting his car started at the beginning but managed 135 laps and a 12th place finish. He persevered in his career, too, finally winning Indy in 1957 in his 13th attempt and then announced his retirement.
Duke Nalon was a pal of Tony Bettenhausen’s from Chicago who ran midget cars with him but never had much success at Indy.
Mike Nazaruk was a marine who vowed to himself that if he survived Guadalcanal, he’d become a race car driver. There’s a lot of that in the literature about this period- a feeling that life was short and you may as well do what want, however dangerous. He did what he wanted and was killed in a crash at Langhorne in 1955.
Mack Heilings was another auto racer-airline pilot who died in a plane crash in Iowa on Veteran’s day, 1951.
Andy Linden was another ex-marine whose career ended in 1957 when a piece of flying metal pierced his helmet and damaged his brain, ending his career, although he lived another 30 years.
Jack McGrath, previously mentioned, had to withdraw from the race due to muscle spasms.
“Rose” is Mauri Rose, also previously mentioned, a three time winner who crashed but walked away from it and promptly retired.
Here is the U-Tube Highlight film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNXniq7cWPE
Note: you can get it full screen by clicking on the box with the four arrows in it.
